The Best Kids Christmas Party Game Ideas

If you’ve decided to throw a Christmas Party for a group of children this year and you are stuck for great kid’s party game ideas, then here are some fun ideas and suggestions that will keep them well and truly entertained.

Simple, traditional party games can be adapted to suit a particular theme, so as it’s a christmas party you could adapt the following classic games into a christmas theme:

‘Santa Says’ – this is instead of ‘Simple Simon’ played in exactly the same way.

Snowman Freeze – when the music stops, children have to freeze and stand still like a snowman. The child that moves is out until the last remaining child is left.

Pin the Tail on Rudolph – like ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’ but adapted to pinning a big red nose on Rudolph instead.

‘Santa, Santa, Elf’ – Re-named ‘Duck, Duck, Goose’. You can choose other appropriate names too if you prefer.

Pass the Christmas Gift Box – same as ‘Pass the Parcel’ but why not wrap a box in Christmas design wrap and fill with pre-wrapped gifts for each child.

Apart from the traditional style games, here are some other games and activities that are really fun to play:

Fill The Christmas Stocking Relay:

Ideal for a larger group of children, this game involves splitting the kids into two teams. Hang up a couple of christmas stockings and get two large bowls and fill them with sweets. The children have to scoop up sweets with a spoon, walk over to the stocking and fill it, then run back and give the spoon to the next child in the line. The team who fills up the stocking the most sweets are the winners. If you can use anything suitable to fill the stocking with if you don’t wish to use sweets.

Pass the Candy Cane:

Form two groups of children if possible into two lines. The Children have to pass a Candy Cane sweet to each other using one finger only. The first team to pass the Candy Cane up and down the line is the winning team.

Christmas Word Countdown:

Great for smaller groups of older children that can read and write. Write out Christmas related words (e.g Father Christmas) on a piece of paper then cut them out

and place in a bag.

Each child in turn has to pull out a word then see how many smaller words they can create from that word within a set time (e.g Fat, Mister, Sister etc)

Hunt the Star or Bauble:

Ideal for kids of all ages, hide star or bauble decorations around the room and the child that finds the most wins a prize.

Decorate a Cookie:

Kids love a bit of cookie decorating, especially when they get to eat their creations.
Make cookies beforehand into shapes such as snowmen, christmas trees, gingerbread men, round Christmas puddings. Children will have so much fun with icing and adding sweets and sprinkles to them.

Whatever party games you decide to play at your christmas party, remember it should be fun activity rather than too competitive.

For more ideas visit Best Kids Party, for kids party games and lovely Pass the Parcel Games that have a slightly different twist to the usual Pass the Parcel game.

Should Party Bags be given for a 1st Birthday Party?

The answer is YES!
Your child's 1stBirthday is a very special time, whether you decide to have a party for close family only or to invite lots of friends, it's always nice to give your guests a small gift as a token of your affection. If you are inviting friends who have children, then make sure you give them a gift that's relevant to their ages. It's more likely that you will end up with children of various ages, from babies to ten year olds even. Of course you might only invite your babies little friends of the same age, but be prepared for any older siblings too.
Great gifts for babies and toddles are bath toys, soft toys, chunky crayons, story books, teething toys, plastic beakers, puzzles etc. Just make sure they are suitable for that age group. You can make up little gift bags by using themed plastic loot bags, cello bags, gift cups or even little baskets. Another way to give out the gift is to do a pass the parcel box where each gift is wrapped up. Might need a bit of help from parents to sit round in a circle with their little ones, but this is a fun activity that can be played to music too.
Gifts for older children could be small pocket money toys, books, sweets, crafty gifts, stationery and so on.
If you are just having close relatives and friends at your child's first birthday party, then perhaps give them a small momento gift relating to your child. Things like a photo frame with your child's photo, a keyring, book mark, fridge magnet or a personalised photo mug.
I'm sure grand parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends will appreciate this gift as a keepsake of the special day. If you don't want to spend a lot of money on these gifts, then you could do something simple like send them a 'thank you' card with a photo of your child on that special day.
Both children and adults alike love edible gifts. You could make some cupcakes with an edible photo of your child on, or make cookies or cake pops. Edible party favors always goes down a treat regardless of how old you are!
All gifts will be greatly appreciated and at the end of the day, it's to show how grateful you are that your guests have helped you celebrate such a special event in you and your child's life.
If you need lots of 1st birthday party bag inspiration, check out Best Kids Party where you will find a wide range of kids party bags and 1st birthday party supplies, to help you throw the best first birthday party ever!

The Best 1st Birthday Party Game Ideas

Many parents get stuck for ideas of what to do for their baby’s 1^st birthday, especially if it’s their first child and the first ever birthday party they will be throwing. That’s why many parents want it to be a special occasion, one they can remember for many years to come.

A first birthday party usually ends up being a celebration for adults, mainly family and friends and their children, however if you’ve been a very sociable parent and made lots of friends through various mother & baby clubs and play groups, you could end up with a house full of parents and one year olds!
However many people you decide to have, here are 10 great ideas on how to keep  everyone entertained at your baby’s first birthday party and have lots of fun:

1. Guess the Baby Photo Game:

This game involves asking your guests to bring two photos of themselves, one as a baby and a current photo. They can do the same for any older children they bring to the party too.
Make a note of which photos belongs to who then arrange all the baby photos in a line and number them. Then arrange all the current photos and letter them A to Z.
Give each adult/older child a piece of paper and a pen and they have to write down which number and letter corresponds.
The person who gets the most correct wins!

2. Baby Bottle Bowling:

More often than not most parents will have lots of spare baby bottles around the house. Fill as many bottles you have with either water or rice to make them more sturdy and use them as skittles!

3. Baby Messages:

Decorate a small box or buy a special keepsake box and get your guests to write a note to your baby. This is will get everyone thinking!
You can then keep this for your child to open and read when they are older.

4. Baby Obstacle Course:

Set up a mini soft obstacle course using tunnels, pillow, cushions, soft baby blocks etc. The little one’s will have lots of fun crawling through and entertaining themselves.

5. Ball Pool:

Children of this age love colourful plastic balls, which are in expensive to buy by the bucket load. Fill a small paddling pool with them and let them have lots of fun.

6. Sing Song:

Buy a CD with lots of nursery rhymes and get parents to sit around in a circle with their children.  Lay out some musical instruments and have fun making your own little sing song session.

7. Puppet Show:

If you’re brave enough, turn yourself into an entertainer or get one of your family or friends to do it!

Finger or hand puppets and great to entertain small children however be careful with the one’s you choose as some small children can be afraid of them.

8. Toss a Bean Bag:

Line up some plastic buckets and assist your child in throwing a bean bag into a bucket. Great fun and good for their hand co-ordination development.

9. Treasure Hunt Crawl:

Hide some baby friendly wrapped gifts or treats around the house and allow babies to hunt them out!

10. Pass the Parcel:A traditional game that works well no matter what age you are! Perhaps try a lucky dip style box to pass around to music, instead of gifts wrapped in a paper parcel, as it will make it easier for small children to handle.

It can be tricky to play games with a house full of babies and young children, but whatever you decide to play the key is to have lots of fun so that you can capture memories of that special day!

For lots of 1^st birthday party inspiration, check out Best Kids Party for a wide range of 1^st birthday party supplies, 1^st birthday decorations and special 1st birthday gifts.

Great Ideas for Kids Halloween Goodie Bags

If you are planning a Halloween Party this year, whether it’s for a few children or a large group of children, they will still expect to go home with some form of party bag. Here are some great ideas for spooky Halloween party gifts:

Paper & Cellophane Bags

Paper Bags – you can buy plain paper bags with or without handles in great traditional Halloween colours, such as orange, black, white, red and green.

Paper bags are great to decorate too. Children will have lots of fun creating their scary monster party bags.
Fill them with small halloween themed toys and some sweets.
For an extra spooky effect you can wrap the small toys in artificial stretchy cobweb and then place in each paper bag. Or perhaps sprinkle some halloween themed confetti for a great effect.

Cello Bags – Available plain or printed and ideal to fill with small toys and sweets. Most bags come with ties, but you could try & use something a bit more appropriate like black pipe cleaners to give that hairy spider effect.
Scary witch hand shaped cello bags are ideal to fill with popcorn if you think the kid’s have had too many sweets.

Gift Cups

Children can just as easily decorate a plain paper cup, provide lots of craft materials for them to make their own scary creations.

Make a couple of holes on either side of the cup and thread through some ribbon to make a handle so they can carry them easily.

Fabric bags

Cotton bags are a wonderful eco-friendly alternative and can be used over and over again. You can buy tote style bags with handles, or even drawstring bags in lots of designs including halloween themes. They are great to fill with little gifts.

Crafty things to make

A Witch or Wizard’s hat – use craft paper to make a cone shape and then stick it to a round base with a hole big enough to fit the size of a head. The hat can then be decorated. Children can make mini hats too that can be filled with treats ready to take home.

Mini Graves – get a large empty match stick box and paint it with black paint. Then cut out a tomb stone using grey card and stick this to one side of the insert box. You should still be able to push the box open at one end. The box can then be filled with some sweets.

Scary Masks – children can be as creative as they wish! Attach some elastic to fit around the head.

Spooky Lucky DipInstead of making up party bags, do a lucky dip box or bag.
To make up a lucky dip box simply have fun decorating a cardboard box and fill with small gifts for each child. Gifts can range from pocket money toys that fit in with the halloween theme or even small books and stationery items.

Instead of a box try using a black dust bin sack.

Something Sweet

If you are planning on trick or treating before the party, children would have collected enough sweets anyway.

As an alternative you could make ‘Ghost’ cake pops, pumpkin cupcakes, or ghoul looking cookies.

If you don’t have time to make your own party bags, but would like to look like you have, Best Kids Party have a range of fun Handmade Kids Party Bags in Halloween themes, as well as Gift Cups, Paper Party Bags, Cello Bags, Pocket Money Toys and Party Bag Fillers.

How to Create a Delicious Party Bag

Party Bags generally contain some pocket money toys, small token gifts and a few sweets, but more often than not it's the sweets that children are attracted to first.
Of course not every parent is happy for their children to munch their way through a whole packet of sweets, so here are some ideas of how to create an edible gift that is not just all about sugary sweets.

Cakes and Cookies
Cakes and biscuits are great for party bags as they are easy to make in larger batches and look great too when decorated with a bit of icing and perhaps some toppings.
A lovely touch is to make either cupcakes or cookies and personalise them with each child's initials. Children love to see things with their names on!
Cupcakes and cookies can also be made by the guests with adult supervision at the party or to save time just get them to decorate ready made ones.
You can then pop them into lovely Cellophane party bags and tie them with ribbon to give a finishing touch.
Another wonderful idea is to give out cupcake or cookie mix party bags. Basically they contain the dry ingredients to make either cupcakes or cookies. They are available to buy in some shops and online or if you are brave enough you can make your own providing you measure out the ingredients correctly. This way the guests can make bake them in their own time at home and it is a fun activity they can do with their parents or carers.
Cake Pops make another great edible gift. Each cake pop is made from cake mix that is combined with frosting, shaped onto lolly pop sticks and coated in candy. You can also buy them from specialist shops and they come in a multitude of styles and themes.

Fruit Creations
Not often does fruit or anything remotely healthy appeal to children, however it really is about they way it is presented.
Try fruit kebabs - this really is something the guests pretty much have to eat straight away, but many children do anyway whether it's sweets or cake.
Cut up fresh fruit into chunks and thread onto a skewer, then place into a cellophane party bag and tie with a ribbon. You can do this using dried fruit too.
This is probably a better idea for slightly older children as you don't want the young one's to poke themselves or anyone else with the skewer!

Popcorn
Popcorn whether it is plain, flavoured or coloured is great to fill into different types of party bags, such as cellophane bags, paper bags, food boxes and containers.
These ideas above just name a few edible treats, but of course there are many nationalities out there that have their own cultural treats. It is always nice to give something more unusual whether children eat it or not and in this way they learn more about different cultures and food.
Whatever you decide to give, just give the presentation some thought.

If you need more ideas of how to present your lovely treats, Best Kids Party have a wide range of  Kids Party Bags, which include cellophane party bags, paper party bags and kids party boxes. We also provide unusual Filled Party Bags which contain edible and non-edible treats.

Top 10 Gift Ideas for Girls Party Bags

If you're stuck for ideas of party bags for girls, here is our top 10 ideas of things you can give, which they will love:

Here are Top 10 party bag gift ideas for girls:

1. Jewellery and hair accessories - Girls love necklaces, bracelets and hair accessories and there are many different styles available in lovely girly themes.

2. Pretty Lip Gloss - Girls love adding shimmer to their lip and making themselves look pretty.

3. Mini Bags and Purses - Fabric party bags are a gift in itself and you can also add smaller gifts if you wish.

4. Stationery Items- Note books, pens, pencils, novelty erasers

5. Tattoo Transfers - Easy to apply and remove and they available in many themes such as Princess, Butterfly and Fairy.

6. Craft Items - The girls can create something at the party, which they can take home with them afterwards. Popular things to make and decorate are fabric party bags, pencil cases, trinket boxes, picture frames, flower pots to name a few.

7. Small Pocket Money Toys - Small toys are a great size to add to party bags.
Popular girls toys are things like Bubbles, Fairy wands, Bouncy balls, Puzzles.

8. Books - Girls love colouring books, sticker books, activity books & reading books.

9. Sweet Treats - You can make up little bags of sweets, candy cones or simply put a cupcake into a cute little cupcake box.

10. Cake Pops - This is the new alternative to a cupcake. You can buy them in many different themes and they make wonderful going home gifts.

Best Kids Party have lots of wonderful Girls Party Bags in lovely themes, as well as Girls Filled Party Bags and lots of Girls Party Bag Fillers.

Top 10 Gift Ideas for Boys Party Bags

If you're thing about what to give to boys as party bag gifts, here's a few great ideas to help you decide:

Top 10 Ideas for Boys Party Bag Gifts:

1. Toys - Small pocket money toys are great to keep boys entertained, things like wall crawlers, racing cars, puzzles etc.

2. Balls - You can personalise a sports ball, which are fairly inexpensive to buy.

3. Masks - Animal masks are fun especially if you have a jungle theme. For a pirate party, items like eye patches, pirate hats, pirate hooks, fake moustaches are great to use.

4. Stationery - Pencils, erasers, pencil sharpeners and note books come in lots of boys themes and designs. A packet of felt tips, crayons and colouring pencils can all be purchased in small sizes ideal to fit into party bags.

5. Cotton Bags - Fabric bags can be filled with some smaller gifts.

6. Craft Items - The boys can make something at the party, perhaps decorate a mug, make a craft object.

7. Books - Any type of book, reading, colouring, sticker, puzzle books all make wonderful party gifts. It is worth buying value packs available from large book retailers as this will work out a lot cheaper.

8. T-shirts - Whether they are plain, personalised or printed, a t-shirt is a great gift that each child can make good use of and they are fairly inexpensive to buy. The children can even decorate their own as part of the party entertainment.

9. Sweetie Bags - A bag off favourite penny sweets will go down a treat!

10. Filled Balloons - Fill a balloon with small toys and sweets and inflate.

For more inspiration and ideas, visit Best Kids Party where you will find a wide range of Boys Party Bags, Boys Filled Party Bags and Boys Party Bag Fillers.