Your winter solstice party would be boring without activities for everyone to do. Your winter solstice gathering can either celebrate the winter by brightening your inside and bringing the outside in or you can embrace the coming of winter and have white winter themes for your party. Whichever you decide, here are some practical suggestions for activities for your winter solstice gathering.
Snowman Bowling
Clear out a hallway and make ten snowmen with socks filled with paper to serve as bowling pins. Then fill up a clear plastic bag with poly fill for your bowling ball and let it fly. Both kids and adults can try to knock over as many snowmen as possible.
One of the kids can assist with setting up the pins and if you want to truly be competitive you can keep score. Mark the pin spots on the floor with masking tape in the shape of an X. One adult to supervise may be a good idea.
Bonfire Lighting
Truly traditional winter solstice celebrations include the lighting of a huge bonfire. Set up a fire circle outside (if you live in the country where burning is allowed) with wood. Make sure you have tinder and kindling (leaves and small sticks) so that the larger branches will light.
Give each of your guests a candle to light a string that will go into the fire and light the leaves and tinder and eventually the rest of the fire. When your guests leave, give them a candle lit from the bonfire that they can take home and keep a candle lit all winter to symbolize the lighting of the inside from the outside.
Carol Singing
Many carols that are designated as Christmas carols can also be substituted as winter solstice carols. Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, Over the River the Through the Woods, and many others can be adapted for singing at a winter solstice party.
Burn your own CD of your favorite carols that pay little mention of the religion of Christmas and you have a CD you can sing along to with winter solstice carols.
Pin the Nose on the Snowman
A switch on the classic pin the tail on the donkey, have a snowman with no carrot nose and each contestant must pin the nose on the snowman’s face. Have two snowmen, one for kids and one for adults an offer prizes for both games.
Candle Making
Kids and adults can make candles with beeswax to take home. Beeswax is moldable and flexible enough to make a candle without having to melt any wax. Candles are symbolic of keeping a light lit all winter long to fight off the darkness until spring comes.
Get cotton wicks from your local craft store and have your partygoers mold the beeswax into whatever shape they want to and they can take the candle home with them as a souvenir.
