Tag Archives: Christmas

Game Ideas

Cat and Mouse

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Description

One of the biggest challenges right now is the “Back to School” blues. Summer is over and the reality of school has set back in again. Everyone’s back to pursuing something. Popularity, grades, sports, maybe even aspiring to music careers on YouTube, everyone faces the pressure to perform.

This game is great to blow off some steam and burn off a little energy in the youth group. As typical in any game of tag, it is a game of pursuit. This lends itself to a discussion of the things we pursue in life and what the Bible says we should pursue.

Resources
None Needed

What to Do

  1. Choose someone to be the “cat” and another person to be the “mouse” then ask the rest of the youth to hold hands and form a circle around the “mouse”.
  2. Have every two persons in the circle to drop hands so that they are in pairs. These partners must continue holding hands and cannot let go.
  3. The cat can cut through the circle in between pairs, but the mouse must run around the outside of the circle.
  4. The objective is for the cat to tag the mouse, but there is a small twist that balances out the cat’s ability to cut through the circle. The mouse can grab any free hand (or arm) of the partners forming the circle. (The partners will be holding hands or locking arms, but the outside arm of each person will be free.) If the mouse grabs one of these outside arms/ hands, the mouse forms a new partner with the person the mouse has attached to, and the person who was not grabbed now becomes the new mouse.
  5. If the cat manages to tag the mouse, they reverse roles and the cat becomes the mouse and the mouse becomes the cat.
  6. This game can usually go on for quite a while before the youth become bored. Usually I will set a time limit and a forfeit for the person who is the cat when the time is up.

Variations

  • For Christmas you could have the Grinch chasing the Puppy, or Herod Chasing Baby Jesus.
  • For Thanksgiving have the Farmer Chasing the Turkey.
  • For Easter you could have the Pharisees Chasing the Disciples.
  • For a lesson on King David, you could have Saul chasing David.
  • For a lesson on Moses, Have Pharaoh Chasing Moses.
  • There are a lot of places in the Old Testament where People are being pursued.

Take It to the Next Level

Take it Spiritual
In life, we may sometimes be pursued and other times we may be doing the pursuing. What are some things that we pursue in life?

Here are some of the things the Bible says we should pursue.

  • Love – 1 Corinthians 14:1 (NAS)
  • Peace -1 Peter 3:11 (ASV NAS RSV NIV); Psalms 34:14 (KJV ASV NAS RSV NIV)
  • Righteousness, piety, faith, love, endurance, meekness – 1 Timothy 6:11 (NAS NIV)
  • Righteousness, faith, love, and peace – 2 Timothy 2:22 (NAS NIV)
  • Peace, Holiness – Hebrews 12:14 (NAS)
  • Prize – Philippians 3:12-14
  • Righteousness – Proverbs 15:9 (NAS RSV NIV); Romans 9:30-32 (NAS RSV NIV); Isaiah 51:1 (NAS RSV NIV)
  • Peace, Things that build others up – Romans 14:19 (NAS RSV)
  • To Know God – Hosea 6:3 (NKJV)

As you look over the things the Bible says to pursue, you’ll see they fall into the same two areas of the great commandment – To love the Lord your God with all your heart soul mind and strength, and to Love your neighbor as yourself – A right relationship with God and a right relationship with others.

Take it Personal

  • Which of these do people find difficult to pursue?
  • What stops people from pursuing these things of God?
  • When you think about your relationship with God – faith, endurance, righteousness, piety and holiness, how do you think you measure up?
  • What are you currently pursuing?
  • How can you direct that pursuit in a way that is honoring to God?
  • In what areas does your life – thoughts, attitudes, actions – need improvement?

Closing

  • What is one thing you can pursue this week in your relationship with God?
  • What is one thing you can pursue this week in your relationship with others?

Scripture References

“Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.”
1 Corinthians 14:1 (NASB)

“They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it.”
1 Peter 3:11 (NIV)

“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”
1 Timothy 6:11 (NIV)

“Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
2 Timothy 2:22

“Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:14 (NASB)

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)

“What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone.”
Romans 9:30-32 (NIV)

“So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.”
Romans 14:19 (NASB)

“Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.”
Hosea 6:3 (NKJV)

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Parents Ministry, Youth Ministry

Parent Support

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The REAL Night Before Christmas
(By Parents)

‘Twas the night before Christmas
when all through the house
I searched for the tools
to hand to my spouse
Instructions were studied
and we were inspired,
in hopes we could manage
“Some Assembly Required.”

The children were quiet (not asleep) in their beds,
while Dad and I faced the evening with dread:
a kitchen, two bikes, Barbie’s townhouse to boot!
And now, thanks to Grandpa, a train with a toot!

We opened the boxes, my heart skipped a beat –
let no parts be missing or parts incomplete!
Too late for last-minute returns or replacement;
if we can’t get it right, it goes straight to the basement!

When what to my worrying eyes should appear
but 50 sheets of directions, concise, but not clear,
With each part numbered and every slot named,
so if we failed, only we could be blamed.

More rapid than eagles the parts then fell out,
all over the carpet they were scattered about.
“Now bolt it! Now twist it! Attach it right there!
Slide on the seats, and staple the stair!
Hammer the shelves, and nail to the stand.”
“Honey,” said hubby, “you just glued my hand.”

And then in a twinkling, I knew for a fact
that all the toy dealers had indeed made a pact
to keep parents busy all Christmas Eve night
with “assembly required” till morning’s first light.

We spoke not a word, but kept bent at our work,
till our eyes, they went blurry; our fingers all hurt.
The coffee went cold and the night, it wore thin
before we attached the last rod and last pin.
Then laying the tools away in the chest,
we fell into bed for a well-deserved rest.

But I said to my husband just before I passed out,
“This will be the best Christmas, without any doubt.
Tomorrow we’ll cheer, let the holiday ring,
and not run to the store for one single thing!
We did it! We did it! The toys are all set
for the perfect, most magical, Christmas, I bet!”

Then off to dreamland and sweet repose
I gratefully went, though I suppose
there’s something to say for those self-deluded-
I’d forgotten that BATTERIES are never included!

 


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Game Ideas

Unwrap the Birthday Gift

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Description

The “Unwrap the Gift” game is similar to the Pass the Parcel Game with the difference being that this one gives you a phrase that determines which youth gets the gift next. While you can use this for Christmas, it can also be used for birthdays. Why should the birthday teen be the only one who gets a gift? Want to make it even more inclusive? — Then use a gift like snacks or party favors that everyone can enjoy!

Preparation

To play this Unwrap the Gift game, you’ll need to wrap a gift in multiple layers of wrapping paper with a slip of paper per wrapped layer. You’ll need pieces of paper or sticker labels with the phrases written on them. Remember that the final phrase is below the first layer you wrap.

Note: When wrapping the gift use at least 2 different designs of wrapping paper so visually the guest will easily know when they have unwrap the topmost layer. If you use pink paper for one layer and
purple for the next you won’t have someone unwrapping 2 layers at the same time by accident.

The Phrases

You could use rhymes, bible verses, accessories, clothing color, riddles, trivia questions, favorite foods, pets, hobbies, anything you can imagine. Some examples of phrases to use:

  • The next one to get it all, is someone who is very tall.
  • Who’s up next? The gift goes where? To the one with the longest hair.
  • Mark 9:3 “His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them.”
  • Someone who loves ice-cream.
  • Someone who has a pet dog.
  • Someone wearing a bracelet.
  • Someone who knows the number of books in the Old Testament.
  • Someone who can finish the verse,”The Lord is my shepherd…”

Please add a few phrases of your own by posting a comment to this entry with your own ideas.

 

The phrases should get progressively complex and go from general to specific. You’ll want to start by seeing people wanting to avoid receiving the gift early, then clamoring to get it later in the game.

What to Do

  1. Grab your wrapped gift and invite everyone in the room and have them sit in a circle facing each other.
  2. Announce that you are going to play Unwrap the Gift game.
  3. Explain that when you receive the gift, you’ll need to Unwrap 1 layer of wrapping paper and read the next phrase to determine who gets the gift next. The last person to unwrap the last layer of wrapping paper wins the gift and once you have had your turn unwrapping, you cannot receive the gift again. There’s no telling how many layers there are so, the next one to completely unwrap the gift gets to keep it!
  4. We suggest the Party Host save a spot in the circle and start the game off so everyone understands how it is played. The birthday teen could even be the first one to start the game.

Take it to the Next Level

Here are some possible lessons:

  • Surprises: Life is often full of surprises. Some are ours to keep and others are meant to be passed on.
  • Grace: While in this game, you have to do something or possess a certain characteristic to get the gift, the grace is different. Grace is unmerited favor.
  • Salvation: The gift of salvation is not the result of someone being born on a certain day, but because someone died on a certain day. Jesus gave his life, so that we might live. It was an unmerited gift, not based on who we are or what we do, but who God is and what he did for you! For God so loved he gave.
  • Gifts: A lot of gifts come to us in life. Some are ours to keep, but most are ours to share and pass on to others.
  • Evangelism: Evangelism is receiving the gift of God and passing it on so that someone else can be blessed.

 

Just for Fun

Of course, you can just play this as a fun game at a Birthday Party, Christmas Party or any other celebration with friends.

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MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”
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Resource Reviews

Christmas Party Planning Checklist

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Christmas is just around the corner… Have you prepared for your youth Christmas Party yet?

If you don’t get things moving well in advance, instead of enjoying the Christmas Vacation with the youth, you could end up being totally stressed and miss valuable opportunities to impact their lives and those of their friends and families.

So here’s a Youth Christmas Planning Checklist… (FIRST DRAFT – IDEAS WELCOME for improvement)

Form a Christmas Party planning committee

  • Who needs to be involved in the planning for the Christmas Party? (i.e. parents, youth workers, youth, pastoral staff, others?)
  • What are the roles in the planning and preparation for the Christmas Party and who will be responsible for each role?

 

Coordinate your Youth Christmas Party with the church as a whole

  • How will the Christmas Party fit into the over all schedule of Church activities? Does it complement the Church Christmas theme or focus?
  • Will there be duplication? Should some parts of the Christmas party be jointly organised?
  • Will there be conflicts of manpower and facilities?
  • Is your planned date for the Christmas Party on the overall church calendar?
  • Who will you need to coordinate with? Will it be part of the overall church Christmas plan or separate?

 

Decide the Christmas Activities Schedule

  • List the individual activities that will be part of your Youth Christmas program.
  • What are the times and dates of each event?
  • What is the venue or location for each event?
  • How will the Christmas Party fit into the schedule?

 

Decide your Goal for the Christmas Party

  • Purpose: What is the purpose for the Christmas party? Is it evangelistic? In appreciation? A simple celebration? To reach out to the community? To help the needy?
  • Target group: Who is the target group for the Christmas Party? Who do you want to attend the Christmas Party? (age group, Christians / seekers, friends of youth, parents, youth workers, community, etc.)
  • Brief Description: Write a clear description of the Christmas Party and its goals.
  • Theme: What is the theme for the Christmas Party?

 

Plan the Details for the Christmas Party

  • What is the official name of for the Christmas Party? Does the name clearly communicate the purpose
  • and content?
  • You should have already written down the date and time and venue for the Party. In addition you will want to add directions to the venue? Is there a map available? About how long will it
  • take travel there? Is it difficult to find?

 

Tentative Christmas Party Program

  • What activities will fill the time during the Christmas Party? OVER PLAN and have ALTERNATIVES. (e.g. Icebreakers, gift exchange, Bible study, Movies, Large Group Games, etc.) If you are using another venue, doing an on site inspection in advance will help you better prepare for Christmas games and activities. If there is a gift exchange, how will the exchange be coordinated? A great resource for planning your Christmas Party is the Creative Youth Ideas Christmas Collection.

 

Christmas Ideas ebook
More Christmas Resources for Youth Groups

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Christmas Party Finances

  • What’s the expected actual cost?
  • What is the budget for the Youth Christmas Party?
  • What is the cost to participants?
  • If there is a Christmas gift exchange, what is the price range for the participant’s gifts?
  • Are there sponsors / sources of supplies or food for the Christmas Party? Will parents or church members make contributions of Christmas goodies and food?
  • Are there scholarships available?
  • Does the cost change for early or late sign-ups?
  • When is payment for the Christmas Party due?

 

Christmas Party Arrangements

  • Reservation of Venue?
  • Recruit Adult chaperons / volunteers for the Christmas Party – A good rule of thumb is to have one chaperon (parent/youth pastor/leader) for every eight youth that attend. (Some groups may require more or less supervision)
  • Are there to be Special speakers / special items or programs utilizing outside people?
  • Someone trained in first aid or medicine on site in case of an injury.
  • What food will be available at the Christmas party? Meals and snacks should be designed to meet the needs of all attendees. Are there any special dietary requirements or restrictions?
  • Are there any transportation requirements?
  • Contact information for those responsible for major roles and duties?
  • Address and contact of nearest medical emergency aid?
  • What Rules will be enforced?
  • Create an ‘Incident Report’ form for any injuries, accidents or security breaches that occur during the Christmas Party?

 

Christmas Events Publicity

  • Promotional fliers
  • Church Bulletin
  • Church / youth Calendar or events
  • Invitations – Your invitations should state the starting and ending time of your Christmas party and should mention the food you will be serving. And don’t forget to include directions to get to the venue, expecially for first timers. You also will want to include any cost and indicate whether or not participants should bring a gift for a gift exchange and costing for such gifts.
  • Sign-up form / Permission slips
  • Postcards to invite friends
  • Posters / Bulletin Boards
  • Website / emails
  • Local newspaper

 

Equipment and resources needed for the Christmas Party

  • Are the tables and chairs available at the venue sufficient for participants and the food?
  • Sound system? Upbeat Christmas Music?
  • Special lighting?
  • Special equipment?
  • Materials and resources for games?
  • Parking space? Drop off and pick-up point for parents?
  • Requisition forms for supplies, Checkout / return out form for any equipment or supplies that are borrowed?

 

Handling emergencies

  • Any time you get a group of youth together there is a possibility of accidents. They will happen. So be prepared for them.
  • Christmas Party Attendee list – Name, contact number for parents, and permission slips if you are leaving the church premises. Keep the contact information together in a folder and available at all times in case of an emergency. Make a master copy and a standby copy.
  • Sponsor list
  • Emergency contacts
  • Fire, medical, and police department numbers
  • What is the name, address and phone number of the nearest hospital or urgent care facility? (This information should be included on your health form/parent release.). What is the most direct route from the venue?
  • What are the venue management contacts?
  • Prepare a Parent’s contact list.
  • Prepare a Volunteer list with assigned roles and contact numbers?
  • What transportation arrangements are required. Contact numbers?

 

Christmas Party Volunteer Training

    • Screen Volunteers
    • Meet with volunteers as a group before party.
    • List responsibilities and contact numbers for each volunteer including a ‘Chain of Command’ – who reports to whom, who makes final decisions?
    • Make sure volunteers are clear on the rules.
    • Familiarize volunteers with the layout of the venue – especially exits, potential problem areas or hazards.
    • Assign people in your team to be responsible for cleaning up any spills/ broken glass as soon as it happens?
    • Trouble shoot with volunteers. What things could happen during the party and how should the volunteers respond?
    • Have people and vehicles on standby to travel with youth in case of emergency.
    • Instruct volunteers in how to complete the ‘Incident Report’ form for any injuries, accidents or security breaches that occur during the Christmas Party and what information is needed. They need to get signatures of any eyewitnesses.
    • Go through the entire Party schedule. What resources are needed for each item on the schedule and who is responsible to make sure they are ready?
    • Volunteers must be flexible and ready to help out as needed.

 

The Day of the Christmas Party

  • Set up the decorations according to your theme.
  • Set up for games / activities
  • Test the sound system and Christmas music
  • Delivery and storage of food and supplies
  • Identify key volunteers to participants, especially the medical person.
  • Are floor surfaces clear of trip hazards and electrical cords?
  • Are all security, staff and volunteers easily identified with either a uniform, t-shirt, ID badge or cap?
  • Are Emergency/Fire exits clear of any obstructions and will they have adults monitoring them?
  • Are there first-aid supplies, fire extinguishers? If so, where are they located?
  • If you are going to have a gift exchange, have quite a few backups for those that forget or unexpected gifts. Try to insure that everyone gets a gift.
  • Be sure to have someone take photos and video of the event. They make great Christmas Party souvenirs.
  • Clean up – It’s important to leave the hall or building in the same shape as you found it.
  • Involve everyone in this process.

After the Christmas Party

  • Return rental or borrowed items
  • Thank everyone who made the Christmas Party possible
  • Meet with the Christmas Party planning committee and evaluate. Ask: What worked well? What could we have done differently? What did we learn from this process?
  • Review any incident reports completed and see what steps can be taken to prevent similar incidents happening at future youth events.
  • Complete and file a written event summary including any resources and suggestions for future planning of Christmas Parties.
  • Send “thank you” cards to everyone who help in any way

 

This document is a guide only. It contains general information and is not intended to represent a comprehensive checklist. Have suggestions to add? Any words of wisdom? Please click on the comments link below and share with us your wisdom and experience in regards to organizing Christmas Parties for your youth!

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Games and Activities helping youth discover the Reason for the Season.Get more than 200 creative ideas for planning a Youth Christmas celebration or Christmas Party party. You can immediately download my best Christmas Icebreakers, games, illustrations, Christmas activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook!
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Game Ideas

Progressive Santa

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Introduction
Everyone knows how Santa Claus looks right? The red hat, the black belt, rosy cheeks… But how well can you draw him?

Game Description
The objective of this Christmas Party game is to draw the BEST Santa Claus. The catch is that you draw it together with the rest of the team and cannot see what they have already drawn.

Game Materials
Paper and pencil for each team. Add a little color by giving each team a basic box of crayons as well. It is best to use thick opaque paper so that when folded over, you cannot see any of the drawing underneath.

Game Preparation
None

Game Play

  1. The objective of this Christmas Party game is to draw Santa Claus, one stage at a time.
  2. Divide the group into teams and place them in a straight line so that people are facing AWAY from the person at the front of the line. This is to prevent them from looking over their shoulder and seeing what someone else is drawing.
  3. Give each team a piece of paper and drawing supplies.
  4. Ask the person at the front of the line to draw Santa’s Hat. Give them 2 minutes to drawing Santa’s hat with all the details, then ask them to fold the paper down so that only the bottom edge of his hat can be seen.
  5. The paper is then passed to the next person on the team. Ask this person to draw Santa’s face. Give them 2 minutes to draw Santa’s face with all the details, then ask them to fold the paper down so that only the bottom edge of his face with the beard can be seen.
  6. The paper is then passed to the next person on the team. Ask this person to draw Santa down to his waist. Give them 2 minutes to draw, then ask them to fold the paper down so that only the bottom edge can be seen.
  7. The paper is then passed to the next person on the team. Ask this person to draw Santa’s down to his ankles. Give them 2 minutes to draw, then ask them to fold the paper down so that only the bottom edge can be seen.
  8. The paper is then passed to the next person on the team. Ask this person to draw Santa’s feet. Give them 2 minutes to drawing Santa’s feet.
  9. Unfold the papers for the rest of the team to see and then award a prize to the team with the best Santa. The results can be quite hilarious.

Variation
Add points based on the following criteria:

  • red suit with White trim
  • Red cap with white trim,
  • thick black belt
  • sooty black boots
  • rosy cheeks
  • twinkling eyes
  • brighter-than-white teeth
  • whiskers
  • merry dimples
  • nose like a cherry;
  • droll little mouth, drawn up like a bow
  • beard on his chin was as white as the snow
  • he had a broad face
  • a little round belly
  • He was chubby and plump
  • a right jolly elf
  • A sack full of toys

The group with the most points wins!

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Youth Ministry

Youth Christmas Party Planning Checklist

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Christmas is just around the corner… Have you prepared for your youth Christmas Party yet?

If you don’t get things moving well in advance, instead of enjoying the Christmas Vacation with the youth, you could end up being totally stressed and miss valuable opportunities to impact their lives and those of their friends and families.

So here’s a Youth Christmas Planning Checklist… (FIRST DRAFT – IDEAS WELCOME for improvement)

Form a Christmas Party planning committee

  • Who needs to be involved in the planning for the Christmas Party? (i.e. parents, youth workers, youth, pastoral staff, others?)
  • What are the roles in the planning and preparation for the Christmas Party and who will be responsible for each role?

Coordinate your Youth Christmas Party with the church as a whole

  • How will the Christmas Party fit into the over all schedule of Church activities? Does it complement the Church Christmas theme or focus?
  • Will there be duplication? Should some parts of the Christmas party be jointly organised?
  • Will there be conflicts of manpower and facilities?
  • Is your planned date for the Christmas Party on the overall church calendar?
  • Who will you need to coordinate with? Will it be part of the overall church Christmas plan or separate?

Decide the Christmas Activities Schedule

  • List the individual activities that will be part of your Youth Christmas program.
  • What are the times and dates of each event?
  • What is the venue or location for each event?
  • How will the Christmas Party fit into the schedule?

Decide your Goal for the Christmas Party

  • Purpose: What is the purpose for the Christmas party? Is it evangelistic? In appreciation? A simple celebration? To reach out to the community? To help the needy?
  • Target group: Who is the target group for the Christmas Party? Who do you want to attend the Christmas Party? (age group, Christians / seekers, friends of youth, parents, youth workers, community, etc.)
  • Brief Description: Write a clear description of the Christmas Party and its goals.
  • Theme: What is the theme for the Christmas Party?

Plan the Details for the Christmas Party

  • What is the official name of for the Christmas Party? Does the name clearly communicate the purpose
  • and content?
  • You should have already written down the date and time and venue for the Party. In addition you will want to add directions to the venue? Is there a map available? About how long will it
  • take travel there? Is it difficult to find?

Tentative Christmas Party Program

  • What activities will fill the time during the Christmas Party? OVER PLAN and have ALTERNATIVES. (e.g. Icebreakers, gift exchange, Bible study, Movies, Large Group Games, etc.) If you are using another venue, doing an on site inspection in advance will help you better prepare for Christmas games and activities. If there is a gift exchange, how will the exchange be coordinated? A great resource for planning your Christmas Party is the Creative Youth Ideas Christmas Collection.

Get Creative Youth Ideas: "Christmas Collection" ebook

More Christmas Resources for Youth Groups

Click here to find out how you can immediately download more than 200 of my best Christmas games, Christmas illustrations, Christmas activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook for only $24.97

Christmas Party Finances

  • What’s the expected actual cost?
  • What is the budget for the Youth Christmas Party?
  • What is the cost to participants?
  • If there is a Christmas gift exchange, what is the price range for the participant’s gifts?
  • Are there sponsors / sources of supplies or food for the Christmas Party? Will parents or church members make contributions of Christmas goodies and food?
  • Are there scholarships available?
  • Does the cost change for early or late sign-ups?
  • When is payment for the Christmas Party due?

Christmas Party Arrangements

  • Reservation of Venue?
  • Recruit Adult chaperons / volunteers for the Christmas Party – A good rule of thumb is to have one chaperon (parent/youth pastor/leader) for every eight youth that attend. (Some groups may require more or less supervision)
  • Are there to be Special speakers / special items or programs utilizing outside people?
  • Someone trained in first aid or medicine on site in case of an injury.
  • What food will be available at the Christmas party? Meals and snacks should be designed to meet the needs of all attendees. Are there any special dietary requirements or restrictions?
  • Are there any transportation requirements?
  • Contact information for those responsible for major roles and duties?
  • Address and contact of nearest medical emergency aid?
  • What Rules will be enforced?
  • Create an ‘Incident Report’ form for any injuries, accidents or security breaches that occur during the Christmas Party?

Christmas Events Publicity

  • Promotional fliers
  • Church Bulletin
  • Church / youth Calendar or events
  • Invitations – Your invitations should state the starting and ending time of your Christmas party and should mention the food you will be serving. And don’t forget to include directions to get to the venue, expecially for first timers. You also will want to include any cost and indicate whether or not participants should bring a gift for a gift exchange and costing for such gifts.
  • Sign-up form / Permission slips
  • Postcards to invite friends
  • Posters / Bulletin Boards
  • Website / emails
  • Local newspaper

Equipment and resources needed for the Christmas Party

  • Are the tables and chairs available at the venue sufficient for participants and the food?
  • Sound system? Upbeat Christmas Music?
  • Special lighting?
  • Special equipment?
  • Materials and resources for games?
  • Parking space? Drop off and pick-up point for parents?
  • Requisition forms for supplies, Checkout / return out form for any equipment or supplies that are borrowed?

Handling emergencies

  • Any time you get a group of youth together there is a possibility of accidents. They will happen. So be prepared for them.
  • Christmas Party Attendee list – Name, contact number for parents, and permission slips if you are leaving the church premises. Keep the contact information together in a folder and available at all times in case of an emergency. Make a master copy and a standby copy.
  • Sponsor list
  • Emergency contacts
  • Fire, medical, and police department numbers
  • What is the name, address and phone number of the nearest hospital or urgent care facility? (This information should be included on your health form/parent release.). What is the most direct route from the venue?
  • What are the venue management contacts?
  • Prepare a Parent’s contact list.
  • Prepare a Volunteer list with assigned roles and contact numbers?
  • What transportation arrangements are required. Contact numbers?

Christmas Party Volunteer Training

    • Screen Volunteers
    • Meet with volunteers as a group before party.
    • List responsibilities and contact numbers for each volunteer including a ‘Chain of Command’ – who reports to whom, who makes final decisions?
    • Make sure volunteers are clear on the rules.
    • Familiarize volunteers with the layout of the venue – especially exits, potential problem areas or hazards.
    • Assign people in your team to be responsible for cleaning up any spills/ broken glass as soon as it happens?
    • Trouble shoot with volunteers. What things could happen during the party and how should the volunteers respond?
    • Have people and vehicles on standby to travel with youth in case of emergency.
    • Instruct volunteers in how to complete the ‘Incident Report’ form for any injuries, accidents or security breaches that occur during the Christmas Party and what information is needed. They need to get signatures of any eyewitnesses.
    • Go through the entire Party schedule. What resources are needed for each item on the schedule and who is responsible to make sure they are ready?
    • Volunteers must be flexible and ready to help out as needed.

The Day of the Christmas Party

  • Set up the decorations according to your theme.
  • Set up for games / activities
  • Test the sound system and Christmas music
  • Delivery and storage of food and supplies
  • Identify key volunteers to participants, especially the medical person.
  • Are floor surfaces clear of trip hazards and electrical cords?
  • Are all security, staff and volunteers easily identified with either a uniform, t-shirt, ID badge or cap?
  • Are Emergency/Fire exits clear of any obstructions and will they have adults monitoring them?
  • Are there first-aid supplies, fire extinguishers? If so, where are they located?
  • If you are going to have a gift exchange, have quite a few backups for those that forget or unexpected gifts. Try to insure that everyone gets a gift.
  • Be sure to have someone take photos and video of the event. They make great Christmas Party souvenirs.
  • Clean up – It’s important to leave the hall or building in the same shape as you found it.
  • Involve everyone in this process.

After the Christmas Party

  • Return rental or borrowed items
  • Thank everyone who made the Christmas Party possible
  • Meet with the Christmas Party planning committee and evaluate. Ask: What worked well? What could we have done differently? What did we learn from this process?
  • Review any incident reports completed and see what steps can be taken to prevent similar incidents happening at future youth events.
  • Complete and file a written event summary including any resources and suggestions for future planning of Christmas Parties.
  • Send “thank you” cards to everyone who help in any way

This document is a guide only. It contains general information and is not intended to represent a comprehensive checklist. Have suggestions to add? Any words of wisdom? Please click on the comments link below and share with us your wisdom and experience in regards to organizing Christmas Parties for your youth!

Game Ideas

Candy Cane Christmas

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candycane.jpgFor a Christmas Party Theme, why not have a Candy Cane Christmas? The candy cane can be a great Christmas object lesson and a useful prop for all kinds of Christmas Party Games.

Note: You’ll need lots of candy canes for this Candy Cane Extravaganza!

1. Christmas Icebreaker
Start the Christmas party off with a candy cane icebreaker activity.

2. Christmas Party Games

3. Christmas Lesson
End the Party with a meaningful lesson on the true meaning of Christmas with the Legend of the Candy Cane

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Get more than 200 creative ideas for planning a Youth Christmas celebration or Christmas Party party. You can immediately download my best Christmas Icebreakers, games, illustrations, Christmas activity ideas AND MUCH MORE in a useful ebook!

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Game Ideas

Follow the Star

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christmas_star.jpgGame Objective
The object of this Christmas scavenger hunt variation is to travel in the direction indicated by one point of a Christmas star until another star of the same color is found. A series of Christmas stars will eventually lead the youth or children to a Christmas Gift marked by a star. This Christmas game serves as an introduction to the wisemen in the Christmas Story who followed the star to find baby Jesus.

Materials
Make some stars in gold, silver and other metallic colors. Cut them from Christmas wrapping paper. You can find foil wrapping paper in various colors throughout the Christmas season. You should have at least 10 stars of each color and one color for each team. On one of the points of each star draw an arrow pointing to the tip of that point. The size of the star will determine the difficulty of the game. Smaller stars will be harder to find. Also prepare a Christmas gift wrapped in the same colored wrapping paper as the stars you have created. Draw a star on top of the Christmas gift. This gift could be a prize for the whole team such as a box of candy or chocolates they can share. Inside each box of Christmas candy include a different figure from a nativity scene.

Setting up the game
Place the Christmas stars in a circle on the floor in a large open area. Orient the stars and tape them to the floor so that the tip of the star with an arrow on it points in a direction for the youth or children to travel. Travel in that direction and place the next star of the same color for them to follow. Again orient it so that the point with the arrow indicates the direction of the next star. Place all the stars in this manner so that each team is led on a journey. Don’t make the stars too visible or too obvious but force participants to search a little for each star. (You can put the star under a table or in an inconspicuous place.) After the last star is placed, have it point to the Christmas gift you have prepared wrapped in the same color of foil wrapping paper. Make sure all the stars are securely fastened so that they will not accidentally be misaligned.

Playing the Game

  1. Inform each team of the color of star they must follow.
  2. Teams may not touch or remove the stars of other colors.
  3. They must travel in the direction indicated by each star until they find a Special Christmas gift of the same color of wrapping paper as their team’s stars.
  4. Give participants a time to return and let them go.
  5. Commend the team that returns the quickest, but make sure all teams get the same gift at the end!

Discussion

  • Who do we know in the Bible that followed a star?
    (Jesus)
  • How was your journey, following a star, similar to that of the wise men?
    You didn’t know where the journey would lead you. Weren’t sure what you would find at the end of the journey. Maybe you had to get past a few obstacles along the way, etc.
  • Were there times you thought you might have lost the way? Do you think the wisemen in the Bible story also might have felt a little lost at times?
  • Did you ask anyone for help? Who? Why did you ask that person?
    The wisemen actually stopped and asked King Herod for directions. But when the learned the type of person that he was, they left the city by a different way.
  • How did you feel when you found the final destination? How might the wisemen have felt when they finally found the King of Kings, the baby Jesus?

TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Application
The wisemen followed the star to Jesus. They were not sure of where the journey would lead them. They had great faith that they would find something special at the end of their journey. There might have been some doubts and hardships along the way, but what they found was worth the time and effort. They found Jesus! Whether their journey was the quickest or the slowest, at the end they all received the same reward – Jesus.

Have you found Jesus? Maybe you have just started your journey. Maybe you have gotten lost or had doubts along the way. Even so, you have taken a step of faith to follow and see where God leads you. You may not know the final destination, but I can promise you that God not only has something special for you at the end of the journey but he is with you every step of the way!

During this advent season, seek out Jesus in your life! Ask God to guide you in your journey! Wise men still seek Jesus! What is one realistic way you can seek Jesus in your life this Christmas Season!

Teaching Hint
Use this together with my Christmas Devotional about the wisemen “They Followed the Star” Use information from this Christmas Devotion as part of your lesson, or send it to your youth as an email reminder of the lesson you covered the previous week!

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Games and Activities helping youth discover the Reason for the Season.

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Want to plan a Christmas Scavenger Hunt?”

Devotional

They Followed the Star

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christmas_star2.jpg

God set in the sky a marvelous star. Astronomers have discussed for many centuries what the star must have been. Some have suggested that it was a conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn. Others have said that it is a reference to an evanescent star found in Chinese literature. Others believe it might have been a comet, or a supernova.

But whatever it was, it was something new. It was something unusual. It was something surprising. It was something different. It was something unique that prompted the attention of the wisemen. They were compelled by a sense of needing to understand. But their journey was more than the satisfaction of curiosity, the seeking of knowledge. Scripture says that when they were asked about their journey, they said they were in search of a King of the Jews so that they might worship him.

The star led them a long way from home. For these ancients it was not an endearing thing to leave home, family and friends and go beyond the borders of one’s own country into a different territory altogether. Yet, this star drove them across their borders. Every step took them farther and farther away from the security of home and everything that was dear to them. Their adventure was to find this person born to transform humankind and change the course of human history.

The road may have been difficult, but the end was certain. You see, God doesn’t call a person on an adventure in vain. These Magi discovered a little baby, and in discovering the baby, they discovered Christmas – not in a palace, in a synagogue, not in a mansion. Though Christ had been born in a cattle shed, the wisemen knew Jesus for what He was. They understood this child was special. This discovery was one to which they were prepared to respond.

The journey that God has for each of us may be different, but the goal is the same: That we might find a King to rule our lives and to worship Him. Our journey might take us far from that which is comfortable or familiar. But when we find him we will be transformed and our lives will be changed. Will you respond?

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Games and Activities helping youth discover the Reason for the Season.

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Game Ideas

Christmas Stocking Scavenger Hunt

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christmas_stocking1.jpg
Materials
Three pairs each of two different colors of Christmas stockings or clean socks. As a backup you can cut stocking outlines from colored paper.

Game Preparation
1. Number the stockings from 1 to 6 for each color.
2. Hide the stockings around the room
3. Inside stockings 2-5, (or on the back if you use paper ones) place a note giving a hint to the location of the next stocking (i.e. “Stocking #2 is under something large” or “Stocking #4 might be enjoying a good book.”).
4. Divide players into two teams. Hand both teams cards hinting at the location of the first stocking. The first team to find all six stockings wins.
5. Vary the difficulty by varying the number of stockings they need to find.

See Conducting Scavenger Hunts for help, Hints, Safety Considerations, Rules, and other useful information to make your scavenger hunt a wild success!

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Games and Activities helping youth discover the Reason for the Season.

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is a 160 page e-book that explains everything you need to know to easily plan your very own scavenger hunt: Item Lists, Rules, Riddles, Safety Tips, Guidelines, Scoring, Tips for Facilitators and MORE! There are more than 50 complete ideas (scavenger hunts, photo hunts, video hunts, amazing race, etc.) to use at home, around the neighborhood, at the mall, in the park, on the beach, at church, and around town!

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