Got a group for Christmas? Here’s what to do to keep busy.
There’s nothing better than family, right?
Until … you’ve been sitting around, catching up for an hour or so. And then you start to think to yourself: “What on earth are we going to do for the rest of the weekend?!?”
No problem. When you’ve got a group, keeping busy is key. Here are five great ways to keep your group busy and laughing during Christmas:
1. Family Bubble Talk.
Okay, this is my FAVORITE idea! We’ve done this with both sides of the family and have ended up laughing until we’ve cried. Here’s what you do. First, you need the game Bubble Talk — buy it here at Amazon for $14.75. Even by itself, this game is fun and worth the price. It’s basic — the game comes with lots of funny photos. A little boy and girl holding hands, a dog working on a computer, a cow stuck over a fence, etc. Then there are lots of cards that have quotes in speech bubbles. Examples: “Dance for me, Monkey!” “Worst Valentine’s Day ever.” “That’s what she said.” “I think I’m over-dressed.” Much like Apples to Apples, players match their quotes with the funny photos. It’s hilarious. But for this particular activity, you only need the quote cards. Beforehand, compile a big group of family photos onto someone’s laptop (the sillier, the better). Then use those photos for the game. It’s so funny! And it will have everyone talking about the old times, too.
2. The $10 Game.
Every person comes prepared to spend $10. Drop each person’s name into a hat, then everyone draws one out. (Make sure no one gets their own.) Then head to a local mall or outlets. Plan a meeting place for a certain amount of time later (I’d recommend at least an hour), and spread out to find the perfect gift for the person whose name you’ve drawn. You can make themes, if you want. Ideas are: something to do later, seasonal items, colors (everyone find something for your person that is red!), souvenirs of the trip, etc. After you all meet up, go somewhere to unveil your finds! Of course, you can play this game with other amounts of money, as well.
3. Four on a couch.
I love this game! Write everyone’s name on an individual piece of paper and drop the names in a hat. Without looking, each player takes a name. Arrange chairs in a large circle, with spots for four on a couch that is part of the circle. There should be one empty seat. This game works best with an equal number of guys and girls, but if that doesn’t work, go for something else that can be divided evenly, such as socks and no socks or white shirts versus other colors.
Now, everyone keeps their “name” a secret. The person to the left of the empty chair calls a name randomly. The person with that name on his/her paper moves to the empty spot, with girls trying to eventually get four girls on the couch and guys trying to get four guys.
If that seems too easy, liven things up by having the person that moves to the new seat switch names with the person who called his/her name each time. Trust me, it gets confusing fast!
4. Mafia.
This is another game my family plays a lot when we are all together. Basically, it consists of secretly assigning players parts, such as mafia, sheriff, doctor, or townsperson. The mafia members work together to try to kill the other players, while the others try to figure out who’s mafia. It’s complicated, though, so here’s a link to more instructions on Wikipedia.
5. I’ve Never.
Have you ever played this silly game? All members of the group hold up 10 fingers. Then, in turn, each player says, “I’ve never… (fill in the blank).” For example, “I’ve never been out of the country.” Or “I’ve never been on a roller coaster.” Anyone who has done this activity must put down a finger. Whoever is the last one left with any fingers up wins.