Got the entire extended family coming over this Christmas? Cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and everyone in between? You’re about to host the party everyone will be talking about until next year – because we’ve rounded up over 100 Christmas games specifically designed to bring large families together.
Here’s the thing about big family Christmas gatherings: they’re either magical chaos or just… chaos. The difference? Having awesome games that work for toddlers and grandparents alike, keep everyone engaged, and create those hilarious “remember when Grandpa tried to…” stories that become family legends.
Whether you need games for the adults while the kids nap, entertainment for the little ones while you prep dinner, or all-family games that’ll have three generations laughing together, we’ve got your holiday covered.
Why Your Large Family Christmas Needs These Games
Let’s be real – hosting the entire family is a beautiful challenge. You’ve got different age groups, energy levels, and personalities all under one roof. Some relatives haven’t seen each other in months (or years!), and you want everyone to feel connected and have an amazing time.
That’s exactly what these games do. They break the ice, get conversations flowing, and turn potentially awkward moments into memories you’ll cherish forever.
Essential Tips for Hosting Large Family Christmas Gatherings:
- Plan extra food. With family, there’s always someone who brings a surprise plus-one. Over-prepare, or make it a potluck where everyone contributes their signature Christmas dish.
- Create a festive soundtrack. Keep Christmas music playing softly throughout the house. It fills silence naturally and sets that warm, holiday mood everyone loves.
- Set up activity zones. With kids, teens, and adults all in one space, having different areas helps – a game corner, a quiet chat zone, and an outdoor play space if weather permits.
- Have games ready for any moment. When energy dips after dinner or conversations stall, pull out a game and watch your family light up again.
Ready to make this your best family Christmas ever? Let’s go!
1. Christmas Movie Quote Challenge
Get the grown-ups laughing with this nostalgic trip through everyone’s favorite holiday films.
Best for: Adults and teens (ages 13+), 6-30 players
Time to Play: 15-25 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Index cards or paper slips
- Pen
- Bowl or hat
How to Play:
- Before the party, write famous Christmas movie quotes on cards (“You’ll shoot your eye out!”, “Every time a bell rings…”, etc.).
- Divide adults into teams of 3-4 people.
- One person draws a card and reads the quote – their team has 10 seconds to name the movie.
- Each correct answer earns a point.
- First team to 10 points wins!
Pro Tip: Mix in some really obscure quotes from family favorites to make it extra challenging. The debates over which movie a quote came from? Pure entertainment gold.
Indoor Christmas Scavenger Hunt Printable for Kids
25 ready-made clues = zero stress for you – Just print, hide, and watch kids stay engaged for hours while you actually enjoy your coffee
Instant download, works today – Get it in minutes, print on regular paper, create Christmas magic in under 15 minutes of setup
Saves Christmas on bad weather days – Perfect indoor activity when kids are bouncing off walls and you need them happily occupied
One purchase, use it every year – Blank templates let you customize for different ages or create new versions as kids grow
Outdoor Christmas Scavenger Hunt Printable for Kids
Gets kids outside and active – Burns energy while solving 25 riddles and challenges around the yard (lifesaver when they’re hyped on holiday sugar)
Instant download, 15-minute setup – Print, hide clues, done. Perfect last-minute activity that looks like you planned for weeks
Works with your yard decorations – Turns your Christmas lights and lawn decor into part of the adventure kids will beg to do again
Reusable every year – Blank templates let you customize for different ages or add new challenges as kids grow
Difficult Christmas Scavenger Hunt Printable for Adults – Twelve Days of Christmas
Actually challenging puzzles for adults – 30 clever clues including ciphers, logic puzzles, and cryptic riddles that will genuinely stump your smartest friends
Print and play in minutes – Download, print, hide. Setup takes less time than wrapping gifts, but creates hours of laughter and memories
Flexible for any group – Pick 12 clues for a quick adventure or all 30 for an epic night. Customize with blank cards for personal inside jokes
2. “Who Said That?” Holiday Edition
This game will have your family members reminiscing about past Christmases and inside jokes.
Best for: Adults who know each other well, 8-25 players
Time to Play: 20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Index cards
- Pens
- Bowl
How to Play:
- Everyone writes down three funny, memorable, or quirky things they’ve said at past family gatherings (Christmas or otherwise).
- Collect all cards in a bowl.
- Take turns drawing cards and reading quotes aloud.
- Everyone guesses who said it.
- The person who said it gets to share the story behind the quote!
Fun Variation: Make it Christmas-specific quotes must be things said at previous family Christmas gatherings. The memories that surface will be priceless!
3. Christmas Carol Charades (Adult Version)
Time to watch your relatives act out holiday songs without singing a single note!
Best for: Adults and older teens, 8-20 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- List of Christmas songs (write on cards)
- Timer
- Your phone or stopwatch
How to Play:
- Write Christmas song titles on individual cards.
- Players take turns drawing a card and acting out the song without speaking or humming.
- Their team has 60 seconds to guess the song title.
- Each correct guess earns a point.
- Team with the most points after everyone’s had a turn wins!
Pro Tip: Include some hilariously specific songs like “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” or “Dominick the Donkey” for maximum entertainment value.
4. Never Have I Ever: Christmas Edition
A festive twist on the classic game that reveals hilarious holiday secrets!
Best for: Adults (and mature teens if you keep it PG), 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Nothing! Just your family
- Optional: Candy canes to hold up instead of fingers
How to Play:
- Everyone sits in a circle.
- First person says “Never have I ever…” and finishes with a Christmas-related activity (burned cookies, forgotten a gift, re-gifted something, etc.).
- Anyone who HAS done it holds up one finger (or a candy cane).
- Go around the circle – first person to hold up five fingers is “out”.
- Last person standing wins!
Pro Tip: This game gets really fun when family members learn surprising things about each other. Keep it light and funny – this isn’t the time for deep dark secrets!
5. Christmas Scattergories Family Edition
The classic word game with a festive twist – perfect for competitive families!
Best for: Adults and teens (ages 12+), 4-30 players
Time to Play: 25-35 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Printed Scattergories sheets with Christmas categories
- Pens
- Timer
- 20-sided die (or just pick random letters)
How to Play:
- Give everyone a sheet with categories like “Christmas Foods”, “Holiday Movies”, “Things Santa Says”, etc.
- Roll the die or pick a letter randomly.
- Set timer for 3 minutes.
- Everyone fills in answers for each category starting with that letter.
- When time’s up, go through answers – only unique answers score points!
- Play 3-4 rounds with different letters.
Fun Variation: Make family-specific categories like “Things Grandma Always Says at Christmas” or “Dishes That Always Show Up at Our Christmas Dinner”.
6. Two Truths and a Lie: Christmas Memories
Discover which of your family’s Christmas stories are real… and which are total fiction!
Best for: Adults, 6-25 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Just your family and their memories!
How to Play:
- Each person thinks of three Christmas-related statements about themselves – two true, one false.
- They share all three statements with the group.
- Everyone votes on which statement they think is the lie.
- The person reveals the lie and shares the stories behind the true statements.
- Anyone who guesses correctly gets a point!
Pro Tip: The more specific and outrageous you make your truths, the harder it is to spot the lie. “I once wrapped a present so badly it took 15 minutes and a pair of scissors to open” could be true OR false!
7. Christmas Gift Wrapping Race (Adult Championship)
Who’s the fastest wrapper in the family? Time to find out!
Best for: Adults, 4-12 players
Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Wrapping paper (same amount for each player)
- Tape
- Scissors
- Boxes of identical size
- Timer
How to Play:
- Give each player a box, wrapping paper, tape, and scissors.
- On “Go!”, everyone races to wrap their box as neatly as possible.
- First person to finish with a well-wrapped gift (corners tucked, tape not showing excessively) wins!
- Judge on speed AND quality.
Fun Variation: Make it a relay race with teams, or add a twist – wrap with oven mitts on for extra hilarity!
8. Name That Christmas Tune
How fast can your family identify holiday classics from just a few notes?
Best for: All adults, 6-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Playlist of Christmas songs
- Device to play music
- Notepad for scoring
How to Play:
- Divide into teams.
- Play just 3-5 seconds of a Christmas song.
- First team to correctly name the song gets a point.
- Play becomes gradually longer snippets if no one guesses.
- Team with the most points after 20 songs wins!
Pro Tip: Mix classic carols with modern pop Christmas songs to challenge different generations. Watching grandparents try to identify Mariah Carey while millennials struggle with Bing Crosby? Priceless.
9. Christmas Would You Rather (Grown-Up Edition)
Spark hilarious debates with impossible holiday choices!
Best for: Adults, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- List of “Would You Rather” questions (prepare ahead or find printables online)
How to Play:
- Go around the circle asking each person a “Would You Rather” question.
- They must choose and explain why.
- Everyone else shares which they’d pick too.
- The debates and explanations are where the fun happens!
Sample Questions:
- Would you rather only eat fruitcake for Christmas dinner OR listen to “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” on repeat for 24 hours?
- Would you rather have to wear an ugly Christmas sweater every day in December OR only be able to give gift cards for Christmas?
Pro Tip: Create custom questions based on your family’s quirks and traditions for extra laughs!
10. Christmas Emoji Game
Can you decode Christmas songs using only emoji? Challenge accepted!
Best for: Adults and teens (ages 12+), 6-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Printed sheets with emoji sequences representing Christmas songs
- Pens
- Timer
How to Play:
- Give everyone a sheet with 15-20 Christmas songs written in emojis.
- Set timer for 10 minutes.
- Players race to decode as many songs as possible.
- Person with the most correct answers wins!
11. Christmas Water Bottle Bowling
Transform simple water bottles into a holiday bowling alley!
Best for: Kids ages 4-12, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- 10 empty water bottles
- Red and green construction paper or paint
- Small ball (or rolled-up socks)
- Tape to mark bowling lines
How to Play:
- Decorate water bottles to look like Christmas trees, snowmen, or candy canes.
- Set them up in bowling pin formation.
- Mark different starting lines for different ages.
- Kids take turns rolling the ball to knock down pins.
- Keep score traditionally or play that knocking down all pins wins!
Pro Tip: Fill bottles with a little sand or water to make them more stable but still knockable. This keeps younger kids from getting frustrated!
12. Pin the Nose on Rudolph
The classic party game with a festive reindeer twist!
Best for: Kids ages 3-10, 6-25 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Large poster of Rudolph (draw one or print)
- Red circle “noses” with tape on back
- Blindfold
How to Play:
- Hang Rudolph poster on the wall.
- Blindfold the first player and spin them gently 2-3 times.
- They try to stick the nose where Rudolph’s nose should be.
- Mark each attempt with the player’s name.
- Closest to the actual nose spot wins!
Fun Variation: Make it “Pin the Carrot Nose on the Snowman” or “Pin the Star on the Christmas Tree” to mix things up!
13. Christmas Scavenger Hunt Adventure
Send the kids on an exciting quest around your home!
Best for: Kids ages 5-14, 4-20 players
Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Printed scavenger hunt lists (find free printables online)
- Small bags for collecting items
- Prizes for completion
How to Play:
- Create age-appropriate lists (younger kids: find something red, find an ornament; older kids: more complex riddles).
- Divide kids into teams or let them hunt individually.
- Set boundaries (which rooms they can search).
- First to complete the list wins!
Sample Items to Find:
- Something with a reindeer on it
- A candy cane
- Three different ornaments
- Something that jingles
- A Christmas card
Pro Tip: Hide a special “golden ornament” somewhere for bonus points to keep the excitement level high!
14. Rudolph Races (STEM Christmas Game)
Build mini racing reindeer and watch them zoom!
Best for: Kids ages 6-14, 4-20 players
Time to Play: 30-40 minutes (includes building time)
What You’ll Need:
- Straws
- Balloons
- Tape
- String or fishing line
- Reindeer decorations (pipe cleaners, googly eyes, red pom-poms)
How to Play:
- Help kids create balloon-powered reindeer racers by taping decorated straws to balloons.
- String a long piece of fishing line across the room.
- Thread the straw onto the line.
- Blow up the balloon (don’t tie it!), hold the end closed.
- On “Go!”, release the balloon and watch Rudolph race across the line!
- Fastest reindeer wins!
Pro Tip: This is a perfect combo of craft time and game time – kids love decorating their reindeer before the race!
15. Don’t Eat Pete: Christmas Edition
A simple, sweet game that kids absolutely love!
Best for: Kids ages 3-10, 4-15 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Printed “Don’t Eat Pete” game board (3×3 or 4×4 grid with Christmas characters)
- M&Ms, Skittles, or small candies
- One piece of paper to hide the “Pete” selection
How to Play:
- Place one candy on each character square.
- One player leaves the room.
- Others secretly pick which character is “Pete”.
- Player returns and starts eating candies one at a time from the board.
- When they reach “Pete”, everyone shouts “DON’T EAT PETE!”
- They keep all candies eaten before Pete.
- Refill board and next player goes!
Pro Tip: Use different Christmas candies for each round to keep it exciting – candy canes pieces, chocolate kisses, or gummy bears!
16. Christmas Bingo Bonanza
Classic bingo with a holiday twist that even the littlest cousins can play!
Best for: Kids ages 3-12, 6-30 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Printed Christmas bingo cards (free templates online)
- Markers (coins, buttons, or candy)
- Small prizes
How to Play:
- Give each child a unique bingo card with Christmas images.
- Call out items randomly (“Candy cane!” “Snowman!” “Christmas tree!”).
- Kids mark their cards when they have that image.
- First to get five in a row shouts “BINGO!” and wins!
- Play multiple rounds so everyone can win.
Fun Variation: Use actual small objects in a bag and pull them out to show instead of just calling them – great for kids who can’t read yet!
17. Christmas Freeze Dance Party
Get those wiggles out with this active musical game!
Best for: Kids ages 3-10, 6-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Christmas music playlist
- Speaker
- Space to dance
How to Play:
- Play upbeat Christmas music.
- Kids dance however they want!
- Randomly pause the music – everyone must FREEZE in their current position.
- Anyone who moves after the freeze is “out” (or loses a point if you don’t want to eliminate kids).
- Last dancer standing wins!
Fun Variation: Call out specific poses when you pause – “Freeze like a snowman!” “Freeze like Rudolph!” “Freeze like you’re wrapping a present!”
18. Santa Says (Christmas Simon Says)
The classic following-directions game with a jolly twist!
Best for: Kids ages 3-10, 6-30 players
Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Just your voice and the kids!
How to Play:
- One person (usually an adult) is “Santa”.
- Santa gives commands: “Santa says… touch your nose!”
- Kids only follow commands that start with “Santa says”.
- If Santa gives a command without saying “Santa says” first and someone does it, they’re out.
- Last kid standing becomes the next Santa!
Sample Commands:
- “Santa says hop like a reindeer!”
- “Santa says stack pretend presents!”
- “Twirl around!” (trick – no “Santa says!”)
Pro Tip: Keep eliminated kids engaged by having them be “spotters” who help catch people who mess up!
19. Christmas Story Time Race
How fast can kids act out the Christmas story?
Best for: Kids ages 5-12, 8-20 players
Time to Play: 20-25 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Simple Christmas story (like “The Night Before Christmas”)
- Props (optional but fun – Santa hat, reindeer antlers, toy gifts)
How to Play:
- Divide kids into teams.
- Assign each team member a character or element from the story.
- Read the story aloud.
- Whenever their character is mentioned, that player must perform an action (Santa waves, reindeer gallop, presents get “placed” under a tree).
- Fastest, most creative team wins!
Pro Tip: Read faster as the game goes on to make it hilariously chaotic!
20. Christmas Memory Matching Game
Test those little brains with a festive memory challenge!
Best for: Kids ages 4-10, 2-8 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Printed matching cards with Christmas images (two of each: Santa, tree, gift, etc.)
- Space to lay out cards
How to Play:
- Lay all cards face down in rows.
- Players take turns flipping two cards.
- If they match, the player keeps them and goes again.
- If they don’t match, flip them back over.
- Player with the most pairs at the end wins!
Pro Tip: Start with fewer pairs (8-10) for younger kids, more pairs (15-20) for older kids to adjust difficulty!
21. Christmas Charades: Family Edition
Act out holiday scenes while your whole family guesses!
Best for: All ages, 6-30 players
Time to Play: 25-35 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Cards with Christmas activities, movies, or songs written on them
- Timer
- Bowl to draw from
How to Play:
- Divide into teams mixing all ages together.
- One person draws a card and acts it out without speaking.
- Their team has 60 seconds to guess correctly.
- Each correct guess earns a point.
- Team with most points after everyone’s had multiple turns wins!
Sample Prompts:
- Wrapping a present
- Building a snowman
- Decorating the tree
- Santa going down the chimney
- Rudolph guiding the sleigh
Pro Tip: Let younger kids team up with older family members to act out harder prompts together!
22. The Saran Wrap Ball Game (Ultimate Gift Grab)
Watch your family hilariously unwrap a massive ball full of prizes!
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- One roll (or more) of plastic wrap
- Small prizes (candy, dollar bills, lottery tickets, small toys, gift cards)
- Two dice
- Bowl or container
How to Play:
- Before the party, create the ball: place a prize in the center, wrap it with plastic wrap, add another prize, wrap more, repeat until massive.
- Everyone sits in a circle.
- One person starts unwrapping the ball; person next to them rolls the dice.
- The unwrapper keeps any prizes that fall out during their turn.
- When the dice-roller gets doubles, they pass the dice and grab the ball.
- Continue until the ball is completely unwrapped!
Fun Variation: Make the unwrapper wear oven mitts for extra hilarity!
23. Christmas Pictionary Showdown
Can you draw Christmas scenes fast enough for your family to guess?
Best for: All ages, 6-30 players
Time to Play: 30-40 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Large paper pad or whiteboard
- Markers
- Cards with Christmas words/phrases
- Timer
How to Play:
- Divide into mixed-age teams.
- One person draws a Christmas-related word while their team guesses.
- They have 60 seconds per round.
- Correct guess = point for the team.
- Rotate drawers so everyone gets multiple turns.
- Most points wins!
Sample Prompts:
- Gingerbread house
- Snowball fight
- Opening stockings
- Christmas cookies
- Caroling
Pro Tip: Pair younger kids with adults when it’s their turn to draw for built-in teamwork!
24. Christmas Trivia Tournament
Test your family’s knowledge of all things Christmas!
Best for: All ages (adjust questions accordingly), 6-30 players
Time to Play: 25-35 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Prepared trivia questions at different difficulty levels
- Paper and pens for answers
- Small prizes
How to Play:
- Create three categories: Kids Questions, Teen/Adult Questions, and Family Questions (everyone).
- Ask questions appropriate to age groups.
- Individuals or teams write down answers.
- Award points for correct answers.
- Highest score wins!
Sample Questions:
- Kids: What color is Rudolph’s nose?
- Teens/Adults: What year was “Home Alone” released?
- Family: What’s our family’s favorite Christmas tradition?
Pro Tip: Include questions about YOUR family’s specific Christmas memories for bonus points!
25. Christmas Word Scramble Race
Unscramble holiday words faster than your relatives!
Best for: All ages (ages 7+), 6-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Printed sheets with scrambled Christmas words
- Pens
- Timer
How to Play:
- Give everyone a sheet with 20-30 scrambled words.
- Set timer for 10 minutes.
- Players unscramble as many words as possible.
- When time’s up, go through answers together.
- Most correct answers wins!
Sample Scrambled Words:
- EERDIENR (Reindeer)
- SANTCKIHCSMROS (Christmas Stocking)
- ESRPENT (Present)
Pro Tip: Make some words super easy for kids and some challenging for adults so everyone stays engaged!
26. The Gift Passing Game (Left-Right Story)
A hilarious story that determines who gets which gift!
Best for: All ages, 8-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Wrapped gifts (one per person or fewer for multiple rounds)
- A “Left-Right” Christmas story (find free printables online)
How to Play:
- Everyone sits in a circle with a wrapped gift.
- Read a Christmas story that includes the words “left” and “right” frequently.
- Every time “left” is said, everyone passes their gift left.
- Every time “right” is said, pass right.
- Whatever gift you’re holding when the story ends, you keep!
Pro Tip: Read dramatically with pauses and emphasis on “left” and “right” to build suspense!
27. Christmas Carol Lip Sync Battle
Time for your family to perform the most hilarious lip sync performances ever!
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 30-40 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Christmas song playlist
- Makeshift stage area
- Optional: props, costumes, toy microphones
- Phone to record (trust us, you’ll want footage!)
How to Play:
- Each person or team picks a Christmas song.
- They get 2 minutes to prepare their lip sync performance.
- They perform for the family (bonus points for choreography and props!).
- Family votes on winners in categories: Most Entertaining, Best Choreography, Most Dramatic.
Pro Tip: Encourage grandparents to participate – watching Grandpa perform “Jingle Bell Rock” might be the highlight of your entire Christmas!
28. Christmas Minute to Win It Challenge
Can your family complete these hilarious challenges in under 60 seconds?
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Varies by challenge (listed below)
- Timer
- Prizes for winners
Challenge Ideas:
Challenge 1: Jingle Bell Toss
- Toss jingle bells into cups from 6 feet away
- Most bells in cups within 60 seconds wins
Challenge 2: Candy Cane Catch
- Hook candy canes using another candy cane held in your mouth
- Transfer from one bowl to another
- Most transferred wins
Challenge 3: Ornament Balance
- Balance as many ornaments as possible on the back of your hand
- Can’t drop any for full 60 seconds
Challenge 4: Christmas Cookie Stack
- Stack Christmas cookies on your forehead, tip head back, catch in mouth
- Most catches wins
Pro Tip: Set up stations and have multiple challenges running simultaneously so everyone stays active!
29. White Elephant Gift Exchange (Family Style)
The classic gift exchange that creates hilarious chaos!
Best for: All ages, 8-30 players
Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Wrapped gifts (one per person, set a $10-$20 budget)
- Numbers in a hat (for turn order)
How to Play:
- Everyone brings one wrapped gift and places it in the pile.
- Draw numbers to determine turn order.
- First person picks any gift and opens it.
- Next person can either steal an opened gift OR pick a new one.
- If your gift is stolen, pick a new one from the pile (can’t immediately steal back).
- Each gift can only be stolen 2-3 times max before it’s “frozen”.
- Continue until all gifts are opened!
Family-Friendly Rule: Make sure gifts are appropriate for all ages, or have a separate kids’ White Elephant!
30. Christmas Dice Gift Swap
Roll the dice to determine your gift exchange fate!
Best for: All ages, 8-25 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Wrapped gifts (one per person)
- Two dice
- Printed instruction sheet
How to Play:
- Everyone sits in a circle with their wrapped gift.
- Take turns rolling both dice.
- Follow the instructions for whatever number you roll:
- Snake eyes (two 1s): Swap gifts with anyone
- 7: Pass your gift left
- 8: Pass your gift right
- 11: Unwrap your gift
- 12: Everyone passes gifts left
- Other numbers: Nothing happens
- Set a timer for 15 minutes – whatever gift you have when time’s up, you keep!
Pro Tip: Once gifts start getting unwrapped, the strategy gets really interesting!
31. Christmas Movie Quote Game
Guess which holiday movie these famous lines came from!
Best for: All ages (teens and adults), 8-30 players
Time to Play: 20-25 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- List of Christmas movie quotes
- Paper and pens for answers (optional)
How to Play:
- Read a famous Christmas movie quote.
- First person to correctly identify the movie gets a point.
- Play 20-30 rounds.
- Highest score wins!
Sample Quotes:
- “Keep the change, ya filthy animal!” (Home Alone)
- “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.” (Elf)
- “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.” (It’s a Wonderful Life)
Pro Tip: Include movies from different eras so all generations have a chance to shine!
32. Build a Snowman Relay Race
An active relay that gets everyone moving!
Best for: All ages, 10-30 players
Time to Play: 20-25 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- White balloons or white rolled socks (3 per team)
- Scarves
- Carrot (or orange paper)
- Buttons or black paper circles
- Hat for each team
How to Play:
- Divide into mixed-age teams.
- Set up relay stations with snowman-building supplies.
- First person runs, places bottom balloon/sock ball, runs back.
- Next person adds middle section.
- Continue until snowman is fully “built” with all accessories.
- First team to complete their snowman wins!
Indoor Variation: Use white paper plates stacked instead of balloons for a mess-free version!
33. Christmas Memory Tray Game
Test your family’s observation skills with this classic memory challenge!
Best for: All ages, 6-25 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Tray or large plate
- 15-20 small Christmas items (ornament, candy cane, small toy, gift bow, etc.)
- Towel to cover tray
- Paper and pens
How to Play:
- Place all items on the tray.
- Give everyone 30 seconds to study the items.
- Cover the tray with the towel.
- Everyone writes down as many items as they remember.
- Remove the towel and count – most items remembered wins!
Pro Tip: For extra challenge, secretly remove one item while the tray is covered and ask what’s missing!
34. Christmas “Would You Rather” Discussion
Spark funny conversations with impossible holiday choices!
Best for: All ages, 6-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- List of “Would You Rather” questions
How to Play:
- Go around the circle asking each family member a different question.
- They choose and explain why.
- Everyone else shares what they would pick.
- The discussions and debates are the real game!
Family-Friendly Questions:
- Would you rather only eat Christmas cookies OR only eat candy canes for a week?
- Would you rather be an elf in Santa’s workshop OR a reindeer pulling the sleigh?
- Would you rather have Christmas every day OR never have Christmas again but get one HUGE birthday?
Pro Tip: Let kids make up their own “Would You Rather” questions for adults to answer!
35. Ornament Spoon Relay
Balance those ornaments carefully in this hilarious race!
Best for: All ages, 8-24 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Large spoons (one per team)
- Plastic ornaments (not breakable!)
- Cones or markers for turning points
How to Play:
- Divide into mixed-age teams.
- First person balances an ornament on their spoon.
- They race to the turning point and back without dropping it.
- If it drops, they must stop, replace it, and continue.
- Hand off spoon and ornament to next teammate.
- First team to have everyone complete the relay wins!
Pro Tip: Use different colored ornaments for each team to avoid confusion during the chaos!
36. Christmas Story Chain Game
Create the most hilarious collaborative Christmas story ever told!
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Just your creative family!
How to Play:
- First person starts a Christmas story with one sentence: “Once upon a time, Santa woke up and realized…”
- Next person adds exactly one sentence to continue the story.
- Go around the circle, each person adding one sentence.
- Try to make the story as funny and creative as possible!
- Last person must end the story.
Pro Tip: Record the story on your phone – these collaborative tales become legendary family memories you’ll want to replay next year!
37. Candy Cane Hunt
An Easter egg hunt… but make it Christmas!
Best for: All ages (especially kids 3-12), 8-30 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- 50-100 candy canes
- Bags for collecting
- One special “golden” candy cane
How to Play:
- Hide candy canes throughout designated rooms or outdoor space.
- Give each person a bag.
- On “Go!”, everyone searches for candy canes!
- Set a time limit (10-15 minutes).
- Person who finds the golden candy cane wins a special prize!
- Everyone keeps the candy they collected.
Pro Tip: Hide some candy canes in really easy spots for toddlers and more challenging spots for older kids and adults. Everyone wins!
38. Christmas Cookie Decorating Contest
Unleash your family’s inner pastry chefs!
Best for: All ages, 4-20 players
Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Plain sugar cookies (baked ahead)
- Various frosting colors
- Sprinkles, candies, edible decorations
- Plates for each person
How to Play:
- Give everyone 3-4 cookies and access to all decorating supplies.
- Set a timer for 20 minutes.
- Everyone decorates their cookies (themed categories: funniest, most creative, prettiest).
- Display all cookies and vote in different categories.
- Winner in each category gets a prize!
- Everyone eats their creations!
Pro Tip: Take photos of the cookie creations before anyone eats them – these make adorable holiday memories!
39. Christmas Sock Toss Challenge
Toss rolled-up Christmas socks into stockings for points!
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Christmas stockings (hung at different heights/distances)
- Rolled-up socks (preferably Christmas-themed!)
- Tape to mark throwing lines
How to Play:
- Hang stockings at various distances and heights.
- Assign point values (closer/lower = fewer points, farther/higher = more points).
- Each player gets 5 sock tosses.
- Tally up points from successful tosses.
- Highest score wins!
Fun Variation: Play as teams with different family members taking turns!
40. Christmas Hot Potato
The classic game with jingle bells instead of music!
Best for: All ages, 8-30 players
Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- A wrapped gift or festive ball
- Music player OR a jingle bell to shake
How to Play:
- Everyone sits in a circle.
- Start the music (or have someone shake jingle bells with eyes closed).
- Pass the “potato” around the circle quickly.
- When music stops (or bells stop), the person holding it is “out”.
- Last person remaining wins!
Fun Variation: Use an actual ornament (plastic!) and if you drop it, you’re out!
41. Christmas Backward Alphabet Challenge
Say the alphabet backward with a festive twist!
Best for: All ages (8+), 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- List of Christmas words
- Timer
How to Play:
- Players must say the alphabet backward while also naming Christmas items.
- Example: “Z-Zamboni that Santa uses, Y-Yule log, X-Xmas lights…”
- Set a timer for 2 minutes per person.
- Person who gets farthest through the backward alphabet wins!
- Or play as teams taking turns!
Pro Tip: This sounds easy but is hilariously difficult – watching family members struggle is half the fun!
42. Christmas Balloon Pop Relay
Pop balloons to reveal holiday challenges!
Best for: All ages, 10-30 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Balloons with challenges written on paper inside
- Chairs or cones for relay markers
How to Play:
- Before the party, write mini challenges on paper, stuff in balloons, and inflate.
- Divide into teams.
- First person runs to the balloon pile, grabs one, pops it (sit on it!).
- They must complete the challenge inside (sing a carol, do 10 jumping jacks, etc.).
- Run back and tag next teammate.
- First team to pop all their balloons wins!
Sample Challenges:
- Name 5 Christmas movies
- Sing “Jingle Bells”
- Do your best Santa laugh
- Act like a reindeer for 10 seconds
43. Guess the Christmas Song Humming Game
Hum holiday tunes while your family guesses frantically!
Best for: All ages, 6-25 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- List of Christmas songs
- Timer
How to Play:
- One person picks a song and hums it (no words!).
- Their team has 30 seconds to guess.
- Correct guess = point for the team.
- Take turns so everyone gets to hum.
- Team with most points wins!
Pro Tip: Some people are TERRIBLE at humming on pitch, which makes this even funnier!
44. Christmas Tower Building Challenge
Build the tallest tower using only Christmas items!
Best for: All ages, 8-24 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Candy canes
- Marshmallows
- Toothpicks
- Christmas cookies
- Any stackable Christmas items
How to Play:
- Divide into teams.
- Give each team identical building supplies.
- Set a timer for 10 minutes.
- Teams build the tallest free-standing tower possible.
- Towers must stand on their own for 10 seconds after time is up.
- Tallest tower wins!
Pro Tip: This gets competitive fast – watching towers collapse at the last second creates epic moments!
45. Christmas Mad Libs
Fill in the blanks for hilarious holiday stories!
Best for: All ages (7+), 4-25 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Printed Christmas Mad Libs (find free ones online)
- Pens
How to Play:
- One person asks for words without revealing the story (noun, adjective, verb, etc.).
- Family calls out random words.
- Fill in the blanks with those words.
- Read the completed story aloud – prepare for uncontrollable laughter!
Pro Tip: Let younger kids be the ones calling out words – their random choices make the stories even more absurd!
46. Jingle Bell Toss Ring Game
Toss rings onto jingle bells for festive fun!
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Large jingle bells (or bottles decorated as bells)
- Rings (can use glow stick necklaces, embroidery hoops, or make rings from pipe cleaners)
- Different point markers
How to Play:
- Set up jingle bells at various distances.
- Assign point values to each bell (farther = more points).
- Each player gets 5 ring tosses.
- Tally successful tosses.
- Highest score wins!
Fun Variation: Play in the dark with glow-in-the-dark rings for extra challenge!
47. Christmas Karaoke Competition
Belt out holiday classics for family glory!
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Karaoke machine or YouTube karaoke videos
- List of Christmas songs
- Optional: toy microphone, phone to record
How to Play:
- Everyone picks a Christmas song to perform.
- Performances can be solo or groups.
- Family votes on categories: Best Performance, Funniest, Most Enthusiastic.
- Winners in each category get prizes!
Pro Tip: Encourage family duets or group numbers – watching Dad and Uncle Tom perform “Baby It’s Cold Outside” will be legendary!
48. Christmas Stocking Stuff Relay
Race to stuff stockings with holiday goodies!
Best for: All ages, 8-24 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Christmas stockings (one per team)
- Small items to stuff (candy canes, small toys, rolled socks, ornaments)
- Buckets of items at starting line
How to Play:
- Divide into teams.
- Hang empty stockings across the room.
- Place buckets of items at the starting line.
- One at a time, players grab ONE item, run to stocking, stuff it, run back.
- Next person goes.
- First team to completely fill their stocking wins!
Pro Tip: Make it harder by requiring players to wear oven mitts while stuffing!
49. Guess How Many Challenge (Christmas Edition)
Estimate holiday items in jars for prizes!
Best for: All ages, 6-30 players
Time to Play: 5-10 minutes (throughout party)
What You’ll Need:
- Large clear jars
- Christmas items (candy canes, jingle bells, ornaments, etc.)
- Paper and pens for guesses
How to Play:
- Before party, fill jars with counted Christmas items.
- Set out jars with paper for guesses.
- Throughout the party, family members write their estimates.
- At designated time, reveal the actual counts.
- Closest guess for each jar wins that jar of goodies!
Pro Tip: Use different items in multiple jars so more family members can win!
50. Christmas Obstacle Course
Create a festive obstacle course for all ages!
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 25-35 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Various household items (chairs, pillows, hula hoops, etc.)
- Christmas-themed stations
- Timer
How to Play:
- Set up stations: crawl under “Santa’s sleigh” (table), hop through “snowdrifts” (pillows), toss “snowballs” (white socks) into buckets, balance “presents” (wrapped boxes) on head.
- Time each person going through the course.
- Fastest time wins!
- Or run as relay teams!
Pro Tip: Adjust difficulty by age – let little ones skip harder stations or give them head starts!
51. Christmas Two Truths and a Lie
Discover surprising holiday facts about your family!
Best for: All ages (7+), 6-25 players
Time to Play: 20-25 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Just your family’s memories!
How to Play:
- Each person shares three Christmas-related statements about themselves.
- Two must be true, one must be false.
- Everyone votes on which is the lie.
- Person reveals the lie and shares stories about the true ones!
- Points for those who guess correctly!
Sample Statements:
- “I once got a puppy for Christmas”
- “I ate an entire gingerbread house by myself when I was 8”
- “I’ve been to the North Pole”
Pro Tip: The more specific and outrageous the truths, the harder it is to spot the lie!
52. Pin the Star on the Christmas Tree
Another festive twist on the classic pinning game!
Best for: All ages (3+), 6-25 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Large Christmas tree poster or drawing
- Paper stars with tape
- Blindfold
How to Play:
- Hang tree on wall at appropriate height.
- Blindfold first player and spin them gently.
- They try to place star at the top of the tree.
- Mark each attempt with player’s name.
- Closest to the top wins!
Fun Variation: Use actual small ornaments with sticky tack instead of stars!
53. Christmas Sound Effects Game
Guess Christmas activities from sound effects alone!
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- List of Christmas activities
- Optional: props to make sounds more realistic
How to Play:
- One person creates sound effects for a Christmas activity (wrapping presents, decorating tree, sleigh bells, etc.).
- Others guess what they’re doing.
- First correct guess gets a point.
- Everyone gets a turn making sounds.
- Most points wins!
Sample Activities:
- Wrapping presents (crinkling paper)
- Baking cookies (mixing, oven timer)
- Building a snowman (packing snow sounds)
- Sleigh bells jingling
Pro Tip: Let little kids go first – their sound effects are adorably creative!
54. Christmas Candy Cane Fishing
“Fish” for candy canes in this sweet challenge!
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Candy canes (lots!)
- One candy cane per player (the “fishing rod”)
- Large bowl or container
How to Play:
- Scatter candy canes in a bowl or on the floor.
- Each player holds one candy cane in their mouth (hands behind back!).
- Set a timer for 2 minutes.
- Players try to “hook” other candy canes using only the candy cane in their mouth.
- Most candy canes hooked wins!
Pro Tip: This is WAY harder than it sounds and creates hilarious photo opportunities!
55. Christmas Relay Gift Wrap Race
Wrap presents as a team relay – chaos guaranteed!
Best for: All ages (5+), 10-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Identical boxes (one per team)
- Wrapping paper
- Tape
- Scissors
- Bows/ribbon
How to Play:
- Divide into teams.
- Each team member must complete ONE step: Player 1 cuts paper, Player 2 wraps box, Player 3 tapes it, Player 4 adds bow.
- Teams can only do their step, then tag next person.
- First team with a fully wrapped present wins!
Fun Variation: Make the final person wrap blindfolded for extra laughs!
56. Christmas “I Spy” Game
Perfect for keeping kids (and adults!) entertained!
Best for: All ages, 4-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Your decorated home
- Or printed “I Spy” Christmas pictures
How to Play:
- One person says “I spy with my little eye something…” and gives a Christmas-related clue.
- Others guess what they see.
- First correct guess becomes the next “spy”.
- Or use printed I Spy sheets with hidden Christmas objects!
Pro Tip: Make it a scavenger hunt by having kids find actual items around your home!
57. Christmas Dance Off Competition
Who’s got the best holiday moves in the family?
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Christmas music playlist (mix of fast and slow)
- Open space
- Phone to record
How to Play:
- Play different Christmas songs.
- Everyone shows their best dance moves!
- Family votes after each song on: Best Moves, Funniest, Most Creative.
- Winners get points.
- Highest total points wins!
Pro Tip: Start with slower songs to ease self-conscious family members in, then ramp up the energy!
58. Snowball Toss (Indoor Safe!)
Toss “snowballs” into buckets for points!
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- White socks rolled into balls OR crumpled white paper
- Buckets or laundry baskets
- Tape to mark throwing lines
How to Play:
- Set up buckets at various distances.
- Assign point values (farther = more points).
- Each player gets 10 tosses.
- Tally points from successful throws.
- Highest score wins!
Fun Variation: Have teams and make it a relay where each person tosses once before tagging the next person!
59. Christmas Telephone Game
Watch how hilariously messages get twisted!
Best for: All ages, 8-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Just your family in a line or circle!
How to Play:
- First person whispers a Christmas-related sentence to the next person.
- That person whispers what they heard to the next, and so on.
- Last person says the message out loud.
- Compare to original message – usually hilariously different!
- Play multiple rounds with different starters.
Sample Starting Messages:
- “Santa’s reindeer ate all the cookies before delivering presents to children around the world”
- “Grandma’s gingerbread house has seventeen candy canes and a chocolate chimney”
Pro Tip: Longer, more detailed messages create funnier results!
60. Christmas Ornament Ring Toss
Toss rings onto a mini Christmas tree!
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Small artificial Christmas tree
- Rings (glow necklaces, embroidery hoops, or homemade)
- Point markers
How to Play:
- Set tree as the target.
- Mark different throwing distances.
- Each player gets 5 ring tosses.
- Rings that land on tree branches = points!
- Different branches can be worth different points.
- Highest score wins!
Pro Tip: Use a tree with sturdy branches that can actually catch rings – flimsy trees won’t work!
61. Christmas Marshmallow Toss
Catch marshmallows in your mouth in this sugary challenge!
Best for: All ages (5+), 6-20 players (play in pairs)
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Bag of large marshmallows
- Space to stand apart
- Bowl to hold marshmallows
How to Play:
- Pair up family members.
- Partners stand 5 feet apart.
- One tosses marshmallows, other catches in their mouth.
- Each pair gets 10 tosses.
- Count successful catches.
- Pair with most catches wins!
Pro Tip: Start close together and gradually increase distance for extra challenge!
62. Christmas Story Telephone Drawing
A hilarious combo of telephone and Pictionary!
Best for: All ages (7+), 8-20 players
Time to Play: 25-35 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Paper (several sheets per person)
- Pens or pencils
How to Play:
- Everyone writes a Christmas sentence at the top of their paper.
- Pass papers to the right.
- Next person draws that sentence (on new sheet, original hidden).
- Pass again – next person writes what they think the drawing shows.
- Continue alternating drawing and writing.
- After everyone’s contributed, reveal the hilarious evolution!
Pro Tip: This game is AMAZING – the final results are always comedy gold!
63. Christmas ABC Game
Name Christmas items for every letter!
Best for: All ages (6+), 6-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Just your family!
- Optional: whiteboard to track
How to Play:
- Go around the circle in alphabetical order.
- Each person must name a Christmas-related item starting with the next letter.
- Can’t repeat items already said.
- If you can’t think of one within 5 seconds, you’re out!
- Last person standing wins!
Sample Answers:
- A: Angel, Advent calendar
- B: Bells, Bethlehem
- C: Candy canes, Caroling
- …and so on!
Pro Tip: Letters like Q, X, and Z are tough – allow creative answers like “Xmas” or “Queen of England’s Christmas speech!”
64. Christmas Balloon Keep-Up Challenge
Don’t let the balloon touch the ground!
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Balloons (red, green, and white)
- Timer
- Open space
How to Play:
- Everyone stands in a circle or scattered around room.
- Release balloon(s) into the air.
- Keep balloon(s) up using any body part.
- Count how many hits before it touches ground.
- Try to beat your family record!
Fun Variation: Add more balloons progressively for increasing chaos!
65. Christmas Puzzle Race
Race to complete holiday puzzles fastest!
Best for: All ages, 8-20 players (in teams)
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes (depending on puzzle difficulty)
What You’ll Need:
- Identical Christmas puzzles (one per team)
- Tables for workspace
- Timer
How to Play:
- Divide into teams.
- Give each team an identical puzzle.
- On “Go!”, teams race to complete their puzzle.
- First team finished wins!
- Or set a time limit and see who gets furthest.
Pro Tip: Choose puzzle difficulty based on youngest participants – 50-100 pieces works well for mixed ages!
66. Christmas Category Countdown
Name items in categories before time runs out!
Best for: All ages (7+), 6-25 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- List of Christmas categories
- Timer (set for 30 seconds)
How to Play:
- Call out a Christmas category.
- Person whose turn it is has 30 seconds to name as many items in that category as possible.
- Count their answers.
- Next person gets a different category.
- Most items named wins!
Sample Categories:
- Christmas movies
- Things that are red and green
- Christmas songs
- Things you find under the tree
- Christmas foods
Pro Tip: Let younger kids have easier categories and more time!
67. Christmas Cotton Ball Transfer
Transfer cotton ball “snowballs” using only a spoon!
Best for: All ages, 8-24 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Cotton balls
- Spoons (one per player)
- Bowls (two per team)
- Timer
How to Play:
- Place bowl of cotton balls at one end, empty bowl at the other.
- Players must transfer cotton balls using only a spoon (one hand behind back!).
- Set timer for 2 minutes.
- Most cotton balls transferred wins!
Fun Variation: Do it as a relay race with teams!
68. Christmas Bingo Dauber Art
Create festive art using bingo daubers!
Best for: All ages (3+), 4-15 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Bingo daubers (various Christmas colors)
- Paper with Christmas outlines (trees, ornaments, snowmen)
- OR blank paper for freehand
How to Play:
- Give everyone a dauber and paper.
- Set timer for 15 minutes.
- Create Christmas art using only the daubers!
- Display all creations.
- Vote on categories: Most Creative, Funniest, Most Festive.
Pro Tip: This doubles as a craft activity and keeps little ones busy while adults chat!
69. Christmas Name That Tune (Instrumental Version)
Guess songs from instrumental versions only!
Best for: All ages (7+), 6-25 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Instrumental Christmas music playlist
- Device to play music
How to Play:
- Play instrumental versions of Christmas songs.
- First person to correctly name the song gets a point.
- Make it harder by playing only 5-10 seconds at a time!
- Most points after 20 songs wins!
Pro Tip: Instrumental versions are surprisingly tricky – songs everyone knows become mysterious without lyrics!
70. Christmas Sticker Stalker
Secretly tag family members with stickers all evening!
Best for: All ages, 8-30 players
Time to Play: Entire party duration
What You’ll Need:
- Christmas stickers (10-15 per person)
How to Play:
- Give everyone an equal number of stickers.
- Throughout the party, secretly stick them on other people without getting caught.
- If someone notices you sticking it on them, you must take the sticker back!
- At the end of the party, person who got rid of all their stickers first (or has the fewest left) wins!
Pro Tip: This game runs in the background all evening, adding sneaky fun to the entire party!
71. Christmas Tower of Cups
Stack cups in specific patterns against the clock!
Best for: All ages (6+), 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Red and green plastic cups (10-12 per player)
- Timer
- Flat surface
How to Play:
- Show a pattern to build (pyramid, tower, specific color pattern).
- Set timer for 1 minute.
- Players race to build the pattern.
- First to complete correctly wins that round!
- Play multiple rounds with increasingly difficult patterns.
Fun Variation: Build with one hand only or wearing oven mitts!
72. Christmas Scavenger Photo Hunt
Capture Christmas moments on camera!
Best for: All ages (with smartphone access), 8-25 players
Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Smartphones/cameras
- List of photo challenges
- Prizes
How to Play:
- Divide into teams (mixing ages).
- Give teams a list of photos to capture (example: “Someone making a funny face with Santa hat”, “Three generations in one photo”, “The ugliest Christmas sweater”).
- Set time limit (20-30 minutes).
- Teams must capture ALL photos on list.
- First team back with all photos wins!
Pro Tip: Review photos together afterward – these become treasured family memories!
73. Christmas Guess the Baby Photo
Match baby photos to current family members!
Best for: All ages, 8-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Baby photos of family members (collected ahead of time)
- Numbered labels
- Paper and pens for guesses
How to Play:
- Display numbered baby photos.
- Everyone writes guesses matching numbers to current family members.
- Reveal answers one by one.
- Most correct guesses wins!
Pro Tip: Include Christmas baby photos if possible for extra festive fun!
74. Christmas Sock Matching Game
Match up pairs of Christmas socks as fast as possible!
Best for: All ages (4+), 6-20 players
Time to Play: 10-15 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- 20-30 pairs of Christmas socks (mix them up!)
- Timer
- Large space to spread them out
How to Play:
- Pile all socks in center of room (unmatched).
- On “Go!”, everyone races to match pairs.
- Once you match a pair, place it in your pile.
- When all socks are matched, count pairs.
- Most pairs wins!
Fun Variation: Play as relay with teams, sending one person at a time to find one matching pair!
75. Christmas Freeze Tag (Musical Version)
Holiday twist on classic freeze tag!
Best for: All ages (4+), 8-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Open space (indoor or outdoor)
- Christmas music
How to Play:
- One person is “It” (Santa catching escaped elves!).
- When Santa tags someone, they must freeze.
- Others can “unfreeze” them by tagging them.
- Switch who’s Santa every few minutes.
Musical Variation: When music stops, everyone must freeze – Santa can only tag during frozen moments!
76. Christmas Story Dice Game
Create wacky stories using dice prompts!
Best for: All ages (6+), 4-20 players
Time to Play: 20-25 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Dice
- List of Christmas story elements numbered 1-6 for categories (Characters, Settings, Problems, Solutions)
How to Play:
- First person rolls dice for Character (1=Santa, 2=Elf, 3=Reindeer, etc.).
- Next person rolls for Setting.
- Continue building a story by rolling for different elements.
- Person whose turn it is must add 2-3 sentences using that element.
- Creates collaborative, hilarious stories!
Pro Tip: Record these stories – they’re comedy gold!
77. Christmas Pyramid Cup Challenge
Build cup pyramids, then take them down in record time!
Best for: All ages (5+), 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Plastic cups (red and green)
- Timer
- Flat surface
How to Play:
- Race to build a 10-cup pyramid (4-3-2-1).
- Time how long it takes.
- Then race to take it down and stack into a single tower.
- Fastest combined time wins!
Fun Variation: Do it in relay format with teams!
78. Christmas Balloon Tennis
Keep the balloon in the air using paper plate rackets!
Best for: All ages (4+), 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Balloons (inflated)
- Paper plates (two per player)
- Popsicle sticks or paint stirrers
- Tape
- Open space
How to Play:
- Make “rackets” by taping popsicle sticks to paper plates.
- Pair up or play free-for-all.
- Keep balloon in the air using only the rackets!
- Count consecutive hits as a family – try to beat your record!
Fun Variation: Create a “net” with string and play actual balloon tennis matches!
79. Christmas Story Cubes
Roll dice to create spontaneous holiday tales!
Best for: All ages (5+), 4-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Regular dice OR story dice
- List of Christmas elements for each number
How to Play:
- Create a chart: 1=Santa, 2=Snowman, 3=Reindeer, 4=Elf, 5=Gingerbread, 6=Ornament.
- First person rolls and starts a story with that element.
- Next person rolls and continues the story adding their element.
- Go around circle until story has a natural ending.
- The wackier, the better!
Pro Tip: Younger kids love this because there’s no wrong answer – any story works!
80. Christmas Paper Plate Awards
Create funny awards for family members!
Best for: All ages (7+), 6-30 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Paper plates
- Markers
- Ribbon or string
How to Play:
- Each person secretly creates 2-3 funny awards for other family members.
- Examples: “Best Santa Laugh”, “Most Likely to Eat All the Cookies”, “Champion Gift Wrapper”.
- Present awards one by one with funny speeches.
- Recipients wear their medals proudly!
Pro Tip: Keep it light and funny – this creates hilarious memories and inside jokes for years!
81. Christmas Musical Chairs (With a Twist)
The classic game with festive additions!
Best for: All ages (3+), 8-25 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Chairs (one fewer than players)
- Christmas music
- Optional: small challenges
How to Play:
- Arrange chairs in circle (facing outward).
- Play Christmas music while everyone walks around chairs.
- When music stops, everyone sits!
- Person without a chair is out (or completes a mini challenge to stay in).
- Remove one chair each round.
- Last person sitting wins!
Challenge Ideas:
- Sing one line of a Christmas carol
- Name three Christmas movies
- Do a Santa laugh
82. Christmas Bottle Flip Challenge
Flip water bottles decorated like Christmas characters!
Best for: All ages (6+), 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Plastic water bottles (1/3 full)
- Christmas decorations for bottles (stickers, markers)
- Flat surface
How to Play:
- Decorate bottles like Santa, snowmen, reindeer, etc.
- Each player gets 10 attempts to land a bottle flip.
- Count successful flips.
- Most successful flips wins!
Fun Variation: Make it a relay where teams compete for fastest combined flips!
83. Christmas Price Is Right
Guess prices of holiday items!
Best for: All ages (8+), 6-25 players
Time to Play: 20-25 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- 10-15 Christmas items with price tags removed
- Paper to record guesses
- Calculator
How to Play:
- Display Christmas items one at a time.
- Everyone writes down their price guess.
- Reveal actual price.
- Closest guess without going over gets a point!
- Most points wins!
Sample Items:
- Box of candy canes
- Christmas movie DVD
- Ornament set
- Holiday candle
- Christmas mug
Pro Tip: Include one ridiculously expensive item for laughs – “How much is this diamond ornament?”
84. Christmas Charades Relay
Act out holiday activities in relay format!
Best for: All ages (5+), 10-30 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Cards with Christmas activities
- Timer
- Space to act
How to Play:
- Divide into teams.
- First person draws a card and acts it out.
- Once their team guesses correctly, next person goes.
- First team through all their cards wins!
Sample Activities:
- Making snow angels
- Hanging stockings
- Untangling Christmas lights
- Catching snowflakes
- Caroling
85. Christmas Limbo
How low can your family go under the candy cane pole?
Best for: All ages (4+), 6-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Pole (or long candy cane prop)
- Christmas music
- Two people to hold the pole
How to Play:
- Two people hold pole horizontally.
- Players take turns going under without touching it or falling.
- Lower the pole each round.
- Last person successfully limboing wins!
Pro Tip: Play festive limbo music and encourage silly limbo moves!
86. Christmas 20 Questions
Guess Christmas items with yes/no questions!
Best for: All ages (6+), 6-25 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Just your family!
How to Play:
- One person thinks of a Christmas-related item.
- Others ask up to 20 yes/no questions to guess it.
- If they guess within 20 questions, they win that round!
- Take turns being the thinker.
Sample Items:
- Candy cane
- Mistletoe
- Rudolph
- Gingerbread house
- Christmas tree star
Pro Tip: Younger kids can be on teams with adults to help form good questions!
87. Christmas Button Jar Guess
Estimate festive items in containers throughout your party!
Best for: All ages, 6-30 players
Time to Play: Ongoing throughout party
What You’ll Need:
- Clear jars filled with Christmas items (jingle bells, mini ornaments, candy)
- Paper and pens for guesses
- Labels showing what’s in each jar
How to Play:
- Set up multiple jars around party space.
- Guests estimate quantities throughout the evening.
- Write name and guess on paper by each jar.
- At end of party, reveal amounts.
- Winners take home their jars!
Pro Tip: This is perfect for keeping people engaged throughout the entire party!
88. Christmas Taste Test Challenge
Guess Christmas flavors while blindfolded!
Best for: All ages (5+), 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Blindfolds
- Various Christmas treats (candy canes, gingerbread, peppermint bark, eggnog, etc.)
- Small plates or cups
- Napkins
How to Play:
- Blindfold one player at a time.
- Give them small tastes of Christmas treats.
- They guess what each item is.
- Most correct guesses wins!
Pro Tip: Include one weird item like a pickle (reference to Christmas pickle tradition) for laughs!
89. Christmas Dice Roll Gift Unwrap
Race to unwrap a gift using dice and silly rules!
Best for: All ages (5+), 8-20 players
Time to Play: 15-25 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Wrapped gift (with MANY layers of wrapping)
- Two dice
- Oven mitts, scarf, and hat
How to Play:
- Sit in circle with wrapped gift in center.
- Roll dice around circle.
- When someone rolls doubles, they put on mitts, scarf, and hat, then try to unwrap the gift.
- Meanwhile, dice keep going around circle.
- When next person rolls doubles, they steal the accessories and gift!
- Whoever unwraps the final layer keeps the prize!
Pro Tip: Wrap in 10-15 layers for extended fun!
90. Christmas Family Bucket List
Create your family’s holiday bucket list together!
Best for: All ages, 6-30 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Large poster board
- Markers
- Sticky notes
How to Play:
- Everyone writes 3-5 activities they want to do before Christmas.
- Share ideas and add to group poster.
- Vote on top activities to do together.
- Commit to completing list before New Year!
Sample Activities:
- Drive to see Christmas lights
- Watch a Christmas movie marathon
- Bake cookies together
- Build a gingerbread house
- Go caroling
Pro Tip: This isn’t just a game – it’s family planning that creates real memories!
91. Christmas Spin the Bottle (Family Version)
Spin to determine Christmas activities!
Best for: All ages, 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Empty bottle
- Cards with Christmas activities around circle
How to Play:
- Sit in circle with activity cards between each person.
- Spin the bottle.
- Whoever it points to must do the activity nearest them!
- Activities include: sing a carol, tell a Christmas joke, do a Santa laugh, share a favorite Christmas memory.
Pro Tip: Keep activities fun and age-appropriate for the whole family!
92. Christmas Pass the Present
Pass wrapped gifts while music plays – but there’s a twist!
Best for: All ages, 8-30 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Multiple wrapped layers (like Russian nesting dolls but with gift wrap)
- Small prizes between layers
- Christmas music
- Instructions attached to some layers
How to Play:
- Wrap a gift with multiple layers, including small prizes and instruction cards between layers.
- Pass while music plays.
- When music stops, person holding it unwraps ONE layer.
- Follow any instructions on that layer (“Pass to oldest person”, “Sing Jingle Bells”, etc.).
- Continue until center prize is revealed!
Pro Tip: Put funny instructions on middle layers – “Pass to person with the reddest outfit!”
93. Christmas Headbanz Game
Guess what Christmas item is on your head!
Best for: All ages (5+), 6-20 players
Time to Play: 20-25 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Headbands or paper strips with tape
- Cards with Christmas items/characters
- Timer
How to Play:
- Each player wears a card on their forehead (can’t see it).
- Ask yes/no questions to figure out what you are.
- Set 2-minute timer per person.
- If you guess correctly within time, you win that round!
Sample Items:
- Frosty the Snowman
- Christmas tree
- Candy cane
- Santa’s sleigh
- Mistletoe
94. Christmas Red Light, Green Light
Holiday version of the classic running game!
Best for: All ages (3+), 8-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Open space
- One person to be the caller
How to Play:
- One person (“Santa”) stands at one end, everyone else at the other.
- When Santa says “Green light!” everyone moves forward.
- When Santa says “Red light!” everyone must freeze.
- Anyone caught moving goes back to start.
- First person to tag Santa wins and becomes the new Santa!
Christmas Variation: Use “Jingle!” and “Stop!” or add moves like “Hop like a reindeer!” “Waddle like a penguin!”
95. Christmas Magazine Scavenger Hunt
Find Christmas items in magazines!
Best for: All ages (6+), 6-20 players
Time to Play: 20-25 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Old magazines and catalogs
- List of items to find
- Scissors
- Glue sticks
- Paper for each player
How to Play:
- Give everyone a list of Christmas-related items to find (red items, gifts, winter scenes, food, etc.).
- Set timer for 15 minutes.
- Cut out items from magazines and glue to your paper.
- First to find all items OR most items when time’s up wins!
Pro Tip: This doubles as a craft – frame the finished collages as Christmas decorations!
96. Christmas Simon Says Advanced
Complex commands make this classic more challenging!
Best for: All ages (5+), 8-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Space to move
- One caller
How to Play:
- Caller gives Christmas-themed commands.
- Only follow if they say “Santa says” first.
- Commands can be combined: “Santa says hop like Rudolph while singing Jingle Bells!”
- Last person still playing becomes the new caller!
Pro Tip: The complexity creates hilarious chaos – watching Grandpa hop and sing simultaneously is priceless!
97. Christmas Touch and Feel Box
Guess Christmas items by touch alone!
Best for: All ages (3+), 6-20 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Box with hole cut in side
- Various Christmas items with distinct textures
- Fabric to cover the hole
How to Play:
- Place items in box one at a time.
- Each player reaches in (no peeking!) and feels the item.
- They get one guess per item.
- Most correct guesses wins!
Sample Items:
- Ornament
- Candy cane
- Pine cone
- Jingle bells
- Tinsel
- Small wrapped present
98. Christmas Family Feud
Survey says… it’s time for festive fun!
Best for: All ages (7+), 8-30 players
Time to Play: 25-35 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Survey questions about Christmas (prepare ahead by actually surveying family members if possible!)
- Buzzer or bell
- Scoreboard
How to Play:
- Divide into two teams.
- Read survey questions (“Name something you find under a Christmas tree”).
- Teams compete to guess the top answers from your “survey”.
- Teams earn points for each correct answer.
- First team to designated points wins!
Sample Questions:
- Name a Christmas movie
- Name something red and green
- Name a Christmas cookie
- Name something Santa says
99. Christmas Unwrap Relay
Race to unwrap gifts in this hilarious challenge!
Best for: All ages (5+), 10-30 players
Time to Play: 15-20 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Identical wrapped boxes (one per team)
- Oven mitts (one pair per team)
- Timer
How to Play:
- Divide into teams.
- First person puts on oven mitts and tries to unwrap the box.
- After 20 seconds, next person takes over with mitts.
- Continue until box is completely unwrapped.
- First team to fully unwrap wins!
Fun Variation: Rewrap the box and do it again – second round is always faster!
100. Christmas Time Capsule Creation
Create memories to open next year!
Best for: All ages, 6-30 players
Time to Play: 30-45 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Container or box
- Paper and pens
- Items from this year’s Christmas
How to Play:
1. Everyone contributes something to the time capsule:
- Written predictions for next year
- Current photos
- Notes about this year’s highlights
- Wishes for family members
- Small mementos from today’s celebration
2. Seal the capsule together.
3. Mark opening date (next Christmas!).
4. Store safely until then.
Pro Tip: This becomes a beautiful tradition – opening last year’s capsule while creating this year’s!
101. Christmas Reverse Charades
The whole team acts while one person guesses!
Best for: All ages (6+), 10-30 players
Time to Play: 20-30 minutes
What You’ll Need:
- Cards with Christmas activities
- Timer
How to Play:
- Divide into teams.
- One person from each team is the guesser.
- REST of the team acts out the Christmas activity together!
- Guesser has 60 seconds to get as many correct as possible.
- Rotate guessers each round.
- Most points wins!
Pro Tip: Watching 5+ people act out “decorating a tree” or “building a snowman” together is comedy gold!
102. Christmas Thank You Circle
End your gathering with gratitude and love!
Best for: All ages, 6-30 players
Time to Play: 15-30 minutes (depending on family size)
What You’ll Need:
- Just your family gathered together
How to Play:
1. Everyone sits in a circle.
2. Go around and each person shares:
- One favorite moment from today’s gathering
- One thing they’re grateful for this Christmas
- One person they want to specifically thank and why
3. No pressure, just genuine sharing.
Pro Tip: This isn’t competitive, but it’s the most important “game” on the list – creating connection and gratitude that’ll last well beyond Christmas!
Wrapping Up Your Epic Family Christmas
There you have it – 102 Christmas games guaranteed to make your large family gathering absolutely unforgettable! From active relay races that get everyone moving to quiet games perfect for after-dinner relaxation, you’ve now got options for every moment of your celebration.
Remember the golden rules for large family game success:
Mix it up: Rotate between active and calm games to manage energy levels throughout your party.
Include everyone: Choose games where grandparents and toddlers can both participate meaningfully.
Keep it simple: The best games have rules you can explain in under a minute.
Be flexible: If a game isn’t clicking with your crowd, pivot to something else – no shame in switching it up!
Capture the moments: Designate someone to take photos and videos – these memories are priceless.
Focus on connection: The goal isn’t perfect execution of games; it’s bringing your family together and creating those belly-laugh moments you’ll talk about for years.
The truth is, the specific games matter way less than the intention behind them. When you gather your family with games ready to go, you’re showing everyone that you value their time together, you want them to have fun, and you’ve put thought into making memories.
So grab this list, pick 5-7 games that feel right for YOUR family’s vibe, and get ready to host the Christmas gathering everyone will be begging you to repeat next year.
Because the best Christmas gift you can give your family isn’t wrapped under the tree – it’s the gift of time together, laughter shared, and memories that’ll warm your hearts long after the decorations come down.
Now get out there and make this Christmas legendary!
Bonus Tips for Maximum Christmas Game Success
Before the Party:
- Print any game materials ahead of time
- Set up game stations in different rooms for flow
- Prep small prizes (candy, small toys, even just bragging rights!)
- Create a game schedule but stay flexible
During the Party:
- Start with an easy icebreaker when people first arrive
- Save high-energy games for mid-party
- Have calmer games ready for after big meals
- Let kids help explain rules – they love feeling important!
The Secret Sauce: Your enthusiasm is contagious! Even the simplest game becomes magical when the host is excited about it. So dive in, be silly, laugh at yourself, and watch your family follow your lead.
More Christmas Party Ideas to Keep the Fun Rolling:
100+ DIY Christmas Gifts Your Friends and Family Will Actually Love
75+ Frugal Christmas Gift Basket Ideas That’ll Make You Look Like a Holiday Hero
50 Budget-Friendly Gifts for Coworkers (or Neighbors) This Christmas
109 Best DIY Christmas Centerpiece Ideas to Make Your Holiday Table Unforgettable
100 Epic Christmas Eve Box Ideas to Make December 24th Unforgettable
The Ultimate Christmas Mystery Bag Game: A Holiday Party Hit That’ll Have Everyone Guessing!
40 Gift Basket Ideas for Women That’ll Make You Look Like a Gift-Giving Genius
23 Best Adult Christmas Craft Ideas for the Holidays
The Ultimate White Elephant Gift Auction: Turn Your Gift Exchange Into a Hilarious Bidding War
33 Epic Christmas Activities for Adults That’ll Make This Your Best Holiday Season Yet
