Planning a holiday party for kids can be simple when you have a mix of fun games, creative activities, tasty treats, and a few festive decorations. The best holiday parties do not need an expensive setup. A handful of easy activities can keep children entertained while giving them something exciting to look forward to.
Holiday Party Ideas for Kids
1. Christmas Cookie Decorating
Set up a cookie decorating station with plain sugar cookies, colorful icing, sprinkles, and edible decorations. Give each child a few cookies and let them create their own holiday designs.
2. Holiday Craft Station
Create a table filled with paper, markers, glue, stickers, ribbons, and child-safe scissors. Kids can make Christmas cards, paper ornaments, holiday pictures, or simple decorations to take home.
3. Christmas Scavenger Hunt
Hide small holiday-themed items around the party area and give children a list of things to find. You can use ornaments, candy canes, toy presents, bells, or paper snowflakes.
4. Ornament-Making Party
Provide plain ornaments or simple craft materials so children can decorate their own ornaments. Personalizing ornaments gives kids a creative activity and a keepsake from the party.
5. Holiday Movie Party
Choose a family-friendly holiday movie and create a cozy viewing area with blankets and pillows. Serve popcorn, hot chocolate, and small holiday snacks during the movie.
6. Christmas Bingo
Make simple bingo cards featuring holiday pictures such as snowmen, Christmas trees, presents, stockings, stars, and candy canes. Use small stickers or candies as markers.
7. Gingerbread House Decorating
Give each child a small gingerbread house or a section of a larger gingerbread setup. Provide icing and decorations so they can build and decorate their own festive creation.
8. Holiday Dance Party
Create a playlist of cheerful holiday songs and let the kids dance. Add simple games such as freeze dance, where everyone stops moving when the music pauses.
9. Christmas Charades
Write easy holiday actions or characters on cards. Kids can act them out while the others try to guess what they are.
10. Reindeer Games
Organize several short games and call them “reindeer games.” You could include a relay race, beanbag toss, ring toss, or a simple obstacle course.
11. Hot Chocolate Bar
Set up a kid-friendly hot chocolate station with toppings such as marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate chips, and sprinkles. Make sure an adult handles hot drinks and serves them at a safe temperature.
12. Holiday Treasure Hunt
Hide a small collection of prizes or treats and create clues that lead children from one location to another. Keep clues simple enough for the age group.
13. Christmas Storytime
For younger children, a holiday storytime can provide a quieter activity between games. Choose a short festive book and invite children to sit together while someone reads.
14. Holiday Piñata
Use a Christmas-themed piñata filled with age-appropriate treats or small toys. Have children take turns while an adult supervises closely.
15. DIY Snow Globe Craft
Children can create simple snow-globe-inspired crafts using clear containers or paper-based designs appropriate for their age. For younger kids, prepare the materials ahead of time.
16. Holiday Coloring Station
Set out holiday coloring pages, crayons, colored pencils, and washable markers. This is especially useful as a calm activity between more energetic games.
17. Christmas Karaoke
Let kids sing along to familiar holiday songs. Keep the activity casual and allow children to participate individually or in small groups.
18. Make-Your-Own Christmas Cards
Provide blank cards, colored paper, stickers, markers, and holiday stamps. Kids can make cards for parents, grandparents, teachers, friends, or relatives.
19. Holiday Photo Booth
Create a simple photo area with festive decorations and kid-friendly props. Paper hats, scarves, Santa-style accessories, and holiday signs can make the photos more playful.
20. Indoor Snowball Fight
Use soft white fabric balls or crumpled paper instead of real snow. Divide children into teams and create a simple throwing game where everyone stays within clearly marked areas.
21. Christmas Relay Race
Set up a short indoor or outdoor relay with simple challenges. Kids might carry a lightweight “present,” wear a Santa hat, or move between cones before tagging the next player.
22. Holiday Coloring and Sticker Table
Combine coloring sheets with holiday stickers and simple activity books. This works particularly well when children need a quieter activity while waiting for food or other games.
23. Pajama Holiday Party
Ask children to come in their favorite festive pajamas. Add a holiday movie, snacks, storytime, and simple games for a relaxed party atmosphere.
24. Holiday Gift-Wrapping Station
Give kids small boxes, paper, ribbons, and stickers and let them practice wrapping pretend presents. Use lightweight materials and avoid sharp tools.
25. Christmas Treasure Bags
Give each child a small holiday bag to decorate and fill with age-appropriate treats, stickers, pencils, or small toys. This can also double as a party favor activity.
Holiday Party Ideas for Younger Kids
For toddlers and preschoolers, choose short, simple activities that do not require complicated instructions. Holiday coloring, sticker crafts, music and movement, storytime, cookie decorating, and simple scavenger hunts are good choices. Avoid packing the schedule with too many activities. Young children often enjoy repeating one activity or having free play between organized games. For inspiration, explore these Christmas party themes for kids.
Holiday Party Ideas for School Age Kids
Elementary-age children can usually handle more structured games and creative projects. Christmas bingo, scavenger hunts, charades, ornament decorating, relay races, cookie decorating, and treasure hunts can keep them involved.
You can also divide the party into short activity stations so children move from one activity to another instead of waiting for everyone to finish the same game.
Holiday Party Ideas for Tweens
Older kids may prefer activities that feel more social and interactive. Consider holiday karaoke, a movie party, photo booth challenges, cookie decorating competitions, holiday trivia, craft stations, or team-based scavenger hunts.
Give tweens some freedom to choose activities rather than organizing every minute of the party.
Indoor Holiday Party Ideas for Kids
Indoor parties are useful when the weather is cold or unpredictable. Some easy options include:
- Christmas bingo
- Holiday charades
- Cookie decorating
- Holiday crafts
- Christmas karaoke
- Movie party
- Coloring station
- Ornament decorating
- Indoor snowball games
- Holiday scavenger hunt
For an indoor party, leave enough open space for active games and keep craft or food stations away from areas where children will be running.
Outdoor Holiday Party Ideas for Kids
If the weather allows, take some of the party activities outside. A holiday relay race, treasure hunt, obstacle course, ring toss, or team scavenger hunt can give kids plenty of room to move.
Outdoor activities should be adapted to the weather and the children’s ages. Keep the games simple and have an indoor backup plan in case conditions change.
Easy Holiday Party Games for Kids
If you need games that require little preparation, try Christmas charades, freeze dance, holiday bingo, a scavenger hunt, musical statues, or a simple relay race.
The best games for younger children usually have short instructions and quick rounds. Older kids can handle more complicated clues, teams, and challenges.
Holiday Party Craft Ideas for Kids
Crafts can give children something creative to do while keeping the party atmosphere festive. Some simple choices include:
- Homemade Christmas cards
- Paper ornaments
- Holiday coloring pages
- Decorated gift bags
- Paper snowflakes
- Christmas tree collages
- Decorated picture frames
- Holiday bookmarks
Prepare the materials before guests arrive so children can start crafting without a long setup period.
Holiday Party Food Ideas for Kids
Keep party food simple and easy for children to handle. Mini sandwiches, fruit cups, cheese cubes, pizza bites, popcorn, cookies, cupcakes, and festive snacks can work well.
For desserts, a cookie decorating station can become part of the entertainment. You can also serve cupcakes or cookies decorated with holiday colors and shapes.
Always check for known food allergies and make ingredient information available to parents when appropriate.
Holiday Drinks for Kids
A hot chocolate station can be a fun addition, but it is important to serve hot drinks at a safe temperature for children. For a simpler option, offer cold milk, water, fruit drinks, or festive non-caffeinated beverages.
Use fun cups or holiday-themed labels to make ordinary drinks feel more festive.
Budget-Friendly Holiday Party Ideas for Kids
You do not need expensive decorations or entertainment to create a memorable party. Use paper crafts, homemade decorations, printable games, music, and simple snacks.
A few low-cost ideas include a coloring station, Christmas charades, homemade bingo, paper ornament crafts, a scavenger hunt, and a holiday dance party.
You can also ask children to bring one small craft item or decoration if the party is being organized by a group.
Holiday Party Themes for Kids
A theme can make planning easier because it gives you a direction for decorations, food, games, and activities. Some fun options include:
- Christmas Craft Party
- Gingerbread Party
- Winter Wonderland Party
- Christmas Pajama Party
- Holiday Movie Party
- Reindeer Party
- Santa’s Workshop Party
- Candy Cane Party
Choose one main theme rather than trying to combine too many ideas. A simple theme can make the entire party feel more coordinated.
How to Plan a Holiday Party for Kids
Start by deciding the children’s age range, number of guests, location, and length of the party. These details will determine which activities are practical.
Next, choose a few structured activities rather than trying to fit every idea into one event. A good party might include one craft, two or three games, a food break, and a quieter activity such as a movie or story.
Prepare supplies in advance and organize them into separate stations. This makes it easier to move between activities without wasting party time.
Finally, leave some unplanned time for children to socialize and play. Kids do not need constant entertainment throughout the entire party.
Simple Holiday Party Schedule for Kids
A two-hour party can be organized like this:
| Time | Activity |
| 0–15 minutes | Arrival and free play |
| 15–35 minutes | Holiday craft |
| 35–55 minutes | Party games |
| 55–75 minutes | Food and drinks |
| 75–95 minutes | Scavenger hunt or group activity |
| 95–110 minutes | Movie, story, or karaoke |
| 110–120 minutes | Party favors and goodbye |
| Adjust the schedule according to the children’s ages. Younger children may need shorter activities and more breaks. |
Holiday Party Checklist for Kids
Before the party, make sure you have:
- Guest list
- Invitations
- Holiday decorations
- Game supplies
- Craft materials
- Food and drinks
- Allergy information
- Plates, cups, and napkins
- Music or movie
- Party favors
- Cleaning supplies
- Adult supervision
Having supplies ready before guests arrive can make the party much easier to manage.
Holiday Party Ideas for Kids at School
For classroom parties, choose activities that are easy to supervise and can accommodate the whole group. Holiday bingo, coloring stations, cookie decorating, simple crafts, musical games, and short scavenger hunts can work well. Avoid activities that require complicated equipment or long waiting periods. Station-based activities can be especially useful because children can rotate through different tasks in small groups.
Holiday Party Ideas for Kids at Home
A home party can be more flexible. You can create a craft table in one room, a game area in another, and a food station where children can take breaks. For a smaller gathering, combine a few activities such as cookie decorating, a holiday movie, Christmas bingo, and a simple craft. This gives children variety without making the party feel overplanned.
How Many Activities Should a Kids’ Holiday Party Have?
You usually do not need dozens of activities. For a two-hour party, three to five main activities are often enough, with food, free play, and transition time included. Choose activities based on age rather than trying to use every popular holiday game. A simple party that children actually enjoy is more useful than a packed schedule that feels rushed.
FAQs
What are some fun holiday party ideas for kids?
Cookie decorating, Christmas crafts, scavenger hunts, bingo, gingerbread house decorating, karaoke, holiday movies, charades, and ornament-making are popular choices.
How do you keep kids entertained at a holiday party?
Use a mix of active games, creative activities, food, and quieter entertainment. Short activities and simple instructions can help keep children engaged.
What are good holiday party activities for toddlers?
Simple crafts, coloring, stickers, music, movement games, storytime, and supervised cookie decorating are good options for toddlers and preschoolers.
What food should I serve at a kids’ holiday party?
Choose easy-to-eat foods such as mini sandwiches, fruit, pizza bites, cheese, cookies, cupcakes, and other simple snacks. Always consider allergies and dietary needs.
How long should a kids’ holiday party last?
Around two hours can work well for many school-age children, while younger children may benefit from a shorter party with fewer activities.
How can I plan a holiday party on a budget?
Use homemade decorations, printable games, simple crafts, inexpensive snacks, and activities that require little equipment. You do not need professional entertainment to make the party enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
The best holiday party ideas for kids are the ones that match their age, interests, and energy level. You can create a memorable celebration with simple games, creative crafts, festive snacks, music, and plenty of time for children to enjoy themselves. Instead of trying to organize every possible activity, choose a small mix of options that work well together. With a little preparation, even a simple holiday gathering can become a fun and memorable celebration for kids.