16 Fun Christmas Party Games Everyone in the Family Can Enjoy
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Luci McQuitty HindmarshFor a family Christmas party, choose games that let younger kids, teens and adults join in together. These 16 ideas include quick icebreakers, movie and music quizzes, drawing games and quieter activities for the table.
Most work best when you choose a few rather than trying to play them all. You can make your own versions using the instructions below or use the existing games linked in each section. To plan the rest of the gathering around your games, browse our Christmas party themes.
Choose Games for Your Family
For a mixed-age group: Pair younger children with an older sibling or adult for quizzes and word games. Start with This or That, then try Charades or Pictionary in teams. For a whole evening of team challenges, use our Reindeer Games Christmas party plan.
For a quieter gathering: Use the movie quiz, the maze or a short round of Who Is Most Like Santa. Read prompts aloud if anyone needs help.
For a change of pace: These Christmas Minute to Win It games add short physical challenges between seated rounds. For a party guests can explore in pairs, set up a few Christmas carnival game stations at home. For games everyone can play from their seats at dinner, try our Christmas dinner table games. If most guests are grown-ups, browse the Christmas games for adults.
Keep Your Christmas Party Playful with These Family Games
From quick, light-hearted ice-breakers to classic favorites with a holiday twist, there’s something here for every family member.
Dive into this list and discover how you can make this Christmas party the most special one yet.
Quick tip: Instantly download our Christmas Games Bundle with 22 fun games for all ages.
1. Christmas Find the Guest Bingo
Find The Guest Bingo is a brilliant ice-breaker to get everyone shaking off their shyness at mingling with people they've not seen in a yeare.
Each guest has to find someone matching the unique Christmas-themed prompts on their bingo card.
Also read: Free Printable Christmas Bingo Game - 25 Cards + Calling Cards
How to play together: Let players mingle for five to ten minutes, finding people who match the descriptions on their card. One person signs a square they match. Agree whether the winner needs one row or a full card, and check the winning answers together.
2. Christmas This or That
This or That is a deceptively simple game that gets everyone involved choosing between two options.
This is another great ice-breaker game and a way to get to know newer family members.
We've also got a game of Christmas Would You Rather, along similar lines.
How to play together: Read a pair of choices, such as hot chocolate or cider, and let everyone choose. Go around the table so each guest gets a turn. Keep it unscored, and let anyone pass if they do not want to explain their answer.
Use our gift exchange dice game tutorial for the six dice actions, a worked example and family-friendly variations.
3. Christmas Gift Exchange Dice Game
There are lots of ways to play gift exchange games. In fact, I've got a whole list of gift exchange themes you can browse.
But if you want to add a little fun but keep the planning on the down-low, this Christmas Gift Exchange Dice game is the way to go.
Guests roll to swap, pass, or unwrap gifts following fun rules. It’s a great way to mix things up and keep everyone engaged in the exchange.
How to play together: Before guests arrive, choose the dice instructions, the gift budget and how the game ends. Start with one gift per player and make swaps one-for-one so everyone keeps a gift. For your own version, play three complete rounds, then open any presents still wrapped. If using the shop game, follow its included instructions.
4. Christmas Movie Match Game
Who doesn't love a Christmas movie huh?! Well, this game plays on this fact and turns it into a game.
How well does your family know their Christmas movies? See who can match the iconic movie character to the equally iconic Christmas movie.
And if Christmas movies really are a thing with your family, we've also got a Christmas Movie Trivia Quiz...
How to play together: For a homemade version, write ten movie titles and ten character names in two columns. Give teams five minutes to match them, then read out the answers. Award one point per correct pair; pair younger kids with an adult.
5. Christmas Movie Trivia Quiz
So, everyone in your family thinks they know Christmas movies. But do they KNOW Christmas movies?!
Test their holiday movie knowledge with questions on all the Christmas classics.
Also read: Christmas Movie Bucket List
How to play together: Ask five to ten questions, giving each team about 30 seconds to discuss and write an answer. Score one point per correct answer. Mix questions for different ages rather than making every round depend on the same generation's favorite movies.
6. Finish the Christmas Carol Lyric
And to appease those who know their carols more than their Christmas movies ( or at least think they do...)
Challenge the whole family’s carol knowledge with this game! Players try to complete famous lyrics, and it’s almost guaranteed to lead to a holiday singalong.
How to play together: For an oral version, the host chooses a familiar carol and sings or plays a short section, stopping before the next line. Give the team one chance to continue it. Award one point for the agreed answer and alternate teams for ten rounds.
7. Christmas Billboard No. 1 or Not?
If some of your family are more into Christmas pop than carols, this Christmas BillBoard No. 1 Or Not Game is going to be right up their street.
Put their pop knowledge to the test with this festive music trivia game!
See if they can guess if the well known Christmas songs on the list ever reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Warning, there might be tears!!
How to play together: Let everyone mark their own answers, or play in pairs, before checking the answer key supplied with the game. Use one point per correct answer. Agree whether players can discuss their choices before you start, and keep phones away until the reveal.
8. Christmas Pictionary
For easy objects younger children can draw alongside trickier family prompts, use our Christmas Pictionary word lists and mixed-age rules.
Pictionary is a modern-day classic. Use these ready-made festive prompts to get the game motoring along.
We've put together some classic Christmas prompts and also a set of super funzies Christmas song and movie prompts.
Never played Pictionary before? Here's how to play...
Split players into teams. Each team takes turns drawing a word or phrase from a prompt card, while their teammates try to guess what it is—without any speaking, letters, or gestures from the artist.
Each team has a limited time (usually one minute) to guess correctly and earn a point. The game continues with teams alternating turns, and the first team to reach a set number of points wins.
How to play together: For a family round, give the artist 60 seconds and one point for a correct guess. Change the artist each turn. Use easy objects for younger kids and let them choose between two prompts so drawing confidence does not decide the whole game.
9. Christmas Charades
30 Christmas Charades Prompts in the Christmas Games Bundle
Ahhh charades... the ultimate parlour game that never gets dull!! Well, it can be dull... but not if you use the 30 festive charades prompts we've put together.
Just remind all the players that they can't utter a word as they act out their clues.
How to play together: Split into two teams and give each actor 60 seconds to act a prompt without speaking. Award one point if their team guesses it. Alternate teams, let everyone who wants to act have a turn and stop after a set number of rounds.
10. Christmas Candy Dice Game
Candy dice is a stalwart of many a kids' and teens' party. It's a great little game, that doesn't take much set up... you just need to remember to provide the candy!
Oh and you'll need dice to hand too.
Players roll the dice to collect or swap festive candy, keeping things exciting and easy for even the youngest players.
How to play together: Decide the dice actions and the stopping point before handing out candy. Keep swaps one-for-one, or use a shared pool with a clear rule for what happens if it runs out. Small counters work for the game too, with a treat handed out afterward.
11. Christmas Maze Game
Maze games are great for little kids, they are particularly useful to have at the table to stop kids getting fractious or to have to hand when over wrought kids need a little calm time.
How to play together: Offer the maze as a quiet choice while guests wait for food or take a break from louder games. It does not need a winner or a timer. Give younger children help tracing the route before they mark it.
12. Pin the Nose on Rudolph
Perfect for kids (and competitive kidults!), this game is a Christmas version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
Blindfolded players try to place Rudolph’s nose in the right spot. Silliness and much mirth guaranteed.
How to play together: Give each player one paper nose with reusable adhesive and mark the starting point. Guide a blindfolded player slowly toward the picture, or let them close their eyes while standing right in front of it. Closest nose to the target wins; younger kids can play without a blindfold.
13. Who is Most Like Santa?
In this funny family game of Who Is Most Like Santa Claus, all family members rvote on who’s most like Santa in various categories—like “best gift-giver” or “most jolly.”
It’s a sweet way to instigate some family stories and delight in holiday memories.
How to play together: Read one lighthearted prompt at a time and let everyone nominate a willing guest. Invite a short story about the choice, then move on. Keep the prompts kind and make this a conversation game rather than ranking family members.
14. Christmas Scattergories
Scattergory games are great to whip out as little filler games. Hand them out in the lull after a big festive meal or even have them at the table for between courses.
We also have a bunch of other word games in the Christmas Games Bundle, including an A-Z Race where players have to write a festive word for each letter or the alphabet, a Christmas Word Search and a Christmas Word Scramble.
How to play together: Choose three categories and a letter, then allow two minutes for answers. For a simple homemade round, award one point for each valid answer and two for a unique answer. Decide how to handle names and repeated words before you begin.
15. Merry Christmas Around the World Quiz
Ever wondered how Christmas is celebrated in other countries? This quiz is a fun way to learn about different traditions while testing everyone’s holiday knowledge. Play in teams to add a bit of friendly competition!
How to play together: Play in mixed-age teams and give everyone the same questions. Read the answers together after all teams have finished. Award one point per correct answer and let the discussion be part of the fun rather than racing through every fact.
16. Christmas What's On Your Phone?
Christmas What's On Your Phone Game
Now you might leap to conclusions and imagine that this game is just for tweens and teens! But I can guarantee that it's just as much fun for adults to play.
In this modern take on a scavenger hunt, players score points based on holiday items they have on their phone, like a Christmas wallpaper or a photo with Santa.
Also read: Awesome Group Games For Teens At Christmas
How to play together: Set a five-minute limit and let players tick off matching items on the game sheet. Guests can play in pairs if not everyone has a phone. Nobody needs to share private messages or hand their phone to the host; use the agreed point values to total scores.
Want to add a prize-unwrapping finale? Our Christmas Saran Wrap Ball Game tutorial shows how to build the ball, choose prizes for mixed ages and add challenge cards between the layers. Allow extra time for this game after the plan below.
A Relaxed 30-Minute Family Games Plan
Start with five minutes of This or That, followed by ten minutes of movie trivia and ten minutes of charades. Allow the remaining five minutes for instructions and changing teams. Keep the maze or a word game ready for anyone who wants a quieter activity.
For a short quiz you can read aloud, use our Christmas trivia questions and answers. If younger children need more movement, the Christmas party games for kids include throwing, stacking and relay games.
The Big 22 Game Christmas Games Bundle
Our big 22 game Christmas bundle is the perfect set of games if you are hosting a family or friends get together. There are games to suit all ages, from the very young to the.... not so young!
Games include the Christmas Candy Dice Game, Christmas Movie Trivia Quiz, Pin the Nose on Rudolph, Christmas Scattergories, Christmas Billboard No.1 or Not game and a big bunch of other super fun games.
Grab: The Big Christmas Games Bundle
Before you go, you might also like...
- Quick Fire Christmas Would You Rather Questions
- Simple Ways To Make Christmas Memorable For All The Family
- Christmas Family Bucket List
- Fun Christmas Eve Activities For All The Family
- Christmas Planning List Free Printable
- 15 Tips And Ideas To Help You Host A Cool Yule Christmas Party
- Fun Christmas Pictionary Ideas (With Word Lists)
- Christmas party themes
- 12 Super Fun Christmas Party Games For Kids (That EVERYONE Can Enjoy!)
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