Christmas Games: 40+ Games for Family and Kids

The best Christmas games are simple enough for the youngest guest, silly enough for the grown-ups, and need nothing more than what is already in the house.

Whether you are hosting a big family gathering, a classroom party, or a quiet night in, a few good Christmas games turn a crowded living room into a memory. And they give restless kids something better to do than shake the presents.

Below you will find more than 40 Christmas games for the whole family, including Minute to Win It challenges, games for kids and toddlers, Christmas trivia with answers, and party games for teens and adults, plus tips for hosting.

Key Takeaways

Choose games that fit your group’s ages, space, and energy level.
Minute to Win It games are quick, cheap, and work for mixed ages.
Mix teams by age so everyone can play together.
Keep small parts, glass ornaments, and hard candies away from toddlers.
End the night with a calm game to help kids wind down for bed.

Table of Contents

How to Pick the Right Christmas Games for Your Crowd

The best Christmas games match the group in front of you. A living room with a toddler, three cousins, and Grandpa needs different games than a teen sleepover or a grown-up holiday party. Before you plan, think about three things:

Ages: Choose games where the youngest player can join, or pair little kids with an older teammate.
Space: Relay races need room to run; table games work in a small apartment.
Energy: Start with something active to burn off sugar, then move to calmer games as bedtime approaches.

Most of the games below need nothing more than paper, tape, wrapping paper, and whatever candy is already in the house.

Christmas Games for the Whole Family

Christmas Charades: Write holiday words on slips of paper (reindeer, snowman, wrapping presents, Santa stuck in the chimney) and act them out in teams. Little kids can act out animals and simple actions.
Christmas Pictionary: Same idea, but draw. Use a big pad of paper or a whiteboard. Easy prompts for kids: star, candy cane, stocking; harder ones for adults: “the Grinch’s heart growing.”
Pass the Present: Wrap a small prize in many layers of paper, each with a tiny treat or a silly dare. Pass it around while music plays; when the music stops, the holder unwraps one layer.
The Left-Right Game: Everyone holds a wrapped gift. Read a short holiday story full of the words “left” and “right,” and pass gifts in that direction each time. Whoever holds a gift at the end keeps it.
Christmas Bingo: Make bingo cards with holiday pictures or words and call them out. Candy or cereal pieces make great markers (skip small hard candies for toddlers).
Name That Holiday Tune: Hum or play the first few notes of a classic Christmas song and race to name it.
Holiday Family Feud: Survey the family ahead of time (“Name something you hang on a tree”) and play in two teams.
Christmas Story Chain: One person starts a holiday story with a single sentence; each person adds one more. It always goes somewhere ridiculous.

Minute to Win It Christmas Games

These quick, silly challenges are perfect for mixed ages. Each player gets 60 seconds.

Candy Cane Hook: Using only a candy cane held in their mouth, players try to hook and lift as many other candy canes as they can.
Jingle Bell Toss: Toss jingle bells into a cup or bowl from a few feet away.
Unwrap the Gift in Oven Mitts: Wrap a box in several layers, then race to unwrap it while wearing oven mitts.
Snowball Scoop: Blindfolded players scoop cotton balls (“snowballs”) from one bowl into another with a spoon.
Stack the Cups: Build a Christmas tree out of plastic cups in 60 seconds.
Ornament Relay: Carry a plastic ornament on a spoon across the room without dropping it.
Reindeer Ring Toss: One person wears a headband with antlers; others toss rings (or paper plates with the centers cut out) onto them.

Christmas Games for Kids

Pin the Nose on Rudolph: Draw a big Rudolph on poster board and give blindfolded players a red pom-pom nose with tape.
Snowman Wrap: Teams wrap one player in toilet paper to make a snowman, then add a paper hat and scarf. Fastest snowman wins.
Christmas Scavenger Hunt: Hide small ornaments or holiday items around the house and give kids a picture list to find. Our scavenger hunt guide has clue templates you can adapt for Christmas.
Freeze Dance: Play holiday music and freeze when it stops. Anyone still moving does a silly reindeer pose.
Elf Says: Like Simon Says, but with elf commands: “Elf says wrap a present,” “Elf says fly like a reindeer.”
Present Stack: Stack wrapped empty boxes as high as possible before the tower tumbles.
Don’t Eat Pete: Place candies on a grid; one child leaves the room while others secretly choose “Pete.” The child returns and eats candies one at a time until someone shouts “Don’t eat Pete!”

For more screen-free fun, see our party games for kids and indoor activities for kids collections.

Big days of fun go better with a good night of sleep.

Got a little one at home too? Our free two-minute quiz builds a gentle, personalized sleep plan for babies and toddlers.

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Christmas Trivia Questions for Families

Read these aloud and keep score by team. Easier questions are first.

What color is Rudolph’s nose? Red.
What does Frosty the Snowman have for a nose, according to the song? A button nose.
What is the name of the Grinch’s dog? Max.
Where does Santa live? The North Pole.
How many reindeer pull Santa’s sleigh in the classic poem, not counting Rudolph? Eight.
Who wrote A Christmas Carol? Charles Dickens.
What is Scrooge’s first name? Ebenezer.
Which country is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition? Germany.
In what year was Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer first created, as a department store booklet? 1939.
What do you traditionally hang in a doorway to share a kiss under? Mistletoe.
In Home Alone 2, what city does Kevin end up in? New York City.
What are Santa’s helpers called? Elves.

If you have curious kids asking big questions this season, our guide on how to answer “Is Santa real?” can help, and calling Santa is a fun tradition for little ones.

Christmas Games for Teens and Adults

White Elephant (Yankee Swap): Everyone brings a wrapped gift within a price limit. Players draw numbers and either unwrap a new gift or steal an opened one. Limit steals per gift to keep it moving.
Christmas Movie Quote Game: Read a famous line from a holiday movie and guess the film.
Holiday Would You Rather: “Would you rather be an elf or a reindeer?” Our would you rather questions list has more you can adapt.
Two Truths and a Holiday Lie: Share two true holiday memories and one made-up one; others guess the lie.
Christmas Card Games: Many classic card games work with a holiday twist, like a gift-card prize pool.
Guess the Ornament: Put mystery holiday items in a pillowcase and guess by touch only.

Christmas Games for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Little ones do best with short, simple, cooperative games where everyone “wins.”

Hide a stuffed reindeer and play hot-and-cold to find it.
Jingle bell shakers during a holiday dance party.
Color hunts: find something red, something green, something sparkly.
Sort plastic ornaments by color into bowls.
Wrap small toys in paper and let toddlers unwrap them (and rewrap them, over and over).

Skip small parts, glass ornaments, and tinsel near children under 3, since they are choking and cut hazards.

Tips for Hosting Christmas Games

Mix teams by age so little kids and grown-ups play together.
Keep prizes small and silly: candy canes, stickers, a paper crown, or bragging rights.
Set a time limit. Three or four games is plenty for young kids.
End calm. Finish with trivia or a story chain so kids can wind down.
Protect bedtime where you can. Late nights and sugar add up; plan a quiet ride home and a simplified bedtime routine.

Related Betteroo Guides

Keeping Holiday Fun Safe

Holiday gatherings bring a few extra hazards for little ones: small toy parts, button batteries in new gadgets, magnets, glass ornaments, and candies that are choking risks for children under 4. Keep games with small pieces away from toddlers, move breakable ornaments up high, and keep an eye out during busy moments when adults assume someone else is watching. Afterward, try to protect the next day’s nap. Even a short one helps little kids recover from a big celebration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What games do people play at Christmas?

Popular Christmas games include charades, Pictionary, white elephant gift swaps, Christmas bingo, the left-right game, pass the present, Minute to Win It challenges like candy cane hook, pin the nose on Rudolph, and Christmas trivia.

What are good Christmas games for families?

Good family Christmas games include Christmas charades, pass the present, the left-right gift game, Christmas bingo, Name That Holiday Tune, and a Christmas story chain. They work for mixed ages and need only simple supplies.

What are fun Christmas games for kids?

Kids love pin the nose on Rudolph, snowman wrap (with toilet paper), Christmas scavenger hunts, freeze dance, Elf Says, present stacking, and Minute to Win It games like jingle bell toss.

What are some Christmas games for adults to play indoors?

Adults and teens often enjoy white elephant gift swaps, Christmas movie quote guessing, two truths and a holiday lie, holiday Family Feud, Christmas trivia, and guess the ornament by touch.

How do you play the left-right Christmas game?

Everyone sits in a circle holding a wrapped gift. A reader tells a holiday story packed with the words “left” and “right,” and players pass their gift in that direction each time they hear the word. When the story ends, everyone keeps the gift they are holding.

Gentle changes, peaceful nights.

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