It’s the most wonderful time of year! And to make it even more fun, why not add some entertaining Christmas party games and activities to do with your family and friends this December?
We have enjoyed playing games together on Christmas Eve and Christmas day for as long as I can remember. It’s a family tradition that we look forward to every year with one another. If you don’t already have the same tradition, why not start this year using some of the ideas below?
Here are over 50 fun Christmas party games and activities to enjoy with your family. I hope you have fun with this tradition as much as we have!
Christmas Bingo Games
- Find Someone Who Christmas Bingo
In this game, print out bingo sheets for all players. It is available in the Time For A Game Etsy shop here. Then everyone tries to cross off their squares using a guest that is at the party. For bigger parties, the guest’s name can only be used once on the squares. For smaller gatherings, you can use the same person up to 3 times. The first person to get 5 in a row is the winner!
- Christmas Bingo
The pictures are super adorable in this version of bingo with a Christmas theme. Get the free printable at Fun-Squared.
- Hallmark Movie Bingo
If you are a Hallmark Movie addict, this game is for you! You’ll get 25 different handmade bingo cards from Tiffany over at Peanut Blossom. And as a super fun idea, she recommends using M&M Peppermint flavored candies for bingo markers!
- Christmas Movie Bingo
This isn’t just a standard version of bingo. It comes with three different sets of words to call out – quotes, actors, and movie names. For a more challenging game, you can use a combination of all of them, or for an easier game, you can use just the movie names. Find out more at Play Party Plan.
- Snowman Bingo
Another super adorable version of bingo but this one is with a snowman design. Use marshmallows or mini white pom poms as snowball markers to go with the theme! Grab the free printable over at Crazy Little Projects.
Christmas Printable Games
- Would You Rather?
In this game, cut out the slips of paper that have “Would You Rather” questions on them. Then fold the slips of paper and put them into a large bowl or container. Pass around the bowl and have people draw questions one at a time while everyone answers which they would rather do.
If you have a really big party, you can have everyone just raise their hands if they would rather do the first option over the second. These questions lead to good discussions and help you get to know each other, although some of them are really silly and not feasible!
- A Century of Toys
In the Century of Toys game here, players will go through the list of toys and games, matching which decade they believe the toy or game first showed up for sale to the general public. Set a timer for 10 minutes and see who guesses the most correctly after the time is up!
- Pictionary
Grab a pencil and pad of paper and get ready to doodle! First, print out this Pictionary PDF file. Then cut out each of the squares, fold them in half, and add them to a large bag or container.
Next, divide into two teams and decide which team will go first. The first team selects someone to do the drawing and the rest of the team will do the guessing. Then, they pick out a slip of paper, read it without showing anyone else, and start the timer!
The player has 90 seconds to draw the word or phrase and get their team to guess it. If they can’t, the other team can steal for the point. Play alternates back and forth until one team reaches 10 points, making them the Pictionary champion!
- Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is fun inside or out! Here are 2 different versions, both free printables! One is to play inside and one is to hunt for Christmas decorations and lights when taking a walk or drive in the neighborhood. Head here for a free printable indoor scavenger hunt and here for a free printable outdoor scavenger hunt.
- Christmas Friendly Feud
In this game, you’ll be competing with your friends and family to see who can come up with the top three survey answers! The order doesn’t matter so you will still score points as long as you guess one or more of the top three.
First, print the Christmas Friendly Feud game here, where you will get 4 different games to play. Next, choose which game you will all play and set a timer for 5 minutes. On your go, players will fill out the sheet with the top answers they can think of for each category.
Once the timer is over, the host will read the answers out loud, telling the point value for each. Players that have the answer give themselves however many points it is worth. Finally, everyone adds up all of their points, and the player with the most wins!
You are sure to find out some interesting things with one of these Christmas-themed quizzes!
- Christmas Trivia – Here is a regular trivia option. It has 13 open-ended questions to answer.
- Christmas Movie Trivia – Here is a Christmas Movie trivia option. It has 17 open-ended movie-related questions to answer.
- Christmas Music Trivia – Here is a Christmas Music trivia option or a Jingle Bell Rock Music Trivia game. Both quizzes have music-themed questions to answer.
- Christmas Multiple Choice Trivia – Here is a multiple-choice Christmas trivia option. There are 10 questions to answer in this quiz and they are somewhat easier to answer as you have options to choose from.
- Christmas Charades
Your friends and family will enjoy guessing these charade clues while others are silently acting them out.
After you print out the Christmas Charades game here, cut each into a slip of paper, fold in half, and put it into a large container. Form two teams and then set a timer for 2 minutes.
On your go, the first team selects a paper and silently acts it out. If the team guesses they select another and keep going until the 2 minutes are up. After the time is up, they score 1 point for each clue guessed correctly by their team. Next, reset the timer and the other team will go. Keep alternating play until one team reaches 20 points, making them the Charade champ!
- Word Search
Keep guests busy with this free printable word search! To make it competitive, set a timer for a few minutes or see who can complete the whole puzzle the fastest.
- Christmas Chain Reaction
In Chain Reaction, players have to figure out what one word links the other two words or phrases. Set a timer for 3 minutes and see who can guess the most before time is up!
- Riddle Match
In the Riddle Match game here, print out a sheet for each player. Then set a timer for 5 minutes and have players race to solve the riddles. The person who gets the most correct wins!
- Finish My Phrase
In the Finish My Phrase game, select one person to be the answer key. Give them a sheet to fill out as the “correct” answers. Then everyone else marks down what they think that person will write to complete each of the words on the sheet. Go through the list giving everyone that matches the answer key 1 point. The person with the most points at the end of the game wins!
- Naughty or Nice, Candy Dice
In the Naughty or Nice, Candy Dice game, every player starts with 5 candies. Then put about 15 to 20 pieces of candy in the center. Take turns rolling a die and follow the directions on this free printable. Once a player has no candy left they are out of the game. The last player to have candy remaining is the winner!
- Naughty or Nice, Gift Exchange Dice
In the Naughty or Nice, Gift Exchange Dice game, use this free printable sheet to tell you how to exchange presents in your gift exchange game. Go through until everyone has rolled one time. Lots of fun with nice and naughty actions!
- Fill In The Blank
Have players fill in the blanks with this printable game! Set a timer for 3 minutes. The player with the most correct after time is up will be the winner.
- Word Scramble
In this Word Scramble game, guests will try to unscramble the words within 3 minutes. The person who solves the most after the timer is up is the winner!
- True or False
Print out a Christmas True or False sheet for each guest and set the timer for 3 minutes. Players then make circles around those they think are true and those they think are false. Whoever gets the most correct is the winner.
- Christmas Scattergories
In this fun Christmas Scattergories game, print out a sheet for everyone playing. Then set a timer for 2 minutes. On your go, have each player write down an answer to the categories that start with the letter in the first column.
After the time is up, everyone reads through the categories, sharing their answers. For every answer they write down that does not match any other player, they score 1 point. Once all of the categories have been read, the person with the most points wins the round! There are 6 different games each with 5 different letters for a total of 30 rounds of play.
- What’s On Your Phone?
This is a fun game to play with teens especially! Have all players pull out their phones and then using this printable sheet, go through and give themselves the number of points for each of the items they have on their phones. The person with the most points wins.
- Christmas A to Z
Print out a free Christmas A to Z challenge sheet for each of your guests. Set a timer for 4 minutes. Then have players write a Christmas-related word next to each letter of the alphabet. The person that has the most after time is up is the winner!
- This or That
Here is a free This or That printable sheet to pass around the game table. First, decide on a player to start. They will read the first this or that question, choose one, and explain why they chose that option.
Next, find someone who prefers the second option and let them explain why they prefer that one. The sheet is then passed to the next guest, who reads the second question and tells which they prefer. Continue going around the table until everyone has had at least one chance to pick. This game has no winners but it is a fun icebreaker!
Christmas Board and Card Games
Journey across this Elf movie-themed board game with friends and family at your Christmas gathering. It is packed with imagery and inspired moments from the classic holiday favorite. Read more reviews on this highly-rated game over at Amazon.com.
This is perfect if you have little ones wanting to get in on the playing fun! It’s classic Go Fish with Christmas-themed images.
This is an elimination game played like the popular card game Spoons. Your goal is to collect a set of 4 identical cards and beat the Christmas rush for a game token, otherwise, you are out of the game!
Gather your family and get ready to play the Christmas Carols & Songs Game! In this simple yet fun board game you will be completing questions and challenges like name that song, multiple-choice trivia, sing the next line, and more.
Christmas Minute To Win It Games
- Jingle Bell Toss
If you think there’s only one way to toss jingle bells, you’d be wrong! Meghan over at Playground Park Bench offers us 5 different ways to play jingle bell toss.
- Marshmallow Toss
In this minute-to-win-it game, players attempt to toss a marshmallow into a mug of “hot cocoa”. You can even grab brown basket filler at Dollar Tree, making it an inexpensive game. Find out more over at Happiness is Homemade.
- Trim the Tree
Players race to decorate their tree the fastest using just their nose, some vaseline, and pom-poms! More detailed instructions can be found in this post (game #17).
- Reindeer Ring Toss
In this game, one player wears an antler headband and all other players toss rings, trying to land them around the antlers in one minute. Read more on how to play over at Happiness is Homemade.
- Build a Snowman
Here teams will race to quickly build a snowman by wrapping their teammates in crepe paper. Find out more on how to play this classic game in this post here (game #14).
- Ornament Shake
In this game, players will try to shake, rattle, and roll out their ornaments sitting inside a tissue box tied behind their backs. Instructions on how to play this game can be found here.
- Balloon Reindeer Antlers Game
The object in this popular game is to see who can build the best reindeer antlers using balloons and pantyhose. It’s hilarious to see the antlers (pantyhose filled with balloons) on someone’s head! More instructions can be found over at Cookie Exchange.
- Cookies for Santa
Heidi from Happiness is Homemade offers a free printable Santa beard for this cute cookie-on-your-face challenge. It’s harder than you may think to get that tasty treat off your face and into your mouth using just your facial muscles!
- Stack Santa’s Hats
Players must race to stack Santa’s hats as fast as they can trying to beat their opponents. Find out how to play in this article here (game #10).
Christmas Activities
- Pin the Heart on the Grinch
Just like the classic pin the tail on the donkey, except players will be trying to give that Grinch his heart! Get a free printable that is perfect for the classroom or holiday party over at Homemade Heather.
- Poke A Present
Everyone wins in this game, where players will poke a tissue paper-covered cup to grab a small prize inside. Find how to make instructions over at HGTV.com.
- Snowman Bowling
Here players will try to knock over toilet paper rolls made to look like snowmen. Instructions on how to play can be found in our post here (game #12).
- Roll A Santa
Great freebie by Donna Glynn Kinderglynn over at Teachers Pay Teachers. Kids will be rolling a die in order to collect the Santa parts to put him together and get him to his sleigh. This is a great game for younger kids!
Mad Libs are a fun way to pass the time and kids always get a kick out of the crazy stories. There is a Christmas-themed Mad Libs for purchase over on Amazon.com.
- White Elephant
In this classic game, everyone brings a present to exchange. There are a few different ways you can execute the swap, including a dice version that can be found here.
- Lump of Coal Plastic Wrap Game
Another game that gives small presents to everyone (or lumps of “coal” if you include it!). Find out how to make this popular game over here (game #6).
- Stocking Guess Game
Fill stockings with a few identifiable objects and have players stick their hands into the stockings to feel what is inside. Some good objects to consider hiding in the stockings are a candy cane, a small picture frame, a Christmas card, a gift bow, a roll of tape, a piece of mistletoe, a soft mitten, and a small scented candle.
- Guess The Christmas Smell
In this game, put out a number of cotton balls that have been dipped in fragrance oils. A good choice is this Holiday gift set by Eternal Essence Oils. You’ll get six great holiday scents including Candy Cane, Pine, Pumpkin, Cinnamon, Caramel, and Snickerdoodle. Another option is this Holiday gift set by P&J Trading Store. You’ll get a few different options including Mistletoe, Candy Cane, Wintermint, Apple Cider, Cranberry, and Forest Pine.
After you have the scented cotton balls displayed and numbered, have guests lean in and smell the cotton one at a time. Then they will secretly write down what they think each scent represents. Once everyone has had a turn to smell the cotton balls and write down their answers, reveal what the scents of Christmas were. The one who has the most guessed correctly is the winner!
- Winter Spot The Difference
Print out this free activity sheet here and have your guests try to find the 10 differences between the two pictures within a minute. Whoever gets them all first is the winner!
- Ornament Hunt
Have all players look for 5 ornaments, similar to an Easter Egg hunt. Read more about how to play in this article (game #18).
And that’s 52 game and activity ideas for your Christmas party! I hope you found a few things you would like to play at your gathering. Enjoy making memories with your family and friends. Merry Christmas!
