How to keep guests entertained this holiday season

Gatherings with loved ones are a big part of what makes the holiday season such a special time of year. As families grow and spread out across the map, they may not get too many chances to spend quality time with one another. But the holiday season is a time each year when families make a concerted effort to get together.

As families get together under the same roof during the holiday season, individuals tasked with hosting gatherings tend to have a lot on their plates. Memories tend to be made around the holiday dinner table, but the season also presents ample opportunities to create nights to remember outside the house as well. Hosts can keep the following ideas in mind as they look for ways to entertain guests this holiday season.

· Take a turn as a tour guide. Locals may not make the rounds of nearby tourist destinations too frequently, but the holiday season is a great opportunity for hosts to show guests what makes their towns so unique. Serve as a tour guide for guests on a sightseeing day with visits to local monuments or museums. Wrap the day up at a holiday bazaar where local small business owners have set up shop. This affords guests a chance to tour a new community or a hometown they haven't visited in awhile, and also makes for a great chance for all to squeeze in a little last-minute holiday shopping.

· Plan an ugly sweater bar crawl. If hosts and their guests are all of age, an ugly sweater bar crawl can make for a fun night out on the town. Encourage guests to wear an ugly holiday sweater and map out a route and schedule of visits to local bars and restaurants. Hosts must prioritize safety on these types of excursions, so arrange for a bus to take guests from one spot to the next if establishments are far away from one another. If Main Street has a local bar district, arrange for transportation downtown at the start of the crawl and home when the night ends.

· Take in some local entertainment. Whether it's a holiday lighting display show or a local theater performance of a classic holiday tale like Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol," a night of local live entertainment is a great way for hosts and their guests to get out of the house. Hosts can even book a reservation for a pre-show meal at a local restaurant so they can be free of cooking and give guests their undivided attention.

· Host a holiday movie night. Weary travelers who want to stay in may appreciate a holiday movie double feature. Hosts can let guests pick a pair of holiday films and then host a double feature, complete with traditional movie fare like popcorn and candy. Hosts can even offer adult guests a glass of homemade eggnog during the films to up the holiday ante even further.

Holiday hosts can embrace various ways to entertain guests during a time of year when there's no shortage of fun ways to spend a night.