25 Christmas Party Games for Adults, Kids and Families (Easy Rules)

The best Christmas party games are quick to explain, need almost no supplies and get everyone laughing within the first two minutes. Most lists online just name 50 games and leave you guessing which ones actually work for your group. This guide is different: every game below includes the number of players, supplies, play time and simple rules, and the games are sorted by who is at your party, adults, kids or a mixed family crowd.

Scroll to the end for a ready-made two-hour party plan and cheap prize ideas.

How to Pick the Right Christmas Party Game

Before you choose, answer three quick questions. They save you from the classic mistake of starting a quiet guessing game at a loud party, or a drinking game when grandma is at the table.

• How many people are coming? Some games need teams of four or more. Others work best with six to ten players.
• What ages are in the room? Mixed groups need games where kids and adults can compete fairly, like team relays or picture games.
• How much space do you have? Small apartments suit table and card games. A big living room or backyard opens up active games.

A good rule of thumb: plan one active game, one table game and one “sit down and laugh” game. Switching energy levels keeps people engaged for the whole evening.

Quick Comparison: Best Christmas Party Games at a Glance

Christmas Party Games for Adults

These games work best for office parties, friend gatherings and grown-up dinner parties. All are clean enough for a work party.

1. White Elephant Gift Exchange

• Players: 6–30
• Supplies: One wrapped gift per person, numbered slips of paper
• Time: 30–60 minutes

Everyone brings a wrapped gift within a set budget. Players draw numbers. Player one opens a gift. Each player after that can open a new gift or steal an opened gift from someone else. Set a limit of three steals per gift so the game doesn’t drag. For full rules and variations, see our guide to white elephant rules, and if you need gift inspiration, check our list of white elephant gift ideas.

2. Christmas Movie Charades

• Players: 6+ in two teams
• Supplies: Slips of paper with Christmas movie titles, a bowl, a timer
• Time: 20–30 minutes

One person acts out a holiday movie title without talking while their team guesses within 60 seconds. Write the titles on slips ahead of time so nobody wastes time thinking. Mix easy titles with harder ones to keep it fair.

3. Who Am I? Christmas Edition

• Players: 4–20
• Supplies: Sticky notes and a marker
• Time: 15–20 minutes

Stick a note with a Christmas character on each guest’s forehead or back. Guests ask yes or no questions to figure out who they are. This works great as an icebreaker at the start of a party because people have to mingle.

4. Two Truths and a Holiday Lie

• Players: 4–15
• Supplies: None
• Time: 15–20 minutes

Each person shares three statements about their past Christmases, two true and one false. Everyone else guesses the lie. It’s free, takes no setup and helps coworkers learn fun facts about each other.

5. Christmas Song Lyric Finish

• Players: 4+ in teams
• Supplies: A phone or speaker
• Time: 15 minutes

Play the first few seconds of a Christmas song, then pause it. The first team to sing the next line correctly gets a point. Keep songs well known so nobody feels left out.

6. Holiday Gift Wrap Race

• Players: 4+
• Supplies: Empty boxes, wrapping paper, tape, scissors, oven mitts
• Time: 5–10 minutes

Players race to wrap a box while wearing oven mitts. The neatest finished gift wins, not just the fastest. It sounds simple, but the results are hilarious.

7. Christmas Card Game Night

• Players: 2–8
• Supplies: A standard deck of cards
• Time: 20–40 minutes

If your group prefers sitting around a table, a classic card game is an easy win. Fast games like Screw Your Neighbor work for big groups, while Rummy 500 suits a quieter group that wants strategy. Give the winner a candy cane crown for a festive touch.

Christmas Party Games for Kids

These games keep kids busy, use cheap supplies and are easy for a parent to run.

8. Pass the Parcel

• Players: 5–20
• Supplies: A small prize wrapped in many layers, music
• Time: 15 minutes

Kids sit in a circle and pass the parcel while music plays. When the music stops, the child holding it removes one layer. The child who removes the final layer wins the prize. Tip: hide a small candy inside each layer so every child wins something.

9. Reindeer Ring Toss

• Players: 2+
• Supplies: Paper or headband antlers, plastic rings or pool rings
• Time: 10 minutes

One child wears antlers while others try to toss rings onto them from a few steps away. Count rings caught in 30 seconds and rotate.

10. Snowman Building Race

• Players: 6+ in teams of three
• Supplies: Toilet paper rolls, scarf, paper hat
• Time: 5 minutes per round

One child from each team becomes the “snowman.” Teammates wrap them in toilet paper and add a scarf and hat. The best-looking snowman after two minutes wins.

11. Freeze Dance

• Players: Any number
• Supplies: Christmas music
• Time: 10 minutes

Kids dance while music plays and freeze when it stops. Anyone who moves sits out. It’s an easy way to burn energy before food time.

12. Candy Cane Hunt

• Players: Any number
• Supplies: Wrapped candy canes
• Time: 10–15 minutes

Hide candy canes around the room or yard like an Easter egg hunt. Give older kids harder hiding spots and younger kids easier ones so everyone finds a few.

13. Jingle Bell Toss

• Players: 2+
• Supplies: Jingle bells, plastic cups or a bowl
• Time: 10 minutes

Kids stand behind a line and toss jingle bells into cups. Each cup can have a different point value. The sound of the bells makes it extra fun for little ones.

14. Christmas Bingo

• Players: 4–30
• Supplies: Bingo cards with holiday pictures, markers
• Time: 15–20 minutes

Draw Christmas symbols instead of numbers, like a stocking, star or tree. Picture cards make it easy for kids who can’t read yet. For more games that sneak in learning, see our educational games guide.

Christmas Party Games for Families and Mixed Ages

These are the games to play when grandparents, parents, teens and little kids are all in the same room.

15. Christmas Trivia (Team Version)

• Players: 4+ in teams
• Supplies: A list of questions, paper for answers
• Time: 20–30 minutes

Split into teams that mix ages, so each team has a kid and an adult. Use three rounds: easy questions for kids, movie questions for teens, and history questions for adults. Mixed teams stop one person from dominating. Need questions? Use our ready-made list of 100 Christmas trivia questions with answers.

16. Left Right Center

• Players: 3+
• Supplies: Three special dice (or regular dice) and tokens
• Time: 15–20 minutes

This dice game is pure luck, so a 6-year-old has the same chance as an adult. Use wrapped chocolates as tokens to make it festive. Here’s how to play Left Right Center step by step.

17. Christmas Pictionary

• Players: 4+ in teams
• Supplies: Large paper or a whiteboard, markers, timer
• Time: 20–30 minutes

One player draws a Christmas word while their team guesses within one minute. Words like “sleigh,” “snow globe” and “ugly sweater” are easy to draw and funny to watch.

18. Wrap Me Up

• Players: 6+ in teams
• Supplies: Wrapping paper or toilet paper, tape, bows
• Time: 5 minutes per round

Teams wrap one teammate like a present in two minutes. A bow on the head is mandatory. Grandparents love judging this one.

19. Polar Bear Ice Breaker

• Players: 4+
• Supplies: Small plastic toy frozen inside a block of ice
• Time: 15–30 minutes

Freeze a small toy in a container of water the night before. Players race to free the toy using only their hands, warm breath and salt. Put towels down first.

20. Santa Says

• Players: Any number
• Supplies: Santa hat
• Time: 10 minutes

This is Simon Says with a holiday twist. The person in the Santa hat gives commands like “Santa says, act like a reindeer.” Anyone who follows a command without “Santa says” is out.

Quiet Christmas Games for Small Groups or After Dinner

Not every game needs to be loud. These work well after a big meal or with a small group of four to six people.

21. Christmas Story Chain

Christmas party games one person starts a Christmas story with one sentence. Each person adds one sentence in turn. The story usually goes off the rails within two rounds, which is the point.

22. Name That Christmas Tune (Hummed)

One player hums a Christmas song without words. Everyone else guesses. No supplies needed, and it works around a dinner table to see video.

23. Holiday Would You Rather

Ask fun questions like “Would you rather spend Christmas at the beach or in a snowy cabin?” Everyone answers and explains. It’s a great conversation starter with relatives you don’t see often.

24. Christmas Memory Tray

Place 15 small Christmas items on a tray. Show it for 30 seconds, then cover it. Players write down as many items as they remember. The highest score wins.

25. Gift Guessing Game

Each person shakes a wrapped gift and guesses what’s inside. Correct guesses earn a point. It’s especially fun on Christmas Eve when gifts are already under the tree.

A Ready-Made Two-Hour Christmas Party Game Plan

Use this order to keep energy high from arrival to goodbye.

Cheap Prize Ideas for Christmas Party Games

Christmas party games you don’t need to spend much. Small prizes make winners feel special without blowing your Christmas budget.

• Candy cane bundles or a box of chocolates
• Christmas socks
• Mini hot cocoa kits
• A paper “Party Champion” crown
• Dollar store ornaments
• Scratch-off lottery tickets (adults only)

Hosting Tips to Make Your Games a Hit

• Explain rules in one minute. If a game needs a long explanation, skip it.
• Prep supplies before guests arrive. Put each game’s supplies in a labeled bag.
• Let people opt out. Some guests prefer to watch. Make them the judge or scorekeeper.
• Use a visible timer. A phone timer on a speaker keeps rounds moving.
• End while it’s still fun. Stop a game when people are still laughing, not when they’re bored.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best Christmas party games for large groups?

White elephant, Christmas trivia in teams, Christmas movie charades and Who Am I? all work well for groups of 15 or more. Team games are easier to manage than games where everyone plays individually.

What Christmas games can you play with no supplies?

Two Truths and a Holiday Lie, Santa Says, Holiday Would You Rather, Christmas Story Chain and Name That Christmas Tune need no supplies at all.

What are good Christmas games for an office party?

Choose games that are inclusive and clean, such as white elephant, Christmas movie charades, trivia and the gift wrap race. Avoid drinking games or anything too personal.

How many games should you plan for a Christmas party?

For a two to three hour party, plan three to five games and have one backup. Most groups enjoy two or three games and spend the rest of the time eating and talking.

What Christmas games work for both kids and adults?

Christmas Pictionary, Left Right Center, Wrap Me Up and team trivia work for all ages because kids and adults can compete fairly or play on the same team.

Final Thoughts

The best Christmas party games are the ones that fit your guests, not the longest list you can find. Pick one active game, one table game and one quiet game, prep your supplies early and keep rounds short. Do that and your party will be the one everyone talks about next December.