It’s the Christmas season, and you’re hosting the party. Congrats! Can you imagine it already? You’ve got your decorations up, the drinks are flowing, the food is delicious, and your guests are here to have a good time. There’s a problem, though. What do you do with them? What Christmas party ideas can you come up with to make it worth it?
As the host of the Christmas party this year, it’s your chance and responsibility to make this special day even better with some top-tier entertainment. And the best way to keep your guests engaged at a party is with Christmas games! By the end of the night, everyone will be having so much fun they won’t even remember how much alcohol they’ve had. Win-win for everyone.
You’ll want to make sure you’ve got some great holiday games on hand though, so we’ve put together dozens of Christmas activities that you can fit into your party’s schedule and will make you come out looking like the most fun host ever! You’ll find plenty of fun Christmas games that will keep even the most Grinch family members from getting bored. That’s the power of the best Christmas party games, after all — creating unforgettable moments for everyone between the gift opening and some eggnog drinking. So, without further ado, scroll down and choose the ones that will surely delight your guests!
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Snowman Drawing Contest — This is your chance, aspiring artists. A top-of-your-head snowman drawing contest is a silly and fun holiday activity. It could even reveal some hidden talent! Drawing on top of your head is more complicated than it appears, so we recommend using washable markers.
Do you have to shave the top of your head bald before drawing on it?
Christmas Wrapping Race — Instead of worrying about how nicely your gifts are wrapped, gather some helper elves and see who can wrap their gift the fastest. Sure, you’re not saving paper this way, but it does take some of the pressure off the perfectionists among us.
Ugly Sweater Contest — This is a timeless classic that never gets old. Invite guests to dress up in their best ugly Christmas sweaters, whether store-bought or homemade. The person wearing the most outrageously tacky outfit wins.
Gingerbread House Decorating Contest — Buy prefabricated gingerbread house kits with all the fixings for each team to make this one easier on yourself. Whoever builds the most impressive house wins bragging rights for the next year!
Christmas Edition Family Feud — With this holiday-themed version of Family Feud, things are about to get really competitive in your house.
Guess the Christmas Song Game — Test your Christmas music knowledge by asking your guests to guess the holiday tune described by the “fancified” lyrics.
Christmas Trivia Game — What do you really know about Christmas? Split into teams and put your (and your family’s) knowledge to the test with this challenging trivia game.
Snow Painting Game — Even those who live in cold climates are not required to stay inside all day. These vibrant “snow paints” only require food dye and water, which you most likely already have on hand. Try a friendly family art competition or an outdoor game of Pictionary. Then, to thaw out, set up a hot cocoa bar inside.
People in warm climates don't have to stay inside all day, but they might have trouble painting on snow
Christmas Charades Game — In this Christmas-themed version of charades, participants write down a bunch of holiday-centric clues to be put in a Santa hat, and then everyone takes turns selecting one and acting it out.
Christmas Scavenger Hunt — Send kids scurrying around the house with this clever scavenger hunt, which includes 24 printable clues to hide in strategic locations.
Christmas Word Scramble Game — A challenging Christmas-themed word scramble will keep everyone entertained during downtime.
Christmas Drink If... Game — This drinking game, similar to “Drink If…,” provides a variety of Christmas-themed statements, and if they apply to you, you should prepare to take a sip.
Snowman Bowling — Save a stack of uniform-sized containers, such as tissue boxes or shipping packaging, for a few weeks before the big day. Paint them white, then add a paper hat and nose, painted-on eyes and a mouth, pom-pom buttons, and sticks for arms. Take a ball and get ready to bowl! Not only is it a cute and simple activity, but it also helps to repurpose some cardboard.
What’s In Santa’s Hat — This tactile version of the Christmas scents challenge requires nothing more than a Santa hat and your imagination. Put some small toys or figurines in the hat and ask participants to guess what they are by feeling. It will delight young children and older ones as well. If you’re out of Santa hats, Christmas stockings will suffice.
Chubby Santa — Use all the marshmallows you bought for hot cocoa to see who can say “Chubby Santa” with the most marshmallows in their mouth.
Christmas Taboo Game — Do you enjoy the game Taboo? Then you’ll love this Christmas edition of the classic game, which includes 72 unique cards and requires players to provide creative and carefully worded clues.
Christmas JeoParody Game — This Christmas-themed “JeoParody” game is sure to be a hit, with animations, music, sound effects, and a fully functional scoreboard.
Holiday Bake-Off — Convert your gathering into a reality TV-inspired contest! Invite everyone to bring a homemade holiday goodie, such as a cookie. Increase the difficulty by mandating that each baker utilize a distinct seasonal ingredient. Establish a judging panel to choose the winners.
Five-Second Rule — Each player has only five seconds to respond to a holiday-themed challenge. Name three Christmas songs, three Christmas movies, or three of Santa’s reindeer, for example. It’s harder than it sounds when you’re under time constraints! Each player receives one point for answering correctly within the time limit.
Jingle Bell Toss — Consider this a delightful combination of beer pong and cornhole. Create your own playing surface by hot gluing cups to a flat surface. To score, toss in some jingle bells and make some festive music while you’re at it.
Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman — This Christmas version of the popular game Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza requires players to work together to eliminate the cards, and it’s sure to make everyone laugh.
Inflatable Reindeer Antler Ring Toss Game — Are you too lazy to make your own reindeer ring toss game? Take a look at this inflatable version, which includes two sets of reindeer antlers, 16 colored rings, and an air pump to inflate them all.
Candy Cane Hunt Game — Set up a candy cane hunt instead of an Easter egg hunt. Hide wrapped candy canes around the house for your guests to find, and the person who finds the most wins a prize.
Christmas Dance Freeze — Hold a holiday dance-off to make rocking around the Christmas tree a competition. Turn on the music and start groovin’, then abruptly turn it off and yell, “Freeze!” Whoever is the last to stop moving is out. You will, without a doubt, laugh.
White Elephant — This gift-giving activity goes by several names, but whatever you call it, it’s a lot of fun. Everyone places their wrapped gifts in a pile and then draws numbers to see who gets to pick first. The first player chooses a gift from the pile, and each subsequent player can either “steal” a gift from someone else or choose one that hasn’t been chosen. You can either unwrap gifts as you go or all at once to keep them guessing.
Holiday Share-A-Story — Collaborative storytelling is a novel way to engage friends and family. Begin a holiday-themed story with a single sentence, then go around the room adding one sentence at a time. Your turn is over when your sentence is finished. Make the most unique and exciting Christmas caper you can.
Two Truths and a Lie... About Christmas — For the purposes of this game, the more abstract the statements that each player recalls from Christmastime memories or customs, the better. The other players’ goal is to figure out what is a lie and what is the truth.
Guess How Many — Fill a large jar or vase halfway with Christmas candies, mini ornaments, or other small and festive items, counting as you go. Each player must guess the number of objects by looking at the jar. The person who comes closest to the correct number wins.
Christmas Saran Wrap Game — Wrap a bunch of prizes and gifts inside a giant Saran Wrap ball and have people take turns unwrapping the ball to play this clever game. Just keep an eye out for the coal cards!
What could be more fun than using copious amounts of plastic and fossil fuels?
Christmas Bingo Game — Get everyone in the holiday spirit with a round or two of Christmas bingo, which you can print out in as many sets as you need.
Christmas Limbo Game — To make this fun party game even more festive, grab a scarf, candy cane prop, or anything else Christmas-related. Tuck Christmas balloons into your shirts for “Santa” bellies if you want to make things a little more difficult.
Christmas Song Emoji Pictionary Game — Pictionary is entertaining, but Christmas Song Emoji Pictionary? This will become your new favorite holiday game. See who can correctly guess all of the Christmas songs based on the emoji clues.
Christmas Guess Who Game — Make the classic Guess Who game a personalized holiday game. All you have to do is photograph your family members and include holiday questions about them, such as “Who is known for their dessert?” or “Who loves the holidays the most?”
Play Christmas “Heads Up” — Make sticky notes with the names of classic Christmas characters and have each player stick one to their forehead without looking at what it says. Then, without saying anything, everyone has to help each other guess whose name is on their heads. It’s sure to make you laugh!
Oven Mitts Game — It’s much more difficult (and hilarious) to open Christmas gifts while wearing oven mitts. As an added bonus, making unwrapping difficult will cause everyone to slow down and enjoy the moment when tearing into those presents on Christmas morning and will result in some really fun photos.
Play Christmas Movie Bingo — When you can’t stop attaching your backsides to the couch, turn your Hallmark movie marathon into a more collaborative activity. This movie bingo board will turn it into a fun family activity that will keep everyone away from their devices.
Guess The Christmas Smell Game — If you’ve ever been to one of those kid-friendly haunted houses, you know how much fun it can be to put your nose to the test. Put a few classic Christmas scents, such as peppermint, nutmeg, and pine needles, in separate jars with tight lids. Ask your guests to guess the smell while wearing blindfolds. No looking!
DIY Christmas Sorry! Board Game — For this festive spin on the classic board game, this super crafty blogger made her own clay game pieces and cork board. If you don’t have the time or skills to do the same, decorate a regulation board with Christmas Hershey’s Kisses to add a festive touch. The winning team gets to eat their pieces (and maybe the opposing players’ ones too).
Sort The Ornaments Game — This toddler-friendly sorting game will help your child practice their categorization skills while getting into the holiday spirit. Make a cardboard tree with circular colored cutouts out of sturdy card stock or poster board, and then have your kids put the ornaments through the appropriate spaces.
“Frozen” Tic-Tac-Toe Game — In this seasonal version of tic-tac-toe, wine corks get the Frozen treatment. Making the game pieces will also help you use any leftover corks from your holiday festivities. It’ll be a hit with your little Elsa and Anna fans.
Santa Hats Cup Stacking Game — For this tense stacking game, gather a handful of red solo cups and white pom-poms. Determine how many “Santa hats” you can stack on top of each other before your tower collapses.
Snowman Slam Game — This quieter, softer tabletop version of snowman bowling will keep the kids entertained while the adults prepare dinner. Decorate white Styrofoam cups with felt snowmen faces, stack them in a pyramid, and toss a pom-pom “snowball” at them to see who gets a strike.
Christmas Cup Tower Game — Grab some green plastic cups and pom poms for a quick and easy craft game. Players must stack the cups high enough to resemble a Christmas tree without knocking it over. The tallest fir wins the day. Save the cups for later use in a “green” game.
Ornament Beanbag Toss Game — Positively Splendid’s Amy made these adorable ornament-shaped bean bags from scratch! Consider us impressed. If you’re not a crafter, pick up some beanbags from your local sporting goods store to toss onto an adorable tree-shaped board. Because teaming up gets even shy people chatting, this game works exceptionally well for gatherings where guests don’t know each other well.
Reindeer Games Night — A holiday game night with a variety of options keeps the fun going all night long, eliminating the need for awkward cocktail party conversation. Enlist the kids’ help in creating an eye-catching menu with all your options so that choosing the next activity can also serve as a festive decoration.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Twinkling Lights Game — Your mission is to assist Clark Griswold in hanging 25,000 twinkling Christmas lights without anything going wrong. The 20-minute game is simple to learn and a lot of fun, especially with a classic holiday film playing in the background.
Switch, Steal, or Unwrap — Another fun party game for large groups (think office parties or extended family reunions) in which each participant brings a small gift and places it in a pile. Before you begin, have each participant select a gift at random. Then, each player rolls a die in turn. Depending on the number, you either pass the gifts, unwrap them, or steal someone else’s.
Christmas-opoly — The classic board game Monopoly gets a festive makeover in this “Christmas-opoly” version that all ages can enjoy. Collect Christmas properties, buy and trade presents, or you’ll be sent to the “naughty” corner if your luck runs out.
Holiday “Never Have I Ever” — A simple game for adults that helps you get to know your friends and family members better. You might discover, for example, who among you has ever regifted something. To play, everyone takes turns coming up with something they’ve never done before, such as “I’ve never...spent the majority of my holiday budget on myself.” Any player who has done so must consume eggnog. It’s traditionally played with alcohol, but that’s entirely up to you.
Christmas Scratch-Off Card Game — Instead of regular scratch cards, hand out these holiday-themed scratch-off cards at your Christmas party. Five of the 60 cards in the pack are winners, and you can award prizes to whoever’s card says “Nice” instead of “Naughty.”
Roll-A-Tree Game — Take turns rolling a die and placing a corresponding candy on your tree in this fast-paced game. The first person to completely cover their tree in candy wins.
Snowman-Dressing Contest — You may have seen a variation of this at bridal showers, with teams tasked with designing wedding gowns out of toilet paper. In this holiday version, each group is given a roll of toilet paper and the opportunity to dress up a team member as a snowman with any available decorations as accessories.
Christmas Mad Libs Game — This Christmas-themed version of Mad Libs will have everyone laughing as you and your guests put a wacky spin on a letter to Santa.
Pin the Nose on the Snowman Christmas Game — This festive take on Pin the Tail on the Donkey includes two blindfolds, a poster, and several carrot noses to pin.
The Ultimate Adults-Only Christmas Drinking Game — This drinking game, ideal for inebriated adults, presents a series of Christmas-themed situations and challenges. Participants are to drink for each case that applies to them. The best part is that everyone wins.
Christmas Don’t Eat Pete Game — In each round of this delicious game, one Christmas elf is designated as Pete, and everyone but one participant knows which elf Pete is. Cover each square with M&Ms and challenge the guesser to eat as many as they can without touching Pete’s square.
Ring the Reindeer Antlers Game — Aim is essential in this amusing reindeer antlers ring toss game (which becomes even more difficult after a glass or two of eggnog).
Christmas Minute to Win It Game — In this fast-paced game, race against the clock (and your family members) to complete various Christmas-themed challenges in one minute.
Christmas Scattergories Game — This game requires you to think of one Christmas item for each letter of the alphabet. The trick is to think of something different than everyone else.
Twelve Days Of Christmas Minute-To-Win-It Games — If those minute-to-win-it games weren’t enough, try these ones inspired by the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” They range from tossing bears to laying goose eggs! They’re hilarious and so much fun.
Cookie Decorating Contest — Make one of your holiday baking tasks a game for the whole family by incorporating some friendly competition. The rules are straightforward: whoever decorates the best cookie wins. For larger groups, add categories like messiest, most creative, or most toppings. Everyone wins because everyone gets to eat their creations at the end.
Feed The Snowman Game — If you have an extra three-sided poster board from your child’s last science fair, recycle it with this adorable tossing game. Kids will enjoy decorating Frosty in their own unique style, and you can toss fluffy pom-poms or small soft balls at him.
Merry Dissmas: The Hilarious Family Holiday Party Game — From the creators of the wildly popular What Do You Meme comes a slightly irreverent party game that will have the entire family laughing. Similar to your awkward uncle.
Santa Claus Go Fish — The holiday version of a classic card game that’s ideal for keeping the little ones entertained.
Play A Virtual Escape Room — Through virtual escape rooms, you can go on an adventure with loved ones near and far. These events use Zoom or on-demand platforms to adapt the problem-solving of in-person escape rooms. You might leave with a sense of community, which is what the holidays are all about.
Heads Or Tails Gift Exchange — To up the ante, don’t let players choose whether to pick or steal; instead, let a coin flip decide for them.
Christmas Puzzles — There’s nothing cozier than gathering around a fireplace and putting together a puzzle. Increase the intensity by participating in a timed competition. Whoever fails to finish their puzzle must drink!
