Gifts can be emblematic of how much we care for our loved ones, friends, and business . For this reason the act of holiday gift giving can unfortunately become stressful. Christmas can become a big fat “Oh no!” because we have to find the right gifts for the people in our lives. What if they don’t like it? After all, the phrase “it’s the thought that counts” has its source here, when receiving another pair of socks, a jar of stale nuts or cheap shortbread biscuits wrapped in paper.
What do people mean when they say “it’s the thought that counts”? They mean the festivity, the togetherness, the spirit of the season. With that in mind, party planners have begun to turn the act of gift giving during the Christmas season into games, some with prizes and some without. That way everyone in your party can focus on having fun, being festive, and celebrating the season or holiday instead of worrying about gifts.
1. So, put on your ugly Christmas themed T-shirts and play Gift Hot Potato.
Gift Hot Potato or Present Hot Potato has become a mainstay of Christmas season parties. It’s all about a cheap present that most everyone can enjoy, wrapped up and passed around in a circle of friends. A DJ plays a Christmas song and when he stops, like to musical chairs, whoever is holding the gift is “out” and has to keep their gift.
2. Fun that you can count on
Nothing gets a holiday party laughing together quite like games, especially games with prizes. One of my personal favorites is like the old-fashioned “bean counter game,” where the DJ invites party goers to guess the number of ornaments on the Christmas tree. The DJ writes down the various guesses, and the person’s name, and whoever is closest without going over is the winner of a special holiday prize. Maybe a re-gifted snuggie from last year, but who would re-gift a snuggie? I wouldn’t. Another variation on this game is guessing what’s inside of various stockings, with the winners receiving the loot. Maybe I’m biased because I’m good at guessing.
Another holiday game your party can play is holiday trivia. Party goers separate into teams to write down answers to the DJ’s trivia questions or name a Christmas carol based on a short clip of music. The winning team has the most points by the end of the game and receives a small cache of chocolate goodness.
3. Santa Belly Bust, because silliness is the spirit of the season.
As a party planner I love games that get people out of their shell and acting silly with friends both new and old. One of my personal favorites is called the “Santa Belly Bust.” A group of people place balloons underneath their shirt and, within a time limit, attempt to bust the balloon first without using their hands. This game can have rounds for the ultimate belly bust challenge. The last person to pop the balloon usually has to wear a ridiculous Santa Claus hat for the remainder of the party.
4. Nothing says “togetherness” like a Siamese Twin
Another crowd pleaser is the Siamese Twin Wrapping Race. The game is simple enough and cheap to prepare. Teams of two people stand side by side with one arm wrapped around their teammate. The team members then use their free arms, like Siamese Twins, to try and wrap a gift as best they can while outpacing the other teams. You also need a few judges to vote on the best wrapped gifts at the end of each round while accounting for time. Siamese Twin Wrapping Race is made all the better by DJ who can humorously announce the play-by-play of the race.
If you would like to incorporate some of this fun into your Christmas party, our team at Premier DJs can make this happen for your for your event.
