Ellington

My time line for the Christmas holidays usually goes a little something like this: wake up pre-dawn, cook, cook, cook, herd children, guard turkey, eat, clean kitchen, collapse. Even after everyone has devoured the last crumb of sweet potato pie, I am still obliged to entertain my guests with a smile on my face. This year, I say focus on the food and let the family entertain themselves with one of these games.

The Ornament Hunt
If the children of the house love Easter egg hunts, then this will be the game for them. Purchase inexpensive ornaments from your local dollar store, or make your own out of items from a craft store. Hide the ornaments around the yard like Easter eggs while the children are inside. Give a stocking to each child and let them run loose. The more ornaments you hide, the more time you get to put the finishing touches on the turkey. Once the kids collect all the ornaments, bring them inside and add them to the tree.

Santa Says
Like the ever-popular playground game "Simon Says," this game works in just about the same manner. Have the children line up with one adult as the official caller for the game. What makes this game fun and unique are the phrases the caller gets to yell out. Instead of saying, "Simon says touch your toes," the caller can yell out, "Santa says shake like a bowl full of jelly," or "Santa says prance like a reindeer." The more creative, the better. The child left standing can win a small but delightful little prize֖maybe a reindeer headband or Santa hat?

Pin the Red Nose on the Reindeer
Similar to "Pin the Tail on the Donkey," this game will entertain smaller children for an extended period of time. Start by drawing a comical reindeer face on a piece of poster board. Cut bright red circles from construction paper and write the corresponding child's name on the front. Adhere a sticky tab to the back. Blindfold the children and spin them around once or twice before releasing them to pin the "Red Nose on the Reindeer." The child with the circle closest to the animal's nostril wins a prize.

Iron Chef Side Dish Challenge
Modeled after the ingenious culinary show, this game is both fun and beneficial because it allows for group participation and edible results. Once the majority of the meal has been tucked away in the oven for slow roasting, gather together two participants to serve as "head chefs" competing against each other. Anyone else who wants to join in can be picked by one of the head chefs to serve as their assistants. The hostess of the party should determine the mystery ingredient before the guest's arrival to be sure to get plenty of those items. Once the mystery ingredient is revealed, chefs will have anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour to prep and cook a unique dish using the item. Stand back, and watch the fur (or in this case, flour) fly. At the end of the allotted time, ask the chefs to present their dishes to the "judging panel," where the dishes will be tasted, and a prize awarded to the winning chef֖perhaps a nice bottle of wine or a golden whisk.

Musical Presents
Musical presents uses the same concept as musical chairs, but instead of people running around a room, a gift is handed from one person to the next while someone stops and starts music intermittently. Have your guests bring one somewhat androgynous gift apiece, not to exceed a preset spending limit. With everyone in a circle, start playing holiday music, frequently pause the music and the rotation of the gifts. If you are caught holding the present, then it is yours. If you brought it, pass it immediately to the next person. Continue this sequence until everyone has a present, then sit down and open them all together.

Naughty or Nice
This game is based along the same lines as "Truth or Dare," except someone is asked whether they want to be "nice" and answer a question or be "naughty" and wager a dare. A variation of this game is for everyone to write down a naughty fact about themselves as well as a nice fact. Fold the slips of paper up and put them in a fishbowl. As everyone settles down to dessert, pull out the fish bowl and have everyone grab two slips of paper, and then take turns reading them around the room. The fun starts when you try to guess who wrote what.

Visit
For more game ideas, go to http://www.associatedcontent.comfor adult-themed games or http://www.primarygames.com for children-themed games.