Group games are fun to play at any gathering, especially around the holidays. These Christmas party games keep the fun going, whether the group is family, friends, co-workers or even neighbors. Tailor the games to the crowd; for instance, a scavenger hunt could be fun for active folks or children, while Christmas carol games or white elephant gift games are fun for adult holiday parties.
Christmas scavenger hunt
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This is one of those fun Christmas party games the whole family can enjoy. It also gives children something to do when party guests are plentiful in just about every age range. Pick 10 or so items to be included in a scavenger hunt; these can be items you hide around the house or items that are already in the same general areas as the party guests. For large groups, break out into teams for team game play.
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Tip
Play the scavenger hunt outdoors if weather permits.
The scavenger hunt can work in two ways: Either have each player or group of team members find and turn in items from the list or have them check off the items after they spot them, writing down where they saw the items. The first player or first team to spot all the items on the scavenger hunt list wins. If the weather outdoors is nice, choosing outdoor scavenger hunt items is a fun way to spend some time outside for some fresh air.
Name that Christmas song
Christmas has more songs dedicated to it than most holidays, and it's pretty easy to recognize most of the classic Christmas carols. Turn a selection of holiday songs into a guessing game by playing just a few seconds of any Christmas song and then stopping abruptly. Party guests blurt out the song title, and the first one to guess it wins.
This holiday game works well if you play piano and there's a keyboard handy; otherwise, just play snippets of the Christmas carols or songs through speakers so everyone can hear the music. The Christmas song guessing game is a fun family game, as virtually anyone old enough to recognize songs probably knows at least some of the Christmas carol selections.
White elephant gift grab
A white elephant gift exchange is a humorous way to spend some quality holiday time together. Each party guest brings a gift enclosed in wrapping paper and then deposits the gifts on a table or near the Christmas tree. Silly gift ideas are great here, as it's quite funny to see others unwrapping such items. Each participating party guest picks a number randomly from Santa's hat, with one number available for each person.
Tip
Funny white elephant gifts, such as gag gifts, make this type of gift exchange hilarious.
The guest choosing number one gets the first pick of a gift and then unwraps it. The person with number two either picks a new gift to unwrap or opts to steal a previously unwrapped item, at which point the person losing the gift picks and unwraps a new one. This process continues until each party guest claims and unwraps their respective gifts.
Secret Santa gift exchange
A secret Santa gift exchange is one of those Christmas activities that's perfect for co-workers choosing to participate weeks in advance of the actual Christmas party, and it's a bit like getting a gift from Santa Claus. Each participant draws the name of another co-worker and then secretly purchases and wraps a Christmas gift for the recipient. Gift cards and items from local businesses are good gift ideas for a secret Santa gift exchange. After everyone opens their gifts, they're free to tell one another who their secret Santa recipient was.
Other Christmas party game ideas
Christmas charades, Christmas trivia and Christmas Pictionary are the same as their traditional counterparts but with Christmas as the holiday theme. For charades or Pictionary, for instance, choose a common Christmas concept, such as "jingle bells" or "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer" and either act it out or draw it depending on the game being played. Christmas trivia requires printables, such as cards or a sheet printed out with interesting Christmas trivia facts on it. The first team or person to guess correctly at any of these games wins.
Tip
Christmas party games with printables require some planning ahead of time.
Christmas bingo is another fun game that can be played much like a scavenger hunt. Make a DIY bingo card with Christmas items on it, such as a snowman, a gingerbread man and the Grinch, in a typical bingo game card layout. The first person to correctly spot any number of these in a straight or diagonal line wins.
No matter which games you like best, mix them up a bit to ensure everyone has fun. The goal is a jolly good time full of holiday cheer no matter the ages of the party participants. Christmas season is full of joy, and games are one way to bring loads of joy to the entire group.