Since the Holiday season is a very special period of the year a party at this time is always more than welcome. The Christmas decorations which are still up save extra work and give the desired festive air.

When entertainment and games have been carefully planned ahead of time the party goes off smoothly without long lapses of nothing to do. The following games have been tried out many times and are most entertaining.

A good way to start off is to hand each guest a pencil and four cards; one card with a band of brown across the top, another blue, another gray, and one of green. Each youngster is asked to list the names of the guests according to the color of their eyes.

For instance if Johnny has brown eyes his name goes on the card topped with brown, etc. The youngsters greatly enjoy this game and have a lot of fun discovering the color of their friends' eyes. It's surprising to find how unobserving most of us are.

For a more active game divide your group into two or more teams, depending on the number of players. Line the teams up single file on one side of the room. Set a goal across the room. Mark a starting line. Give the leader of each line two smooth, medium-size buttons. One he places on the starting line, with the other he snaps the first one to the goal as soon as the signal is given.

"Snapping" consists of pressing the edge of one button with the other in such a way that the under one flies ahead. As soon as the players reach goal they race back and hand the buttons to the second player in line. The line finishing first wins the relay.

After this rather hilarious game a quieter one called "Shopping" requires that all the children but one sit in a circle on the floor. The remaining one is the "shopper." He stops before one of the seated group and says, "I'm going to Chicago. What can I buy?" He then counts to ten.

Before he finishes counting the player before whom he is standing names three objects beginning with the letter "C," as "cats, crossings, or caterpillars." If he fails he must take the place of the shopper. Any city may be named by the shopper, but the articles to be bought must always begin with the first letter of the city named. The children are greatly amused by the weird assortment of objects they are supposed to buy.

Children always like relays. One that can be played in a small space is called "Over and Under." The teams can be lined up as for the button snap game. The first player in each team is handed a bean bag or balleven a potato will do. When the signal is given he passes this object over his head to the second in line who passes it between his knees to the third who hands it over his head to the fourth.

The object goes alternately overhead and between knees to the last one in line who then runs to the head of the line and starts it back over his head. The game proceeds until the line is back in its original order with the first player at its head. The line finishing first, of course, wins the race.

Another active game children enjoy is "Bounce," which can be played with a rubber or tennis ball. Place a waste basket on a chair some distance from the wall. Mark a line about six feet back from the chair on which the player stands. The game is to bounce the ball on the floor so that it goes into the basket. Each one has three trials, as this is not as easy to do as it seems. A point is given for every basket made. After a given length of time points are counted to determine the winner.

After the games and before refreshments the children will enjoy singing Christmas carols, especially the old favorites, "Silent Night, Holy Night," "The First Noel," "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and "O Come All Ye Faithful."

Sandwiches and hot cocoa are always popular. These can be followed with apples, Christmas cake and candies.