Christmas Party Games: 40 Easy Games for Kids, Adults & Families
The best Christmas party games are short, easy to explain and don't leave anyone sitting out. This guide has 40 of them, and each one lists the number of players, how long it takes, what you need and how to play: games with nothing to buy, games for kids and families, team relays, games for adults, one-minute challenges and gift exchange games. You don't need all forty. Pick three or four that suit your guests, or start with the table that matches games to your group.
Updated October 2026.
Best Christmas Party Games by Group
Short on time? Find the kind of party you are hosting and start with these five.
Family with kids of mixed ages
Adults only
Large group (20+ guests)
Small group (4–6 guests)
No-Prep Christmas Party Games
8 games · almost no setup
These need no shopping and almost no setup. They are also useful backups when a planned game falls flat or the conversation lulls.
Game 1
Christmas Charades
- Players
- 4 or more
- Time
- 15–20 min
- You need
- paper, a bowl and a timer
Write Christmas movies, carols, characters and traditions on slips of paper and drop them in a bowl. Split into two teams. One player draws a slip and acts it out without speaking while their team guesses before the minute is up. Teams take turns, and each correct guess scores a point.
Tip: Mix easy slips (snowman, Rudolph) with harder ones (a film title) so kids and adults can all score.
Game 2
Santa Says
- Players
- 3 or more
- Time
- 5–10 min
- You need
- nothing
Simon Says with a holiday twist. The leader calls out actions such as “Santa says wrap a present” or “Santa says ho-ho-ho.” Players only copy commands that start with “Santa says,” and anyone who copies a plain command is out for that round.
Tip: With toddlers, skip the elimination and give a cheer to everyone who listened well.
Game 3
Don't Say “Christmas”
- Players
- 5 or more
- Time
- the whole party
- You need
- 3 clothespins or stickers per guest
Give each guest three clothespins to wear on their sleeve and ban one word, such as “Christmas.” If you hear someone say it, take one of their clothespins. At the end of the party, whoever has collected the most wins a small prize.
Tip: Pick a word people say without thinking, like “merry” or “gift,” and announce it as guests arrive.
Game 4
Christmas Alphabet
- Players
- 2 or more
- Time
- 10 min
- You need
- nothing
Sit in a circle and go through the alphabet, with each player naming something Christmas-related that starts with the next letter: A for angel, B for bells, C for candy cane. No repeats, and you have five seconds per answer or you're out.
Tip: Agree on rulings for tricky letters like Q and X before you start.
Game 5
Finish the Lyric
- Players
- 4 or more
- Time
- 10–15 min
- You need
- a speaker or phone
Play or sing the first line of a carol or Christmas pop song, then stop. The first team to sing the next line correctly scores a point, and a bonus point goes to anyone who can also name the singer.
Tip: Use a mix of carols and pop songs so everyone from kids to grandparents has a chance.
Game 6
Two Truths and a Christmas Tradition
- Players
- 4 or more
- Time
- 15 min
- You need
- nothing
Each guest shares three statements about their holidays: two true and one made up. They can be about a family tradition, a favorite gift or a food they always eat. The group votes on which one is the fib, and guests score a point for every correct guess.
Game 7
Christmas Categories
- Players
- 4 or more
- Time
- 10 min
- You need
- nothing
Choose a category, such as Christmas movies, cookies, carols or reindeer names, and go around the circle. Anyone who repeats an answer or takes more than five seconds is out. The last player standing picks the next category.
Game 8
Reindeer, Reindeer, Santa
- Players
- 6 or more kids
- Time
- 10 min
- You need
- nothing
Play Duck, Duck, Goose with a holiday twist. Players sit in a circle while one child walks around tapping heads and saying “reindeer.” When they say “Santa,” that player jumps up and chases them around the circle to take their empty seat.
Christmas Party Games for Kids and Families
9 games · short rounds, small prizes
Younger children do best with short games and a chance to win something small. Keep each one to ten or fifteen minutes and leave time for free play in between.
Game 9
Christmas Bingo
- Players
- any number
- Time
- 15–20 min
- You need
- bingo cards, markers and small prizes
Swap numbers for pictures: tree, stocking, candy cane, sleigh, gingerbread man. Call out each picture as you draw it from a bag, and players cover the matching square. The first player to complete a row, column or diagonal shouts “Merry Christmas!” Play several rounds with small prizes.
Tip: Use mini marshmallows or cereal as markers and let the kids eat them afterwards.
Game 10
Pass the Parcel
- Players
- 4 or more kids
- Time
- 10–15 min
- You need
- a small gift, wrapping paper and music
Wrap a small gift in many layers of paper and tuck a treat or a silly dare between some of them. Players sit in a circle and pass the parcel while music plays. When the music stops, whoever holds it unwraps one layer and gets the treat or does the dare. Whoever unwraps the last layer keeps the gift.
Tip: Make sure there is a layer for every child so nobody misses a turn.
Game 11
Musical Presents
- Players
- 4 or more
- Time
- 10 min
- You need
- wrapped boxes and music
A holiday version of musical chairs. Put wrapped boxes in a circle, one fewer than the number of players. Players walk around the circle while music plays, and when it stops everyone grabs a box. The player left without one is out, and you remove a box each round. The last player to keep a box wins.
Tip: For young children, keep everyone in the game and let the player without a box do a silly dance instead.
Game 12
Pin the Hat on the Reindeer
- Players
- 3 or more kids
- Time
- 10 min
- You need
- a reindeer poster, stickers and a blindfold
Hang a reindeer poster on the wall. Blindfolded players spin once, then try to stick a paper hat or red nose in the right spot. Whoever lands closest wins.
Game 13
Reindeer Ring Toss
- Players
- 2 or more
- Time
- 10 min
- You need
- antlers and rings
One player wears reindeer antlers (a headband or an inflatable set) and stands still while teammates toss rings from behind a line to land them on the antlers. Count the rings that stay on to score.
Tip: Mark two throwing lines, a close one for little kids and a farther one for adults.
Game 14
Snowball Toss
- Players
- 2 or more
- Time
- 10 min
- You need
- white pom-poms or paper, and buckets
Put buckets at different distances and give each a point value. Players toss “snowballs” made of cotton balls, white pom-poms or crumpled paper for 30 seconds each. The highest score wins.
Tip: It is safe indoors, and a laundry basket works as a bucket.
Game 15
Ornament Hunt
- Players
- kids aged 3–10
- Time
- 15 min
- You need
- unbreakable ornaments or wrapped treats, and bags
Hide unbreakable ornaments, candy canes or small wrapped treats around a room while the kids wait elsewhere. Give each child a bag and a time limit. Younger children can look for one color while older children search from a checklist.
Game 16
Christmas Scavenger Hunt
- Players
- 4 or more
- Time
- 20 min
- You need
- a printed list or cards
Give each team a list of holiday items to find or photograph, such as something red, a bell, a candle, a tree ornament or a Santa hat. The first team to finish the list, or the team with the most items when time runs out, wins.
Tip: A photo version works well in a big house: teams take pictures on their phones and show them at the end.
Game 17
Santa's Mystery Sack
- Players
- 3 or more
- Time
- 10–15 min
- You need
- a pillowcase and 8–10 festive objects
Put objects such as an ornament, a pinecone, a cinnamon stick, a candy cane and a jingle bell into a pillowcase. Players reach in, feel one without looking and guess what it is. Whoever makes the most correct guesses wins.
Tip: For adults, use less obvious objects, like a cookie cutter or a tiny mitten.
Team Games and Relays
6 games · everyone plays
Teams give every guest something to do and remove the sting of being knocked out. Mix ages and skill levels when you pick the teams.
Game 18
Gift-Wrap Relay
- Players
- 6 or more, in teams
- Time
- 10–15 min
- You need
- wrapping paper, tape, scissors and a box per team
Teams line up with a box, paper and tape. Each player wraps for 20 seconds, then passes the box to the next teammate. When time is up, a judge picks the neatest wrapped box, not just the fastest.
Tip: Use boxes you can put under the tree afterwards, so the game doubles as wrapping time.
Game 19
Dress the Tree
- Players
- 6 or more, in teams
- Time
- 10 min
- You need
- tinsel, ribbon, bows and tape
Each team picks one “tree” who stands still with their arms out. Teammates have three minutes to decorate them with tinsel, bows and paper ornaments. Guests vote on the best-dressed tree.
Tip: Skip anything with sharp edges or glass.
Game 20
Santa Hat Relay
- Players
- 8 or more, in teams
- Time
- 10 min
- You need
- two Santa hats
Teams line up at one end of the room. The first player puts on a Santa hat, runs to a marker, does five jumping jacks, runs back and passes the hat to the next player. The first team to finish wins.
Game 21
Ornament Spoon Race
- Players
- 4 or more
- Time
- 10 min
- You need
- spoons and unbreakable ornaments
Players carry an ornament on a spoon to a marker and back. If it drops, they start again from the beginning. The fastest player or team wins.
Tip: Make it harder with a zigzag course around chairs.
Game 22
Christmas Pictionary
- Players
- 4 or more, in teams
- Time
- 20 min
- You need
- paper or a whiteboard, and a bowl of slips
One player from each team draws a word, such as snow globe, nutcracker or reindeer, and sketches it while teammates guess. No letters, numbers or talking. The team that guesses in under a minute scores a point.
Tip: Use a whiteboard or a big paper pad so everyone can see.
Game 23
Marshmallow Snowman Build-Off
- Players
- 4 or more, in teams
- Time
- 15 min
- You need
- marshmallows, pretzel sticks and candy
Give each team marshmallows, pretzel sticks and candy and ten minutes to build the best snowman. Guests vote on the winner, and then everyone gets to eat the results.
Tip: Use a dab of frosting as glue. It is safer than toothpicks for young children.
Christmas Party Games for Adults
8 games · no alcohol needed
Adults usually want a game that gives them something to talk about. These suit friends, coworkers and family dinners, and none of them need alcohol.
Game 24
Christmas Movie Trivia
- Players
- 4 or more
- Time
- 20 min
- You need
- a list of questions and paper
Teams of two to four answer rounds on Christmas films, carols and traditions, with a lightning round of famous quotes. Write the questions yourself or use a boxed trivia game, and finish with a tiebreaker such as the year a favorite holiday film came out.
Game 25
Emoji Christmas Movies
- Players
- 4 or more
- Time
- 15 min
- You need
- a printed sheet or a screen
Turn Christmas movies and carols into emoji strings and let teams race to decode them. For example, 🧝 🍝 🍁 is “Elf” and 🚂 🔔 is “The Polar Express.” Show the clues on a phone or print a sheet per team.
Game 26
Christmas Never Have I Ever
- Players
- 5 or more
- Time
- 15–20 min
- You need
- nothing
Take turns saying “Never have I ever…” about holiday moments, like regifting a present or burning the cookies. Anyone who has done it puts a finger down, and the last player with fingers up wins.
Tip: Keep the prompts light for mixed company and skip anything that could embarrass a coworker or a relative.
Game 27
Gift-Wrap Challenge
- Players
- 4 or more, in pairs
- Time
- 10 min
- You need
- wrapping paper, tape and awkward objects
Give each pair an awkward item to wrap in three minutes: a bottle, a football, a lamp or a pair of boots. Judges score neatness and creativity, and the wrapped items can go straight into the gift exchange.
Game 28
Snowball Pong
- Players
- 2–8
- Time
- 10–15 min
- You need
- ping-pong balls, plastic cups and a table
Set ten cups in a triangle at each end of a table. Teams take turns bouncing white ping-pong balls across the table, and a cup that gets a ball is removed. The first team to clear the other side's cups wins.
Tip: Use red and white cups for a candy cane look.
Game 29
Ugly Sweater Awards
- Players
- 8 or more
- Time
- 15 min
- You need
- voting slips and small prizes
Hand out voting slips as guests arrive, with categories like Ugliest, Most Creative, Best Lights and Most Likely to Be Homemade. Collect them before the food comes out and announce the winners later in the party.
Tip: Make the prizes ridiculous, like a trophy made from a gold-painted mug.
Ugly sweater party ideas: contest categories, a ballot and DIY sweaters
Game 31
Christmas Karaoke Battle
- Players
- 6 or more
- Time
- 20–30 min
- You need
- a karaoke machine or app
Teams pick Christmas songs and perform them in turn while the rest of the party scores them on volume, creativity and costume. One microphone and a screen with lyrics is enough.
Tip: Let the kids go first so they get to perform before bedtime.
One-Minute Christmas Challenges
5 games · quick and silly
Quick, silly and easy to set up. Run them as a bracket where winners move on, or let everyone play at once and compare scores.
Game 32
Stack the Presents
- Players
- 2 or more
- Time
- 1 min per round
- You need
- 8–10 small wrapped boxes
Stack the boxes into one tower in 60 seconds. If the tower falls, start again until time runs out. The tallest tower standing when the timer ends wins.
Game 33
Snowfall Scoop
- Players
- 2 or more
- Time
- 1 min per round
- You need
- cotton balls, two bowls, and chopsticks or tongs
Move as many cotton balls as possible from one bowl to the other in a minute using only chopsticks or tongs. Count what lands in the second bowl.
Game 34
Oven-Mitt Unwrap
- Players
- 2 or more
- Time
- 1–2 min per round
- You need
- a small gift wrapped in lots of paper and tape, and oven mitts
Players wear oven mitts and race to unwrap a small gift that has been wrapped in several layers of paper and tape. The first to open it keeps the prize inside.
Game 35
Red Nose Roll
- Players
- 2 or more
- Time
- 1 min per round
- You need
- red pom-poms or ping-pong balls
Push a red pom-pom across the floor to a finish line using only your nose. Hands stay behind your back, and the fastest player wins.
Game 36
Candy Cane Pass
- Players
- 6 or more, in teams
- Time
- 2 min per round
- You need
- small candy canes and straws
Teams line up and each player holds a straw in their mouth. Hook a small candy cane on the first straw and pass it from straw to straw down the line without using hands. If it drops, the team starts again. The fastest team wins.
Christmas Gift Exchange Games
4 games · set a price limit
A gift exchange is often the main event of the party. Put the format and the price limit in the invitation so nobody turns up with the wrong kind of gift.
Game 37
White Elephant
- Players
- 6 or more
- Time
- 30–45 min
- You need
- wrapped gifts and numbers
Everyone brings a wrapped gift under the same price limit and draws a number. Player one opens a gift. Every player after that either opens a new gift or steals one that is already open, and the person who loses a gift opens another or steals in turn. Common house rules: a gift can be stolen only two or three times, no stealing back right away, and player one may swap with anyone at the end.
Game 38
Left-Right Gift Exchange
- Players
- 6 or more
- Time
- 10–15 min
- You need
- wrapped gifts and a short story
Everyone sits in a circle holding a wrapped gift. The reader tells a story, and every time they say “right,” everyone passes their gift to the right; every “left” sends it to the left. When the story ends, you keep the gift in your hands. Write a story with plenty of lefts and rights, like “The reindeer left the barn, turned right at the snowman and left a trail of carrots on the right.”
Tip: Words like “left” used in a different sense make the story funnier and the passing less predictable.
Game 39
Dice Gift Exchange
- Players
- 5 or more
- Time
- 20–30 min
- You need
- wrapped gifts, two dice and a timer
Pile the wrapped gifts in the middle. Players take turns rolling two dice, and a double lets you take a gift from the pile. Once the pile is empty, set a ten-minute timer: now a double lets you steal a gift from another player. When the timer rings, everyone opens what they are holding.
Game 40
Secret Santa
- Players
- 4 or more
- Time
- planned ahead
- You need
- names and a price limit
Draw names in advance so each guest buys one gift, under a set budget, for the person they drew. Our free Secret Santa generator draws the names, handles exclusions (like couples who shouldn't draw each other) and emails each person their match.
Christmas Party Games and Supplies You Can Buy
Every game above works with paper, wrapping paper and things from your kitchen. If you would rather open a box, these ready-made games and props match several of the games on this page. Prices and stock change, so check the listing before you order.
Boxed games for the whole room
Christmas bingo cardsAmazon →View on Amazon →
Christmas charadesAmazon →View on Amazon →
Christmas trivia gameAmazon →View on Amazon →Quick games and word games
Minute of Fun Christmas Edition, 218 challengesAmazon →View on Amazon →
Christmas Mad LibsAmazon →View on Amazon →
Christmas scavenger hunt gameAmazon →View on Amazon →Active games and props for kids
Reindeer antler ring tossAmazon →View on Amazon →
Reindeer antlers headbands, 16 packAmazon →View on Amazon →
Pin the hat on the reindeer gameAmazon →View on Amazon →Dice games and sing-alongs
Santa swap gift exchange diceAmazon →View on Amazon →
LCR Left Center Right dice gameAmazon →View on Amazon →
Karaoke machine with 2 microphonesAmazon →View on Amazon →How to Run Christmas Party Games Without Chaos
- Plan three or four games, not ten: A two-hour party has room for three or four games alongside food and conversation. Choose one active game, one seated game and, if kids are coming, one just for them.
- Explain the rules in one breath: If a game needs more than two sentences to explain, save it for a smaller group. Demonstrate one round before you start and let guests ask questions.
- Pick teams instead of eliminating guests: Elimination games leave people sitting out for the rest of the round. Teams keep everybody involved, and mixing ages and confidence levels keeps them fair.
- Use a timer and a clear winner: A phone timer keeps games short, and one agreed judge settles arguments about whose gift was wrapped neatest or whose snowman was best.
- Keep prizes small and shared: Small prizes keep the mood light. Give out candy, mini ornaments or a silly trophy, and have a few extra so no child leaves empty-handed.
- Keep a quiet option ready: Not everyone wants to race or perform. Bingo, trivia and Mad Libs let guests join at their own pace and take part from a chair.
Prizes for Christmas Party Games
Prizes work best when they are small, fun and easy to hand out: candy canes, hot chocolate packets, mini ornaments, small candles or a trophy made from a gold-painted mug. Our stocking stuffers under $15 are a good source of ideas, and for a grown-up exchange see white elephant gifts under $25.
A Sample Two-Hour Christmas Party Plan
Here is how the games above can fit into a two-hour party for a mixed group of kids and adults. For the food, decorations and a full checklist, see our Christmas party ideas guide.
- 0:00–0:20Guests arrive. Hand out ugly sweater voting slips and clothespins for “Don't Say Christmas.”
- 0:20–0:50Food and drinks. Leave Christmas bingo cards and pens on the table for anyone who wants to play.
- 0:50–1:10One team game: gift-wrap relay or Christmas movie trivia.
- 1:10–1:25A kids' game, such as the ornament hunt or pin the hat on the reindeer, while adults chat.
- 1:25–1:55Gift exchange: white elephant or the left-right story game.
- 1:55–2:00Announce the ugly sweater and clothespin winners and hand out the prizes.
Planning a gift exchange?
Create a free Onelist so everyone in your group can share a Christmas list from any store, and gifts match what people actually want. For drawing names, use our free Secret Santa generator.
Start a free Christmas listFrequently Asked Questions
Christmas movie trivia, gift-wrap challenges, a white elephant or Secret Santa gift exchange, charades, Never Have I Ever and an ugly sweater contest all work well for adults and need very little to buy. Pick one game that gets everyone moving and one that people can play while chatting.
Pass the parcel, pin the hat on the reindeer, reindeer ring toss, an ornament hunt, Santa Says and Christmas bingo are popular with children. Keep each game to about ten minutes and give every child a small prize or treat.
Christmas bingo, a scavenger hunt, charades in teams, an ugly sweater contest and a white elephant exchange all scale to twenty guests or more. Games that use teams or let everyone play at once avoid long waits for a turn.
Christmas charades, Santa Says, Christmas Alphabet, Finish the Lyric, Christmas Categories and Two Truths and a Christmas Tradition need nothing but your guests. Paper and a pen are enough for most others.
Three or four are plenty for a two-hour party: one active game, one quieter game, a gift exchange and, if children are coming, one game just for them. Keep a spare in mind in case one falls flat.
Christmas bingo, movie trivia, a gift-wrap challenge, Secret Santa and an ugly sweater contest are office-friendly because they are quick and don't put anyone on the spot. Skip games that involve alcohol, personal questions or physical contact.
Everyone brings a wrapped gift under an agreed price and draws a number. Player one opens a gift, and each player after that either opens a new gift or steals an open one. Most groups limit each gift to two or three steals and don't allow an immediate steal back.
Candy canes, hot chocolate packets, mini ornaments, small candles, gift cards of a few dollars and a silly trophy all work. Our stocking stuffers under $15 are a good source of small prizes.
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