With people all over the world looking forward to getting together with loved ones in person this holiday season, it’s only natural to be looking for games and activities to bring people closer together. Now that we all know the importance of washing our hands, staying home when we are sick, and practicing social distancing as appropriate, we can do more together than we could last year. So this year, why not try some new and exciting family Christmas games to liven up the holiday? Invest in some games beforehand or make sure some of these fun games are under the tree for loved ones to open. And may the winner take all!

We recommend these fun family Christmas games.

Take a look at our ideas for family together time at home this holiday season.

1. Board games are great for strategy and laughs.

Who doesn’t love a great board game? And there are so many fun games available. Try Animal Upon Animal: Christmas Stacking Game for the four-year-old in your life. For Kindergarteners, try Ticket to Ride: First Journey, a simplified take on the famous Ticket to Ride games that adults love. Families with second-graders will enjoy L.L.A.M.A. to see who can get the fewest markers to win the game. And Abandon All Artichokes has been quite a hit for families of older elementary-school students.

2. Charades

If you want an activity that’s great for a wide range of ages, give a game of charades a try. And if you don’t know how to play charades, it is easy to learn and teach others. It’s easy to add up and keep track of points, too—the first person to guess the word or phrase gets the point. You can play individually or as a team. The individual or the team with the most points at the end wins the game. Kids will enjoy acting out sleeping, waking up, eating a hamburger, reading a book, playing a video game, and more.

3. Christmas Bingo

Christmas bingo is a fun game for family members and loved ones of all ages. Print out pre-filled Christmas-themed bingo cards at home. Or create a grid or table with five cells across and six cells down and write in your own Christmas words and phrases. If you decide to create your own cards, just be sure to keep a master list of terms used so that the bingo caller knows what to call out. Finally, print out some Christmas-colored M&M’s or simply cut out some red and green circles from construction paper that you have on hand. And if that isn’t an option, print-out some plain black Bingo markers and cut them out.

4. Holiday-Themed Word Games

Everyone loves a good word game. A quick search on Pinterest will provide you with various unique Christmas word games. And since these games are free, print out as many as you want and distribute them to family members. Or display the game on your television screen and play as a group.

5. Counting Games

Counting games are an excellent option for households with preschoolers or early elementary-aged children. With plenty of fun counting games and activities to choose from, your family will have no trouble selecting the game that’s right for you. One of our favorite counting games combines counting with a scavenger hunt. Hide an assortment of candy canes around the house and send your kids on a mission to find them. Their reward at the end of the search could be to enjoy a few treats from their scavenger haul; just remember to have your kids brush their teeth and floss faithfully. And be sure to use more miniature candy canes for this activity rather than the full-sized ones. The more you can limit sugars, the healthier your teeth will be.

6. Healthier Candy Hunting

Along the lines of our scavenger hunt game, kids love to go off in search of holiday treats. Thankfully, not all holiday treats have to be bad for you. Try Zollipops or mini chocolate bars instead of sticky treats. Sugar-free chewing gums, especially those with xylitol, are another great option. Hide some candies throughout the house and set the kids free to find their stash. Be sure to have the camera on your mobile device ready to capture some snippets of your kids running wild in search of their favorite tooth-friendly candies.

7. Christmas Movie Trivia

Finally, at the end of a long day, why not snuggle up on the couch in front of the fireplace for a fun game of Christmas movie trivia? A quick search on your favorite search engine will give you plenty of Christmas movie trivia ideas. However, consider your audience and ensure you select trivia snippets from movies appropriate for your family members. For example, Die Hard trivia might not be best for your 5-year-old.

Set your kids up for success to enjoy trouble-free games this Christmas season.

We know the holidays are busy, especially for adults. But sometimes it can be easy to forget that kids experience holiday stress too. Kids tend to get pulled here and there as parents dash from store to store to do Christmas shopping. Grocery stores are busier than ever, which can be overwhelming for kids. To top it off, the very idea of Christmas can be exhausting for kids just from the pure excitement. So to ensure that your kids are well-behaved and ready to enjoy some Christmas games for families, be sure to follow the suggestions provided below.

1. Get the kids to bed early.

Once kids are on school break, setting that bedtime routine aside can be easy. But for most children, an established and predictable routine is necessary. So be sure to keep your kids on their schedule and make sure they get plenty of rest. If you know they’re going to be getting up early on Christmas morning, as most kids do, try to get them to bed early the night before.

2. Set some limits.

It can be easy to let things go on forever when we’re having fun. But when we have a lot of things we want to accomplish, a delay on one activity can lead to delays for the next and so forth. So be sure to set some time limits to make sure you can tackle everything necessary on the list. This is also a great way to help your children indirectly learn about time management and organization.

3. Limit candy consumption.

The holidays are known for sugary Christmas cookies and snacks. These goodies aren’t all that good for us. With childhood obesity and the prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and fatty liver disease continuing to rise, parents need to take strategies to mitigate the risks for their kids. So instead of handing your child a frosted cookie, why not try a Zollipop such as suggested earlier in this article. Or try some of these tasty holiday appetizers, like the fruity Christmas wreath.

4. Reiterate the need for good oral hygiene.

Despite our best efforts, the chances are that we will indulge in some not-so-good-for-us snacks this holiday season. So in addition to ensuring we are moving our bodies several times a week for 30 minutes or more to burn off excess calories, we also need to take care of our mouths. Be sure you and the kids know the importance of brushing teeth twice a day, flossing once per day, and rinsing with a fluoridated mouthwash.

Pediatric Dental Specialists in North Platte, NE, wishes you the happiest of holidays.

Now that we have shared some of our favorite family Christmas game ideas with you, we would be remiss if we didn’t take the time to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year, and more. We’re so blessed to have such wonderful patients, and we wish you well today and every day.