Xmas day games for entertaining elderly guests

[Istanbol]

We have DH’s elderly mum and aunt coming for Xmas day. They are very much of that generation where they expect to be hosted “properly” and sit there like pot dogs, expecting tea and entertainment brought to them throughout the day. This differs wildly from my own family where things are much more relaxed and it’s absolutely acceptable for some people to be playing a board game in the corner and the rest slouching in from of the TV after dinner.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a board game or similar that would be appropriate for two people with limited mobility, eyesights and hearing? Their lives have shrunk over the years as their health has declined so general chit chat can be limited. I’m hoping to find something that will keep everyone entertained and stop MIL from complaining that the teens have sloped off to their rooms. I tried scratch cards on the dining table last year and they looked at them like they were from Mars!

Would they be able to manage a jigsaw? Something they can dip in and out of during the day.

Only if it was a toddler jigsaw with massive pieces! Eye sight is not great unfortunately

Will they play something fun with the family?
We played this across three generations (between 8 and 80) last year and it worked well.
www.johnlewis.com/big-potato-herd-mentality-game

That looks good! Thank you. Was also thinking of bingo - we could print some big number cards for them, but I suspect MIL would find it too “common”. <eye roll>

What about old fashioned palour games like items on a tray and have to recall what was on the tray or what was removed.

Could scour the Internet for pictures from old films/film stars etc and do a quiz.

Bingo. Use an app to call it. Pads are cheap to buy

Yep Bingo! But don't make the same mistake my mum did... she photocopied a Sun bingo card and wondered why everyone called HOUSE at the same time.

We still laugh about it 28 years later 😆

Beetle is a good game for people of all ages.
We used to play charades with my parents and our DC. The game could go on all day.
I second the idea of making up a picture quiz.

Charades is a good call.

Linkee is a nice game as well.

I bought a game called more or less last year and we split into teams of 2 or 3 to play - even person asking questions could join in as answers were on the back. Questions are good to be guessed at i.e how heavy is an average elephant and maybe 3 possible answers. Just agreed to do about 20 questions and then see which team scored the most.

Thank you, some excellent suggestions here

My elderly relations enjoyed singing along to old Christmas music and also songs from years ago where there is a dance e.g. The birdie song or hokey cokey. The more sherry, the merrier.

Could you do some sort of quiz?

Maybe have several rounds so that there will be some things they are good at, other rounds that will be easier for other age groups. Plus a things that have happened through the year round, a true or false round for all the awful things Trump/his cronies have done, a general knowledge quiz, find some old lists of what housewives used to be advised to do in the 50s for their husbands and one for now and get them to guess era/true/false etc.

I bought a quiz that I think was mentioned on here earlier this thread probably in September time? That is cards that ask people to goes about facts from different countries which I think eldest ds (20) will like whereas I’ve got Cards v Gravity (also recommended on these threads) for ds2 which is supposed to be a bit like Jenga but with their special cards that balance on a bottle top or similar that looks like it could be fun for all ages.

get everyone to do a picture of themselves and the person they are sitting opposite/random celebrity/designated other person as something that people can take time on if they want and is an excuse for those that want to slip away to do so.
create a list of what they think will be mentioned in the kings speech to see who gets the highest score. Or if you choose a film to watch, see if you can get people to count the number of times xx happens (eg other film references in a Wallace and Grommet film) - so like a drinking game but they just need to count so won’t get drunk but can be an excuse to watch a film!

You’ll also need to get DH to prime them that it is also the kids’ Christmas and they will be doing thing that are fun for them - relaxing, sloping off, or whatever that may be - and they are not to tut and complain but remember that it is Christmas and they are choosing to be mean rather than think how nice that their dgc are having a nice Christmas.

Good luck!

Yes a quiz. My elderly mother perks up because she can show off her 50s grammar school education and lord it over the rest of us with her extensive knowledge of literature and poetry. (Just get more sherry for the sport questions 😉).

A really chunky Sharpie is useful for the 1st 2 if your guests' eyesight is fading.

Who Am I? might work - each player is given the name of a famous person but taped to their own forehead so they can't see it & must guess who they are by asking other players yes/ no questions. (If the taping paper imperils personal dignity, a paper crown with the name can serve instead.) Either limit the number of Qs or use an eggtimer to signal theend of a turn.

Call My Bluff/ Fictionary has worked out well for me with pretty mixed ages playing.
Put some nicely obscure words & their meaning on cards/ slips of paper (do this bit well in advance, trawl Susie Dent's social media for some lovely nuggets) & put into a bag. Divide into two teams. Alternating between teams, one player takes a slip then each member of that team offers a definition, but only the person who selected the word offers the real definition. The opposing team get an egg-timer's worth of questions & discussion among themselves then have to guess who's telling the truth.

If they enjoy any of the afternoon quiz shows you may be able to find a DVD playalong version - try the charity shops first & play in teams.

A home drafted quiz based on their/your family. My husband did this once and it was very funny. You could include picture rounds with old photos. Takes a bit of time and effort but can be very entertaining.
(On a tangent, what are pot dogs? Without even knowing what they are, that made me laugh.)

The name game- where you put a famous name on everyone's forehead and they have to guess who they are. My dh still fondly reminisces about a Christmas when he was young and his granny (who by all accounts was hard work) had "Saddam Hussain" on her head for most of the day.

We have a similar situation. I also love board games. I’ve now given up and tolerate Christmas making polite company with visiting older relatives who don’t take nicely to being asked to help, and rhe kids escape to their bedrooms.

Can I spend Xmas with your relatives please? They sound wonderful

Parlour games then surely? Charades, or Mafia (what Traitors is based on) are good family games. Might they be invited to teach you one from their youth? These things have to stay alive somehow...

If you want something a bit livelier and they aren't afraid of a drink, a few rounds of Fuzzy Duck?! You don't need to be able to see for that, and might not be able to by the end.

They showed the Royals and Thatcher playing Ibble Dibble in The Crown, so it must be true. For some reason the grown-ups started painted us with burnt wine cork ends by the end of Christmas day in my youth...

Failing that, Throw Throw Burrito?

Who am I? is perfect! @HildegardPThat could work well

I wish they would partake in a sherry or three @ThisTaupeZebra, it would make the day much more fun.

A whole family fun game is pipe cleaner animals. Buy a huge pack of coloured pipe cleaners and get them to bend into animals. This can be done in pairs if they are not very dexterous.

p
The same can be done with pom-poms, get a little pot of glue and get them to stick into people or animal shapes.

We had the most hilarious time trying to play “who am I?” with our (admittedly quite drunk) elderly family members. Every time it got to my dad we had to re-explain the concept entirely and my FIL, who seemed like he had it more together than the rest, revealed himself to have absolutely no idea what was going on with his question in the final round (think 5 rounds in, he’s absolutely primed to guess that he’s Elton John and then asks “am I a scientist?”). It honestly made me concerned for everyone’s cognitive function and I vowed to get my dad playing more card games to work out his brain a bit more.

Card games.
charades.
download the Two Ronnies Christmas special
that game where you draw a head (animal, human, fish, whatever) and fold it over leaving only the neck lines for the next person you pass it onto to draw the torso, fold, next person draws legs, fold last person draws the feet.