Christmas brings everyone together - which is wonderful… until you realise you need something fun to keep a mix of ages entertained. Little ones, big kids, grandparents, cousins you see once a year - and everyone’s looking to you for the plan.
Whether you need a last-minute game to fill a gap before dinner, something to liven up a slow afternoon, or a big-family crowd-pleaser that works for ages 3 to 11 (and beyond!), these ideas are simple, low-cost and guaranteed to bring the festive fun.
They’re the kind of activities we love at Practically Family: easy to set up, full of imagination, and perfect for getting everyone playing together.
(And if your children thrive on this sort of creativity and chaos, they’ll feel right at home at our Holiday Clubs in Stockport – go check them out here.)
Hilarious chaos. Zero prep. Chop Chop!
All you need:
How to play:
Place a pile of small items in the centre. Everyone has 30-60 seconds to transfer as many items as they can into their bowl - using only chopsticks. No hands, no crab-grabbing, no “accidental” scoops.
Why it’s brilliant:
Fun for tiny hands right through to teens, and surprisingly competitive for adults.
Bonus: Great for developing fine motor skills and building concentration without them even noticing.
Soft, safe, and surprisingly addictive.
All you need:
Create 1, 3 and 5 point zones by placing tape lines at increasing distances. Players throw snowballs into the basket and add up their points.
Great twists:
Bonus: Helps children practise hand–eye coordination and turn-taking - perfect for mixed ages.
Blow those cobwebs away with a fun outdoor challenge!
Give each player (or family team) a list of festive things to spot and snap on your walk:
You can make it competitive (“first to finish wins”) or collaborative (“let’s complete it together”). Older children love being the photographers; little ones love the treasure-hunt feel.
Bonus: Brilliant for boosting observation skills and sparking conversations about the world around them.
High-energy, festive mayhem for all ages.
All you need:
Optional: boxes, cushions, tinsel, soft toys
How to play:
Set up a relay-style course around your house. Add simple obstacles to make it fun - for example:
Each player balances a bauble on their spoon and completes the course without dropping it. Then they pass the spoon to the next person.
Why it works:
It’s silly, active and absolutely brilliant for all ages - toddlers toddle, older kids race, adults pretend not to be competitive and fail completely.
Bonus: Encourages balance, gross motor skills and that all-important teamwork (even when the competitiveness kicks in!).
The classic party game, made even better.
Wrap a small prize in multiple layers of paper. Inside each layer, add a simple challenge - tailored to the age of your players.
Examples:
Play music, pass the present, unwrap one layer when the music stops - and complete the challenge before passing it on.
Why it’s a winner:
Simple, joyful, and perfect for a family group with mixed ages. The challenges add just the right amount of silliness.
Bonus: A lovely way to build confidence in speaking, sharing ideas and joining in as a group.
Want More Easy, Memory-Making Ideas?
At Practically Family, we’re all about keeping childhood magical - whether that’s through simple play-at-home ideas like these, or our big-fun, imagination-packed Holiday Clubs in Stockport.
Coming up? February Folk at Greenbank Preparatory School and Cheadle Catholic Infant School.
If you’d like family-friendly ideas delivered straight to your inbox - plus first access to club dates, themes and early-bird booking - sign up to our mailing list.
They’re the kind of activities we love at Practically Family: easy to set up, full of imagination, and perfect for getting everyone playing together.
(And if your children thrive on this sort of creativity and chaos, they’ll feel right at home at our Holiday Clubs in Stockport – go check them out here.)
1. The Christmas Chopstick Challenge
Hilarious chaos. Zero prep. Chop Chop!
All you need:
- Chopsticks (or pencils)
- A bowl each
- A pile of small items (cotton balls, scrunched paper balls, chocolates, baubles)
How to play:
Place a pile of small items in the centre. Everyone has 30-60 seconds to transfer as many items as they can into their bowl - using only chopsticks. No hands, no crab-grabbing, no “accidental” scoops.
Why it’s brilliant:
Fun for tiny hands right through to teens, and surprisingly competitive for adults.
Bonus: Great for developing fine motor skills and building concentration without them even noticing.
2. Snowball Toss (Indoor Edition)
Soft, safe, and surprisingly addictive.
All you need:
- A washing basket or large box
- Scrunched-up paper “snowballs”
- Tape to mark different throwing lines
Create 1, 3 and 5 point zones by placing tape lines at increasing distances. Players throw snowballs into the basket and add up their points.
Great twists:
- Team rounds (kids vs grown-ups is always a hit)
- Timed challenges
- Forfeits (“miss = give your best reindeer impression”)
Bonus: Helps children practise hand–eye coordination and turn-taking - perfect for mixed ages.
3. Festive Photo Scavenger Hunt (Perfect for a Winter Walk)
Blow those cobwebs away with a fun outdoor challenge!
Give each player (or family team) a list of festive things to spot and snap on your walk:
- A decorated house
- Something shaped like a star
- A red door
- A cosy café window
- A pine cone
- Something that “feels” Christmassy
You can make it competitive (“first to finish wins”) or collaborative (“let’s complete it together”). Older children love being the photographers; little ones love the treasure-hunt feel.
Bonus: Brilliant for boosting observation skills and sparking conversations about the world around them.
4. The Ornament Relay Obstacle Race
High-energy, festive mayhem for all ages.
All you need:
- A bauble (plastic is best!)
- A spoon
- A “course” to race along
Optional: boxes, cushions, tinsel, soft toys
How to play:
Set up a relay-style course around your house. Add simple obstacles to make it fun - for example:
- Step over a Christmas-present box
- Crawl under a “tinsel tunnel” made of chairs and tinsel
- Tiptoe past the “sleeping elf” (a grown-up lying on the floor)
- Hop three times at the tree
- Do a spin before turning back
Each player balances a bauble on their spoon and completes the course without dropping it. Then they pass the spoon to the next person.
Why it works:
It’s silly, active and absolutely brilliant for all ages - toddlers toddle, older kids race, adults pretend not to be competitive and fail completely.
Bonus: Encourages balance, gross motor skills and that all-important teamwork (even when the competitiveness kicks in!).
5. Pass the Present… with a Twist
The classic party game, made even better.
Wrap a small prize in multiple layers of paper. Inside each layer, add a simple challenge - tailored to the age of your players.
Examples:
- “Tell us your favourite Christmas film”
- “Do your best elf impression”
- “Name three Christmas songs in 10 seconds”
- “Share something kind someone did for you this year”
Play music, pass the present, unwrap one layer when the music stops - and complete the challenge before passing it on.
Why it’s a winner:
Simple, joyful, and perfect for a family group with mixed ages. The challenges add just the right amount of silliness.
Bonus: A lovely way to build confidence in speaking, sharing ideas and joining in as a group.
Want More Easy, Memory-Making Ideas?
At Practically Family, we’re all about keeping childhood magical - whether that’s through simple play-at-home ideas like these, or our big-fun, imagination-packed Holiday Clubs in Stockport.
Coming up? February Folk at Greenbank Preparatory School and Cheadle Catholic Infant School.
If you’d like family-friendly ideas delivered straight to your inbox - plus first access to club dates, themes and early-bird booking - sign up to our mailing list.
Practically Family
07939 942334 (during Holiday Club weeks only)
