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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

Ideas for Christmas games that can include non-native speaker teens

18 replies

hoodiemum · 09/11/2019 14:40

Huge Christmas this year - 19 of us. 5 over 80, 6 in 40s/50s, and 8 aged 15-20, of whom 3 are Muslim boys who have moved to this country fairly recently and aren't very confident in English.
Catering, seating etc will be a challenge, but I think I've got my head around that. But has anyone got any ideas of fun, inclusive games/activities that we could play/do together, to avoid the teens getting into cliques and staring at their phones for much of the day?
The 3 boys are very sporty but not very wordy. I might be able to set up some table tennis once the meal's done, and maybe some version of pictionary. But what else could work in deepest winter, lovely creative Mumsnetters? Something with small teams that have to work together would be good. But WHHHAAAAT?

OP posts:
georgialondon · 09/11/2019 14:42

I was going to suggest the new Pictionary air.

bathorshower · 09/11/2019 14:47

Rapidough - pictionary with playdough

Ricekrispie22 · 09/11/2019 15:19

Remote control car relay races!
Have a 3D jigsaw puzzle on the go that people can dip in and out of. Or you get two identical reasonably priced jigsaws and have a race to see which team can complete it first.
Ultra Dash www.argos.co.uk/product/8039963
Darts
Tap It www.argos.co.uk/product/9344815

clearsommespace · 09/11/2019 16:00

How about Christmas versions of children's party games? Pin the tail on the reindeer?

Avihoot · 09/11/2019 16:05

No Christmas is complete in our family without card games, and I remember playing card games with our exchange partners at school. A version of Uno was particularly popular.

clearsommespace · 09/11/2019 16:11

One Christmas BIL brought a silly game everyone liked even 80 plus deaf uncle. I have asked for the name. No speaking or reading required.

clearsommespace · 09/11/2019 18:05

The game is called Coconuts.

purplepalace · 09/11/2019 19:04

Blokus - it's our favourite family game

pigeononthegate · 09/11/2019 19:09

@clearsommespace, is coconuts the dexterity one for 2-4 players?

AdaColeman · 09/11/2019 19:11

Boxes of the crackers with musical whistles, appoint someone bossy as the musical director/conductor and off you go!

CuteOrangeElephant · 09/11/2019 19:13

Halli galli

JellyBellies · 09/11/2019 19:18

Dobble! It's perfect, my kids have played it in different countries with people who speak no English.

hoodiemum · 09/11/2019 22:00

Mumsnetters, you're marvellous! So many great ideas. This morning I was feeling pretty scared. Now I'm looking forward to it. Thank you! (And keep them coming if anyone has any more suggestions.)

And on a side note, what an amazing variety of crackers you can buy on Amazon these days. Thanks, @AdaColeman, for that suggestion.

OP posts:
Gemma2019 · 09/11/2019 22:49

Pass the Brussel sprout or snowman from Amazon - really cheap and fun game with a prize or silly forfeit in each layer.

clearsommespace · 10/11/2019 07:23

@pigeononthegate
You have to flick 'coconuts' into the opponents cups. Not my usual choice of boardgame but it went down well. Fun to watch as well as participate.

A good card game for lots of players is 6 nimmt.

Trumpton · 10/11/2019 07:44

We played KING ELEPHANT at a party recently .
The rules are explained in the link but basically it’s a circle game where you mimic the animal next to you, add your animal action and noise , the next person mimics your animal adds theirs and so on round the circle .
When someone makes a mistake they move to the “bottom “ animal ( we had a dung beetle) and everyone else moves up a chair and takes the animal that was on that chair.
Loud , funny and it’s easy to forget what action/noise you have changed to .

LizzieMacQueen · 10/11/2019 08:04

The cereal box game where you tear a strip off a cereal box between people taking turns to pick it up with their teeth, no bending knees allowed. Those too old or infirm to take part can bet on the outcome.

There's also a great game that involves people sitting in a large circle, boys v girls, the aim is to end up with 3 in a row but everyone isn't themselves, they are someone else in the group (you're not allowed to say who you are).

It's so difficult explain but you fill an empty chair by the person next to the empty space saying 'can Alex sit here' then whoever is being Alex fills the space. The space 'he' has left then gets filled in the same way. Game over when one side gets 3 in a row.

MrsSpenserGregson · 10/11/2019 08:10

Card games - everything from Snap! to pontoon/whist/rummy etc depending on how many players there are. Or even Patience for those who like to do something alone.

Twister for the more flexible ones??

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