Your Kids Will Love This Holiday Playdate – Games Day!

by Meghan

Sharing is caring!

Thank you Goliath Games for sponsoring this post. Pick up your favorite game today to enjoy the holiday season and beyond! And make a playdate games day part of your family holiday traditions.

If your kids are anything like mine, it’s barely December and they are already plotting the playdates they want to have with their friends over Christmas break. In years past, we have traditionally had a Kids Cookie Party, to decorate Christmas cookies with their friends… but it can be a lot of work AND a big mess. So this year, armed with 5 fun-filled games games for kids, we started a new family holiday tradition. A Playdate Games Day! The kids (and moms too) had so much fun, were so completely entertained, AND it took so little work, we can’t wait to do it again next year (and maybe even more often than that). Read on to see how to host your own playdate games day this holiday season…


Host a Playdate Games Day!

Playdates can be overwhelming, especially with 3 kids of my own. If I just have one friend over, the other two kids feel left out. If I have a friend over for each of them, I’ve doubled the kids and chaos in my house. But last week, we had over 9 of their friends – and it was not only a blast, it was chaos-free all thanks to games!

Before the kids arrived, I set up 5 games in different stations – one at each end of the kitchen table, one on the ottoman in the family room, and one at each end of the kids playroom table. With all the kids used to centers at school, there was no instruction even required – they all moved around to try the different games, quickly gravitating to their personal favorites. They played FOREVER, and were so entertained, the moms just got to sit back, relax and watch.

The Playdate Games We Played

Goliath Games and Pressman Toy sent me 5 of their best selling games  – and it’s easy to see why kids love them. All the games were easy for kids to set up and play independently. And they all feature a fun element of surprise.

My favorite parts? Only Giggle Wiggle required batteries. And all the loose parts for all the games can be stored within the game itself – no need to keep boxes or have loose pieces rolling around everywhere. Initial assembly was minimal, and I completed it for ALL 5 games in minutes. Hosting a playdate games day before the holidays also gave all us moms great ideas for our kids holiday wish lists too!

Shark Bite

This was a quick favorite with my 6 year old daughter and her best friend. Press down the sharks jaws, sea creatures snap into it’s mouth, and your kids take turns rolling the dice and fishing for sea creatures until the shark bites! No batteries required.

Giggle Wiggle

This cute musical caterpillar was the fast favorite with the 4 year olds in the bunch. He dances and wiggles, as your kids work on their fine motor skills to place their colored marbles into his hands. It was easy to see how this one got it’s name… the kids couldn’t stop giggling, and were wiggling right along with the caterpillar. The game base has storage for all the loose marbles, and for the playdate, I set it on a tray to help keep them all on the table too.

Pop the Pig

Of all the playdate games, I loved the learning through play element of this one most… it’s easy to see why it’s the #2 best-selling new kids game of the last 6 years. Players take turns rolling the die, and feeding the pig until his belly pops! Your preschoolers will work on colors, number recognition and counting while they have a blast playing this one.

Catch the Fox

The element of surprise with this one was so great, it had even the moms trying to figure it out! Players put chickens in the fox’s pants pockets until his pants suddenly disappear sending the chickens rolling out to be picked up and returned to the chicken coop. (Don’t worry – there’s an easy loop to pull the pants out again!)

Doggie Doo

No surprise, the boys all LOVED Doggie Doo. Players feed the cute doggie food pellets, and squeeze the leash until they pass through the other side (with lots of gassy noises along the way!). If the dog poops on your turn, you have to clean it up – just like a real pet – and earn a poop token.

Learn more about Goliath Games, the 4th largest children’s game manufacturer in North America, and Pressman Toys, the third largest game manufacturer in the US, and see all the games they have to offer for your family.

How to Host Your Own Playdate Games Day

Goliath Games and Pressman Toy provided the five fun-filled games for our playdate games day… but you can totally make this tradition part of your family holiday too without shouldering all the expense on your own!

  • Invite 4-5 other families to come play and ask each family to bring a game
  • Plan a game swap at the end of the playdate for added fun
  • Make it even more economical by asking everyone to bring a snack to share too

Having lots of kids over to play games makes the games more fun too – instead of just playing against mom and dad or your siblings. See more of our Playdate Games Day fun on Instagram below.

Make Playdate Games Day Part of Your Family Holiday Tradition

The kids are already begging to have another Games Day – they had a blast, the moms all got to enjoy each other’s company, and we all got some great ideas for the kids’ Santa wish lists too! Each of our playdates games day families got to take a game home with them to keep playing all holiday long.

 


What are some of your family’s holiday traditions with friends? What are your kids’ favorite games? What games are on their wish lists? Be sure to check out our favorite holiday party game, Jingle Bell Toss, as well as these fun Kids Party Games to play all year round. You can find all of these posts, and lots more game ideas on our Games for Kids board on Pinterest.

Love it? PIN THIS!

Start a new holiday tradition your kids will love - with a Playdate Games Day! The kids will have a blast, the moms can actually relax, and you'll get great holiday wish list ideas too!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

 

Sharing is caring!

1 comment

More to love on Playground Parkbench

1 comment

20 Ways to Make the Most of Your Family Christmas Pajamas December 6, 2017 - 11:51 am

[…] All Active Book-Inspired Cooking Crafts Outdoor Play Skills STEAM For Kids […]

Reply

Leave a Comment

* By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website.

REGENERATE
shares