Christmas party games for every crowd

Best Christmas games by crowd

How to play each game

1. 1. Secret Santa

   Work · Family · Adults · 4 or more

   Everyone draws one name in secret and buys that person a gift within the limit. At the party, gifts are handed over or opened together, and givers can stay secret or reveal themselves. Keep partners and housemates from drawing each other.

   You need: A spending limit, a swap date, one gift each.

   Run it: Secret Santa generator. Draw names with exclusions and send private links, free with no sign-up.

2. 2. White Elephant (Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa)

   Work · Family · Adults · 6 to 30

   Players draw numbers. Number 1 opens a gift; each next player opens a new gift or steals an opened one, and anyone who loses a gift picks again. Most groups lock a gift after three steals and give number 1 a final swap.

   You need: One wrapped gift each, a spending limit, numbers.

   Run it: White Elephant number generator. Draw a fair pick order for any number of players.

3. 3. Christmas bingo

   Work · Family · Kids · Any number

   Fill cards with holiday moments or words (ugly sweater spotted, someone sings a carol, mistletoe moment) and mark them off as they happen, or call squares like regular bingo. First full row wins.

   You need: A card per player, a caller, small prizes.

   Run it: With Party Games ($6 or 1 credit per event, free events too): a unique card for every player, live calls, claims checked, and printable cards.

4. 4. Ugly sweater contest

   Work · Adults · Family · Any number

   Ask everyone to wear their worst holiday sweater, line the entrants up mid-party, and let guests vote. Add categories (most lights, most homemade) so more people win something.

   You need: Sweaters, a vote, one prize.

   Run it: With Party Games ($6 or 1 credit per event, free events too): entries with photos, guests vote from the event page, and you reveal the winner.

5. 5. Christmas trivia teams

   Work · Family · Adults · 8 or more, in teams of 4 to 6

   Write rounds on Christmas movies, carols, food and traditions around the world. Teams answer on paper, swap sheets to mark, and the top score wins. Mixing departments or generations on each team keeps it friendly.

   You need: 20 to 30 questions, paper and pens.

   Run it: With Party Games ($6 or 1 credit per event, free events too): balanced teams from your guest list that keep households together.

6. 6. Name that Christmas song

   Work · Family · Kids · Any number, in teams

   Play the first few seconds of a Christmas song; the first team to shout the title (or sing the next line) scores. Use instrumental covers for a harder round.

   You need: A playlist and a speaker.

7. 7. Gift wrap relay

   Work · Family · Adults · Pairs

   Pairs wrap a box together using one hand each, or one partner blindfolded. Fastest neat parcel wins; judge the messiest one too.

   You need: Boxes, paper, tape, a timer.

8. 8. Cookie decorating contest

   Family · Kids · Work · Any number

   Give everyone the same plain cookies and ten minutes. Guests vote on best, funniest and most festive; then everyone eats the entries.

   You need: Plain cookies, icing, sprinkles.

   Run it: With Party Games ($6 or 1 credit per event, free events too): a contest with categories and a guest vote.

9. 9. Guess how many in the jar

   Work · Family · Kids · Any number

   Guests guess how many are in the jar as they arrive; the closest guess takes the jar home. Add a second question (how long the gift exchange will take) for a tie-breaker.

   You need: A jar of candy canes, ornaments or chocolates.

   Run it: With Party Games ($6 or 1 credit per event, free events too): predictions guests answer from the page, with a leaderboard of the closest.

10. 10. Holiday office awards

    Work · A team or office

    Vote on light-hearted superlatives such as best desk decorations, most likely to answer email on vacation, or team cheerleader. Keep every category kind; this works best when everyone is likely to win something.

    You need: A short list of kind categories.

    Run it: With Party Games ($6 or 1 credit per event, free events too): superlatives guests vote on, revealed live.

11. 11. Door prize or raffle

    Work · Family · Adults · Any number

    Enter everyone who came (or everyone who brought a donation for a charity drive) and draw winners through the evening, so people stay for the end.

    You need: Prizes, a list of names.

    Run it: Random name picker. Pick names at random, with no repeats.

12. 12. Kids' games: pin the nose on Rudolph, snowball toss, candy cane hunt

    Kids · Family · Any number

    Blindfold and spin for Rudolph's nose, toss cotton-ball snowballs into buckets from a line, or hide candy canes around the room and let kids hunt. Short games with a small prize each keep younger kids going.

    You need: A Rudolph poster, cotton balls and buckets, hidden candy canes.

Run the games from your RSVP list

Make the party page free on RSVPlinks and guests reply from one link, with no app or account. With Party Games ($6 or 1 credit per event, free events too), guests tick the games they want on the RSVP form; Secret Santa matches and White Elephant numbers are drawn from the people coming and emailed privately; and a live screen shows draws, bingo calls and contest winners at the party. If someone drops out after the draw, it is repaired and only the people affected are told.

Frequently asked questions