15+ Holiday Party Games for Everyone

Get ready to spread holiday cheer with these 10+ fun and festive Christmas party games! Whether you're hosting family members, large groups, or a holiday party with friends, these games are the perfect way for creating laughter, friendly competition, and holiday memories. 

From classic activities with a Christmas twist to unique challenges that embrace the season’s spirit, there’s something here for every age group, younger kids included. Grab your Santa hats, cue the holiday tunes, and let the games begin! 

Rock Paper Scissors Hop

This game is a lively twist on the classic game of Rock Paper Scissors, adding physical movement and excitement. But be aware, this can turn into a very competitive game.

Objective

Win rounds of Rock Paper Scissors to progress across a hopscotch-like course. The first player to reach the end wins.

Setup

1. Players: At least two players, but the more the better.  Divide players into 2 teams
2. Course:
   • place X's on the ground with scotch tape
   • The longer the path the longer the game lasts
3. Starting Positions:
   •  each team begin at opposite ends of the course 

How to Play

1. Move Toward Each Other:
   • Players hop toward the center of the path, one space at a time.
   • They meet when they land on the same space.
2. Play Rock Paper Scissors:
   • Players play a single round of Rock Paper Scissors (no best-of-three unless you want to extend the game).
   • The winner continues on the path and the loser goes to the back of their teams line
   • The next player from the losing team starts hopping to meet the winner as fast as possible.  
3. Winning the Game:
   • A player wins when they hop to the other end of the path and are not sent back by losing a Rock Paper Scissors round.

Big Tic Tac Toe Sliding Game

This is a fun and interactive twist on the classic game of Tic Tac Toe, perfect for parties or gatherings. Here’s how to set it up and play:

What You’ll Need

• A large table (big enough to serve as the game board).
• Tape or markers to draw a 3x3 grid in the center of the table (the Tic Tac Toe board).
• 12 red Solo cups:
  • 6 cups marked with an "X."
  • 6 cups marked with an "O."
• At least 4 players, divided into two teams.

Setup

1. Prepare the Board:
   • Use scotch table to create a 3x3 grid on the table, similar to a Tic Tac Toe board.
2. Divide Into Teams:
   • Split the players into two teams: Team X and Team O.
3. Place the Cups:
   • Each team gets 6 Solo cups marked with their symbol (X or O).
   • Teams start with their cups off the board.

How to Play

1. Take Turns:
   • Teams alternate turns sliding one of their cups toward the Tic Tac Toe board.
   • Players stand at the edge of the table and gently push or slide the cup onto the grid.
2. Goal:
   • The objective is to align three of your team’s cups (X or O) in a row—horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
   • At the same time, try to block the other team from forming a row.
3. Rules:
   • If a cup slides outside the grid or lands incorrectly, the turn is forfeited.
   • Cups already on the grid cannot be moved unless knocked off during gameplay.
   • Knocking off an opponent’s cup is allowed.
4. Winning:
   • The game ends when a team successfully forms three of their symbols in a row.

Gift Exchange

For the party, we had a blanket exchange. The girls took turns rolling the dice, and based on the number rolled, they passed the presents that many people to the right.

A White Elephant Gift Exchange

In this game, each participant brings a wrapped gift, usually something quirky, funny, or inexpensive. 

1. Draw Numbers:
   • Each participant draws a number to determine the order in which they will choose gifts. The person who draws #1 will go first, #2 will go second, and so on.
2. Gift Selection:
   • The first person (Number 1) selects a gift from the pile, opens it, and shows it to everyone.
3. Stealing or Choosing:
   • The second person (Number 2) now has two options:
     1. Pick an unopened gift from the pile.
     2. "Steal" the gift from the first person (if they choose to steal, the first person must give up their gift).
4. If a Gift is Stolen:
   • If a gift is stolen, the person who had their gift taken can either choose another unopened gift from the pile or "steal" from someone else.
   • A gift can only be stolen once per turn. No one can steal a gift that was just taken during the same round.
5. Continue the Game:
   • The game continues with the next person in line (Number 3) either selecting an unopened gift or stealing someone else's gift.
   • Each person follows the same process of choosing or stealing until all gifts have been chosen.
6. Final Round:
   • The last person (who has the highest number) selects their gift or steals, and the game ends.
7. End of the Game:
   • Everyone now has a gift, and the fun is in seeing who ended up with the best—or worst—gift! Enjoy the laughter and unpredictability as gifts are stolen and swapped!

Pling Pong

Pling Pong is an exciting game for the entire family.  I discovered it on Amazon, it's perfect for parties or family gatherings. Here’s how to play:

1. Divide into Teams: Split the players into 4 teams.
2. Objective: The goal is to land a ping pong ball into the other teams' cups. Each team takes turns aiming at the cups of their opponents.
3. Winning the Game: The last team with cups remaining is the winner.
4. Beware the Black Cup: If a ball lands in the black cup, your team loses one of its cups, and every other team gets one cup back.

Red Solo Cup Stacking

This is one of our go to holiday party games. It is a great icebreaker, or people can randomly play it through out the party.

1. Setup: Stack red Solo cups in a tower, placing a piece of white paper between each cup to separate them.
2. Objective: The challenge is to pull the paper out quickly enough so that each cup neatly stacks into the one below.
3. Winning: The goal is to remove all the paper without the stack toppling over.
4. Make it Competitive: Turn it into a race and give them a time limit to see who can complete the challenge the fastest!

This game tests your speed and precision—perfect for a lively party atmosphere

Guess the Baby

Creating a "Guess the Baby" game is a fun and nostalgic way to bring everyone together at your holiday party! To set it up, ask all attendees to bring in a baby picture of themselves ahead of time. Print out the pictures and display them, numbering each one.

Then, hand out a sheet of paper to everyone and have them write down who they think each baby picture belongs to. Once everyone has made their guesses, reveal the answers one by one and see who can match the most baby faces to their grown-up counterparts. It’s a great icebreaker and will have everyone laughing as they try to figure out which baby belongs to which guest!

Liar's Dice

Liar’s Dice is a fun and strategic dice game that involves bluffing and guessing your opponents’ rolls. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to play:

Objective

The goal is to be the last player with dice remaining by correctly calling bluffs or outsmarting opponents.

Set Up Minute to Win It Games for Festive Fun

Minute to Win It games are perfect for bringing festive fun to any Christmas gathering, as they can be easily adapted for different age groups.

Whether you're playing with kids, teens, or adults, these quick and exciting challenges keep everyone engaged and laughing. For younger kids, simple tasks like stacking cups or balancing ornaments can be both fun and safe, while older kids and adults can enjoy more competitive games like cookie face or marshmallow toss.

The beauty of Minute to Win It games lies in their simplicity and versatility—each game only lasts a minute, so players can quickly move from one challenge to the next, keeping the energy high and the holiday spirit alive.

Plus, most of the supplies can be bought at the dollar store. These games encourage friendly competition, teamwork, and lots of laughter, making them a perfect addition to any Christmas party, no matter the age group!

1. Cookie Face

• What You Need: A cookie (like Oreos or a Christmas cookie) for each player.
• How to Play:
  1. Players tilt their heads back and place a cookie on their forehead.
  2. Using only facial muscles, they must move the cookie into their mouth.
  3. No hands allowed!
• Goal: Successfully eat the cookie within one minute.

2. Stack Attack

• What You Need: 36 plastic cups per player.
• How to Play:
  1. Players stack the cups into a perfect triangular pyramid (base of 8 cups).
  2. Once stacked, they must unstack the cups back into a single stack.
• Goal: Complete the stacking and unstacking within one minute.

3. Junk in the Trunk

• What You Need: An empty tissue box, string/belt, and 8-10 ping pong balls.
• How to Play:
  1. Attach the tissue box to the player's waist using the string or belt.
  2. Fill the box with ping pong balls.
  3. Players must shake, jump, or wiggle to get all the balls out without using their hands.
• Goal: Empty the box within one minute.

4. Chopstick Race

• What You Need: A pair of chopsticks and small items like marshmallows, beads, or Christmas candies.
• How to Play:
  1. Players use chopsticks to transfer items from one bowl to another.
  2. They can use only one hand or two, depending on skill level.
• Goal: Transfer the most items within one minute.

5. Defying Gravity

• What You Need: 3 balloons per player.
• How to Play:
  1. Players must keep three balloons in the air at all times using only their hands.
  2. If a balloon touches the ground, they’re out.
• Goal: Keep all balloons in the air for one minute.

Holiday Jeopardy

Holiday Jeopardy is one of our favorite family Christmas party games.  It is really perfect for any type of party. Here’s how to set it up and play at home:

What You Need:

• A computer to create the game - we create it here
• Buzzers
• A timer (optional, for faster gameplay).
• A way to keep score (pen and paper or a whiteboard).

How to Set Up:

1. Create Your Game Board:
   • Label each column with different categories related to the holiday trivia. Some example categories could be:
     • Christmas Movies
     • Holiday Traditions
     • Winter Wonderland
     • Christmas Songs
     • Festive Foods
   • Write five questions under each category, each one increasing in difficulty (with corresponding point values). For example:
     • $100: Easy question
     • $200: Slightly harder question
     • $300: Medium difficulty
     • $400: Harder question
     • $500: Very difficult question
2. Set Up Teams:
   • Divide players into teams (or you can play individually if you have a small group).
   • Give each team a buzzer

How to Play:

1. Choose a Team to Start:
   • The first team will select a category and a point value (e.g., “Christmas Movies for $200”).
   • The host (who’s in charge of reading the questions) then reads the trivia question for that category and point value.
2. Answering the Question:
   • The team that buzzes in first gets to answer the question.
   • If they answer correctly, they earn the points for that category. If they answer incorrectly, they lose the points, and another team can buzz in to answer.
3. Continue Selecting Questions:
   • After answering a question correctly, the team gets to select the next category and point value.
   • The game continues with teams alternating turns choosing questions until all the questions have been answered.
4. Final Jeopardy:
   • After all the regular questions are answered, play Final Jeopardy.
   • Choose one last, more challenging question (e.g., from any category or a special "Holiday Knowledge" round).
   • Each team wagers a certain number of points (up to the total points they have earned).
   • Teams write down their answers in secret and reveal them after the timer goes off.
   • Teams earn or lose the points based on their answers.

Winning the Game:

• The team with the most points at the end of Final Jeopardy wins the game!
• You can reward the winning team with a small prize or holiday treat.

A Few More Classic Holiday Party Games

Here are a few kid-friendly Christmas party games with festive twists.

1. Christmas Charades
   • Act out a word or phrase without speaking while your team guesses.
   • Great for all ages and easy to play with no setup.
2. Pictionary
   • Draw clues while your team guesses what you're illustrating.
   • Perfect for creative and hilarious moments.
3. Never Have I Ever
   • Players share experiences, revealing fun facts about themselves.
   • Use a deck of cards or create your own prompts.
4. Santa Says
   • One person (the "Santa") gives commands to the group, such as "Santa says touch your nose!" or "Santa says jump like a reindeer!" Players must follow the instructions only if the phrase begins with "Santa says." If the phrase doesn’t start with "Santa says," anyone who follows the command is out. The last player remaining wins.
5. Musical Chairs
   • Dance around a circle of chairs and scramble to find a seat when the music stops.
   • Simple, competitive, and tons of fun!

Food for a Holiday Party

• Hot chocolate with whipped cream
• Candy canes
• Christmas Cookies
• Christmas tree cupcakes
• Peppermint Bark
• Eggnog

With these 10+ holiday party games, you’re sure to keep the festive spirit alive and create unforgettable memories with your loved ones.

 Whether it’s laughter over a silly challenge or the joy of friendly competition, these games are a great way to bring everyone closer together. So, gather your guests this holiday season, embrace the Christmas songs and let the fun carry you through this most wonderful time of the year. Merry Christmas and happy partying!