Christmas Games and Activities for Groups
The Games Are Appropriate for Classrooms and Sunday School Students
Nov 30, 2008
Large group games encourage cooperation and foster a sense of togetherness, and those are two elements of holiday spirit. These games may take about 30 minutes or more, depending on the number of students, but they are flexible and time can be adjusted. Shorter games for older students can also be used to fill in hours where these games do not fill the whole alloted time.
Activities for Students Who Can Follow Drawing Directions
For students who are still learning to follow simple drawing instructions, these games may prove to be too frustrating unless they have a pre-drawn template to follow. For all other students, the instructions can be made more complex or less complex as age and ability allow.
Draw A Snow Buddy
This is a fun activity because students get to go around and talk to each other.
Supplies Needed:
- paper
- crayons or markers (enough for every students to have several colors)
- desks, clipboards, or non-carpeted floor to use as a drawing surface
Students should draw a snowman based on each other, one at a time. If a student has blond hair, the snowman will have blond hair. If the student is wearing a green sweater, perhaps the snowman will have a green scarf. The number of elements depend on how many people are in the group, but students can add details, such as snowpets (if the student has pets) or other small personalizations.
The key to this game is that only one person can draw one detail at a time. Example:
- one person draws the snow circle for the bottom of the snow buddy
- one person draws the snow circle for the middle of the snow buddy
- one person draws the snow circle for the head of the snow buddy.
If the snowman has earrings, one person draws one earring, and another person draws the other earring. Many people will have encountered each other and added to the picture. The final product is a picture drawn by the community.
Linked By Links
This activity can be done all year round, but it is especially appropriate at Christmas because it creates a colorful chain that can be used to decorate the room
Supplies Needed:
- strips of light colored or white paper, about eight inches in length by one inch wide. A regular sheet paper will make 10 or 11 strips.
- colored markers to write with (or pens and pencils, but colored markers add flair)
- desks, clipboards, or non-carpeted floor to use as a writing surface
- basket or bucket for collection
- staplers available
Give each student 8-10 strips of paper. Older students can cut them themselves, but younger students should have them pre-cut. Extra strips should be available depending on the number of students in the class.
Each student has two minutes to find someone in the room with whom they share something in common and create a decorated paper strip. One person writes it on his strip, the other person draws it on her strip. For example, if two people are both excited to see a movie over Christmas break, one person would write, "Beth and Ryan both want to go to the movies over break." The other person might draw movie tickets, popcorn, and people in line. The decorated strips are then put in the basket, and they move on to an available person.
At the end of the activity, the strips are looped together (using the stapler) and arranged to make a chain. The teacher might explain that experiences and commonalities that are shared on the strips of paper connect students, just as the chain is connected.
Games Using a Beach Ball
Any soft, inflatable ball will work for these games.
Pass the Stories (and the Ball)
This is an activity where knowing students matters. The questions presented may need to be altered so that everyone can answer them.
Supplies Needed:
- ball
- strips of masking tape (about three inches long)
- marker or dark pen
- space to play
Before playing the teacher should write topics on little bits of tape. If the game is prepared in advance, students can even submit topics. Topics might include:
- a favorite Christmas or holiday memory
- a favorite Christmas or holiday movie or show
- a Christmas or holiday tradition in the student's family
- a place the student would like to travel or will travel over break
- a Christmas wish for the world (or other specific group, like animals or the environment)
- a favorite Christmas carol
- something fun the student will do over Christmas break
- the best part of Christmas is...
- a favorite holiday food is...
The teacher should come up with enough topics that the ball is covered with many pieces of tape.
The students stand in a circle and toss the ball. When the person catches the ball, that person has to answer ONE of the questions they are touching. If someone has caught the ball before, he can not catch it again until everyone has caught it and answered questions.
Christmas Story (in a ball)
Supplies Needed:
- ball
- space to play
Students stand in a circle. The teacher starts off the class with a Christmas or holiday story starter, such as:
- Everyone was snowed in the school over Christmas and...
- Santa got lost while delivering presents and ...
- One time, a family decided to do something different for Christmas...
As people pass the ball, they add one sentence (and only one sentence) to the story. The teacher might have to give a short time frame to enforce the one sentence game. The student then tosses the ball to another student, who adds another sentence. The ball can not be passed to someone who has had it previously until everyone has had a turn adding to the story.
Classroom Christmas and holiday celebrations often include times for games, and these group games are easy to facilitate, require few (if any) supplies, and can be played by students of a variety of levels and abilities.
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