The best Christmas party games fit the people in the room, not just the holiday theme. Choose a few low-prep games for everyone, add a hands-on activity for children or a gift exchange for adults, and match each game to your group’s ages, space, energy and available time. Here are 22 ideas, from quick guessing games to decorating contests, plus one boxed option for groups that want a board game.
How to choose Christmas games for your group
Before choosing an activity, think through the youngest guest’s age, how many people will play, how much time you have and whether your group enjoys movement, making things, guessing or competing. For a boxed game, also check the player count and whether the rules suit your group’s experience. GamesRadar+ recommends weighing those practical factors and the kinds of games the group already enjoys; its examples, including Ticket to Ride, Oh My Pigeons! and Herd Mentality, are general family-game ideas rather than Christmas-specific picks (GamesRadar+’s family board-game guide).
For mixed-age gatherings, offer more than one way to take part. A guest can play, team up with someone younger or simply watch a round when that suits the activity. As event planner Edward Perotti puts it in Martha Stewart’s guide, “I don’t necessarily believe that the games should be easy—just attainable and creative.” The guide, updated October 4, 2025, advises hosts to make the challenge achievable for the children present and tell adult guests in advance if games are planned (Martha Stewart’s Christmas party games guide).
Christmas games for kids
These seven activities work well as a children’s corner or a short sequence between meals and presents. Gather supplies ahead of time, and choose hiding places and small objects with the children who will be playing in mind.
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1. Find the Christmas Pickle
Hide a pickle-shaped ornament among the branches of the Christmas tree and invite children to find it. Set a boundary for where they may search; if the tree is crowded or fragile, use a small decorative object elsewhere in the room instead.
2. Pin the Nose on the Reindeer
Draw or display a reindeer face without its nose. Blindfold each child in turn, point them in the right direction and have them try to place a paper nose on the picture. Use removable tape and keep the playing area clear.
3. Holiday Scavenger Bingo
Make bingo cards with familiar objects guests can spot around the house, such as a stocking, a star or a candy cane. Players mark each item as they find it; the first to complete a row wins. This takes more preparation than a verbal guessing game, but the cards can be reused.
4. Guess the Number of Candies
Fill a clear jar with candies and ask each child to write down a guess. The closest estimate wins the jar or a separate prize. Keep the jar and any prize appropriate for the ages and needs of the children present.
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Give players a small box, wrapping paper and tape, then set a timer for a fast wrapping challenge. For a silly variation, have them wrap while wearing oven mitts. Award a prize for the neatest, funniest or most creative result rather than speed alone.
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6. Candy Cane Hunt
Hide candy canes around a room or in a defined area and send children to find them. Make the boundaries clear, avoid places that require climbing or moving breakable objects, and adjust hiding spots to suit the children taking part.
7. Snowman Cupcake Decorating
Set out cupcakes and decorations such as icing, candies and other edible toppings. Children turn each cupcake into a snowman, then show their designs. A ready-made cupcake base keeps the activity focused on decorating; plan for a surface that can get messy.
Christmas games for adults
These six ideas suit an adults-only gathering or a separate round after children’s activities. For gift exchanges and any game that asks guests to bring something, explain the format and expectations ahead of time.
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8. Secret Santa
Assign each participant someone to buy or make a gift for, keeping the recipient’s identity secret until the exchange. Set a spending limit and share any rules in advance. For a guessing twist, recipients can try to identify their gift-giver after opening their present.
9. Baby Photo Game
Ask guests to send a baby photo before the party, then display the pictures with numbers. Everyone writes down whose photo they think is whose; reveal the answers together. Collect photos in advance and make sure guests are comfortable sharing them.
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10. White Elephant
Each guest brings a wrapped gift, and players draw numbers to determine the order. On a turn, a player chooses a wrapped gift or steals one that has already been opened; agree on any limits to stealing before play begins. Tell guests the gift theme or spending expectations beforehand so they know what to bring.
11. Cocktail and Mocktail Contest
Invite guests to make a cocktail or a nonalcoholic mocktail and give each entry a name. Let everyone taste and vote for a favorite, with a category such as best name or most festive presentation if you want more than one winner. Keep a nonalcoholic option available to everyone.
12. Christmas Movie Trivia
Prepare questions about holiday films and divide guests into teams or let them answer individually. Mix easier questions with more challenging ones so people with different levels of movie knowledge can join in. A host can read questions aloud; no special equipment is needed.
13. Sweater Contest
Invite guests to wear a festive sweater and vote on categories such as funniest, most elaborate or most unexpected. Share the plan in advance so guests can decide whether they want to dress for it; participation can be optional.
Christmas games for the whole family
These nine activities include quick group games, movement and creative projects. Pick according to your space and attention span: a few need little setup, while decorating and building contests call for supplies and a place to work.
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14. Pass the Bow
Have everyone sit or stand in a circle and pass a large bow while music plays or a timer runs. Whoever holds it when the music stops or timer sounds is out, or can choose a festive forfeit. Continue until one person remains, or simply restart with everyone still in the circle for a more inclusive version.
15. Cookie Decorating Competition
Set out cookies, icing and decorations, then give everyone a theme or a time limit. Players can work individually or in pairs; for a playful variation, pairs can take turns decorating while blindfolded, with a partner offering directions. Make the rules and judging categories clear before the decorating begins.
16. Christmas Charades
Write holiday-themed people, objects or activities on slips of paper. Players act out a slip without speaking while their team guesses before time runs out. It needs little space or equipment beyond the prompts, and guests can play, guess or observe.
17. Reindeer Ring Toss
Use miniature wreaths as rings and a reindeer-themed target, or improvise a safe target with materials you have. Players take turns tossing rings from a marked line. Place the target away from breakables and adjust the distance for the ages playing.
18. Christmas 20 Questions
One person thinks of a Christmas-related object and keeps it secret. The others ask up to 20 questions that can be answered yes or no, then try to identify it. Rotate the person choosing the object so everyone gets a turn.
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19. Christmas Plastic Wrap Game
Wrap small gifts or prizes inside layers of plastic wrap to make a large bundle. Players take turns unwrapping it while another player rolls dice; when the dice show the agreed result, the bundle passes to the next person. Decide beforehand how many prizes to include and keep small items suitable for the group.
20. Gingerbread House Competition
Give individuals or teams gingerbread pieces, icing and decorations, then set a theme or invite everyone to build a recognizable place, such as a participant’s home or a familiar movie house. Allow time for construction and display, and judge on a chosen category such as creativity or resemblance. A gingerbread-house kit can simplify preparation, but it is not essential if you already have suitable building pieces and decorations.
21. Name That Tune: Holiday Edition
Play or hum a few notes from a holiday song and award a point to the first person or team to name it. Keep rounds short and choose songs the group is likely to recognize. The game can be played with a host humming, so it does not require a prepared playlist.
22. Guess the Christmas Scent
Put familiar holiday scents in separate jars and invite players to identify them without looking. Label the jars for the host, not the guessers, and choose scents that are safe and recognizable for your guests. This activity needs more preparation than a spoken guessing game.
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If your group wants a game with a board and a fixed mystery to solve, Hasbro’s Clue: North Pole Holiday Edition centers on missing presents. Hasbro lists it for ages 8 and up and 3–6 players; the stated contents are a gameboard, two dice, six tokens, 19 cards, six molded items, a detective notepad and rules. Hasbro cautions that products are not available everywhere, so check the current edition and local availability on its official product instructions page.
A boxed game is only one option. Charades, 20 Questions and Name That Tune can be run with little specialized equipment, while the hunt, wrapping and decorating activities are better choices when you have time to prepare supplies.
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