Looking for ways to sleigh your family bonding this Christmas?
Once the stockings are hung and the cookies are baked, it’s time to break out the festive fun and games!
Whether young or young-at-heart, outdoorsy or indoorsy, this guide has everything you need to make this holiday season unforgettable.
From timeless classics to creative twists, we’ve got you covered with Christmas games for family that will bring joyful laughs and lifelong memories.
With Christmas board games, trivia, charades, and activities for all interests and ages – you’ll be making new traditions in no time.
Don’t forget to check out these creative Christmas game prizes.
Please note that this article may contain affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure at the bottom of this page.
Must-Try Christmas Games Your Kids Can’t Resist!
1 – Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
2 – Rummikub
3 – Gravity Maze
4 – Exploding Kittens
5 – What Do You Meme?
CHRISTMAS GAMES BUNDLE – INSTANT DOWNLOAD!
Christmas Games That Will Have Your Family in Stitches!
1. Christmas Beetle Game (Nativity Manger Scene)
What You Need
- Nativity Scene Components
You can get a Nativity set or create one using small figurines or images representing Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, wise men, shepherds, angels, animals, and the stable.
- Dice
- A scoreboard
How To Play
- Arrange the Nativity scene components on a table where everyone can see them.
- Divide players into teams and have each member roll the dice on the team’s turn.
- Each number on the dice corresponds to one of the Nativity scene components (e.g.,1 for Mary, 2 for Joseph, 3 for baby Jesus, etc.).
- The game ends when one of the teams has collected all/most of the components.
RELATED: Wonderful Christmas Gifts for Wonderful Moms
2. Christmas-Themed Memory Matching Game
What You Need
- Christmas matching cards
You can buy these premade memory matching cards, or if you’re into DIY, get some printable matching cards.
- A table or flat surface
How To Play
- Shuffle the Christmas-themed cards and arrange them face-down in a grid pattern on the playing surface.
- Each player gets to pick two cards to find two matching cards with the same Christmas-themed pictures.
- If they are a match, the player gets another go.
- If the cards don’t match, the player returns them in the same position and passes the turn.
- The game continues till all the matching pairs have been found.
- The player with the most matching cards wins.
3. Pin The Nose On Snowman Game
What You Need
- A snowman poster, printed picture, or you can make your own felt snowman with the kids.
- Nose cut-outs
DIY or store-bought. You can even write out the names of family members.
- Tape
- Blindfold/scarf
- Wall for the snowman
- Tray for all the prepared nose stickers
How To Play
- Stick your snowman poster on a wall with tape.
- Prepare your noses by sticking tape on one side. Set them tape-side up on a tray for ease.
- Start at some distance from the snowman.
- For each turn, give the player a nose, blindfold them, and spin them around gently (3 times a charm).
- Now, they are all set to go pin the nose on the snowman.
SEE: Stocking Stuffers For Toddlers They'll Surely Love
4. Saran Wrap Ball Game
What You Need
- Saran Wrap or plastic wrap
Put the prizes inside the gift box and start wrapping more interesting!
- Prizes
Candies, toys, chocolates, little ornaments, tic tacs, gift cards, Christmas-themed earrings, socks, card deck; Sky’s the limit!
How To Play
- Make your customized Saran Wrap ball.
- Scrunch and roll some wrap to form a ball, adding the prizes as you continue rolling.
- The first player tries to unwrap the ball while the next player (mostly on their right) rolls the dice, aiming to roll doubles.
- Once doubles are rolled, the ball is passed to that player and the next player rolls the dice for doubles.
- The person unrolling the ball keeps going till the next player gets doubles for some friendly tension.
- Everyone gets to keep the goodies they unwrapped.
- The game ends when the entire ball is unwrapped. Usually, there’s a bigger gift in the center.
5. Oven Mitts Game
What You Need
- 2 Dice
- A box
- The prizes
Candy, small toys, lip balm, nuts, jelly beans, hot chocolate packet, energy bars, bouncy ball, earrings, gift cards, etc.
You may choose multiple prizes.
- Gift wrap
- Tape
How To Play
- Put the prizes inside the gift box and start wrapping.
- Use extra wrapping paper and tape to make the game more fun and challenging.
- With all players sitting in a big circle, the first player begins to unwrap the present wearing oven mitts.
- They cannot use their fingernails, teeth, or elbows for assistance.
- Meanwhile, the player to their right rolls two dice for doubles (e.g. 3-3, 6-6).
- Once they roll doubles, the gift and mitts get passed to them, and the sequence goes on.
- The game ends when the present is completely unwrapped.
Merry Chrismitts!
SEE ALSO: Stocking Stuffers For Men
6. Minute To Win It Games
What You Need
1 – The Jingle Bell Shake
- Empty Tissue Box
- 10 jingle bells
- Timer
- Music (optional)
2 – Reindeer Antler ring toss game
- Inflatable Reindeer Antler ring toss set
3 – Christmas Dice Game
- A pack of dice
How To Play
1 – The Jingle Bell Shake
- Make two holes in a tissue box.
- Using a rope or ribbon, secure it around the player’s back.
- Place the jingle bells inside the box.
- With the music playing, have the player shake/dance all the jingle bells out for a minute.
- The player with the most bells out wins.
2 – Reindeer Antler ring toss game
- Inflate the entire set.
- One player wears the Antler headring while others take turns tossing the rings.
- The player with the most rings wins.
3 – Christmas Dice Game
- Stack the dice or roll doubles in under one minute.
7. Wrap-A-Kid Game
What You Need
- A willing kid
- Gift wrap roll/ streamer
- Tape
How To Play
- Players need to wrap their kid using only ONE hand.
- Whoever finishes first wins.
8. Christmas Mad Libs
What You Need
- Pencil/Pen
How To Play
- Gather the words as per Mad Libs rules (ask random words from players without giving them context).
- Write those words in one of the Mad Libs’ stories.
- Enjoy the hilarious story you all just created.
9. Finish The Christmas Carol Game
What You Need
- Hand-written or pre-made Christmas Carol cards
- Timer
- Scoreboard
How To Play
- Divide players into 2 teams.
- From each team, a player will pick a card from the draw pile, read the carol/Christmas song, and the team will have to finish the lyrics.
- If they guess correctly, the reader will pick another card for their team to guess.
- This goes on till the time’s up (60 seconds) or if the team is unable to guess correctly.
- Then move on to the next team and repeat.
- A card cannot be passed or exchanged.
- The team with the most points wins.
10. Christmas Charades
What You Need
- Timer
- Scoreboard
- A bowl for the paper slips
How To Play
- Divided into two teams, one player from each team picks up a paper slip from the bowl and silently acts out the Christmas phrase for their team members to guess.
- They cannot mouth the words or draw letters in the air.
- If the team guesses correctly within a minute, they get a score.
- The team with the most score wins.
11. Random Gift And Gratitude Game
What You Need
- Random object (a carrot, a spoon, a lotion, etc.)
How To Play
- Have everyone gift random items to each other as Christmas gifts, followed by thanking each other profoundly.
Create more family bonding time with these DIY Christmas gift ideas!
12. Christmas Bingo
What You Need
- Xmas Bingo cards (pre-made or printables)
- Pen/marker for everyone
- Bingo caller (the one that announces)
- Red and green candies to cover the crossed items.
How To Play
- Have the caller announce a random Bingo item as they draw the cards from the drawing pile, and the players get to cross that picture.
- Once someone has five in a row, they shout out bingo and they win that round.
13. Santa Hat Game
What You Need
- Santa/elf hats for everyone
How To Play
- The aim is to not be the last person left with Santa’s hat on.
- Make sure everyone is wearing a hat.
- The only rule is that they can’t take off their hat until you do.
- Continue with the festivities and remove your hat without drawing attention.
- Watch as people catch on, and you find your last guy.
14. Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman Game
What You Need
- A flat surface/table
How To Play
- All players are given their draw pile, along with a central draw pile in the middle of the table.
- The aim is to get rid of all your cards.
- If a player says the same word as on the card while putting their card down, make sure to slap your hands on top of them in the center.
- The last player to do so takes all the cards, and the sequence continues pretty much like Uno.
15. Christmas-Themed Words Game
What You Need
- Christmas-themed words list
- Scissors
- Timer
How To Play
- Get two copies of the Christmas-related word list, so that everyone can have a word.
- With the words cut and mixed up, give one word to each player.
- Set the timer and have the players find the other player with the matching word.
- Once found, the partners have to draw out their Christmas word.
- When the timer goes off, have everybody guess the word from the drawing.
- If guessed correctly, the players get a point.
16. Christmas-themed Scavenger Hunt
What You Need
- Christmas Scavenger Hunt game cards or DIY list of things
- Prizes (for the list)
Ornaments, snacks, small toys, Elf hat, Santa/Rudolph figurines, etc.
How To Play
- Each player is given these game cards or a DIY list, and they need to find the objects or take pictures of said objects.
- The player who finishes first wins.
- You can team up or play individually.
17. Christmas Tic-Tac-Toe Relay Race
What You Need
- Painter’s tape for making the grid
- Christmas-themed prizes for winners
- 2 sets of similar objects (one for each team)
How To Play
- Dividing players into two teams, queue up some distance away from the grid.
- Each team will have the first member race toward the grid and mark a box.
- Then they race back to the team, tagging the next player who continues the same way.
- The goal is to have all 3 boxes in a row before the opponents.
18. Candy Cane Fun
What You Need
How To Play
- Each player has to balance a candy cane on their finger and run around the room trying to knock off others’ candy canes.
19. Eat-The-Chocolate Game
What you Need
- Fork and Knife
- Gloves
- Scarf
- Hat
- Dice
How To Play
- Sitting in a circle with all things in the middle, each player needs to roll a 6 and then quickly wear the scarf, hat, and gloves and use the fork and knife to cut the chocolate.
- The goal is to eat as much chocolate before someone else rolls a 6, where the entire sequence is given to them.
- The game continues until the chocolate is finished.
20. Fluffy Bunny
What You Need
How To Play
- Sitting in a circle, each player puts a large marshmallow in their mouth (no chewing), says “fluffy bunny,” and passes the turn.
- The first player who can’t put another in or accidentally eats one loses.
21. LCR Left Center Right Dice Game
What You Need
How To Play
- Each player brings $3-$5 to use instead of the game chips.
- Follow this when you roll the dice:
- L: Give a dollar to the player on the left
- R: Give a dollar to the one on the right
- C: Put a dollar in the middle
- •: Keep a dollar
- L: Give a dollar to the player on the left
- The last person with a dollar wins the entire amount in the center.
22. Snow Shovel Race Game
What You Need
- Cotton balls/ white pompoms
- Plastic Spoons
- Bowls
How To Play
- Put all the cotton balls on a counter/table.
- Each player has to scoop the snow into the bowl with a spoon in their mouth.
- The team with the most snow wins.
23. Candy Cane Hunt
What You Need
- Collecting bags/baskets
How To Play
- Hide the candy canes beforehand.
- When the game begins, have all the players collect a set number of candy canes and return to the starting point.
- The player with the most candy canes collected wins.
24. Hot Mitts Game
What You Need
- Dice
- Empty boxes
- Tape
- Gift wrap
- Prize: $10 gift card, snacks, socks, etc.
How To Play
- Wrap your prize in multiple empty boxes.
- Each player has to roll the dice for a 6 and then unwrap the excessively wrapped present wearing hot mitts and Santa’s hat.
- Meanwhile, the next player needs to roll a 6. When they do, they get the mitts and hat and the sequence continues.
- The player who gets the prize first wins.
25. Christmas Ping-Pong Game
What You Need
- Cups
- Paper
- Tape
- Money
How To Play
- Set the cups with their prize tags($1, $2, $5, etc.) on a big table.
- Each player gets 5 turns to aim their ping-pong balls for the prize cups. Repeat once everyone has had a turn.
- The player with the most cash wins.
Get teens off their phones this holiday with these fun outdoor games for teenagers that will have the whole family bonding and making memories.
Wrapping Up Christmas Games For Family
With this bunch of jolly games up your sleeve, you’re all set to rock your next family shindig.
But hold your reindeer – don’t hoard the fun!
Spread the love, and share these epic family Christmas games with your buddies and even those folks next door.
Let’s turn it into one epic holiday showdown!
Here’s to smashing more rounds of your go-to card game, owning those gingerbread house battles like a champ, and showing your cousins who’s boss in Christmas movie trivia.
You’ve got this, holiday hero!
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