The holidays bring everyone together, but keeping guests entertained can feel like a challenge. Between dinner prep, watching Christmas movies, and gift exchanges, you need Christmas activities that bring laughter without a complicated setup. 

Having Christmas games solves this problem by creating moments your family will remember long after decorations come down. Simple activities get kids giggling while adults enjoy competitive challenges that spark friendly rivalry. 

The best part is that most games require minimal supplies and setup, so you can focus on enjoying time with loved ones instead of stressing over complicated preparations. Start planning your holiday entertainment now with these Christmas game ideas!

Christmas Games for Everyone

This guide covers the best Christmas games for every type of gathering. If you’re hosting a small family dinner or a big holiday party, these game ideas will help you create a celebration everyone enjoys. 

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Christmas Icebreaker Games

Start your party with activities that help guests relax and talk to each other. These icebreaker games work especially well when people don’t know everyone at the gathering.

Find Your Match

This is best to know everyone from your group. Give each person half of a Christmas phrase written on a card. They mingle to find their match (like “Jingle” finds “Bells” or “Candy” finds “Cane”). Matched pairs introduce themselves and share a fun fact.

  • What you’ll need: Cards with split phrases 
  • Best for: 10-40 players

Two Truths and a Lie (Christmas Edition)

Guess which holiday statement is false. You’ll need to be analytical to win this game. Each person shares three Christmas-related statements about themselves. Two are true, one is false. Others guess which statement is the lie.

  • What you’ll need: Nothing 
  • Best for: 6-20 players

Christmas Speed Meeting

Rotate partners and share stories. Set a timer for three minutes. Pairs discuss their favorite Christmas memory or tradition. When time’s up, everyone rotates to a new partner. Continue until everyone has met.

  • What you’ll need: Timer 
  • Best for: 10-30 players

Best Christmas Game Ideas

Start with activities that set a festive mood right away. These games need minimal supplies and work in any space, making them perfect for last-minute planning.

Christmas Carol Charades

Players act out popular Christmas songs without speaking or singing. Their team guesses the carol title within 60 seconds. This game works well because everyone knows the songs, even if they can’t remember every word.

  • What you’ll need: Timer, list of carol titles 
  • Best for: 6-20 players

Holiday Scavenger Hunt

Hide Christmas-themed items around your space and give clues for finding them. Include ornaments, candy canes, small wrapped boxes, or holiday decorations. The first person or team to collect everything wins a prize.

  • What you’ll need: Small holiday items, printed clue cards 
  • Best for: Any group size

Guess the Christmas Movie

Show short clips from holiday movies with the sound off. Players guess the film title based only on what they see. Include classics like “Home Alone” and newer hits like “The Christmas Chronicles.”

  • What you’ll need: TV or projector, streaming service 
  • Best for: 4-30 players

Traditional Christmas Games

Some games never lose their appeal. These classics have entertained families for generations and still work perfectly at modern gatherings.

White Elephant Gift Exchange

Everyone brings a wrapped gift within a set price limit. Players draw numbers to determine order. The first person opens a gift, then each following person can either steal an opened gift or unwrap a new one. Stolen gifts can only be taken three times before they’re “frozen.”

  • What you’ll need: Wrapped gifts (one per person) 
  • Best for: 8-25 players

Pin the Nose on Rudolph

This game starts by drawing a large reindeer face without a nose on a poster board. Blindfold players, spin them around, and have them try to stick a red nose in the right spot. The closest placement wins.

  • What you’ll need: Poster board, red stickers or cutouts, blindfold 
  • Best for: Kids and families

Christmas Bingo

Just like traditional bingo, you can create bingo cards with holiday images instead of numbers. Call out items like “snowman,” “Christmas tree,” or “candy cane” while players mark their cards. First to complete a line wins.

  • What you’ll need: Printed bingo cards, markers 
  • Best for: Any group size

These trending games have taken over social media and holiday parties. They’re fresh takes on entertainment that guests probably haven’t played before.

Christmas Would You Rather

Ask holiday-themed dilemma questions. Would you rather have Christmas every day or never celebrate it again? Would you rather meet Santa or become an elf? These questions spark conversations and reveal surprising answers.

  • What you’ll need: List of questions 
  • Best for: 4-20 players

Ornament Decorating Contest

Who would have known ornament decorating could now be a contest? Give everyone plain ornaments and craft supplies. Set a timer for 20 minutes and let creativity take over. Vote on categories like “most festive,” “funniest,” and “most creative.”

  • What you’ll need: Clear ornaments, paint, glitter, ribbon, markers 
  • Best for: 5-15 players

Christmas Emoji Game

You should be updated with the emojis to win this game. This game can create phrases using only emojis that represent Christmas movies, songs, or traditions. Players decode the emoji combinations. For example: 🎅🏠 = “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

  • What you’ll need: Printed emoji puzzles or a display screen 
  • Best for: Any group size

Christmas Games for Family

Family gatherings need games that grandparents, parents, and kids can enjoy together. These family Christmas games bridge generation gaps without making anyone uncomfortable.

Christmas Story Round Robin

Start the game with a holiday story that has one sentence. Each person will add a sentence, building a weird and funny tale together. You can record this on your phone to replay later and laugh at how strange it got.

  • What you’ll need: Nothing but imagination!
  • Best for: 4-12 players

Holiday Pictionary

Holiday pictionary can be fun for the one who’ll draw and guess. Draw Christmas-themed words while your team guesses. Include items like “snowball fight,” “gingerbread house,” or “reindeer.” Set a timer for each round and keep score.

  • What you’ll need: Paper, markers, a timer, a word list 
  • Best for: 6-20 players

Christmas Memory Game

Better ready your memory with this game. Place holiday items on a tray and let everyone study them for one minute. Cover the tray and have players write down everything they remember. The person with the most correct items wins.

  • What you’ll need: Tray, 15-20 small Christmas items, paper, pens 
  • Best for: 4-15 players

Christmas Games for Kids

Children need games the most during the holiday season. These kids’ Christmas games hold attention spans while burning off their holiday excitement energy at night.

Reindeer Ring Toss

This sounds easy, but it can be a struggle. Toss rings onto antlers for points. Set up reindeer antlers (real costume pieces or craft versions) and toss rings onto them from a distance. Give younger kids closer throwing lines so everyone has a fair shot at winning.

  • What you’ll need: Reindeer antlers or cones with decorations, rings 
  • Best for: 3-10 kids

Snowball Toss

Throw paper snowballs into buckets. Crumple white paper into “snowballs” and set up buckets at different distances. Assign point values based on difficulty. Kids throw snowballs trying to score the most points.

  • What you’ll need: White paper, buckets or bins 
  • Best for: 2-15 kids

Musical Christmas Presents

Pass and unwrap layers to music. Wrap a prize in many layers of paper. Play holiday music while kids pass the package around. When music stops, whoever holds it removes one layer. The person who unwraps the final layer keeps the prize.

  • What you’ll need: Small gift, multiple layers of wrapping paper, music 
  • Best for: 5-15 kids

Christmas Games for Adults

Grown-ups appreciate games with strategy, competition, and opportunities for funny moments. These adult Christmas games work well after kids go to bed or at adult-only parties.

Christmas Drinking Game (Non-Alcoholic Options Work Too)

Sip while watching holiday movies. Watch a holiday movie and take a sip whenever certain things happen. Drink when someone says “Christmas,” when you see a decorated tree, or when characters hug. Use hot chocolate, cider, or your beverage of choice.

  • What you’ll need: Holiday movie, drinks 
  • Best for: 4-12 players

Ugly Sweater Contest

Show off your tackiest holiday sweater ever. Have everyone wear their tackiest holiday sweater. Vote on categories like “ugliest,” “most creative,” and “best use of lights.” And give prizes to the winners.

  • What you’ll need: “Ugly” sweaters (worn by guests) 
  • Best for: Any group size

Christmas Trivia Tournament

Test your holiday knowledge. Create questions about holiday traditions, movies, songs, and history. Form teams and keep score through multiple rounds. Include easy and difficult questions to keep things balanced.

  • What you’ll need: Printed questions, answer sheets 
  • Best for: 6-20 players

Christmas Games for Large Groups

Big parties need games where everyone participates without long waits between turns. Christmas games for large groups can handle crowds while keeping everyone’s energy up.

Santa Says (Like Simon Says)

Follow Santa’s commands carefully. One person plays Santa and gives commands. Players only follow instructions that start with “Santa says.” Anyone who moves without hearing “Santa says” sits out. The last person standing wins.

  • What you’ll need: Nothing 
  • Best for: 10-50 players

Christmas Carol Relay

Race while singing holiday songs. Divide into teams. One person from each team runs to a spot, sings a line from a Christmas carol, then runs back to tag the next teammate. The first team to have everyone sing wins.

  • What you’ll need: Space to run 
  • Best for: 12-40 players

Holiday Human Bingo

Find people matching each description. Create bingo cards with descriptions like “has met Santa,” “made gingerbread houses,” or “been on a sleigh ride.” Players mingle to find people matching each square and get signatures. First to complete a line wins.

  • What you’ll need: Printed bingo cards, pens 
  • Best for: 15-50 players

Christmas Games for Seniors

Elders and seniors can enjoy games too! They can play while seated, which doesn’t require quick reflexes, with activities that encourage participation, but without physical strain.

Christmas Name That Tune

Everyone loves music! Guess songs from the first few notes. Play the first few notes of classic holiday songs. Seniors guess the title and artist if they can. Include carols from different decades to spark memories and stories.

  • What you’ll need: Music player, holiday playlist 
  • Best for: 5-20 players

Holiday Reminiscence Game

This could be a tear-jerking game, but everyone can share memories from past holidays. Ask questions about past Christmases. What gifts do you remember most? What was the best Christmas dinner you ate? These prompts lead to wonderful storytelling.

  • What you’ll need: Question list 
  • Best for: 4-15 players

Christmas Card Matching

We hope everyone’s memory is still sharp. But you can find pairs in this memory game. Use two identical decks of holiday cards. Place them face down and take turns flipping two at a time to find matches. This memory game moves at a comfortable pace, though, so no worries!

  • What you’ll need: Two decks of Christmas cards 
  • Best for: 3-8 players

Christmas Games for All Ages

Some games truly work for everyone, from toddlers to great-grandparents. These all-age Christmas games need no modifications and let the whole family play as equals.

Christmas Freeze Dance

Dance your heart out this holiday season until the music stops. Play holiday music and have everyone dance. When music stops, freeze in place. Anyone who moves is out. The last dancer standing wins the round.

  • What you’ll need: Holiday music 
  • Best for: 5-30 players

Pass the Present

Of course, it’s time for presents!. Sit in a circle and pass a wrapped box while music plays. When music stops, whoever holds the box performs a simple task written on a card (sing a carol, tell a joke, do a dance move). No one gets eliminated.

  • What you’ll need: Wrapped empty box, task cards, music 
  • Best for: 6-20 players

Christmas Mad Libs

Ready your vocabulary list for this game! Fill in missing words to create silly holiday stories. One person asks for types of words (noun, adjective, verb) without revealing the story. Read the completed story aloud for laughs.

  • What you’ll need: Printed Mad Libs templates 
  • Best for: 3-15 players

Interactive Christmas Games

Get people moving and working together with hands-on activities. These interactive Christmas games build energy and create photo opportunities everyone will want to capture.

Build a Snowman Relay

Race to complete your snowman first. Divide into teams. Each person runs to add one piece to their snowman (carrot nose, scarf, buttons, hat, stick arms). The first team to complete their snowman wins. Use real snow outside or cotton batting indoors.

  • What you’ll need: Snowman building supplies 
  • Best for: 8-20 players

Christmas Stocking Stuff

It’s time to make use of your abilities. Toss candy into hanging stockings. Hang stockings across the room. Players toss small wrapped candies trying to land them inside from a distance. The highest score after three rounds wins.

  • What you’ll need: Stockings, wrapped candies 
  • Best for: 4-15 players

Wrap the Present Relay

Gift wrap while wearing oven mitts. Teams race to wrap a gift box using oven mitts. Once wrapped, they add a bow and pass materials to the next person. The first team to wrap three gifts wins.

  • What you’ll need: Boxes, wrapping paper, tape, bows, oven mitts 
  • Best for: 8-20 players

Fun Christmas Games

These lighthearted, fun Christmas games focus on enjoyment over competition. No one will feel bad about losing because the point is just having a good time together.

Decorate a Person

Turn someone into a Christmas tree. Teams turn one member into a Christmas tree using only tape, wrapping paper, and decorations. Set a time limit and take photos of the results. Everyone votes on their favorite.

  • What you’ll need: Wrapping paper, tape, ornaments, and garland 
  • Best for: 6-20 players

Christmas Telephone

You need to clean your ears well before this game, as you need to watch messages change. Whisper a holiday phrase to the first person. They whisper what they heard to the next person, continuing around the circle. The last person says it out loud, revealing how much it changed.

  • What you’ll need: Nothing
  • Best for: 6-15 players

Snowman Bowling

Sounds complicated, but it really isn’t! Knock down snowman cups with a ball. Stack white cups decorated as snowmen. Roll a ball to knock them down. Rebuild and let the next player try. Count how many tries it takes to knock them all down.

  • What you’ll need: White cups, markers, a ball 
  • Best for: 2-10 players

Funny Christmas Games

Laughter is the best way to make memories last. These funny Christmas games guarantee giggles through silly challenges and unexpected moments.

Jingle Bell Toss

Be ready to twerk because you might need to. Shake off bells without using your hands. Attach jingle bells to the back of players’ belts. They shake and dance, trying to get all bells off without using their hands. First person to lose all their bells wins.

  • What you’ll need: Jingle bells, string or ribbon 
  • Best for: 5-15 players

Candy Cane Hunt

Find candy canes using only your mouth. Hide candy canes around your space while everyone closes their eyes. Players search with only their mouths (no hands allowed). Watching people bend and search this way causes tons of laughs.

  • What you’ll need: Candy canes 
  • Best for: 4-12 players

Santa’s Belly Balloon Pop

Simply bump with each other, how hard could it be? Pop balloons by bumping into others. Players stuff balloons under their shirts to look like Santa’s belly. They must pop all the balloons by bumping into each other without using their hands. The last person with a balloon loses.

  • What you’ll need: Balloons 
  • Best for: 6-15 players

Minute to Win It Christmas Games

Following this show, these quick one-minute challenges are fast games that work as a tournament. So these games work for the competitive ones!

Jingle in the Trunk

One of the best and funniest games in Minute to Win It. Shake bells out of a box fast. Attach a tissue box filled with jingle bells to players’ waists. They shake and dance to empty all bells within 60 seconds without using their hands.

  • What you’ll need: Empty tissue boxes, jingle bells, ribbon 
  • Best for: 2-10 players at a time

Cookie Face

Ready your phones, incoming wacky faces! Move a cookie from forehead to mouth. Place a cookie on your forehead. Using only face muscles, move it down to your mouth and eat it within one minute. No hands allowed.

  • What you’ll need: Cookies (preferably Oreos) 
  • Best for: 2-8 players at a time

Ornament Hook Transfer

This could be hard to win, but you’ll use candy canes to move ornaments. Use a candy cane held in your mouth to transfer ornaments from one tree to another. Most ornaments moved in 60 seconds wins.

  • What you’ll need: Small trees or holders, ornaments with hooks, candy canes 
  • Best for: 2-6 players at a time

Family Feud Christmas Games

Survey-style questions pit teams against each other. These Family Feud-inspired games work best with prepared answers based on real or made-up surveys.

Name Something You Do on Christmas Morning

Compete to name the top answers. Teams buzz in to give answers. Top answers might include: open presents, eat breakfast, go to church, call relatives, take photos. Award points based on answer popularity.

  • What you’ll need: Bell or buzzer, prepared survey answers 
  • Best for: 8-20 players in teams

Name a Popular Christmas Song

Guess the most common carols. Survey the top Christmas carols people sing. Teams compete to name songs on the list. Include classics like “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night,” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

  • What you’ll need: Survey results, buzzer 
  • Best for: 8-20 players in teams

Name Something You Find Under a Christmas Tree

This game can keep you thinking! You can list items found beneath the tree. Common answers include presents, a tree skirt, ornaments, train sets, and wrapped gifts. Teams compete to guess the most popular survey responses.

  • What you’ll need: Survey answers, scoring system 
  • Best for: 8-20 players in teams

Getting Ready for Christmas Game Night

Planning makes game night run smoothly without stress. Simple preparation helps you focus on enjoying time with guests instead of scrambling for supplies.

Gather the Materials You’ll Need

Most Christmas games use items you already have around the house. Paper, pens, and timers cover many activities. Holiday decorations also double as game pieces for several challenges. Keep these basics on hand: wrapped candy, small prizes, a music player, markers, and a poster board. If needed, buy specific supplies a few days before your party. This gives you time to find alternatives if stores run out of items. Dollar stores carry affordable game materials like plastic ornaments, candy canes, and wrapping paper.

Prepare the Prizes

Small rewards make games more exciting without creating serious competition. Stock up on candy, ornaments, gift cards, or small holiday treats as prizes. Consider giving awards for effort, creativity, and good sportsmanship instead of just winning. This keeps things fun and inclusive for everyone playing.

Set Up Your Space

Clear furniture to create open areas for active games. Set up separate zones for different activity types. One corner works for seated games, while another area handles relay races and movement challenges. You can also test your setup before guests arrive. Make sure everyone can see demonstration areas and hear instructions. Having a backup indoor space also helps if the weather forces outdoor games inside.

💡Need a home to host your Christmas game? Check these out: 

Common Questions About Christmas Games

What Christmas games work best for mixed age groups?

Choose games with simple rules that don’t require physical abilities or specialized knowledge. Christmas charades, holiday bingo, and freeze dance work across all ages. Avoid games with complicated instructions or that move too fast for older participants.

How many games should I plan for a holiday party?

Plan one game per hour of your party, plus two backup options. A three-hour gathering needs about three main games and two extras in case something finishes early or doesn’t work well with your group.

What if guests don’t want to play games?

Never force participation. Set up games in one area while leaving space for people to chat elsewhere. Some guests prefer watching and cheering rather than playing. Make activities optional and welcoming instead of mandatory.

Host Your Christmas Celebration at AvantStay

Ready to host an amazing Christmas celebration without the stress of cleaning your house after? Book a Christmas home at AvantStay for your family reunion!

Our holiday vacation homes give you the gathering space your family needs for games, meals, and memories:

  • Large living areas work perfectly for group activities. 
  • Full kitchens let you prepare holiday feasts.
  • Multiple bedrooms mean everyone sleeps comfortably.

Make this Christmas one your family remembers. Book now!

Published by Danielle Vito

As Senior Social Media Manager, Danielle manages AvantStay's social media platforms and writes content for the Atlas blog. Previously, Danielle was the Social Media Producer at The Points Guy where she ran TPG's Instagram and wrote articles on the most social media-worthy destinations, and tips on hacking your travels by using credit cards.

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