At your traditional holiday party, after all presents are opened and the food devoured, the guests may get a little bored – this is the perfect moment to shake things up a bit with some fun Christmas games. Whether your family is small or large, young or old, active or a bunch of couch potatoes, there are great entertainment options that will make everyone happy. Check out the following Christmas games that will surely keep your family jolly and laughing the whole day!
One of my favorite Christmas games, a holiday-themed scavenger hunt around the neighborhood will ensure everyone will have a blast and get some exercise as well. Hide Christmas goodies, decorations, jingle bells or small gifts around the neighborhood, split the guests in teams and give everyone a list of the items they need to find, as well as hints to help them out. The team that finds the most items before a set time limit wins.
Ask a couple of people to stand still while everyone else, split into teams, wraps them in toilet paper to decorate them as snowmen. The first team to finish or the most "handsome" snowman wins.
If you everyone's a bit lazy after eating, the Sausage Game can be a great choice. Split up in teams. The first team asks someone in the other team a question – such as "What do you brush your teeth with?" The one who has to answer is only allowed to say "sausages" – without laughing or smiling! For each question they answer with a straight face, they gain a point. The turn ends when the person who's being "questioned" starts smiling or laughing, and then their team gets to ask the questions. The game can get pretty naughty if you ask the right questions, so make sure the kids have something better to do in another room.
If your family is the competitive type, how about challenging everyone to a Christmas trivia showdown? Focus on holiday traditions around the world, Santa facts or Christmas tree trivia. You can set a time limit and have the players compete for a prize or just throw questions at them randomly throughout the day to keep them guessing!
What's Christmas without gifts? Gather all guests together and pass around one present at a time. When the music stops, the person holding the gift gets to keep it - and is out of the game. This is one of the Christmas games that require prior preparation and imagination (hey, it rhymes!), to make sure each present is unique.
Gift Hot Potato is a great Christmas game for all ages. It's a great way to get the party started and can be adapted to suit any group size. All you need is a selection of presents, some music and a group of willing participants. This game requires a little bit of preparation, but it's worth it for the laughs and fun that follows. It's also a great way to make sure everyone gets a gift. When the music stops, the person holding the present gets to keep it, and is out of the game. This is a great way to get everyone involved and have a blast this Christmas.
I'm sure you don't need any explanations on how the game should work, so all that's left to say here is… get dramatic!
Freeze colored water before the party starts, set up a few tables outdoors (you don't want colored ice melting on your floors) and have the guests build sculptures or whatever else you can think of.
Get some pieces of paper, write 4-5 words from a carol (excluding the title!) on each of them and place all papers in a bowl. Taking turns, the guests will pick up a note from the bowl and try to name the carols the lyrics are from.
This is one of the simplest Christmas games to set up, but it can be pretty challenging to play, especially after all the tasty food and drinks – well, mostly the drinks. Gather various Christmas items on a tray and give the guests 30-60 seconds to memorize them. Hide the tray and have everyone write down all the items they can remember.
This Xmas Memory Game is a great way to add some festive fun to your party. It is a simple game to set up and can be challenging to play. Gather various Christmas items on a tray and give the guests 30-60 seconds to memorize them. Then, hide the tray and have everyone write down all the items they can remember. The person with the most correct items wins the game. To make it more interesting, you can give a small prize to the winner. It is a great way to engage your guests and get everyone in the holiday spirit.
This one is a known ice-breaker at parties, but you can add a twist to it. Have each person name 3 worst Christmas gifts they've ever received or describe the 3 worst holiday parties they've been to. One of them would be false and the others true, and you'll have to guess which is which.
Which one of these games would you like to try? And do you have any fun suggestions to spice up the Christmas party?