Saint Nicholas has been in the country for a while now! That calls for a lot of coziness with family and friends, gifts from Saint Nicholas, and of course, all the sweets that Piet brings along. Still not sure how you want to celebrate Saint Nicholas? Well, we've got five original ways for you to celebrate Saint Nicholas Eve! An unforgettable evening guaranteed.
1. Hide Saint Nicholas's gifts throughout the house
Saint Nicholas has visited but this year, he's done things a bit differently. He's hidden the gifts throughout the entire house! This is a fun way to celebrate Saint Nicholas Eve with the kids. Give hints and let your children search for their presents. This keeps the children busy and allows you as a parent to breathe. But more importantly, when the children finally find their gift, it brings extra satisfaction.
2. Saint Bingo
Bingo with a creative twist! Saint Bingo is quite simple, you play bingo together as usual. Only this time, when someone gets bingo, they can choose a gift. Tip from Saint Nicholas: put the names of the children on the gifts, so you're sure they get the right ones and there's no argument among them. Prefer to play Saint Bingo blindly? No problem! Then the person who gets bingo can choose a gift. This is extra fun when you occasionally add odd shapes or gift boxes to the stack of gifts.
3. Lucky Dip
The old-fashioned lucky dip from a lucky dip bin remains fun for young and old. That's because you don't know what you're grabbing, so it remains a surprise what kind of gift you're going home with. Children especially enjoy these kinds of games. Additionally, lucky dipping helps prevent Saint Nicholas from becoming a grabbing feast. How? Take turns grabbing a name, is your name picked? Then it's your turn to pick a gift. That way, the evening lasts longer and there's more room for each other.
4. Organize a treasure hunt
When hiding gifts is no longer sufficient because your children are a bit older, a treasure hunt is the solution. Make a map of the house and mark crosses where Saint Nicholas left his gifts. This makes searching for gifts a bit more challenging for children and keeps the evening enjoyable for everyone. Want to take it a step further? Then make word puzzles and puzzles that provide clues about where the gifts are hidden... That will be a hunt!
5. Make a surprise together
A classic during Saint Nicholas Eve is drawing lots. During the drawing of lots, everyone writes their name and gift wishes on a piece of paper. After that, the pieces of paper are put into a pot and you take turns drawing a lot. For the person whose name is on your lot, you make a poem or surprise. You might not immediately think of drawing lots when celebrating Saint Nicholas with children. But making a surprise together is incredibly fun for both parent and child. Let your creativity run wild and enjoy your time together!
