Jolly Jumps: Active Christmas Games for Kids
Table of Contents
- Why Active Play Matters, Especially During the Holidays
- Classic Active Christmas Games with a Twist
- Creative & Imaginative Christmas Movement Games
- Team-Based & Cooperative Christmas Games
- Bringing Speech & Language Learning Home with Speech Blubs
- Empowering Parents: Your Role in Play and Learning
- Ready to Empower Your Child’s Voice? Discover Speech Blubs Today!
- Conclusion
- FAQ
The holiday season often brings with it a flurry of excitement, dazzling lights, festive treats, and, let’s be honest, a good deal of indoor time. While cozying up with a Christmas movie or building elaborate Lego structures has its charm, children are naturally wired for movement and interaction. Their boundless energy, especially during this magical time of year, can quickly lead to boredom, squabbles, or even an over-reliance on passive screen time if not channeled constructively. But what if we told you that the holidays could be an incredible opportunity to infuse active play with learning, laughter, and family connection, transforming indoor stillness into joyous, engaging motion?
This post is dedicated to inspiring parents and caregivers with a collection of imaginative, active Christmas games that will get kids of all ages moving, giggling, and interacting. Beyond just burning off energy, these activities are thoughtfully designed to foster crucial developmental skills, from gross motor coordination and problem-solving to, importantly, speech and language development. We’ll explore a variety of games, discuss their multifaceted benefits, and show you how to effortlessly integrate elements of learning into festive fun. Our goal is to equip you with the tools to create a vibrant, active, and language-rich holiday experience, ensuring that every moment is an opportunity for growth and joyful family memories.
Why Active Play Matters, Especially During the Holidays
The festive season, with its colder weather and shorter days, often means children spend more time indoors. While this can be a perfect time for quiet crafts and storytelling, it’s also crucial to balance it with active play. Movement is not just about physical health; it’s a cornerstone of holistic child development. For many families, the holidays can become a time when screen time creeps up, offering a convenient way to keep children occupied amidst holiday preparations. However, truly “smart screen time” isn’t about passive viewing; it’s about active engagement, interaction, and learning, much like the principles we champion at Speech Blubs.
Active play offers a powerful antidote to sedentary habits, helping children burn off their abundant energy in healthy ways. Think of a child who’s been cooped up all day; their little bodies are buzzing, and that energy needs an outlet. Physical activity improves gross motor skills, coordination, balance, and spatial awareness, laying essential foundations for future physical competencies. Beyond the physical, active games are incredible for cognitive development. They require children to follow rules, strategize, solve problems, and adapt quickly, sharpening their minds as they move.
Social-emotional skills also flourish during active group play. Children learn about turn-taking, cooperation, negotiation, and handling both wins and losses gracefully. These interactions are vital for building empathy and understanding social cues. And perhaps most importantly for us, active games create dynamic, language-rich environments. As children play, they narrate their actions, give instructions, ask questions, respond to peers, and express their emotions, all of which are powerful catalysts for speech and language growth. These shared experiences become treasured family memories, building stronger bonds and a sense of togetherness that truly embodies the spirit of the holidays.
At Speech Blubs, our mission is to empower children to “speak their minds and hearts,” and we believe that learning should always be joyful and engaging. Our company was born from the personal experiences of our founders, who all grew up with speech problems and created the tool they wished they had. We are committed to providing an immediate, effective, and joyful solution for the 1 in 4 children who need speech support, blending scientific principles with play into one-of-a-kind “smart screen time” experiences. We recognize the profound impact that early intervention and a supportive communication environment can have. Just as active games encourage holistic development, we designed our app to be a powerful supplement, offering a screen-free alternative to passive viewing (like cartoons) and a powerful tool for family connection. You can learn more about our philosophy and resources on the Speech Blubs homepage.
Classic Active Christmas Games with a Twist
Many classic games can be easily adapted with a festive theme to encourage active participation and language development.
Christmas Charades & Pictionary
How to Play: Write down Christmas-themed words or phrases on slips of paper (e.g., “decorate the tree,” “singing carols,” “Santa Claus,” “gingerbread man,” “sleigh ride,” “opening presents”). For charades, children act out the phrase without speaking, while others guess. For Pictionary, they draw it. Divide into teams for extra fun.
Speech and Language Benefits: This game is a powerhouse for both expressive and receptive language. For charades, children need to think about how to convey complex ideas non-verbally, which strengthens their understanding of concepts and actions. Guessers practice vocabulary and inferencing skills. For Pictionary, descriptive language comes into play as they explain their drawings or guess what others are sketching. It’s excellent for expanding vocabulary related to holiday activities and objects, and for encouraging turn-taking in communication.
Relatable Scenario: Imagine a parent whose 4-year-old struggles with expressive language, often using single words instead of short phrases. During Christmas Charades, the child might act out “eating a cookie.” The parent can model phrases like “Are you eating?” or “It looks like you’re eating a yummy cookie!” When it’s the child’s turn to guess, the parent can prompt, “What is Grandma doing? Is she wrapping a present?” gradually encouraging more elaborate responses. For a child who is just starting to connect words, imitating the actions and sounds related to Christmas items can be a fun way to practice.
Holiday Scavenger Hunt
How to Play: Hide Christmas-themed items (ornaments, small wrapped boxes, candy canes, Santa hats) around the house. Create a list, either with pictures for younger children or written clues for older ones. Children race to find all the items. You can make it an indoor treasure hunt by hiding clues that lead to the next clue, eventually revealing a “treasure” like a small holiday treat or activity.
Speech and Language Benefits: Scavenger hunts are fantastic for following multi-step directions, understanding spatial concepts (under, behind, next to, inside), and developing descriptive language. Children need to process instructions, remember clues, and articulate what they are looking for or have found. They can describe the items, their colors, shapes, and textures, building a rich vocabulary.
Relatable Scenario: Consider a child who struggles with prepositions or following complex instructions. A scavenger hunt offers a playful way to practice. A clue might say, “Look under the Christmas tree for something shiny,” or “Find the candy cane behind the couch.” As the child searches, the parent can ask, “Where did you look?” or “What did you find on the table?” reinforcing those tricky spatial words in a natural, active context. If your child is working on specific sounds, you can strategically hide items that contain those sounds (e.g., a “star” for /st/ sounds, “bell” for /b/ sounds) and encourage them to say the word when they find it.
Reindeer Ring Toss
How to Play: Create “reindeer antlers” by attaching brown pipe cleaners to a headband or simply use a toy reindeer. Children take turns wearing the antlers or holding the reindeer, while others try to toss rings (or even glow stick necklaces) onto the antlers. Set a clear throwing line to add an element of physical challenge.
Speech and Language Benefits: This game is excellent for practicing counting, turn-taking, and simple requests (“My turn!”, “One more,” “Got it!”). Children can count how many rings they tossed or how many they caught. It also encourages verbal encouragement and friendly competition. You can introduce descriptive language by asking, “Is that a big ring or a small ring?” or “Did you throw it high or low?”
Snowball Toss (Indoor Version)
How to Play: Crumple up white paper or use cotton balls to create “snowballs.” Set up buckets, baskets, or even empty gift boxes as targets. Children throw the snowballs into the targets from various distances. You can assign different point values to different targets or make it a team challenge.
Speech and Language Benefits: This game promotes action words (throw, catch, aim, toss), size concepts (big snowball, small target), and comparative language (further, closer, more, less). It’s also great for practicing counting scores and negotiating turns. Parents can model phrases like, “Ready, set, throw!” or “Did you get it in the basket?”
Creative & Imaginative Christmas Movement Games
These games tap into children’s natural creativity and love for make-believe, incorporating movement and language.
Christmas Freeze Dance
How to Play: Play upbeat Christmas music. Children dance freely. When the music stops, everyone freezes in place like a statue. Anyone who moves is out, or simply sits out for a round. The last one dancing wins the round.
Speech and Language Benefits: Christmas Freeze Dance is fantastic for developing listening skills, following rules, and understanding concepts like “stop” and “go.” As they dance, children can name body parts they are moving or describe their dance moves (“I’m wiggling!”, “I’m spinning!”). When they freeze, parents can ask, “What shape are you?” or “Can you hold still like a snowman?” encouraging descriptive language.
Relatable Scenario: For a child who needs to practice following directions, a game like Freeze Dance provides immediate feedback and a fun incentive. The parent can add more complex instructions, “Dance fast when the music is loud, and slow when it’s soft,” working on auditory processing and multi-step commands. If a child struggles with self-regulation, waiting for the music to stop before freezing helps them develop inhibitory control.
Santa Says (Simon Says)
How to Play: The classic game of “Simon Says” but with a festive twist. One person is “Santa,” giving commands like “Santa says, ‘touch your toes’,” or “Santa says, ‘jump like an elf’.” Children only follow commands that start with “Santa says.”
Speech and Language Benefits: This game is exceptional for listening skills, following directions, and vocabulary related to actions and body parts. It also helps with auditory discrimination and attention, as children must differentiate between “Santa says” commands and non-“Santa says” commands. Parents can introduce more complex or multi-step commands as the child progresses (e.g., “Santa says, ‘stomp your feet and then clap your hands'”).
Relatable Scenario: A child with difficulties in auditory processing or attention might find this game challenging but incredibly beneficial. Instead of just giving simple commands, “Santa” can specify details: “Santa says, ‘take three tiny steps forward’,” or “Santa says, ‘touch your right elbow’.” This helps children focus on specific parts of a spoken instruction, a key skill for language comprehension.
Elf Obstacle Course
How to Play: Transform your living room into an “Elf Training Course”! Use pillows to crawl over, blankets to tunnel through, chairs to climb under, and laundry baskets to jump into. Children pretend to be elves preparing for Christmas, navigating the course. Time them or have them collect “gifts” (small toys) along the way.
Speech and Language Benefits: Obstacle courses are excellent for sequencing (first, next, last), spatial awareness, and descriptive narration. As children move through the course, they can verbalize their actions (“I’m crawling under the table,” “Now I’m jumping over the pillow”). Parents can ask questions like, “What did you do first?” or “How did you get through the tunnel?” encouraging detailed responses and storytelling.
Gingerbread Man Hunt
How to Play: Hide a picture of a gingerbread man (or a small gingerbread cookie) somewhere in the house. Provide clues, similar to a scavenger hunt, or simply tell children, “The gingerbread man ran away! Can you find him?” The child who finds him hides him next.
Speech and Language Benefits: This game promotes asking and answering “wh” questions (Where is he? Who hid him? What does he look like?), using location words, and simple storytelling. Children can retell the story of the gingerbread man, or describe where they think he might be hiding, fostering imaginative language and narrative skills.
Team-Based & Cooperative Christmas Games
These games encourage working together, sharing, and communicating in a fun, festive environment.
Present Pass (Hot Potato)
How to Play: Wrap an empty box or a soft toy like a “present.” Children sit in a circle and pass the “present” around while Christmas music plays. When the music stops, the child holding the present is out (or simply has to perform a silly Christmas task).
Speech and Language Benefits: This game is perfect for practicing turn-taking, emotional regulation (dealing with being “out”), and responding to auditory cues. Children can make simple requests (“Pass it to me!”), give commands (“Faster!”), and express excitement or disappointment, all valuable communication practice.
Christmas Lights Limbo
How to Play: Use a string of (unplugged!) Christmas lights as a limbo stick. Two adults or older children hold the lights, and everyone takes turns trying to go under without touching. Lower the lights after each round.
Speech and Language Benefits: Limbo is great for body awareness, following instructions, and using descriptive words like “low,” “lower,” “high,” “bend,” and “stretch.” Children can verbally encourage each other and describe their movements.
Rudolph’s Relay Race
How to Play: Divide into teams. Each child puts a red Rudolph nose (a pom-pom secured with vaseline) on their nose. They must then walk or crawl across the room to deliver “presents” (small, lightweight objects) to a designated “sleigh” without dropping the nose or presents.
Speech and Language Benefits: This game fosters teamwork, sequencing instructions, and verbal encouragement. Children will naturally communicate to strategize, cheer on teammates, and narrate their actions, building a shared language experience.
Bringing Speech & Language Learning Home with Speech Blubs
While active games are fantastic for building a language-rich environment, sometimes children need targeted, engaging support that complements this play. This is where Speech Blubs comes in, offering a unique “smart screen time” solution that bridges the gap between play and structured learning.
We understand that you, as parents, are your child’s first and most important teachers. Our approach at Speech Blubs is designed to support you in that role, providing a powerful, fun, and immediate solution for the 1 in 4 children who may need extra support with their speech and language development.
Our core methodology, “video modeling,” is what makes us truly special. Children learn complex communication skills by watching and imitating their peers, rather than animated characters or adults. This peer-to-peer interaction leverages mirror neurons in the brain, making the learning process incredibly intuitive and effective. For a child who learns best visually and through imitation, seeing other kids their age produce sounds and words can be profoundly motivating. Our scientific backing is strong; our app is rated in the top tier of speech apps worldwide on the MARS scale for app quality and engagement. You can delve deeper into our scientific research to understand the effectiveness of our methods.
Imagine a scenario: your 3-year-old is a late talker, showing a keen interest in animals but struggling to produce sounds. While playing “Animal Charades” is wonderful, Speech Blubs can provide a focused, interactive experience. In our “Animal Kingdom” section, your child can watch other children make “moo” and “baa” sounds, then imitate them directly into the app. This direct imitation, guided by friendly faces, can be incredibly empowering and helps solidify the sounds they’re hearing and seeing.
With Speech Blubs, your child engages in thousands of expert-designed activities across various speech and language categories, including first words, articulation, sentence building, and even social skills. Each activity is a game, ensuring that learning feels like play. This is why we are trusted by thousands of families worldwide to support their children’s communication journey. Don’t just take our word for it; you can read parent testimonials to see the difference we’ve made for other families.
We are not just an app; we are a community-driven resource, providing parents with the tools they need to foster their child’s confidence and reduce communication frustrations. We believe every child deserves the chance to express themselves fully, and we are here to help make that a reality, one joyful sound and word at a time.
Empowering Parents: Your Role in Play and Learning
As parents, your active involvement is the secret ingredient to maximizing the benefits of both active Christmas games and tools like Speech Blubs. Co-play and support create a powerful learning environment. When you join in the fun, you model language, interaction, and enthusiasm. Narrate your actions, ask open-ended questions, and offer encouragement. “Wow, you jumped so high! Tell me, what did you see from up there?”
Creating a language-rich environment means talking to your child constantly, describing what you’re doing, asking questions, and responding to their attempts at communication. During these active games, be present, listen actively, and provide positive feedback. Every interaction, every laugh, and every shared moment is an opportunity for connection and growth.
It’s also important to set realistic expectations. Speech and language development is a journey, not a race. There will be good days and challenging days. Focus on celebrating small victories, fostering a love for communication, and building your child’s confidence. The goal is to reduce frustration and develop key foundational skills over time, creating joyful family learning moments along the way.
While Speech Blubs is a powerful tool, it’s a supplement to a child’s overall development plan and, when applicable, professional therapy. If you ever have concerns about your child’s speech and language development, it’s always best to consult with a speech-language pathologist. To help you gain some initial insights, we’ve developed a simple, helpful resource. Unsure if your child could benefit from a little extra support? Take our quick 3-minute preliminary screener to get a simple assessment and a personalized next-steps plan. It involves just 9 simple questions and provides immediate value, often leading to a free 7-day trial of our app.
Ready to Empower Your Child’s Voice? Discover Speech Blubs Today!
The holidays are a time for magic, connection, and growth. By integrating active Christmas games into your festive celebrations, you’re not just creating fun memories; you’re actively nurturing your child’s physical, cognitive, social, and linguistic development. And when it comes to supporting their speech and language journey, Speech Blubs is here to be your trusted partner.
We’ve poured our hearts and expertise into creating a tool that combines scientific principles with engaging, play-based learning. Our unique video modeling method empowers children to speak their minds and hearts, building confidence and fostering a love for communication. We are committed to making effective speech and language support accessible and enjoyable for every family.
Ready to see the difference Speech Blubs can make for your child? We offer flexible plans designed to fit your family’s needs. You can choose our Monthly plan for $14.99 per month. However, for the very best value and access to our full suite of premium features, we highly recommend our Yearly plan. At just $59.99 per year, it breaks down to an incredible value of only $4.99 per month, allowing you to save 66% compared to the monthly option.
When you choose the Yearly plan, you don’t just get a better price; you unlock exclusive benefits that maximize your child’s learning experience:
- A 7-day free trial: Experience the full power of Speech Blubs before committing.
- The extra Reading Blubs app: Double the fun and learning with our companion reading app.
- Early access to new updates: Be the first to try out our latest features and improvements.
- 24-hour support response time: Get prompt assistance whenever you need it.
The Monthly plan, unfortunately, does not include these exclusive benefits. So, for the most comprehensive and valuable experience, choose the Yearly plan and give your child the gift of confident communication this holiday season.
Don’t let another holiday season pass without giving your child the gift of a stronger voice and clearer communication. Download Speech Blubs today and transform their screen time into “smart screen time.”
Download Speech Blubs on the App Store
Or, if you prefer to start on your desktop, you can create your account and begin your 7-day free trial today by selecting the Yearly plan to get all the amazing benefits!
Conclusion
This holiday season, let’s embrace the joy of movement and connection. Active Christmas games are more than just fun; they are powerful catalysts for holistic child development, fostering physical coordination, cognitive growth, social-emotional skills, and, crucially, speech and language abilities. From festive charades that boost vocabulary to energetic obstacle courses that hone sequencing skills, these activities offer invaluable opportunities for children to learn and grow in a joyful, engaging environment.
Remember that every interaction, every shared laugh, and every moment of play contributes to your child’s developing mind and heart. And when you’re looking for an immediate, effective, and joyful solution to support their communication journey, Speech Blubs is here. Our unique, science-backed approach provides “smart screen time” that empowers children to speak their minds and hearts, complementing the rich language experiences you create through play.
Ready to make this holiday season truly transformative for your child’s communication? Start your 7-day free trial today by choosing our Yearly plan to unlock all premium features and give your child the gift of a confident voice.
FAQ
Q1: Why are active games so important for my child during the holidays?
Active games are crucial during the holidays because they provide an essential outlet for children’s energy, especially when cold weather limits outdoor play. Beyond just burning off steam, these games enhance gross motor skills, improve cognitive functions like problem-solving, develop social-emotional skills through interaction, and create a dynamic environment for speech and language development as children communicate, follow instructions, and express themselves. They also offer a healthy alternative to passive screen time, fostering family connection.
Q2: How can I adapt these games for children of different ages and developmental stages?
Many of these games are highly adaptable. For younger children (toddlers and preschoolers), simplify rules, use visual aids (pictures for scavenger hunts), focus on single-step commands for “Santa Says,” and emphasize exploration and sensory experiences. For older children, you can introduce more complex rules, multi-step instructions, team competition, strategic thinking, and encourage more elaborate descriptive language and storytelling. The key is to observe your child’s abilities and adjust the challenge accordingly, always prioritizing fun and participation.
Q3: How does Speech Blubs fit into this picture of active play and language development?
Speech Blubs complements active play by providing targeted, engaging speech and language therapy through “smart screen time.” While active games create a general language-rich environment, Speech Blubs offers structured, expert-designed activities that focus on specific sounds, words, and communication skills. Our unique video modeling method, where children learn by imitating peers, can be particularly effective for children who benefit from visual learning. It’s a powerful supplement that reinforces the language concepts learned through play, offering a consistent and joyful path to improving communication skills.
Q4: What’s the best way to get started with Speech Blubs?
The best way to get started with Speech Blubs is by choosing our Yearly plan. This option provides the most value at just $59.99 per year (saving you 66% compared to the monthly plan). With the Yearly plan, you’ll receive a 7-day free trial, access to the Reading Blubs app, early updates, and 24-hour support. You can easily download Speech Blubs on the App Store or get it on Google Play. Alternatively, you can create your account and begin your free trial directly on our website.