Thursday, December 31, 2009

Plan a Great New Year's Eve with Kids and Family

While Christmas is very exciting for kids, New Years Eve is an adult holiday but that doesn't mean the kids will be bored.

If you are having a family New Years Eve or there will be a lot of kids around just plan out the evening. Here are some ideas for planning out the last few hours of 2009.

Play a board game - 7:45 to 8:45
Have your kids pull out one of their Christmas presents of a family favorite game and have fun. Play Clue, Monopoly, Sorry, Apples to Apples, Cranium or any game that they enjoy.

Throw in a Movie - 9 - 10:30 or 11:00
Then have a movie ready. Select soemthing that is fun and will keep them entertained for an hour or two.

Play these New Year's Eve Games 11:00 - 11:30
As you get closer to midnight, you can play a variety of trivia games and have fun sharing the answers. Check out various printable New Years Games. You can even play these while the tv is playing in the background.

TV Time - 11:30 time for the watching the countdown
If you can't be at Times Square or a local New Years event it's time to turn on the tv and watch the countdown from around the country. By waiting til 11:30 to turn on the tv the kids won't be asking is it time yet? (every 15 minutes)

Celebrate - Happy New Year!
Have a safe and Happy New Year

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas from Party Game Ideas

I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and safe Holiday Season.

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Holiday Family Gathering Games

Here are two family gathering games that should help keep the kids busy for a while why you prepare dinner or get ready to open presents.

Family Photographer Game – Create a list of photos for the kids to take that involve the tree, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc… The goal is to have them take at least one picture with everyone in the family. By the end of the day they will have had fun and you will hopefully have great pictures.

Family Memory Match – Get photos of family members and have have made all the same size. Layout them all out and have the kids or adults play the memory match game with the family photos.

These family games work great around the Holidays. Check here for more family games and do it yourself Christmas games.

Happy Holidays
Sarah – The Party Game Ideas Lady

You Don’t Need a Party to Play Christmas Party Games

As the holiday’s approach many people think that the fun of the holiday party has come to an end!

Just take our Christmas party game ideas and turn them into afternoon or evening activities. The kids and adults can easily set up and play Indoor Snowball Soccer, Christmas Stocking Guess, Gift Stacking Relay, Christmas Pictionary, Bingo or Trivia and what is best is they can play these games several times and still have fun.

So take a few minutes and check out our Christmas Games list and see if any work with your friends and family and then have fun spending time together.

Happy Holidays
Sarah – The Party Game Ideas Lady

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Classroom Games, Trivia and Fun for the Christmas Holiday Week

Christmas is days away, the big storm canceled weekend events and now you have to keep the kids focused and those with free time busy. Well we've got an idea for teachers and substitute teachers working this week.

Print out several of the printable Holiday trivia games or Winter games to keep kids entertained. Quick easy and best of all you don't have to do much work.

So if you have 15 minutes before the Holiday assembly or need them to be busy while you set up for a holiday snack or event, you'll be ready to go.

Best of all there are games for all ages and you can play several this week and even use the games as a reward for being good! We alos have a variety of do it yourself Holiday games that might work too.

Well get these Printable Christmas Games, Trivia Games, Word Finds and activities.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Friday, December 18, 2009

Speak in Christmas Riddles to Get Your Holiday Party Going

I saw these this morning and had to share.

If you want to stump your friends and coworkers or get the crowd warmed up at the Christmas party.

Just ask them to figure out these Christmas Songs.
1. A Wayne Aim May Injure
2. Could Keen Gwen Senseless
3. Hole Lid Oh Tom Of Bed Lee Am
4. Elf Daze Huff Quiz Miss

These are funny when you get them and odd when you don't, in fact they are almost like a foreign langauge.

I found more on this blog and they are great.

If you still have your Christmas party coming up then stop by Party Game Ideas for lots of do it yourself Christmas party games, printable trivia and Holiday games and gift exchange games.

Happy Holidays
Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Learn from Tom Cruise's Party Game Foul

The other night David Beckham told Talk Show host George Lopez how embarrassed he was when Tom Cruise and his wife had them play a singing game at a restaurant.

Beckham noted, that singing is his 'worst nightmare' and singing in public is even worse.

Well there are several party host lessons to be learned from Tom Cruise.
1. Games in Public should be fun, simple and kept within your table space
2. Don't embarrass your guests in public
3. Don't ruin the evening for strangers
And last
4. Don't accept a public dinner invitation from Tom Cruise, however a private dinner invitation at his house is acceptable but be prepared to sing!

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Party Game Ideas home to over 400 Party Games, 50 Christmas Party Games and Gift Exchanges.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

10 Santa and Reindeer Christmas Party Games

Here are Santa and Reindeer theme party games. There is a variety of games ranging from silly, to trivia, to search and find games to balloon stuffing Santa games, so there is a little something for everyone and all ages. Have fun and if you need more, we have 40 more Christmas games on my site.

1. Find Santa’s Reindeer – Our most viewed game 2 years in a row, involves help from your guests and the quest for Santa’s reindeer.

2. Santa’s Christmas Puzzle – This find the gifts game has kid’s working to complete the puzzle so they know where to find a hidden gift or two. A fun way to have kids help out at an office party or special event.

3. Reindeer Trivia – A printable game where you need to read the clues and determine which of Santa’s reindeer the clue is about. Print and play in 15 minutes.

4. Stuff Santa – A silly kids game where you get to see how many balloon you can stuff in Santa.

5. Reindeer Games – A variety reindeer tests to see who is best suited to be on Santa’s team for Christmas. Select from 5 target / skills games for a fun activity for kids.

6. The Many Names of Santa Claus – Test your worldly knowledge by seeing if you can match Santa’s name to the language / place where that name is spoken. A printable game that is ready in minutes.

7. Santa Hat Ring Toss – Quick and Simple. Take several Santa hats, stuff they so they can sit on the floor or table and stand up. Kid the kids medium sized wooden rings or hoops (8 – 10 inches in diameter, find at craft store) that are large enough to toss on to the hat. Set hats up at varying distances. Give each child the same number of tries and the child landing the most rings on Santa’s hat wins.

8. It’s All About Santa – This Santa trivia game is perfect for kids that know a few things about Santa Claus. A printable game that you can print and play in 15 minutes.

9. Where are Santa’s clothes? – You’ll need a small Santa, Santa outfit and places to hid the clothes around your holiday décor. A fun activity with proper prep time.

10. Who’s Santa? – A kids game involving winking and trying to discover Who’s Santa, similar to playing Murder.

Looking for more Christmas games? Check out 40 more Christmas games at my party games website. Most of those games are do it yourself games or printable games.

Happy Holidays
Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Party Game Ideas blogs about party games, activities and hosting events. Links in this blog may lead to compensation for Party Game Ideas if a product is purchased at the linked web site.

Holiday Party Games using Christmas Gifts

Yesterday I created a list of Christmas Carol games for my blog and while getting that together thought that a list of party games involving Christmas presents would be fun too. So here is a list of party games involving gifts and Christmas gifts.

Blind Gift Stacking – In this game you need to listen to your teammate to create gifts stacked in a specific order. Fun and played in teams.

Gift Stacking Relay – Simple and fun as you must balance your stack of gifts but also be quick. Play as individuals or teams, easy to add difficulty, all ages.

Gift Wrap Relay – This game will have kids and adults testing their gift wrapping or lack or gift wrapping skills. Play as a speed game or team relay game.

How Many Gifts in the Big Box? – Perfect for Holiday raffle events as this game involves guessing how many gifts are in the box. Well it could be 1 or it could be 500. The hard part is keeping count of all the gifts.

Unwrap the Gift Game / Pass the Parcel – This gift passing game can be a simple game or you can add a few twists to the game and have people winning gifts or singing carols.

Siamese Gift Wrap – Want to test their patience, well then Siamese Gift Wrap might be the game for you as guests are teamed up to wrap gifts, but they can only use one hand.

Left / Right Gift Passing Game – This game is used as a gift exchange and party favor type game where you’ll never know what gift you’ll end up with after passing it to the Left, Right, Right, Right and Left again. Check out some left / Right stories.

Left / Right Naughty or Nice Gift Passing Game – We liked the gift passing and made this a fun and random game where if you’re Nice you stay in the game but if you’re Naughty your out.

We also have a variety of Gift Exchange games for small and large groups.

Looking for more Christmas games? Check out 40 more Christmas games at my party games website. Most of those games are do it yourself games or printable games.

Happy Holidays
Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Office Party Christmas Trivia Games Ready in 15 Minutes

Your business Holiday party is today or this weekend and your short on time but long on work. Well if you have about 15 minutes, a computer and a printer, we can save you some time, energy and move party games from your “To Do” list to “Done.”

While there are lots of great printable games here are 5 Trivia Christmas games that will entertain and challenge your group and stop them from thinking about work and get them thinking about the holidays.

Christmas Jeopardy – Divide up groups into teams or select several people to play Christmas Jeopardy where as the numbers get bigger the questions get harder. And there are 15 categories to choose from.

Christmas Song Lyrics - Everyone knows the words to that song, right? Well find out how well they know these Christmas songs. Three versions available.

Christmas Riddle Me This – Can your group solve these Christmas riddles? These thought provoking riddles are sure to challenge everyone. The only complaint in the reviews was that it was too hard, but everyone else enjoyed the challenge.

Twas the Night Before Christmas – Many of us have read or heard this story many times but most of us don’t know the words! Really, I thought I knew it word for word but sadly I had changed a few. A fun game for those who can and will laugh at themselves.

Toys and Games Challenge – This fun game is a mix of knowledge and matching as you must decide what toys and games came out in what decade. Examples: Tinkertoys, Tonka Trucks, Twister… I like this one because it is interesting and fun.

While there are more printable Christmas games to choose from including Holiday Pictionary and Bingo, these are my favorites for office parties.

I you have a little extra time, check out 40 more Christmas games at my party games website. Most of those games are do it yourself games.

Happy Holidays
Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Party Game Ideas blogs about party games, activities and hosting events. Links in this blog may lead to compensation for Party Game Ideas if a product is purchased at the linked web site.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Christmas Carol Games make Parties Fun

It wasn’t an accident that 2 of our 10 Top Christmas Party Games included Christmas Carols this year. Christmas music and carols are part of the holiday season and the music is heard almost everywhere, but the funny thing is that many people think they know the words of a Christmas song but they really don’t!

So add some fun to your Holiday party with these Christmas Carol games. We linked to game pages that go into further detail when possible.

Name the Christmas Carol – 3 Variations where people guess or challenge others to Name the Christmas Carol.

Christmas Carol Relay – Players must act out or draw out the Name of the Christmas Song and get their team to sing it.

Christmas Song Lyric Trivia - A trivia game to see who remembers the lyrics to popular Christmas carols, printable game.

Christmas Carol Lyric Challenge - Does your group of friends pride themselves to knowing lyrics. Well put them to the test by place Christmas carol songs from White Christmas to Frosty the Snowman to Little Drummer Boy in a hat. Take turns and challenge guests to sing a correct verse from the song. Want a challenge - Do this game in tournament fashion, so you can end up with a winner.

Christmas Carol Trivia Challenge - Guests race to match Carol clues with the Christmas carol. A fun ice breaker and you could use these challenging clues for a party event if the paper and pen version does not work.

Silly Christmas Carol Songs - This is for the improv crowd and involves changing the song name and making up a unique holiday song based on the new title. A silly game for kids and adults. So you might sing about Rudolph the Green Nosed Reindeer or Chilly the Snowman, 12 Nights of Christmas but you have to keep on singing, perfect if you have instrument Christmas music of the original songs.

Christmas Song Scramble – You can play this game as a pen and paper game where everyone tried to unscramble the letters to form a Christmas Carol or you can make each scrambled carol its own Carol Challenge, by giving the scrambled letter to teams of players and the first group to unscramble the letters and start singing the song wins a point. Complete the sheet and the team with the most points wins the Carol Challenge.

We hope you have a warm holiday season and Christmas music helps you enjoy the holiday season.

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Check out my site for 40 more Christmas Games

Party Game Ideas blogs about party games, activities and hosting events. Links in this blog may lead to compensation for Party Game Ideas if a product is purchased at the linked web site.

Top 10 Christmas Party Games

It’s time to announce our Top 10 Christmas Party Games for 2009!

This year we have added over a dozen new Christmas games and thanks to your emails a few more should be posted before the weekend! The list of Christmas party games is determined by the number of visitors checking Party Game Ideas Holiday games.

Top 10 Christmas Party Games - Drumroll Please

10. Name the Christmas Carol - This Name that Tune game was added a little over a week ago and has moved into the Top 10! Name the Christmas Carol can be played at office parties, kids events and family gatherings.

9. Guess How Many Gifts in the Box - Another new game that adds a twist to an office raffle and is fun for the office and group events.

8. Blind Gift Stacking - This was a surprise as it beat out the Gift Stacking Relay game. This frustrating and fun game is a communication challenge but fun for teams of two.

7. Left / Right Gift Passing Game
New to the Top 10, this Gift passing game coincides with a story involving passing a gift to the Left or Right every time the words Left or Right are used. It's so popular we added a Naughty or Nice version of the game.

6. Holiday Trivia Games
A variety of games that are perfect for office, classroom or dinner parties, trivia is always easy and fun way to get the party started and guests mingling.

5. Stocking Guess Game
Up two spots, place holiday related items in a stocking and have guests guess what in the stocking.

4. Unwrap the Gift / Pass the Parcel
This classic game holds steady at number 4 and with our variations, you could win a bonus prize or be asked to sing a Christmas carol.

3. Holiday Bingo
Bingo is fun for all ages and perfect for any time of year. Still popular but down one spot this year.

2. Christmas Carol Relay - Up 1 spot from 2008
Team members must pull a Christmas Carol and then get their team to sing it.

And Number 1 for the second year in a row!
1. Find Santa's Reindeer - This search and find Reindeer game is fun for kids, families and adults as the search for Santa's missing reindeer.

We hope you enjoy all of our Christmas Games and if you don't see your favorite or one that will work for your Holiday Party it's ok. We have 40 more Christmas party games and Gift Exchange Games for you.

And if you notice we are missing your favorite, please share it with us and we might post it online.

Happy Holidays
Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Church and Sunday School Games for Christmas

As Christmas approaches sometimes it is hard to kids the kids focused on the true meaning for the season, the birth of baby Jesus. Often there are so many activities involving Santa, reindeer and elves that teaching on Sunday can be a struggle.

Well if you are looking for fun activities we have printable Christmas games that can be added to your Sunday School or Church activities. These include Bible Image Bingo for little kids, Bible Bingo, Jesus is the Reason game, Bible Word Scramble, Word Finds and more.

Check out a dozen Christmas games that are perfect a Church event or Sunday School and make your holidays a little more fun.

Happy Holidays
Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Party Game Ideas blogs about party games, activities and hosting events. Links in this blog may lead to compensation for Party Game Ideas if a product is purchased at the linked web site.

Friday, December 11, 2009

New Game Left / Right Naughty or Nice Gift Passing Game for Kids

We know people enjoy the Left / Right Gift Passing Game but when the story is over, well the game is over.

So we made a few adjustments to the game and came up with Left / Right Naughty or Nice Gift Passing Game a game of gift passing, creative stories and fun.

In this version, you'll need a bunch of gift boxes, naughty and nice slips and some creative stories that involve passing gifts to the Left and Right. Good news we have a sample on the site to get you started.

During the story telling the kids will by busy passing the gifts and after several passes, the Narrator will say check to see if you are Naughty or Nice and if your put on the Naughty list your out.

Left / Right Naughty or Nice Gift Passing Game is simple, fun and you can play this game several times and have a different winner every time.

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Now with 50 Christmas Party Games!

How to Turn an Average Party Game into a Memorable Holiday Event

Every wonder why some parties are just social events and others are Holiday parties you talk about for years?

Well in most cases the difference is not the Holiday games you play but rather the setting up and staging your event. You can take an average party game and make it something more and memorable by adding just a little extra to it.

Party Tips to Make Your Holiday Event Special.

1. Create a story around games and activities.
Be creative and come up with Santa lost the presents, the Elves went on strike, the Reindeer got lost, the Heatmiser or Coldmiser have played a trick on Santa…

Then have the kids help solve a riddle, search for missing items, etc… as part of the game.

One year I made a video for Find Santa’s Reindeer game and our friends still talk about it.

2. For Young Kids – Lead them with the Story or Activity
I thing I have learned over the years is that when young kids 3 – 7 get bored or don’t understand what the are supposed to do, they give up. So to make games successful for them you need to lead them through the activity and if something is confusing add to the story to keep the game going.

3. Have Costumes / Extras
While I think Santa is nice for office parties; I frown on making co-workers wear antlers or red noses. However, making my friends where antlers or various costumes is acceptable because they are my friends and worthy of embarrassment.

Remember Santa can hand out gifts, guests can wear reindeer antlers which could make for an interesting ring toss game with partners, groups could be given props for the twelve days of Christmas and so on.

4. Surprise Ending to Your Game
If it works out, add a surprise ending to your game, where someone who might be out can also win a prize. Do this by adding a final twist or trivia question, have a star or item under a chair or package to identify a surprise winner or having something special for each guest as a gift.

5. Take Something with You
When we played Find Santa’s Reindeer the kids had fun searching for the reindeer but once the game was over and each family received a reindeer, the kids had even more fun.

Fun gifts that work would be Santa hats, Elf hats, Sleigh bells, Fresh Baked Cookies, Ornaments, Reindeer, and Photos that you can take and print right away, just to name a few.

Over the years, I have found the best holiday games and activities tend to offer a challenge, when families and teams play together their tends to be a little more excitements, costumes and holiday props add a wow and surprise factor to events and when the guests can take part of the game home with them it often becomes a lasting memory.

I hope this helps make your holiday event one you will remember and treasure over the years. Happy Holidays.

Sarah – The Party Game Ideas Lady
And If you need Holiday Games for your party check out my site; we have over 40 Christmas Party Games

Thursday, December 10, 2009

10 Christmas Party Games for Kids 3 - 7

Need Christmas Party games for preschoolers, the kindergarten class, Brownies, Cub Scouts or Sunday School?

Here are 10 Christmas party games just for the little kids, but the great thing is big kids and adults will have fun playing these games too!

1. Gift Stacking Relay - A fun relay game where kids must balance the gifts and be quick.

2. Frosty's Musical March - This musical chairs type game involves music, knocking off Frosty's hat and stepping from snowball to snowball but watch out for the hot spot!

3. Christmas Corners - When the music plays kids move around in a circle or dance, but when the music stops they must select a Christmas corner. Will it be a lucky corner or the end of the game?

4. Holiday Picture Bingo - It's Bingo with pictures rather than numbers or letters, so kids can play too. Several picture Bingo options, including Winter Holiday, Christmas and Christian.
Happy Holidays

5. Find Santa's Reindeer - This game involves having the kids and / or families searching for Santa's reindeer which have gone missing. Hurry, we need to find them before Christmas Eve.

6. Reindeer Games - Reindeer practice landing, flying and accuracy as they gain skills to see which reindeer will be on Santa's team this year. Fun, easy target games.

7. Christmas Tree Ornament Find - Kids search for the Christmas ornament they need to find so they can complete their task or count how many of those ornaments are on the tree. (Two variations of this game)

8. Unwrap the Gift / Pass the Parcel - Our classic gift wrapping game comes with two variations that make unwrapping the gift a challenge and the other where each unwrapped layer offers a surprise.

9. Pin the Nose on the Reindeer - Put a Christmas spin on Pin the Tail on the Donkey and you get Pin the Nose on the Reindeer or you could use Snowman too!

10. Indoor Snowball Soccer - If they have the energy and you have the space this game could be a hit.

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Need more games? Well we have over 40 Christmas Party Games and Gift Exchange Games for you.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

5 Holiday Office Party Games Ready in 15 Minutes!

Your Holiday office party is coming up and you are in charge. You have a gift raffle, but need something different and don't have any time to spend researching and planning a game.

Good news here are 5 Holiday games you can purchase and print from the office computer in about 15 minutes. Some are active games, others trivia and a few are brain teasers.

Top 5 Printable Holiday Office Games

1. Christmas Bingo - If you have the time to play Christmas Bingo can be lots of fun. Most people know how to play and each game runs about 6- 12 minutes.

2. Christmas Song Lyrics - If you work in the retail, you might have your fill of Christmas music, however if you are in a office then the Christmas Song Lyrics game can be very entertaining as everyone tries to complete this holiday challenge.

3. Christmas Jeopardy can be played in teams, individuals or open to eveyone. You can correct answers as a way to give bonus raffle tickets or just have fun getting everyone out of standard work mode.

4. Toys and Games Decade Challenge - This game has guests trying to remember when different toys became popular. I love this idea becuase it really does take you back to being a kid again.

5. Christmas Charades & Pictionary - If your office is full of active characters and story tellers than divide up the troops and play Charades and / or Pictionary. This will be entertaining and there is sure to be several memorable moments during these games.

If you like the ideas of printable games, then check out all the options here.

If you need additional Christmas games check out my site where we have over 40 Christmas games and various Holiday Gift Exchanges.

Happy Holidays
Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Party Game Ideas blogs about Christmas party games, party supplies and holiday party topics. Games featured in this posted may result in compensation if a purchase is made at the linked web site.

Snowday Games and Activities

For many today looks to be the first snow day of the year as winter weather hits the Midwest and Northeast, but while the kids might say there is nothing to do we have a few activities and games to keep them off the couch.

First if the snow has stopped you may just want to send them out to shovel the sidewalk or build a snowman, but if the are staying inside here are some ideas.

Snowball Soccer - If you have paper and tape you have enough for snowball soccer. If you have 1 child have them set up a goal and see how many they can shoot in out of 20, 30, or 100 tries. If you have more than one child then you can play the game. Here are the instructions for Indoor Snowball Soccer.

If your kids enjoy crafts and you are home today too, then consider making cookies or check to see if you have the ingredients for salt dough ornaments. These are the ornaments you can make yourself with various recipes. have the kids help you make the recipe and later make your own keepsakes.

Another activity that will keep them from the tv would be board games, if neighborhood kids live within a safe walking distance make a call and invite them over for hot chocolate and anafternoon of games. Have them play Candyland, Monopoly, Risk, Sorry or a game that suits there age.

You may also want to consider printable Holiday games and activties that you can print right from your computer. These include word scrambles, secret messages, trivia, holiday bingo, holiday charades & pictionary, and about 50 more actitivies. Best of all is you can use these games today and at upcoming kids, family and office parties too.

Well I hope you are enjoying the first big snow of the winter and you and yours all are safe and warm. Have fun keeping them busy and entertained on the first snowday of the year.

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Note: Party Game Ideas blogs about party games, party supplies and party topics. Items featured in this posted may result in compensation if a purchase is made at the linked web site.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

New Ideas on Your Christmas Gift Exchange

Need a new Christmas Gift Exchange?

Have you already done White Elephant, Silly Sweater, Re-Gifter, Worst or Strangest Gifts Gift Exchanges.

Well maybe you just need to change the delivery of your Christmas gift exchange.

How about a Playing Cards Christmas Gift Exchange
This gift grab involves handing out cards (from a deck of cards) and using them to randomly decide who and when gifts can be stolen.

Or Billiards Gift Grab
For smaller groups this is a great way to make your gift exchange fun and unique. Rack up the balls based on what you shoot in the pocket determines whether you can grab a gift or not!

Perhaps Dirty Dice Gift Exchange
This gift game involves rolling doubles, selecting gifts and using a timer. This is great for kids and makes the game fun and high action as you try to roll doubles. Might need to make some adjustment for adults.

Holiday Trivia Gift Exchange
This takes your ordinary gift exchange and mixes in fun Holiday trivia so it is a little more entertaining than people just stealing gifts. Fun for offices and all types of Christmas gift exchange parties.

If none of these work for you then check out other Christmas Party Games at party Game Ideas.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season
Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Monday, December 7, 2009

5 Tips for a Great Holiday Office Party for Less

Let's be real, times are tough and a Holiday party can cost small and large businesses a fortune. However, with a few tips you can hopefully spread holiday cheer and let the people you work with know that you care and appreciate them.

I hear that many companies feel it is just easier not holding a Christmas or Holiday office party is better than having one. I have to disagree on that one, this is a time to challenge how you look at your people and value the money you spend. As long as your company doesn't waste money on lavish expenditures then reducing your Holiday party costs should go unnoticed.

Here 5 tips for A Great Holiday Office Party While Spending Less.

1. Personalization - While I think this should be done every year, owners, bosses, team leaders need to hand write personal cards stating how things are going and what that person has meant to the company this year and going forward. In a time, where co-workers are being let go, it is important to specifically state reasons why you are proud them working with you and not just "Thanks for your hard work."
Cost: Cards & Time
Value: Big - Future Success lies with them

2. At the Party Mix in fun activities and games so that the focus is on laughing, smiling and relaxing. You'll find a variety of printable Holiday games like Trivia, Word Finds, Bingo and Charades, plus active games like Find Santa's Reindeer, Christmas Tree Ornament Find and lots more Christmas games and a unique gift exchanges that should help keep the party going. These ideas work for kids, families and co-workers.

3. Food - Don't go cheap on the food, bring in something you know will be good and safe. So pass on the $4 gourmet chocolate covered preztels, $3 cookies or $2 chocolate squares. A good meal is always enjoyed.

4. Decorations and Music
Balloons, lights, tree - keep it simple borrow from someone rather than buy.
Borrow music, holiday cd or ask someone to mix a Holiday cd for the event.
A nice addition (if within a budget) is a holiday scene setter. This is a photo opportunity for guests and can also be a place for happy memories to be made. These can run $30 to $100+.

5. Last the Holiday Speech or Toast - It's been another tough year and there is no sure bet that 2010 will be a guaranteed success.

So I recommend you do the following:
Acknowledge Difficulties (that it has not been easy)
Give Thanks that each one of them is here
And be positive about the future
While you can't always say that business will be booming, you can say with a team like we have, your dedication and a will to succeed - We Will!
(Of course adjust this to be in your own words)

Let's face it everyone knows times are tough but it doesn't mean you have to give less effort to a successful Holiday Party, it means you need to give more. Be creative, take risks and be yourself.

Happy Holidays
Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Note: Party Game Ideas blogs about party games, party supplies and party topics. Items featured in this posted may result in compensation if a purchase is made at the linked web site.

Love Christmas Music - Play Name that Christmas Carol at Your Holiday Party

Kids and adults love Christmas music.
Kids and most adults love playing games.

So will kids and adults love playing Name that Christmas Carol? I think the answer is YES!

Well if you want something familiar yet different for your Holiday Party then consider Name that Christmas Carol.

We came up with 3 versions of this game so you can play it with kids and adults and what is best is you can adjust the music to match what your guests know.

So for kids you can play Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph and other fun songs and for adults you might include Silent Night, O Christmas Tree and White Christmas.

Where can you play Name that Christmas Carol?
Kids parties, school and holiday youth group events
Office parties as a game or way to get more raffle tickets
Church groups and Sunday school activities
Grown Up parties with active and competitive friends

So check out the 3 versions of Name that Christmas Carol and start planning for a fun party.

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady
Need more ideas we have 40 more Christmas Games for you.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Christmas Bingo - Easy, Fun and Prints from Your Computer

So you have Holiday activity to plan and it's only a few hours away. Don't panic, you have lots of options with Christmas Bingo. Yes, Christmas Bingo.

Bingo is one of Americas most popular games and Christmas is our favorite holiday, so when you combine the two you get Christmas Bingo and lots of fun.

As long as you have a computer, printer and a few minutes to set everything up, you can play Christmas Bingo today. And with 6 Bingo versions you sure to find one to your liking.

The best thing about Bingo is that all ages can play. There is picture Christmas bingo which is great for kids and families, Holiday Bingo which uses Holiday terms, Bible Bingo for churches and church groups and Family Bingo where you add in family members names into the game.

So if you need to act fast and have games ready today - check out Christmas Bingo and if you want some other Christmas games check out more printable Christmas games.

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Candy Canes Card Game - Perfect Small Group Holiday Game

If you have ever played Spoons, then you know how to play Candy Canes, we substituted Candy Canes for Spoons.

If you have never played Spoons you are in for some fun with Candy Canes.

Candy Canes is the a good game for a small group of friends, family or kids. I would say that it is best suited for those 8 and older.

The concept is simple get 4 of a kind and then grab a Candy Cane, however getting 4 of a kind and keeping up with the frantic pace of the game makes it fun.

Learn how to play Candy Canes

While Candy Canes is not for big parties it is a great after dinner game, evening family activity or after school game that will keep you active for 20 - 40 minutes. It's always entertaining and great for casual social interaction.

Want more Christmas Games?
Check out Party Game Ideas for over 40 Christmas Games and Gift Exchange Games.

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Reindeer Games - Play 1 or 5 Fun Games at Your Kids Christmas Party

I want to play Reindeer Games!I was watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer last night and was inspired to create Reindeer Games. So after watching Rudolph, I started brainstorming and came up with 5 Reindeer games that involve different skills that are needed by a reindeer.

Flying, landing accuracy, dodging mountains, navigating the city and roof top landings and I turn each one into a game for reindeer games. What's best is these are do it yourself games and you can choose to play 1 game or all of them.

Check out Reindeer Games and all the game details and scoring.

What makes Reindeer games extra special is that you can add a little story to each game and let the kids know why this skill is important to reindeer and flying Santa's sleigh. Plus, you can start with the basic skills and then increase the difficulty with each game.

Reindeer games can be played with bean bag reindeer, simple targets and and cardboard boxes and props. Decorate the cardboard and you'll be ready to go.

The game can be played at children's Christmas parties, office holiday events that involve families and classrooms as a reward. (Adults would have fun playing it too.)

So check out Party Game Ideas latest Christmas game - Reindeer Games
And our list of over 40 Christmas and Gift Exchange Games

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

5 Fun Christmas Party Favors – They’ll Like and Use!

Well your Holiday budget was cut, but you want to get a Christmas or Holiday party favor that doesn’t cost a fortune and won’t be a waste of money.

Here are 5 Crowd Pleasing Christmas Party Favors

1. Snowflake Ornament – They can add their own photo to this Snowflake Ornament and use it every year to decorate their Christmas tree.



2. Custom Holiday Mint Tins – You can personalize this gift and wish them Happy Holidays and they can enjoy the cool mint flavors of the holidays.


3. Holiday Cookie Mix or Hot Cocoa Mix – These Holiday mixes are a quick way to bring a smile to your guests and create future Holiday memories when the gifts are used.


4. Snowflake Bottle Stopper – This seasonal bottle stopper is perfect for family gatherings and is a nice gift for adults.


5. Decorated Holiday Cookies – These cookies look amazing and are sure to be enjoyed and talked about over the Holidays. Order two weeks in advance for cookies.



Now that you have Christmas Gifts & Favors for your office or personal Christmas party, how about some Holiday games. Party Game Ideas has over 400 party games and more the 40 Christmas games for kids, office, families and grown-up holiday events.

Sarah - The Party Game Ideas Lady

Note: Party Game Ideas blogs about party games, party supplies and party topics. Items featured in this posted may result in compensation if a purchase is made at the linked web site.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Christmas Tree Ornament Find – Perfect for Kids, Families and Office Events

Of all the Christmas and Holiday games I have written, I would have to say that Christmas Tree Ornament Find is one of my favorites as a game as it can be played by all ages and is both fun and frustrating.

Now it helps to plan ahead to play Christmas Tree Ornament Find becuase once the ornaments are on the tree it is hard to count them, so count them before you decorate the tree. Once the game is set up I think you will have a blast playing it. And best of all, if you have Christmas ornaments, a digital camera and paper the game costs a little more than your time and effort.

The premise is simple you pull an Ornament card and then head to the tree to find that ornament. One version has you finding and removing the ornament (hands on) and the other version has you counting ornaments (hands off).

In both cases, you need to act fast because you have limited time or are racing against another team. Winners are determined differently in each game version, however I that everybody will have fun playing the game and that is what really counts.

If you like this Christmas game idea you can get the game details, instructions and variations here – Christmas Tree Ornament Find Game.

Christmas Tree Ornament Find is good for:
Kids and Youth Groups
For Relay Teams two trees
Great game if kids make their own ornaments
Families and Co-Workers can play as a team
Fun when large trees have lots of ornaments

Check out more Christmas Games and Gift Exchange Games at Party Game Ideas

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Sarah – The Party Game Ideas Lady