Christmas Eve Gathering (with little ones) help 🙏

[JimmyKrankie]

Every year we mope about on Christmas Eve saying its an anti climax and 'doesn't feel Christmassy' (step kids are 25 and 30 and living away)
So this year I have taken the bull by the horns and arranged a Christmas Eve gathering at our home for approximately 30 close friends and family (obligatory drinks and nibbles obviously)
My question is, there will be at least 10 children coming too, ranging from 3-7. I don't want them to be bored whilst the adults chat and drink, but I don't really want it turning into a kids party either (newly renovated kitchen and lounge, in white!!)
Any ideas what I can do to make them feel less bored and be nice for them too? Wondering pass the parcel (do kids still do this?) Also a little gift wrapped for each of them (choc Santa the like)
Any ideas welcome!

Maybe pop to the works or somewhere and grab a pack of Christmas crafts, Santa shapes or something and some crayons they can all sit and colour in their own little picture or decoration?

Ooh yes good idea! Thx

At 3-7 their attention span will be limited, especially if the adult supervision is hands-off. Personally, I'd be doing some sort of supervised craft - decorating gingerbread or similar - and then putting a Christmas movie on, with some toys/games ready for when they get bored of it.

Get some simple crafts/colouring
some games that everyone can play-bingo, Pictionary
Christmas film
usually kids will find their own entertainment

I wouldn't get chocolate as you're worried about the white!
I'd speak to the parents as 3-10 is quite an age range to entertain. Maybe some crafts for the younger ones and older ones could help with snacks/drinks or watch a movie?

Chocolate (given white decor) would not feature in any way whatsoever unless it's to take home.

Baker Ross do lots of cheap Xmas crafts - ours had fun making snowglobes.

Oh sorry 3-7!

God, why didn't I think of the chocolate and white 🤣

A bag of popcorn is more forgiving than chocolate @JimmyKrankie

And maybe paper chains rather than crayons.

I wouldn’t do any set games or anything, just have some age appropriate snacks and drinks and what is your set up? Is there a tv near by but off to the side or something that you could just have a Christmas movie playing on?

Yes we have a TV in a seperate area so I could put a fun Christmas Movie on!

Paper chains are your friend, you need them to work as a team together (or teams) to see who makes the longest. We did this one year and two 7 year olds managed one all the way through the house and up the stairs. Little mess and just a tongue needed (or damp, clean J cloth).

How big is your garden OP? Get everyone and I mean everyone outside wrapped up ,hay bales from a farmer covered in throws ,gazebo for food and drink and a fire pit going No inside mess and lots of fun...we do this loads always goes down well especially of we bbq too otherwise its a big pot of chilli or curry in the slow cooker,Its dead easy.

We've done this often for DH's family.
We set up a room with a TV, blankets, cushions, lots of popcorn and put on Christmas films and another room with some board games in,
We have some kind of joint game
Christmas bingo with prizes,
a quiz with something for everyone, there's loads of ideas online,
a dirty secret Santa type thing and got everyone to bring a small gift under a £5 usually,
Christmas crackers with wind up toys or similar.
When we had lots of young ones we had a reindeer food station just with bird seed and made popcorn garlands for the birds, these did get messy though!

Blimey, you're way more advanced than me at this type of thing! I might come round yours instead 🤣

I wouldn't be giving them chocolate to eat if you're worried about your white room or doing crafts especially unsupervised. Instead I'd set them up with a film and snacks such as popcorn or crisps. You could give them a chocolate santa or similar as they leave.

Baker Ross (online) and get loads of packs of stick on crafts, less mess and all ages can do it. Also anything that flashes lights or even glow sticks and see if anyone has a disco light or some sort of light projector (most other parents I know have something like this. Turn the lights off in a room, could be a bedroom or living room and have a neon disco. Otherwise the kids will mostly entertain themselves

Given the age of the kids I would go for cartoons, there are some Christmassy ones available

I don't know if this has been suggested but if your planning on having music, then glow sticks keep kids entertained. They could have their own disco. It's something we often do 😊

Christmas craft from amazon (eg bauble scratch art or sticky foam snowmen). Balloons. Musical bumps to music the grown ups like too. Christmas movie night with popcorn and blankets

Ginger bread house on the kitchen table, you can get premade gingerbread men with the little icing tubes if you can’t be bothered making them. Sit down and let them get on with it while you guys enjoy your wine 🍷

Gingerbread decorating? Reindeer "feed" station? Nibbles, pass the parcel, you could do selection boxes in gift boxes to take home, pop on the Santa Claus trilogy and leave em at it. If, eh, some of those parents still have Santa prep to contend with I doubt they'll be drinking too much or staying too late but it sounds like a lovely evening! I wouldn't count on popcorn as your kiddie snack though, it's not recommended for kids under 5 so maybe check with the parents?

Get a sitter in to do these crafts/pass the parcel/games with them, then let the adults do their thing. Some kids will cling to their parents though.