Gift ideas and party plans for the busy weeks of the year
Short, practical guides for parents, teachers and anyone who was just handed the class party. Each one ends with a shopping list.
A 45-minute classroom Halloween party plan
A timed plan with three stations, one whole-class game and five minutes for cleanup.
Gift guides
All gift guidesNon-candy Halloween treats for trick-or-treaters
Small non-food treats for the trick-or-treat bowl, and how to offer them next to the candy without making it complicated.
Advent calendar fillers that aren’t chocolate
Small things and small plans for a fill-it-yourself advent calendar, with a way to spread the cost and the effort across December.
Stocking stuffers for kids that aren’t candy
Small things that get used after Christmas morning, sorted by age, with a simple rule for filling a stocking without overthinking it.
Practical teacher gifts, and what to skip
What to give a teacher at the winter holidays or the end of the school year, what to leave on the shelf, and why a note belongs with every present.
Secret Santa gifts for coworkers you barely know
You drew a name and you know two things about the person. Here is how to pick something they’ll be glad to carry home.
Gifts for people who have everything
When someone already owns what they need, give them something that gets used up, something to replace what’s worn out, or an afternoon of your time.
Party plans and traditions
All party plansA 45-minute classroom Halloween party plan
A timed plan with three stations, one whole-class game and five minutes for cleanup.
Thanksgiving kids’ table activities for a long dinner
How to set up a children’s table that helps keep them busy from sitting down to the pie, using paper, crayons and a few printed games.
How to make the letter to Santa a family tradition
Choose a day, give the letter a shape, and keep every one in a box. In ten years you will be glad you kept them.
Set up a gift wrapping station and wrap everything in one sitting
One table, one roll of paper, one color of ribbon per person. A system for wrapping everything at once and knowing whose present is whose.
Christmas party games for ages 5 to 85
How to plan one hour of games that a five-year-old, a teenager and a grandparent can all play at the same table.
New Year’s Eve at home with kids, with an early midnight
Borrow midnight from another time zone, open a countdown bag every hour, and get the children to bed long before the real fireworks start.
Printables from our own shop
All printablesParty games, tags and activity pages that we make ourselves. PDFs you print at home.
Halloween Party Games
12 printable games for kids and adults.
Thanksgiving Party Games
12 printable games for family dinners and Friendsgiving.
Christmas Party Games
12 printable games for family, office and classroom parties.