Try Christmas curling on the table with cardboard discs
Draw a target, make two small sets of discs and slide them across a clear table. Agree on one simple way to finish the round.
A cleared table can become a little Christmas curling lane. You need a large sheet of paper, a pencil and six flat cardboard discs. The game is about sliding towards a target, so leave the discs on the table rather than throwing them through the air.
Prepare two sets and one target
An adult can cut six similar circles from thin cardboard. Make them large enough to handle comfortably. Mark three with stars and three with stripes; red and green are optional extras, not the only way to tell the sets apart. Check that each disc lies flat and that no sharp staple remains in the cardboard.
Draw two rings around a center dot on the paper. Place the sheet at one end of the table and fix its corners so it stays flat. Mark a starting line a short distance away. Try one gentle slide before starting: if the paper edge catches the disc, flatten it or move the starting line onto the sheet.
Take three turns each
Choose who starts. Each player slides one disc with a gentle push from behind the line, then lifts their hand away. Alternate until both players have used all three discs. Leave landed discs where they stop; a later disc may move an earlier one. Retrieve a disc that falls off the table, but keep it out of that round.
Stay on the same side of the table and keep fingers out of the target area while someone slides. If a push repeatedly goes too far, start closer and use a smaller movement. You can practice together before making a round count.
Compare the nearest discs
If no disc remains on the table after all six turns, call a draw. Otherwise, find the disc whose nearest edge is closest to the center dot. Its player wins that round. A disc covering the center dot counts as zero distance; if two discs cover it, call a draw. A disc does not have to be inside a ring to count. If two discs look equally close, call it a draw; there is no need to argue over a tiny gap.
Clear the target and swap the starting player for a second round. You can also play cooperatively: try to leave at least one disc from each set inside the outer ring. Choose that aim before the first slide, and finish after one complete round. The drawn target and agreed stopping point are enough; you do not need a tournament or a complicated scoring system.
Three star discs and three striped discs: Target and starting line stay flat: One gentle slide per turn: All six turns finish before comparing: Closest edge to the center wins; equal distance is a draw:
