December is a time for great joy and gives students a little breather between semesters. During this time, family and friends often gather to celebrate the holidays and finally see each other after time apart over the long year. This often calls for a PAR-TAY!!! Here are some of my favorite affordable Holiday/Christmas inspired party ideas.
Gingerbread house Decoration Contest: There’s nothing better than gingerbread and sweets during the holiday. This is the perfect way to get your friends and family together in one room, working collaboratively. Separate into even teams (spread out artistic people between teams) and go to town! Play holiday music and decorate, decorate, decorate! My favorite hack is to buy extra candy from the dollar store to add to the decoration process. The only required item for this activity are gingerbread house making kits which are found at your local Target, Walmart, or even grocery store.
Holiday Cocktail/Mocktail Contest: This activity is also amazing for getting everyone around one table. Depending on how many individuals are taking part in this activity, separate into teams that yield around 3-5 rounds of beverages. Each team will come up with a drink inspired by the theme. This theme can be inspired by Holiday, Christmas, Winter, etc. Warning: Please drink responsibly not only during the Holiday season but also every season.
Joke White Elephant: Sometimes as a student or in general white elephants can be a lot of pressure. Buying an oddly practical gift or one that’s completely just funny is a great way to still participate in the gift giving season while relieving some of this pressure. Great joke gifts for a student include: a reem of paper, toilet paper, cleaning products, etc.
Decorate a tree: Oftentimes trees house ornaments are specific to one’s nuclear family. Invite your extended family and friends over to decorate a tree. It’ll be adorned with an item that means something to them or about your relationship together. For example, if you and your friend Mark and Stacy went to Disney together 2 years ago, they could bring something Disney related to put on the tree.
Hot Cocoa Bar: Hot chocolate never fails to get me in the holiday spirit. No one can resist this warm and sweet goodness. Having a hot cocoa bar with items such as marshmallows, peppermint sticks, caramel, and candies will spice up any event.
Holiday Cookie Swap: Everyone’s best baking comes out during the holiday season. This is the perfect time to swipe your neighbor’s best cookie recipe. Ask everyone to bake their favorite or most famous kind of cookie and attach the recipe to the bottom. At the party, you can swap dozen for dozen! With the recipe now, you can hopefully make your own.
As always, remember to stay safe and cherish those you love and value. Enjoy the holiday!