55 Best Christmas Games To Play With Your Friends & Family - ScoopWhoop (2024)

Best Christmas Games Ideas For Adults

Let the laughter and cheer ring out as you embrace the joy of the season together with these best Christmas game ideas for adults.

1. Christmas Charades

Play this game to infuse holiday cheer into your Christmas party. Here’s how to play-
1. After gathering family and friends around create a list of Christmas-themed phrases, words, or activities.
2. Prepare chits or cards and write each word or phrase on each one of them. Fold them to conceal.
3. Set up teams and ask them to choose a player in each round to pick a chit and act out the word written on it. Set a time limit to guess the Christmas word.
4. At the end The team with the most correct guesses wins the Christmas charades game.

2. Christmas Trivia

Play Christmas trivia to test the knowledge of your loved ones and spread the holiday cheer. Here’s a small guide.
1. Gather around everyone and set up teams or ask them to play individually. Select a host or a trivia master.
2. Prepare Christmas trivia questions including a mix of categories like Christmas traditions, songs, movies, etc.
3. Create a question bank and a whiteboard to record scores. Explain the rules to the participants.
4. Start asking questions and let each player answer them correctly by either raising their hands or pressing a buzzer. At the end of the game, tally the scores and declare the winner.

Also Read: Truth or Dare Questions

3. Christmas Pictionary

Christmas Pictionary is a fun way to celebrate the season. Here’s how to play it.
1. Arrange all the necessary materials like a whiteboard, markers, a timer, and a list of Christmas-themed words.
2. Gather the participants and divide them into teams. Then a player from each team will take turns picking up a chit and drawing what’s written on it without telling anyone.
3. Set up a timer. Assign points to the team that makes the right guesses.
4. Declare the winner based on the highest score.

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4. Christmas Movie Bingo

Bingo but make it more festive and filmy. Here’s how to play-
1. Prepare bingo cards with different events, phases, or items written on them that will be related to the movie that you’ll be watching. Hand out bingo cards to participants but make sure that each card has a different arrangement.
2. Then explain the rules which is that participants have to mark off squares on their bingo cards when they spot the corresponding events happening in the movie.
3. If a participant completes a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally, they call out “Bingo!” Pause the movie briefly to confirm their win.
4. The participant with every square marked off will be declared the winner.

5. Stocking Guessing Game

For a holiday gathering add in a stocking guessing game as a festive and entertaining activity. Here’s how to play-
1. Arrange materials like stockings, holiday-themed items, and small gifts. Ensure that each item can fit inside the stockings.
2. Fill each stocking with these items and assign a number to each stocking. Create a list correlating the stocking numbers with the items inside, but keep this list hidden.
3. Allow each participant to feel the outside of the stockings without peeking inside. They should try to guess what’s inside based on touch.
4. Set a time limit for participants to make their guesses. After the allotted time, collect the answer sheets from each participant.
5. Go through the answer sheet and score points for each correct guess. Declare the winner with the maximum points.

6. Holiday Scavenger Hunt

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to organize and play a holiday-themed scavenger hunt for some excitement.
1. Choose a location where the scavenger hunt will take place. Then create a list of all the holiday-themed items or clues.
2. Hide the items around if you are using physical items. If using clues then place them strategically leading participants from one clue to the next.
3. Now divide the participants into teams and briefly explain the rules of the scavenger hunt.
4. Begin the scavenger hunt by announcing the start. Let each team find items or solve clues, they should collect them and bring them back to a designated area.
5. Declare the team with the most points or successful finds as the winner.

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Family Christmas Games Ideas

Gather and engage your family members in fun and interactive games. So check out our list of family Christmas game ideas.

1. Christmas Memory Game

Test everyone’s memory skills with a Christmas memory game. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to play-
1. Collect pairs of Christmas-themed cards. You can use cards with images related to the holiday, like ornaments, snowmen, reindeer, etc.
2. Lay cards in an organised grid, face down. Make sure to have an even number of pairs. Then Decide who goes first. Players take turns flipping over two cards, trying to find matching pairs.
3. On their turn, a player selects two cards from the grid, turning them face up for everyone to see. The player tries to find a matching pair by remembering the location of previously revealed cards. If the cards match, the player keeps the pair and takes another turn. If not, they turn the cards face down again.
4. The player or team with the most matched pairs is declared the winner.

2. Candy Cane Hunt

Organize a candy cane hunt for your friends and family as a delightful festive activity. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to play:
1. Collect candy canes or any other holiday treats that are suitable for hiding. Then choose a location for the hunt and hide them all over.
2. Divide participants into teams and briefly explain the rules of the candy cane hunt to them.
3. Announce the start of the candy cane hunt and ask the participants to search for the hidden candy.
4. Then based on the number of candy canes collected by the teams, declare the winner.

3. Christmas Carol Charades

Playing Christmas Carol Charades is a joyful way to celebrate the season and share the love of classic holiday tunes with friends and family. Here’s how to play-
1. Create a list of popular Christmas carols. Include a mix of well-known and lesser-known songs to keep the game interesting.
2. Write the names of each Christmas carol on separate chits or cards. Fold them to conceal it, to ensure that the participants can’t see the names.
3. Divide participants into teams and let them pick the chits one by one. Without revealing the Christmas carol, the participants acts the word out without speaking.
4. If the team successfully guesses the correct Christmas carol, they earn a point. Keep track of points on a scoreboard. Declarethe winner based on the points.

4. Christmas Craft Station

Everyone enjoys a little creativity so about adding it to your family Christmas party? Here’s how you can host a Christmas craft station.
1. Collect a variety of Christmas-themed crafting materials. This may include coloured paper, scissors, glue, markers, stickers, ribbons, ornaments, and any other craft supplies suitable for the chosen activities.
2. Plan a few craft activities that are suitable for various age groups and skills like making paper snowflakes, creating ornaments, or decorating holiday cards.
3. Set up crafting stations based on the chosen activities. Ensure there’s enough space for participants to work comfortably.
4. Include step-by-step instructions, helpful tips, and examples to guide participants. Let the crafting begin and for people to enjoy.

See Also

15 Fun Christmas Games For Everyone in 202425 Hilarious Christmas Games for Any Age54 Exciting Christmas Party Games For All The Family | EKPChristmas Games | Play Online for Free | NuMuKi

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5. Christmas Storytelling Circle

A delightful way to bond with your family and friends, through a Christmas storytelling circle you can share tales and memories, and create a festive atmosphere. Here’s how to play –
1. Bring together your friends and family on Christmas.
2. Arrange a circle to create and ask everyone to take their seats in a way that they can see and hear each other.
3. Emphasise that each person will have a turn to share their Christmas story or memory.

6. Christmas Tree Decorating Relay

Hosting a Tree Decorating Relay is a lively and festive activity, perfect for bringing people together during the holiday season. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to organize and host this relay:
1. Collect all materials needed for decorating the Christmas tree including ornaments, lights, garlands, etc.
2. Create decorating stations with each station having a specific type of decorations. Divide participants into teams. Then Each team member will take turns running to a decorating station, grabbing a decoration, and placing it on the tree.
3. Begin the relay by having the first member of each team stand at the starting line. Upon your signal, they run to a decorating station, grab a decoration, and return to decorate the tree.
4. Once the relay is over, take a moment for everyone to admire the beautifully decorated tree. Consider leaving it as a festive centerpiece for the event.

Best Virtual Christmas Games

Can’t be around your loved ones this Christmas, don’t worry! You can still enjoy the festive spirit with your family with our list of best virtual Christmas games.

1. Online Secret Santa

Here’s how you can host a Secret Santa game for your loved ones-
1. Make a list of people who will be participating in Secret Santa. Then send out emails or messages to each participant, letting them know who they are buying a gift for along with their addresses.
2. Establish a budget for the gifts to ensure fairness among participants. And to make it easy participants can create wishlists or provide information about their likes and dislikes to help their Secret Santa choose a thoughtful gift.
3. Then host a virtual meet-up on Christmas to exchange gifts. Participants can reveal themselves as Secret Santa and share the joy.

2. Online Holiday Scavenger Hunt

Here’s how you can host an online holiday scavenger hunt-
1. Set up a virtual meeting on Christmas with your loved ones.
2. Share the rules of the scavenger hunt, which are similar to the real one. Create a list of holiday-themed items or tasks for participants to find or accomplish. Share this list with all participants in advance.
3. Once they have joined in ask them to search for the items on the list. The participants with the most number of items will be declared a winners.

3. Virtual Carol Sing-Along

For a virtual carol sing-along, here’s what you can do.

1. Send out invitations with details about the virtual carol sing-along, including the date, time, and platform link. Encourage participants to dress festively.
2. Then decide on a list of carols that everyone can sing together. You might want to include a mix of traditional and popular holiday songs.
3. Designate a host or leader who can guide the event, introduce each song, and keep the atmosphere lively.
4. Conclude the event with a final sing-along.

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4. Online Christmas Pictionary

Host an online Christmas Pictionary by following these simple instructions.

1. Create an invite and ask your loved ones to join it on Christmas.
2. Ask each participant to create a list of Christmas-related words or phrases that they will be drawing during the game since this is a virtual game.
3. Each participant will play and guess the words individually.
4. The participant with the highest correct guesses and score will be declared as the winner.

5. Christmas-themed Quiz

For a virtual quiz on Christmas night, follow the steps mentioned below-
1. Develop a set of Christmas-themed quiz questions covering a variety of topics. Along with that decide the format of the quiz. You can use multiple-choice questions, true/false, etc.
2. Ask participants to join the virtual link on Christmas. Explain to them the rules including the time limit, how to answer, and any potential bonus points.
3. Divide the participants into teams or let them play individually, depending on the number of people.
4. Start asking questions. After each round or at the end of the quiz, discuss the correct answers. Keep a score tab and at the end declare the winner.

Fun Family Christmas Games

Christmas is all about family coming together. And so to make it extra special, add these fun family Christmas games.

1. Gift Wrap Relay

Add a touch of honor to your family gathering by setting up a relay race where members race to wrap a gift. Here’s how you can do it-
1. Arrange all the gift-wrapping materials like wrapping paper, tape, scissors, ribbons, and other miscellaneous decorating items. Create wrapping stations with each station having the material.
2. Divide the participants into teams or let them play individually, depending on the number of people. Explain the rules–each team member will take turns running to a wrapping station, wrapping a box, and then returning to tag the next team member.
3. Begin the relay by having the first member of each team stand at the starting line. Give a signal to start the game. Upon your signal, they run to a wrapping station, wrap the designated box, and return to tag the next team member.

Also Read: Feel Good Movies Must Watch With Your Family

2. Holiday Pictionary

The holiday pictionary is guaranteed to add laughter to your family gathering. Here’s how you can host it-
1. Arrange material such as a whiteboard, marker, and a list of holiday-themed words, phrases, or a list of movies.
2. Divide players into teams depending on the number of participants.
3. Write the holiday-themed words on chits. Fold the chits and keep them in a container in front of everyone.
4. Now a team will start by sending their player. The player will pick a chit from the container and without showing it to anyone, they will draw it on the whiteboard. Then the player’s team will try to guess the word. This will continue until the chits get exhausted.
5. At the end of the game, the team with the highest number of right guesses and score will be declared the winner.

3. Pin the Nose on Rudolph

This classic Christmas game is simple yet entertaining enough to ring in the festive season. Here’s how to play it-
1. Arrange material like a large poster of Rudolph without a nose, a cutout or a sticker of red noses, and a blindfold.
2. Hang the poster on a wall at an appropriate height and make sure it doesn’t fall during the game.
3. Then blindfold each player before their turn and ensure that they can’t see anything.
4. Have each participant, while blindfolded, take a turn trying to pin the red nose onto Rudolph. After pinning, mark the spot where the nose landed. The closest to Rudolph’s actual nose wins.

4. Candy Cane Relay Race

The candy cane relay race will add an extra dose of energy and thrill to our gathering. Here’s how to play it-
1. Collect candy canes and set up a designated race area, ensuring there’s enough space for the participants.
2. Make sure there are enough participants to divide them into teams for the race. Briefly explain the rules of the relay race. Each team member will take turns to complete a specific task while holding a candy cane.
3. Designate areas where participants can perform tasks with the candy cane. You can add a station that could involve balancing the candy cane on the back of the hand or passing it to a teammate without using their hands.
4. Begin the relay race by having the first member of each team stand at the starting line. Give them a signal to start the race. The team that has completed all the tasks wins.

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5. Ornament Decorating Contest

Let your family members bring out their creative side with an ornament decorating contest. Here’s how-
1. Arrange a variety of ornaments and decorating materials like paints, markers, glitter, ribbons, and any other craft material.
2. Depending on the participants, either divide them into teams or ask them to play individually.
3. Set up a designated decorating station. Specify the time limit for decorating and other rules.
4. Once the time is up, appoint judges or have participants vote for their favorite ornaments. You can add categories like Most Creative, Most Festive, or Best Use of Colors.

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Christmas Gift Exchange Games

No Christmas celebration can ever be complete without exchanging gifts. But here’s how you can amp up the tradition with some Christmas gift exchange games.

1. White Elephant or Yankee Swap

A white elephant gift exchange or Yankee Swap is a fun and popular game where participants exchange whimsical and often impractical gifts. Here’s how you can play it.
1. First ask participants to establish a budget to ensure that the gifts are affordable and comparable.
2. Then explain to participants the rules of the game. The key rule includes the option of stealing gifts, the order of gift selection, and any specific rules you want to enforce.
3. Have participants draw numbers to determine the order in which they’ll select or “steal” gifts.
4. Continue the exchange, allowing participants to either select a new gift or steal an unwrapped one from someone else. Participants can limit the number of times a gift can be stolen, depending on the agreed-upon rules.

2. Secret Santa

A classic and popular gift exchange game, Secret Santa is a tradition where participants draw names to determine who they will be buying a gift without letting the other person know. Here’s how you can play it.
1. Gather a group of friends and family who are willing to participate in the game before Christmas. Write their names on individual chits and put them in a bowl. Make sure you don’t repeat the names.
2. Ask each of the participants to pick a chit. Whosoever’s name is on the chit, the player has to get them a gift on Christmas. However, ensure that they don’t reveal the name of the person.
3. Set a budget to make the gifts comparable and affordable for all participants.
4. Gather the participants again on Christmas and host a gift exchange session. Ask each Secret Santa to place the gifts in a designated area, marked with the name of the recipient.
5. At the end, people will try to guess who their secret Santa is based on the gifts received.

Also Read: Christmas Quotes

3. Gift Auction

A Gift Auction, also known as a Chinese Auction or Tricky Tray, is an interactive gift exchange game where participants use play money or tokens to bid on wrapped gifts, here’s how to play it-
1. Collect a variety of gift items from the participants that they might be interested in bidding on. Make sure that they are wrapped properly.
2. Provide participants with bid numbers upon arrival. These numbers will be used to identify who is placing the bids.
3. Ask the participants to purchase tickets or tokens that’ll be used to bid on the gifts. Keep the budget as economical and affordable as possible.
4. Describe how participants will use their bid numbers to place bids on the items they want. Set a starting bid for each item. Start the bidding for each item.4. Participants can raise their bid numbers to indicate their interest in winning the item. The highest bidder when the auctioneer calls Sold wins the item.

4. Dice Gift Exchange

Add loads of excitement and randomness to your gift-giving process with a Dice Gift Exchange game. Here’s how you can play it-
1. Arrange gifts on a table in a way that it’s visible to everyone. Make sure that the gifts are perfectly wrapped.
2. Add a unique number to each wrapped gift which could be done using a sticker or a ticky note.
3. Have participants sit in a circle and pass a six-sided dice around the group. Each participant will take turns rolling the dice.
4. You can add these rules to make the game interesting. If a participant rolls a-
1 or 6: Choose a gift from the table.
2: Swap gifts with the person on your left.
3: Swap gifts with the person on your right.
4: Exchange gifts with the person sitting across from you.
5: Everyone passes their gift to the left.
5. The game continues until everyone has had several chances to roll and exchange.

5. Musical Chairs Gift Exchange

Add a twist to the musical chairs by mixing it with a gift-exchanging game. Here’s a guide to help you with it-
1. Arrange chairs in a circle facing outwards. Make sure the number of chairs is one less than the number of participants. Place the wrapped gifts in the centre of the circle.
2. Begin playing the holiday music and let the participants walk around the chairs while the music is playing.
3. Stop the music abruptly at intervals. When the music stops, the participants must quickly find a seat to sit on. The one who is unable to find a seat gets eliminated. However, the person selects a wrapped gift from the centre which is now theirs.
4. Repeat the process, eliminating one participant each time the music stops, until all the gifts are claimed.

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Best Christmas Party Games For Large Groups

Hosting a large group this Christmas season and want to keep them entertained? Try incorporating these best Christmas party games for large groups.

1. Christmas Charades Relay

Christmas Charades Relay is a festive twist on the classic game. Here’s how to play it-
1. The rules are similar to the traditional charades game. However, the members take turns running to their team’s relay station.
2. They pick a charades card, act out the movie or word without speaking, and their team members try to guess.
3. Once guessed correctly, the next team member runs to the station to continue the relay.
4. The relay continues until all team members have had a turn or until a set time limit is reached.

2. Christmas Tree Decorating Contest

A Christmas tree decorating contest is a fun and creative way to engage people in a large gathering. Here’s how to play it-

1. Arrange enough Christmas trees for the participants along with decorating materials like ornaments, lights, tinsel, ribbons, and any other festive decor items.
2. Divide people into teams and set a time limit for the decorating contest.
3. Teams then start decorating trees within the given time frame.
4. Once the decorating time is up, appoint judges or have participants vote on the trees. You can set up different winning categories.

3. Christmas Carol Pictionary Challenge

Why just sing Christmas carol when you can add a fun twist to it? Host a Christmas Carol Pictionary Challenge with our simple guide-
1. Assemble material for drawing and divide participants into teams.
2. A member from the first team randomly selects a Christmas carol phrase and starts drawing it on a whiteboard or paper.
3. Team members have a limited time to guess the Christmas carol based on the drawing. If the team guesses correctly, they earn points. If not, the turn passes to the next team.
4. Keep score based on correct guesses. The team with the highest score at the end of the game wins.

4. Festive Lip Sync Battle

A festive lip sync battle is an enjoyable way to infuse fun in your large holiday gatherings. Here’s a small guide for you-
1. Compile a list of festive and popular songs suitable for lip-syncing during the battle. Include a mix of holiday classics and upbeat tunes.
2. Gather people who enjoy lip-sync battles and share the rules with them. Participants or teams take turns performing their chosen festive songs. Encourage creativity in costumes, choreography, and overall performance.
3. Judges or the audience can score each performance based on entertainment value, creativity, and lip-syncing skills.

5. Santa’s Workshop Team Building

Santa’s Workshop Team Building Activity can foster collaboration, communication, and a festive spirit among participants. Here’s how to play it-
1. Divide participants into teams and ensure there’s a mix of skills and personalities.
2. Create workshops with different holiday-themed tasks and challenges like gift wrapping, ornament decorating, or puzzling solving.
3. Each team is assigned specific tasks to complete at each workshop station. Teams rotate through the stations, ensuring that every participant has a chance to contribute to different activities.
4. You can award or give small prizes for recognizing outstanding teamwork or creativity.

Christmas Drinking Game Ideas

Add booze to your party but make it more fun and exciting by hosting Christmas drinking games. But remember to drink responsibly.

1. Christmas Movie Drinking Game

Enjoy holiday films by mixing them with drinks. Here’s how you can play it-
1. Choose a popular Christmas movie that everyone enjoys.
2. Develop a set of rules for the game. You can ask the participants to drink when a character says Christmas or when they spot holiday decorations on the screen.
3. Prepare drinks and distribute them to the participants. You can choose between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
4. Play the Christmas movies and have participants follow the drinking rules throughout and enjoy.

2. Santa Hat Ring Toss

The Santa Hat Ring Toss Game is an enjoyable activity where participants toss rings on Santa’s hat. If they miss, they have to take a sip. Here’s how to play it-
1. Arrange hats and rings. Ensure the size of the rings matches the hats for a suitable challenge. Keep them on a station, placed at a distance that can vary based on the difficulty level you want to achieve.
2. Make participants stand at a designated line and ask them to toss rings one by one on the hats. Each participant takes turns trying to successfully land a ring on a Santa hat.
3. If they miss, they have to take a sip or take a shot.

3. Jingle Bell Jam

Apart from using jingle bells as an ornament, you can use them to play a fun-filled drinking game, and here’s how-
1. Collect jingle bells and tie them around each participant who is filing to play.
2. The moment someone’s bells jingle, other people have to take a sip.
3. Continue playing this game till you want. You can even combine them with other games.

4. Christmas Carol Power Hour

The Christmas Carol Power Hour Drinking Game is a festive twist on the classic Power Hour game by incorporating holiday music and cheer. Here’s how to play it-
1. Create a playlist of your favorite Christmas carols. Each song should last approximately 1 minute. You can even find ready-made Christmas Power Hour playlists online.
2. Begin playing the Christmas Carol Power Hour playlist. The goal is to take a shot or sip of your drink every time the song changes, every minute.
3. The game continues for an hour or until the playlist is finished.

5. Candy Cane Hunt with Shots

Combine a candy cane hunt with some shots for a creative and spirited way to celebrate the holiday season. Here’s how to play-
1. Hide candy canes around the playing area. Ensure that they are visible but not obvious.
2. Fill shot glasses with a drink of your choice and briefly explain the rules to the participants.
3. Start the Candy Cane Hunt. Participants search for the hidden candy canes. When they find one, they bring it back to a central location to exchange it for a shot.
4. Give a prize to those who find the most candy canes.

Best Christmas Games For Preschoolers

Make this Christmas a memorable one for your little ones by hosting these best Christmas games for preschoolers.

1. Snowman Building Contest

Make the most of the snow by hosting a snowman-building contest for your kids. Provide snowman-building materials like snow shovels or scoops, carrots, cola, buttons, and scarves. Set a time limit and let the creativity of your kids flow.

2. Christmas Cookie Decorating

Host a Christmas cookie decorating contest by following these steps-

1. Prepare a batch of cookies in various holiday shapes and set up decorating stations with a variety of festive icing colors, sprinkles, edible decorations, and other cookie embellishments.
2. Establish a reasonable time limit for the cookie decorating contest.
3. After the decorating time is up, assemble participants and judges. Award prizes to the winners.

3. Frosty’s Freeze Dance

Frosty’s Freeze Dance is a festive variation of the classic Freeze Dance game. Here’s how to play it:

1. Gather the kids and arrange an open space for Frosty’s freeze dance.
2. Briefly explain the rules to the participants. When the music plays, everyone dances, but when the music stops, participants must freeze in place like Frosty the Snowman.
3. Continue playing and pausing the music, prompting participants to dance and freeze alternatively.

4. A Hard Nut to Crack

Combine race and eating contests together in this Hard Nut to Crack game. Here’s how to play-

1. Arrange nutcrackers from the store.
2. Divide the kids into teams.
3. Whichever team cracks the most number of nuts and eats them within a designated time, wins.
4. Just make sure no one has nut allergies.

Add fun to your Christmas party with our list of fun games.

Featured Image: Pexels

As you gather with loved ones, let the festive spirit soar with these Best Christmas Games To Play With Your Friends and family. May the joy of these games fill your holiday season with laughter, bonding, and cherished memories that last a lifetime.