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The Perfect Song-Related Activity for Your Family This Holiday Season

November 22, 2024



Gather 'round for a feast of flavors and a symphony of holiday cheer! Imagine this: The smell of roasting turkey, the warmth of family, and the sounds of graciousness – it's a nostalgic blend that captures the essence of this special holiday. This holiday season, we at the Great American Songbook Foundation wanted to share an activity for you and your family to discuss warm memories and create new ones.

 

We invite you to think about the songs you are most grateful for in this activity; those cherished tunes that remind you of incredible memories, symbolize the people you love most, or make you feel the most connected to what makes you you.

 

We created this activity to play with our staff and volunteers during our annual holiday party. We'll show you how we turned those songs we were grateful for into a creative party game that encourages everyone to learn about each other on a deeper level and practice mindfulness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Activity Description:

The Songs We Are Grateful For activity is a simple party game that is great for any holiday feast or get-togethers. This activity encourages gratefulness, communication, and relationship building by having each player anonymously share one song they are grateful for, and allows for exploration and bonding within the group as everyone identifies the each song's contributor. After the activity, player discuss why their song is significant.

 

 

 

 

 

What supplies are needed?

  • Notecards, one for each player(or download our handy printable!)

  • String or ribbon (or lanyards for each player)

  • Pens or markers

  • Hole punch, scissors or a sharp pencil

  • Optional: Small stickers (stars or in the theme of your party)

 

PREPARING

 

 

  • Start by preparing lanyards for each player. Follow these steps to create your own:

    • Cut a 3 ft length of string or ribbon for each player.

    • Decorate notecards to fit the theme of your party. Leave space in the center to write on later.

    • Hole punch, cut, or push a sharp pencil through each notecard to create two holes.

    • Weave the string or ribbon into each of the two holes.

    • Tie the two ends of the string together to create a lanyard.

 

 

  • Anonymously write each player's song on one notecard. This can be done in one of two ways:

    • Have each player write their own song title and artist name on the notecard, then collect each lanyard in a box or basket. Mix them up.

    • You or someone who is okay with not playing collect and write each player's song title and artist name on each notecard. This option decreases the chances that a player will be recognized for their handwriting.

 

 

 

 

   

 

PLAYING

 

Before the party or dinner starts:

  • Give each player one lanyard with a song title on it.
  • Ensure that no player receives their own song. If this happens, redistribute the lanyards.

During the party or dinner:

  • Mingle and Guess: Encourage guests to mingle and chat as usual. As they do so, they should try to figure out who the song on their lanyard might belong to.
  • Introduce the rules.

The Guessing Process:

  • Natural Conversation: Players should engage in normal conversation with others, subtly trying to figure out who might be grateful for the song on their lanyard.
  • Making a Guess: Once a player thinks they know the owner of the song, they can directly ask that person, "Is this your song?"
  • Successful Guess:
    • Lanyard Trade: The guesser and the song's owner swap lanyards.
    • Reward: The guesser receives a sticker as a symbol of their successful guess.
    • New Song: The guesser now has a new song to identify.
    • When a player has received the song they are grateful for and has traded away their other lanyard, they officially "out" of the guessing game. At this point they can:
      • Share their Gratitude. They can publicly express why they are thankful for their song.
      • Assist Other Players. They can help other players identify songs that are proving difficult to guess. This could involve providing clues, hints, or other helpful information.
  • Unsuccessful Guess: If the guess is incorrect, the player continues mingling and trying to figure out the correct owner of the song.
    • Important Note: Avoid Direct Questioning. Refrain from going around and directly asking people if a song is theirs. The process should be more subtle and organic.

  • Once all songs have returned to their owners, celebrate everyone for sharing their gratitude and collaborating to make an engaging and meaningful experience for all players!

 

TIPS AND TRICKS

  • Skip part of the prep time by buying cheap lanyards from the dollar store and using our handy downloadable printable.

  • Invite all members of the family to play the game, from the oldest to the youngest. The more diverse songs there are, the more fun there is to be had!

  • Add all the songs to a Spotify playlist and play it during the activity. This will make the guessing game easier, as each player can't help but to sing or dance during their song. Share a link to the playlist to everyone afterwards so that they can listen at home, too!

  • This activity is perfect in other environments. Make it a classroom icebreaker or a game for your next office mingling event.

 

Share a song with us that makes you feel grateful. Tell us about why that song is so special! Tag us @songbookfoundation and use the hashtag #songswearegratefulfor.

  

Have ideas on how to adapt this activity for your own get-together? Share in the comments below!

 

Download our printable to make cute notecards for your activity! There are several color options to choose from.

 a preview image of the activity notecard printable

Download printable here.

 

This holiday, add music to the environment of mindfulness and gratefulness. Learn about what is important to each of your family members, and build memories that will stay with them. Who knows, maybe one of their songs will become the song you are most grateful for!

 

Happy holidays