Several years ago I was invited to my friend Kelly’s party. (And if you’ve hung around here with us long enough, you may recognize her name by now.😉) You see, not only is Kelly an amazing baker, but she’s a real hoot! For this was not just any party, but her “The Best Day Ever!” party. Are you asking what made it “the best day ever?” The intentional choice to make a day that started awry the best. EVER. To celebrate, one of her clever musings, is a game where you turn a negative thought into something positive. And I love the idea so much, that we’re bringing you a Christmas edition! Our “Naughty Or Nice!” Christmas game is sure to entertain as you see if your friends glasses can be just as rosy as Santa’s cheeks.😜
The Power Of Positivity
The holidays can be filled with a vast array of emotions for many. “…Deliberating on our negative thoughts and feelings and allowing pessimism to take over our minds is incredibly damaging to the brain. Every thought we have changes the structure of our brains.”[1] Therefore, one thing that is certain, there truly is power in positivity.
“Our mindsets set the tone for how we approach the events and circumstances of life, which are often out of our control.” [2] Therefore, “Choosing to be grateful instead of thinking the worst in any given situation helps us see our circumstances differently and gives us the ability to persevere and stay positive even when times are tough!” [1] says Dr. Caroline Leaf.
This fun little word play game is the perfect way to flex those positive thinking muscles to get us through the holidays seeing the BRIGHT side of things (while simultaneously forging new neural pathways to heal your brain😉) … Isn’t that NICE?!
Naughty Or Nice Christmas Game Variations
What I love most about this activity is that you can play it alone or with groups, both small and large.
Here are some game play variations:
Smaller Groups
Pick the first player to be “Santa,” who will read aloud a phrase from the list. Everyone else will put on their rosy-colored glasses (hypothetically) and find a positive spin for the negative note*. Then “Santa” determines whose is the NICEST for a point. Players take turns being “Santa”. Most points wins.
Want to add a naughty spin to make things more difficult? In addition to doling out a point for the nicest phrase, allow “Santa” to deduct a point for the least liked turn of phrase.
*Playing with a traditional or phone timer, we suggest allowing 1-minute for turning each phrase from naughty to nice.
Larger Groups
For larger groups, split players into teams who can collectively collaborate to come up with their best answer.
Naughty -Or- Nice?!
Want More Reindeer Christmas Party Game Ideas?!
Sources:
[1] “Is Pessimism Bad for the Brain?” Dr. Leaf – https://drleaf.com/blogs/news/is-pessimism-bad-for-the-brain
[2] Dr. Caroline Leaf Instagram Post –https://www.instagram.com/p/Bmg3SNRARTL/