Christmas Day Entertainment Help

December 17, 2011 4:32 PM

Christmas Day Entertainment Help Per tradition, my family of 4 (2 kids 2 and 5 years old) needs to perform some brief (5-15 minute) skit or performance at an large family gathering. Past years has been caroling, cooking demonstrations, magic. Running out of fun ideas. Anyone have some suggestions that would be easy to pull off. Humor a plus, as is involvement of the wee ones.
posted by dougiedd to grab bag (16 answers total)

I imagine cooking demonstrations involving a 1 year old could be pretty humorous. I'd suggest finding an appropriate story (considering the age of the kids, a children's book along the lines of "Are You My Mother?"); the adults take turns reading the story, the kids act it out -- the broader the better.

Assuming other family members also put on skits, steal one of theirs from the past. Call it a homage.

Happy Holidays!
posted by kestralwing at 4:55 PM on December 17, 2011

Kids = ventriloquists
+Parents = dummies
___________________
COMEDY GOLD
posted by carsonb at 5:19 PM on December 17, 2011 [5 favorites]

kid-sized gas masks, have them go to people and ask, "Are You My Mummy?"

Okay, so, maybe only Doctor Who fans would find it funny.
posted by mephron at 5:25 PM on December 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

Puppet shows! Make sock puppets or paper bag puppets. Tell either a holiday story or a beloved family story/family history or recreate favorite moments from a beloved holiday movie.
posted by Bella Sebastian at 5:32 PM on December 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

A performance of Christmas Dragnet would be cool.
posted by NoraReed at 5:43 PM on December 17, 2011

Mom is Cindy Lou Who, Dad is the Grinch's little dog/reindeer (whose name I can't remember), the 5-year-old is the Grinch. Not sure how the two-year-old could fit - maybe has another Who. I'm picturing a recreation of the scene where Cindy Lou catches the Grinch stealing presents.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 6:22 PM on December 17, 2011

Right this minute I'm watching a Monty Python movie. We love Monty Python and I could easily see you doing one of their more well-known scenes.
posted by raisingsand at 6:46 PM on December 17, 2011

How about a lip sync a la The Cosby Show's "Night Time Is the Right Time" routine?

Perhaps to Rebecca Black's "Friday," but the whole family sings the word "Yeah" out loud? You could all be riding in four chairs to make a pretend car, and the 2 year-old can "drive."
posted by argonauta at 7:01 PM on December 17, 2011

What's the state of your 5 year old's front teeth? If they're missing right now, then there's this song.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 8:20 PM on December 17, 2011

Ever since my first child was 3 or 4 I have had to bake a birthday cake for Jesus' birthday. We sing and blow out the candles. I imagine your children would love to do something like that. They are both of the age to understand birthdays. Maybe deck them out in hats and blow thingies and let them sing Happy Birthday for your skit? Draw it out a bit longer by having them play pin the tail on the camel.

Just having the 2 year old jumping up and down yelling, 'It's Jesus' birthday' for 3 minutes would be really cute.
posted by myselfasme at 8:58 PM on December 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

May I suggest singing Hermie the Worm? It's fun, there's lot of hand motions, and the kids get to say "burped". Here's the lyrics, although I learned it as he ate breakfast/lunch/dinner instead of family members.

Why yes, I was a Girl Scout back in the day. Really, any camp song is fun to sing.
posted by book 'em dano at 9:27 PM on December 17, 2011

Do you have any beloved family stories that you could perform as a skit? For instance, my family has a tale about one of my uncles dropping an air conditioner out a window, then placing the pieces in the box for my grandfather to find the next summer. The thought of parents and little ones acting that out seems very funny to me.
posted by shesbookish at 9:28 PM on December 17, 2011

Only one song will do.

Barking Jingle Bells

Dress the kids up with puppy hats or whatever is cute, and mom and dad humiliate themselves barking the song. Kiddies join in with an 'arf' when they wish.

We used to have to do the family command performance Christmas skits when our kids were young. When they were cute little toddlers, this was adorable, and the relatives loved it. When they were sullen nasty teenagers, it was the only thing they'd consent to perform, and the relatives had to suck it up.

Ah, good times.
posted by BlueHorse at 9:46 PM on December 17, 2011 [3 favorites]

PinkStainlessTail recorded the now legendary Jingle Rock Bell. Actually hard to learn, but absolutely awesome. Sing it once through as your performance, then hand out the lyrics, and ask the family to sing along.

Whatever you do, please post a followup.
posted by theora55 at 8:35 AM on December 18, 2011

Blitzen's Boogie was hugely popular at our school's holiday concert this year - there are more than a few versions on YouTube. What our First Grade teacher did with it was super cute, and your two year old could be the Blitzen in it - if you'd like, I can MeMail a private link to you.
posted by peagood at 8:49 AM on December 18, 2011

Shadow puppets. I made little cut-outs and taped the to straws and then acted out the action of Peter Rabbit while my aunt read the story.

Yeah, I was 28 at the time and my aunt is older but my family is also big on the performance aspect of Christmas.
posted by magnetsphere at 5:42 PM on December 18, 2011