Submitted by Gretchen Taylor, Illinois
Idea posted January 8, 2003
For a variation on musical chairs, here's a little Christmas game for several ages. Prepare two sets of die-cut Christmas trees laminated and numbered on the back (one set per child).
For the game, scatter one set of trees number side down on the floor. Kids are NOT to step on them. Place the other set in a bag or box. Play some Christmas music, and while the music is playing, the kids step about the room among the trees. When you stop the music, everyone picks up a tree. Then, draw a tree from your bag/box and call out the number on the back. All check their own number, and the one who matches gets to pick out the number after the next round. All trees are put back on the floor for the next round, and the number picker goes back in the game on the following round, so no one is ever really out. The random picking of a number allows the kids to move all around and avoid hovering near one particular tree.
So I don't have to move chairs, I'm going to place the trees on each chair and the kids can walk about the chairs, pick a tree, and sit on that tree's chair while the number is drawn and called. Hope that'll work OK.
Enjoy.