Christmas Party Games for Families: Fun Ideas to Keep Everyone Entertained
Christmas is a time for families to come together and celebrate. One way to add to the festive spirit is by playing Christmas party games. These games are not only fun but also a great way to bond with family members.
Playing Christmas party games can create lasting memories and bring families closer together. It’s a great way to get everyone involved in the festivities and have some fun. Whether it’s a classic game like Charades or a new game like Christmas Pictionary, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. So, gather the family, put on some Christmas music, and get ready to have some fun with these Christmas party games.
Fundamentals of Christmas Party Games
Christmas party games are a great way to bring families together and create fun memories during the festive season. When planning games, it is important to consider the ages and interests of the guests to ensure that everyone can participate and enjoy themselves. Here are some fundamentals to keep in mind when selecting and organising Christmas party games:
1. Keep it simple
Choose games that are easy to understand and quick to set up. Our printable Christmas family games bundle contains 13 easy to play games and activities that are available to download and print instantly.
2. Have a variety of games
Offer a mix of games that appeal to different interests and skill levels. This can include trivia games, physical challenges, and creative activities like decorating cookies or making Christmas ornaments.
3. Consider the space
Make sure that the games you choose can be played comfortably in the space available. If you have a large group, consider games that can be played in teams or in a relay format to avoid overcrowding.
4. Provide prizes
Offering small prizes like candy or Christmas-themed trinkets can add an extra element of excitement to the games and motivate guests to participate.
5. Keep it safe
Ensure that all games are safe and appropriate for all ages. Avoid games that involve sharp objects or physical contact that could result in injury.
By keeping these fundamentals in mind, you can organise a fun and memorable Christmas party for the whole family.
Choosing the Right Game
When choosing a Christmas party game for your family, it is important to consider a few factors to ensure that everyone can participate and have fun. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Consider the Age Group
Make sure to choose games that are appropriate for the age group of your family members. For example, young children may not be able to participate in games that require reading or complex rules. On the other hand, teenagers may find games that are too simple or childish to be boring. Consider games that are suitable for all age groups, or have different games available for different age groups.
Consider the Number of Participants
Think about how many people will be attending your Christmas party and choose games that can accommodate everyone. Some games may require a minimum number of players, while others may have a maximum number. If you have a large group, consider games that can be played in teams or in rounds to ensure that everyone gets a chance to participate.
Consider the Space Available
Make sure to choose games that can be played in the space available. Some games may require a lot of room to move around, while others can be played sitting down. If you have limited space, consider games that can be played in a smaller area or games that can be adapted to fit the space available.
By considering these factors, you can choose the right Christmas party game for your family and ensure that everyone has a good time.
What’s Included in the Christmas Party Game Bundle
What’s Your Elf Name
This is a fun icebreaker activity that your guests can do as they arrive. Use the included sheet to work out your Elf Name using your initials and age, then write your Elf name on the included printable name tag sheet. See who has the silliest combination!
This What’s Your Elf Name activity is also available to purchase separately.
Charades / Who Am I?
Charades is a classic party game that can be easily adapted to a Christmas theme. To play, one person acts out a Christmas-related word or phrase without speaking, while the other players try to guess what it is. This game is perfect for all ages, and can be played in teams or as individuals.
A prompt sheet of Christmas related items is included in our Christmas family game bundle, but it is just as easy to make up your own ideas.
Christmas Scavenger Hunt
A Christmas scavenger hunt is a great way to get everyone involved and moving around. To set it up, create a list of Christmas-themed items that can be found around the house or yard. You can also include clues to help players find the items. Divide the players into teams and give each team a copy of the list. The first team to find all of the items on the list wins a prize.
Our Christmas family games bundle contains a done-for-you indoor Christmas scavenger hunt , with more points being awarded for the more difficult objects.
Or if you wish to make more of the scavenger hunt, we also have 16 clue Christmas scavenger hunts for both indoors and outdoors that lead the players around the indoor or outdoor areas in order to find one end prize. Both sets come with extra blank cards in case you need to alter any of the clues.
Would You Rather
This quickfire activity gives players two choices, for example “Would you rather get lots of little gifts or one big Christmas gift?” this gives all members of the family chance to speak and listen to other points of view and can be great for encouraging reluctant or shy young speakers.
Memory Match Game
Great for young children. Print and cut out the pictures (printing onto thin card works best), turn the pictures face down and take it in turns to try and find the matching pairs.
Find the Guest
This is another great icebreaker game for a larger family gathering or party. In a similar manner to the scavenger hunt, players need to find the guest that fits the given prompts in order to earn points, e.g. find someone whose birthday is in December. The first player to fill their sheet is the winner!
Candy Dice
This simple dice game can be played with candy or even some small Christmas themed prizes. Roll the dice and follow the rules, for example if you roll a 4, you might be instructed to pick up 3 candies, but if you roll a 6, you may be forced to give them away!
Make A Word
Using a Christmas phrase, players need to come up with as many words they can make from the given letters. The longer the word, the more points are awarded. You could easily make a DIY version of this game, but our bundle contains a done for you sheet plus examples of high scoring words.
Christmas Drawing Game
This game is fun for all the family! All players need a blindfold, a pencil and a piece of paper excpet for the host. The host reads out the prompts from the sheet describing a Christmas scene and players need to draw each element accordingly. Points are awarded for accuracy!
Christmas Alphabet Race
This game is simple to set up with just pens and pieces of paper. Write out the alphabet or use the template included in the Christmas games bundle. Next to each letter of the alphabet, guests need to write down a corresponding Christmas word. The first to complete the whole sheet is the winner!
Christmas Trivia & True or False
Our Christmas trivia quiz contains 10 multiple choice questions while the True or False quiz contains some surprising facts, that players need to decide which are true. A great game for all the family and ideal to be played in teams.
Interactive Christmas Party Games
When it comes to family Christmas parties, interactive games are always a hit. Whether you want to play a family video game together such as Mario Party, or stick to a traditional board game like Monopoly, we’ve rounded up some of the best options for interactive family games this Christmas.
Christmas Pictionary
Similar to Charades, Christmas Pictionary is a fun and festive game that involves drawing instead of acting. Players take turns drawing Christmas-related words or phrases, while the other players try to guess what it is. This game is perfect for families with younger children, as it helps to develop their drawing and communication skills.
Take Pictionary to the next level with Pictionary Air, a fun new take on an old classic. Check out our Amazon list of the best Christmas party games for families.
Pin the Nose on Rudolph
Pin the Nose on Rudolph is a classic game that is always a hit with kids. To play, draw a large picture of Rudolph on a poster board and cut out a red nose from construction paper. Blindfold each player and spin them around a few times before letting them try to pin the nose on Rudolph. The player who gets the closest to the right spot wins.
Mario Party (Nintendo Switch)
Mario Party is a board game in video game form and is fun even for the most reluctant video game players, even Grandma! Players take it in turns to roll the dice and progress around the board, collecting stars as they go. At the end of each round players go head to head in fun and challenging mini games to earn extra coins to buy those all important stars.
Overall, these interactive Christmas party games are sure to bring your family together for a fun and festive time.
Christmas Kids Activity Bundle
Christmas is an exciting time for children, but in the days leading up to the big day, children can be restless! Keep them entertained with our kid’s Christmas activity bundle. With over 20 pages including wordsearches, mazes and some bonus coloring pages, there are plenty of activities to keep little ones busy alone.
Also included in the bundle are some activities that can be played as a team game:
Roll a Snowman
This classic game just requires a dice. Players take it in turns to roll the dice and draw the corresponding body part of the snowman. If they roll a number they’ve already used, play moves to the next player. The first person to complete their snowman is the winner.
Roll A Christmas Story
This one is great for encouraging creative writing and imagination. Using the roll a story template provided, the player or players roll a dice. The corresponding numbers on the grid will choose their setting, character, consequence and other story elements.
Children then use their chosen element to write a Christmas story!
To make the game more challenging, you can set a theme or word limit for each sentence. You can also have players draw pictures to accompany the story or act out the story once it’s complete.
Christmas Cootie Catcher Bundle
Whether you call them cootie catchers, fortune tellers or chatterboxes, you may remember making these paper folding games as a child. Our ready made bundle contains several Christmas themed examples, as well as a blank template to add in your own fortunes.
These also make great place setting decorations or party favors.
Online Christmas Party Games for Far Flung Friends and relatives
With the rise of virtual events, online Christmas party games have become a popular option for families to enjoy during the festive season. Here are some ideas for virtual Christmas party games that can be played from the comfort of your own home.
Virtual Secret Santa
One of the most popular Christmas traditions is Secret Santa, where participants exchange gifts with each other without knowing who their gift-giver is. This game can easily be adapted to the virtual world using online tools such as Elfster or DrawNames. Participants can still draw names and exchange gifts, but instead of meeting in person, they can arrange to have their gifts delivered or mailed to each other’s homes. Amazon Prime can be a great way of ensuring gifts arrive on time.
Online Christmas Trivia
Another fun game to play online is Christmas trivia. There are many websites and apps that offer Christmas-themed trivia questions that can be played individually or in teams. Some popular options include Christmas Trivia Quizzes on Sporcle and Kahoot. You can search the database for quizzes created by other users, or elect to create your own ahead of time.
You can also use the Christmas trivia game questions included in our Christmas game bundle in the same way you would if you were all in the room together.
Virtual Christmas Karaoke
Karaoke is a fun activity that can be enjoyed by all ages. With virtual karaoke, participants can sing along to their favourite Christmas songs from the comfort of their own homes. There are many websites and apps that offer karaoke tracks and lyrics, such as SingSnap and Smule. Participants can take turns singing their favourite Christmas songs and even vote on the best performance.
Overall, online Christmas party games are a great way to stay connected with loved ones during the festive season. With a little creativity and the right tools, families can enjoy a fun and memorable virtual Christmas party together.
What’s your favourite family Christmas game?
In conclusion, there are plenty of Christmas party games for families to choose from, ranging from classic games with a holiday twist to new and creative games. These games are perfect for bringing the whole family together and creating lasting memories during the holiday season.
It’s important to remember that the most important aspect of these games is not necessarily winning, but rather spending time with loved ones and having fun. So, whether you’re playing a game of Christmas bingo or competing in a gingerbread house decorating contest, make sure to enjoy the time spent with family and friends.
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About The Author
Melissa is an Educational Consultant in the UK with over 25 years teaching experience. Through her expertise in creating educational resources for children she opened her Etsy shop, Gin&Gemini, in 2022 and quickly expanded her offering into the party planning niche, offering a range of physical and digital products for children’s parties, family celebrations, holidays and the bachelorette / hen party niche. She lives on a farm with her husband, young daughter and cats.