A Charlie Brown Christmas Party

Who has seen the adorable and ever classic Peanuts A Charlie Brown Christmas special? I watched to the very end of the show, and saw that the copyright date is 1965. It’s been something I have looked forward to each and every holiday season … truly fantastic, as is the special message of the season that the Peanuts characters learn as they undertake their holiday celebrations.

A Peanuts holiday party would be lots of fun this time of year as a themed holiday or birthday party. There many ideas you can use inspired by the show:

As the kids arrive, have a sign on your mailbox for the kids to check the mail, as Charlie Brown does in the opening scene. Have various cards in the box addressed to other members of the Peanuts’ crew, and NOT to Charlie Brown. As they enter the party room, have construction paper, crayons, markers, glitter glue, etc. available for the kids to make Christmas cards for Charlie Brown. They can either keep the cards they make, decorate the party walls, or be collected to provide cheer to others.

Play the  A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack to help set the party theme.

The Peanuts enjoy tasting the December snowflakes as the snow blankets their yards. Serve white chocolate snowflakes to help your guests savor the season.

Hand out Santa hats. For an additional craft, the kids can take glitter glue and write their names on their hats. After they have dried, take foam packing peanuts and have them “snow” on the kids, who will have to fill their hats with the snow. Whoever fills their hat first, wins. While guests are visiting, have the music playing in the background.

The Peanuts gang set out to put on a Christmas Pageant on for their community. Have the kids at your party act out a pageant for themselves. Make sure to have enough kids, props, and enough scripts for the kids to perform.

Charlie Brown heads off to find a Christmas Tree for the pageant, and picks out a lonely tree that needs his love..

In the end, the whole gang gathers around decorating the tree and singing carols. Either purchase small craft trees or small real trees, and divide the kids into teams. Either set out pre-made inexpensive ornaments and decorations for the kids to decorate with or lay out craft materials, where the kids have to make their decorations and decorate their tree. They can use paper ring garlands, popcorn strings, icicles, paper ornaments, etc. for their craft decorations.

Sing a round of Christmas carols around the trees upon the race being over!

Make sure to ring out, “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown” or whatever name you like!

Given that Charlie Brown is looking for the “real” meaning of Christmas, and he finds it in giving himself to a little tree that needs him, you can end your party not on giving out goodies to the kids, but putting together a goody bag or basket for a needy family in the community. Have the kids put together a basket of food items, toiletries, small toys, etc. to help out someone in need. In your invitation, you can ask the guests to bring something to give, or you can have it all provided and the kids put it together. They can even include their Christmas cards as well.