With the holidays approaching, you might be making plans to host holiday get-togethers and entertain both family and friends. Hosting is a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of work and without proper planning you’ll be left scrambling to get entertainment together for your guests. Winter holidays often feature long stays from families and friends, so you’ll need activities and things to keep your guests occupied during their time in your home. You don’t need to do a ton of work to prepare, but checking a few essential boxes can help you feel less stressed and more excited for your upcoming holiday get togethers. Start preparing now with these five, super useful ideas to keep holiday guests entertained and taken care of during their holiday stay. Keep reading to learn more!
Pre-Drinking Drinks
For most of us, holidays mean lots of wine and libations for celebration. This is all in good fun, but it can definitely cause some discomfort the morning after in the form of a hangover. A hangover drink is great for helping ease the symptoms of a hangover. Most hangover drinks come in the form of a small, short sized bottle to be consumed before your first drink of the night. These hangover drinks won’t cure you, but they will help hydrate your body and give your liver the nutrients it needs to more effectively process the alcohol. Having these on hand for your guests will be a life saver, especially for the aunts and uncles who are known for having a few drinks during gatherings.
Entertainment System
When families gather for holidays, movies and digital media entertainment are a given. Cuddling up with a blanket, some snacks and some drinks while watching a movie is a great way to pass the time and bond with family, but it can fall short if you don’t have a central media center or entertainment system. Consider re-organizing your entertainment area and investing in a speaker system to make your movie watching feel that much more immersive for the whole family. This is also a great idea for listening to music while meals are being prepared or during social activities like a cocktail hour, for example. A good entertainment system can make or break a party, so make sure yours is up to snuff!
Board Games
Another staple for holiday entertainment is board games! The classics are always great. Monopoly, Scrabble and Jumanji are always fun to play, but there are so many more options these days that are interesting, engaging and offer new experiences for the whole family. Take a moment in the near future to explore some local stores and see what they are offering for new board games. Chances are, you’ll find something unique and exciting that your guests can enjoy together this year. Board games are a great way to bond, but can certainly cause some interpersonal drama within the group so be careful what kinds of games you choose!
Dinnerware
Dinnerware for special occasions is a must for holiday gatherings. If you don’t already have a set for fancy dinners and special occasions, this is the season to start looking for new china for your holiday dinners. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and the perfect time to debut new plates, serving platters and glassware for your family and guests. It doesn’t have to be too fancy, just something that you designate for special occasions only. This will elevate your gatherings and make you feel proud to have guests in your home this holiday season.
Instant Camera
For a unique idea this holiday season, consider getting an instant camera for guests and family to take pictures with. These are a really fun way to create memories and look for the beautiful moments shared between people during holiday gatherings. Once the event or holiday is over, you can then arrange those pictures into a scrapbook to commemorate the event with your family and friends. Too few of us prioritize physical pictures over digital ones, and they are a wonderfully sentimental way to appreciate the time spent with loved ones during the holiday season. Pictures can be passed down for generations and while they may degrade, they won’t get lost in the digital soup of phone pictures.
Conclusion
Holiday entertainment is imperative for hosting holiday gatherings. Not just to keep people occupied, but to create bonding moments between family members and guests. Bonding over a movie, board game or collective picture taking are all wonderful ways to connect with your guests this season. Add on a beautiful meal served on a special dining dish and you’ve got a near perfect holiday celebration. So get ready cozy up with a warm blanket and a glass of wine on the couch with your family this year!