12 Christmas Minute to Win It Games for the Whole Family

A good Christmas minute to win it lineup solves the exact problem every host runs into: a room full of people, ten minutes before dinner or presents, and nothing to do but stand around. These 12 Christmas games are fast, need almost no setup, and are picked to work across a mixed-age crowd, from grandparents down to the youngest kids at the table.

The games fall into three groups: fast cup and card games, candy and snack games, and physical and team games. Jump to whichever section suits your group. If your crowd is mostly little ones, 23 super fun Christmas party games for kids has more options to mix in.

Want to make party planning easy? The Christmas Minute to Win It Games Bundle has all 12 games below on ready-to-print cards, plus 12 more, along with a summary sheet and a score sheet to track the winner. Print the cards and skip the scrolling on party day.

Fast Cup and Card Games

1. Stack Attack: Christmas Edition

A classic minute to win it cup-stacking challenge with a festive color swap.

• Number of players: 1 or more (can run as heats)
• What you need: 6 plastic cups per player, alternating red and green
• How to play: Stack the six cups into a pyramid, then unstack them back into a single tower, in any order. The first to finish, or whoever gets furthest in 60 seconds, wins.

2. Movin' On Up: Christmas Edition

A cup-flipping race that's trickier than it looks.

• Number of players: 1 or more
• What you need: 5 plastic cups per player, one in a different color from the rest
• How to play: Start with the odd-colored cup at the bottom of the stack. Restack the cups, one at a time, until the odd cup reaches the top, then flip the whole stack upside down onto the table. The fastest time wins.

3. Christmas Card Tower

Simple, but harder than it sounds after a couple of eggnogs.

• Number of players: Any
• What you need: A stack of old Christmas cards per player
• How to play: Build the tallest freestanding tower of cards you can in 60 seconds. No tape or folding. The tallest tower still standing when time's up wins.

Candy and Snack Games

4. Candy Cane Fishing

A dexterity game that uses the hook shape of the candy cane itself. Keep a bulk load of candy canes ready before the party.

• Number of players: Any
• What you need: A bowl of loose candy canes, one candy cane per player to use as a "rod"
• How to play: Using only the hooked end of your candy cane, lift as many candy canes out of the bowl as you can in 60 seconds without using your hands.

5. Face the Cookie: Christmas Edition

A forehead-to-mouth cookie relay that never fails to get a laugh.

• Number of players: Any
• What you need: One round cookie per player
• How to play: Place a cookie on your forehead. Using only your facial muscles (no hands), work the cookie down to your mouth and eat it. The first to finish wins.

6. Chubby Santa

A Christmas take on the classic Chubby Bunny challenge.

• Number of players: 4 to 8
• What you need: A big bowl of mini marshmallows
• How to play: Each player adds one marshmallow to their mouth at a time and says "Merry Christmas" clearly before taking the next one. Keep going until only one person can still be understood.

7. Candy Cane Straw Sort

A sweeter spin on the classic straw-and-candy sorting game.

• Number of players: Any
• What you need: A bowl of mixed mini M&Ms or Skittles, plus a straw and a cup per player
• How to play: Using suction through the straw, lift candies from the shared bowl and drop them into your own cup. The most collected in 60 seconds wins, or race to collect one of each color first.

Physical and Team Games

8. Ornament Spoon Race

An egg-and-spoon race, dressed up for the holidays.

• Number of players: Any
• What you need: One spoon and one lightweight ornament per player
• How to play: Balance the ornament on the spoon and race across the room and back without dropping it. Anyone who drops it starts again from where they dropped it.

9. Reindeer Antler Ring Toss

A solo target game that's funnier the more the antlers wobble.

• Number of players: Any
• What you need: A reindeer antler headband, plus a set of rings or bracelets to toss
• How to play: Wear the antlers. Have another player toss rings toward you from a set distance. Count how many rings land on the antlers in 60 seconds.

10. Jingle Bell Cup Toss

A simple accuracy game with a satisfying jingle every time you score.

• Number of players: Any
• What you need: A handful of jingle bells and a row of cups at varying distances
• How to play: From a marked line, toss jingle bells and try to land them in the cups. Count how many land inside within 60 seconds.

11. Sock Snowball Relay

Zero-prep snowballs that won't leave a mess indoors.

• Number of players: 4 or more (teams of 2 or more)
• What you need: Balled-up socks (a few per team) and a laundry basket
• How to play: Teams relay-race tossing their "snowballs" into the basket, taking a step back after each successful toss to increase the distance. The most in the basket after 60 seconds wins.

12. Bag on the Head Brain Teaser

The funniest game on this list to watch.

• Number of players: 3 or more
• What you need: A paper bag with small eye holes cut out, or a blindfold, per round
• How to play: One player wears the bag. Teammates describe a Christmas word or object using only gestures and sounds (no talking) while the wearer tries to guess it within 60 seconds.

However many of these you use on the day, the games that work best tend to be the ones you can run back to back without a big pause for setup. I'd pick a handful from each category rather than trying to fit all 12 into one party.

If you're planning a grown-ups-only crowd, an office party or a couples' game night, the adults and office edition of these games covers that side of the format. For games you can use all year, the Minute to Win It game ideas for groups are a good next stop.

View the Christmas Minute to Win It Games Bundle

Loved these games? The bundle puts all 24 on print-ready cards, so you can skip the scrolling on party day and go straight to playing. The summary sheet and score sheet are included. For a wider set of festive games for every age, the Ultimate Christmas Party Games Bundle adds 22 more printable games.