12 Best Christmas Party Games

This list of the best Christmas Party Games delivers nonstop fun and laughter no matter the age group of party size!

If you’re searching for holiday activities that bring people together, these games help break the ice and create memories. They’re organized into categories for families, kids, large crowds and adults so you can choose what works best for your gathering.

And if you’re looking for something a little different, check out this list of over 100 card and boards games to play over the holidays with family.

Jump to:

• Family Christmas Party Games
• Kid Friendly Christmas Party Games
• Games for Large Crowds
• Adult Christmas Party Games

Family Christmas Party Games

Toilet Paper Derby

This is one of my favorite party games to play because it’s easy, hilarious and fun for all ages. I add a table of small prizes for the winners but you can play just for fun. To make this less challenging for the kids, remove the shot glass of water.

For an adults only version, swap the water and miniature animal with a glass of wine and play the same way without spilling any wine.

What You Need

• Rolls of toilet paper (amount depends on how many players)
• Painters tape
• Miniature horse or farm animals
• Plastic shot glasses

How to Play

1. Give each player a roll of toilet player.
2. Mark the finish line with painter’s tape.
3. Unravel each roll of toilet paper across a table or kitchen island.
4. Place a plastic mini horse or animal and a shot glass of water at the end of the toilet paper roll.
5. Players hold their toilet paper roll at the opposite end.
6. When the game starts, players wind their toilet paper to move their items across the finish line without dropping anything or tearing the paper.
7. The first one that crosses the finish line, wins!

Cotton Ball Scoop

This party game is a fast paced one that’s guaranteed to get everyone laughing. You can also swap out the cotton balls for gift bows. You can play with as few as two players to multiple players.

What You Need

• Cotton balls
• Plastic platters or plates
• Spatulas
• Blindfolds or sleep mask

How to Play

1. Place a large plate or platter in front of each player.
2. Spread cotton balls out in front of plates.
3. Blindfold each player.
4. Set a one minute timer.
5. Players scoop as many cotton balls as they can blindfolded using only a spatula (no hands allowed).
6. When time’s up, count the cotton balls on each plate.
7. The player with the most cotton balls wins.

Wrapping Paper Race

This game is a simple, hand-free challenge and surprisingly tricky. Watching the players move fast and kick the paper under the chair is half the fun! Who will have the fastest feet?

What You Need

• Long sheets of wrapping paper (one for each player)
• Folding chairs (one per player)

How to Play

1. Have each player sit in a folding chair and remove shoes.
2. Lay a long piece of wrapping paper on the floor starting at the players feet to the end of the room or where you want to end.
3. On “go”, players must only use their feet to pull the wrapping paper under the seat of the chair.
4. The first person to get all the wrapping paper completely under their chair wins!

Hershey Kisses Sliding Tic Tac Toe

This is an easy, low-prep activity that only requires a few supplies. It’s a favorite because all ages can enjoy it and it’s simple enough for kids to pick up right away.

What You Need

• 1 bag of Christmas Hershey Kisses (separate into 2 colors)
• Painter or colored tape

How to Play

1. Create a Tic Tac Toe grid with the tape at the end of a long table or kitchen island.
2. From the opposite end, players take turns sliding two different colored Hershey Kisses towards the grid, aiming to land in the squares.
3. The first player to get three of their color in a row, wins!

Kid Friendly Christmas Party Games

Pin the Nose on Rudolph

This game is easy to set up and entertaining for all ages. You can play at holiday parties, Christmas gatherings or a classroom party.

What You Need

• Large Rudolph poster
• Blindfold
• Paper noses
• Tape

How to Play

1. Hang the Rudolph poster at kid height.
2. Each kid gets a paper nose with their name on the back.
3. Blindfold the player and spin 3 times. Place the paper nose with tape on the back to the poster.
4. Closest to the nose wins.

Holiday Freeze Dance

This is a fun game to get the kids out of their seats and move. You can also switch it up and turn it into a round of musical chairs.

What You Need

• Speaker
• Holiday songs playlist

How to Play

1. Everyone stands up.
2. Play Christmas music; kids dance.
3. When the music stops, they freeze.
4. Anyone who moves is out until one winner remains.

Ornament Relay

This game takes a little more hand and eye coordination as you race to the finish line without dropping the ornament. You can also turn this into a blindfolded relay, where the player is blindfolded and the team has to direct them where to go.

What You Need

• Spoons
• Plastic ornaments
• Cones for course

How to Play

1. Divide into teams of 4-5.
2. Create a race course with cones.
3. Teams line up.
4. First player balances the ornament on spoon and walks the course and back handing it off to the next team member.
5. If the ornament falls, return to start.
6. First team to get all players across wins.

Games for Large Crowds

Saran Wrap Ball Game

This game is so fun to play with a group of people and filled with surprises as each layer is revealed. You can fill the ball with candy, small toys and snacks from the dollar store or add dollar bills, gift cards and lottery tickets.

To make: Wrap your first prize with saran wrap (it helps to start with something round), continuing adding prizes and wrapping until you are out of prizes.

What You Need

• Oven mitts or mittens
• Lots of prizes
• Two dice
• 1-2 rolls of Saran wrap

How to Play

1. Seat everyone in a circle and place saran wrap ball of prizes in the center.
2. Have each person roll the dice to determine who goes first.
3. Give oven mitts to the first player and the dice to the person to their left.
4. When the game starts, the dice roller starts rolling as quickly as possible while the player wearing oven mitts works to unwrap the ball.
5. As soon as the dice roller get doubles, they shout “DOUBLES”!
6. The player with the oven mitts on must stop unwrapping immediately and keep any prizes that fell out during their turn.
7. Then, the oven mitts and saran wrap ball are passed to the person who rolled doubles, and the dice are passed to the next person on their left.
8. Keep rotating every time someone rolls doubles.
9. The game ends when the final prize falls out of the ball.

Color Slam

This is the easiest game to set up with supplies you probably already have at home. You can use colored paper or construction paper and as few as 2 players to 4 players.

What You Need

• 4 colors of colored paper (2 sets for each player)
• Table or kitchen island

How to Play

1. Lay 4 colors of colored paper (one set for each team) on the table.
2. Choose one person to call out the colors.
3. Players must avoid touching the color that is called or they’re out.
4. The last player remaining, wins!

Relay Gift Wrap Race

This games always brings out the laughs as teams work together to wrap a gifts as quickly as they can. You can play with larger groups or switch it up by pairing people into teams of two. Tie one hand of each partner together for a hilarious one-handed wrapping challenge.

What You Need (one for each team)

• Empty boxes (variety of sizes)
• Rolls of wrapping paper
• Tape
• Scissors
• Ribbon
• Table(s)

How to Play

1. Divide everyone into teams of threes. Each team forms a line with one person at the table and the other two standing across the room.
2. Choose one person to act as the judge.
3. Set up the table with identical wrapping supplies and boxes for each team.
4. On “go”, player 1 picks a box and cuts the wrapping paper to fit.
5. When finished, player 1 runs to player 2 and tags them. Player 2 runs to the table and tapes the wrapping paper neatly around the box.
6. After taping, player 2 runs to player 3 and tags them. Player 3 runs to the table and adds the ribbon.
7. Once finished, player 3 holds up wrapped gift and yells “done”! The judge inspects the gift and gives a thumbs up if it meets the standard. The first team to finish and earn a thumbs up wins!

Adult Christmas Party Games

White Elephant Gift Swap

The unpredictable game that’s full of laughs and surprises, perfect for a friends’ Christmas party. The gifts can be silly, quirky or over the top and with a budget set in place.

What You Need

• Silly or impractical gifts (one per player)
• Number slips
• Table
• Optional: Prank gift boxes

How to Play

1. Guests bring one wrapped gift and set on table.
2. Place numbers 1 to however many guests there are and have each person draw a number from a hat to determine playing order.
3. Player 1, picks a gift and opens it. Player 2 can pick a new gift or steal Player 1’s gift. If a gift is stolen, that player chooses a new gift.
4. Continue until all the players had a turn.

Candy Cane Throw

This is a fun challenge that test your aim and coordination with a little friendly competition. To protect the candy canes from breaking, you can add a blanket or rug on the floor to give them a softer landing.

What You Need

• Candy canes
• Garland
• Tape to secure the garland

How to Play

1. Hang the garland horizontal securing with tape or tied to something.
2. Make a throwing line for players to stand behind.
3. Give each player equal amount of candy canes.
4. On their turn, players toss the candy canes, trying to land as many as possible on the garland.
5. The player with the most candy canes on the garland at the end wins!