32 Christmas Party Games for the Whole Family (Plus a Few That Are Adults-Only)

Best for All Generations

No need to venture out into the cold for a caroling activity this holiday season. Instead, bring the classic tunes indoors with an entertaining game that will put everyone’s Christmas carol knowledge to the test. The play is fast-paced and family-friendly and the board game format (which includes playing pieces and dice) makes for an interactive experience that all will enjoy.

Best for Kids

Scavenger hunts are always a blast—but let’s be honest, it takes a lot of effort to design one. Spare yourself the chore and scoop up this festive, ready-made scavenger hunt for an indoor/outdoor adventure without the onerous workload. Seriously, all you have to do is deal some cards from the deck and watch the holiday play unfold.

Best for Any Occasion

In case you missed it, this birthday party staple has been reinvented to suit basically every holiday. Why? Probably because it’s so much fun that people (including Uncle Ron) want to play it more often. Yep, guests both young and old will get a kick out of this Christmas-themed version on the classic party game...but if you’re singing “you spin me right round” to yourself while blindfolded and dizzy, you officially belong to the latter group.

Best for the Outdoors

If your neighborhood puts on a good light show over the holiday season, you should definitely make use of your neighbor’s efforts with a Christmas light scavenger hunt. This simple, printable activity is an excellent way to get everyone outdoors for some fresh air and interactive fun. Kids will enjoy using their powers of observation to check off items on their scavenger hunt card and adults will appreciate the festive decorations all the more thanks to this ‘stop and smell the roses’ game.

Best Trivia Game

Unless you have a little kid with an unusual command of 20th century pop culture, this one, like all trivia games, is best suited for tweens and adults. That said, the under ten set should certainly stand by because there’s plenty of education to be had from this entertaining party game, which includes movie trivia challenges that reference Christmas classics (Miracle on 34th Street), cult films (A Christmas Story) and modern holiday favorites (Elf). Not a film buff? Fear not: This game also includes questions relating to holiday traditions, carols and more.

Best for Some Friendly Competition

No one outgrows a good bean bag toss and young children will relish the opportunity to throw things without losing their prized place on Santa’s ‘nice list’. Bottom line: Everyone will be glad to get in on this family-friendly game—but if your hand-eye coordination isn’t up to snuff, prepare to have the secret exposed.

Best for Sneaking in a Sweet Treat

Equal parts challenging and goofy, this candy cane game is as amusing to play as it is to watch. Stock up on this sweet and stripy holiday staple and you’ll have everything you need for this 60-second (i.e., Minute to Win It) race, which promises to keep the whole fam on the edge of their seats.

Best for Bringing the Laughs

This beloved road trip and rainy day activity just got a holiday makeover, and no one will be mad about it. This uproariously funny, family-friendly activity comes to you in free, printable form—you know, so you can keep the mood light at your Christmas party without a heavy workload.

Best for Re-Using Your Elf on the Shelf

If you’re a proud owner of this all-powerful Christmas prop, we’ve got good news: You can put that Elf on a Shelf to use for party games, too. Try this game of elf charades, in which players use Santa’s little helper to act out Christmas themes. The amateur puppet work will garner some good laughs—and thanks to the magic of holiday printables, you only need a pair of scissors to get the good times rolling.

Best for Passing the Time

Like a crossword puzzle, but easier, this Christmas word search is refreshingly thoughtful and lowkey compared to other party games. That said, if you want to introduce some extra excitement to the activity, just set a timer—whoever finds the most words before the buzzer goes off wins the game.

Best Adults-Only Pastime

This Price Is Right-inspired gift giving idea, which involves punching through holes in a cardboard box to reveal presents inside, has major party game potential. For a bigger group, you’ll need more than one box to extend the game, and we suggest leaving several holes empty to add to the excitement. (Will you score a gift or walk away empty-handed?) With these few minor adjustments, you’ve got a gift giving game that will entertain guests of all ages.

Best for Testing Your Wrapping Skills

Think you’re so good at gift-wrapping you can get the job done with one hand tied behind your back? Well, here’s your chance. Partner up for a gift wrapping race with a twist: Each member of the two-person team can only use one hand. The first team to finish the task wins the game, but this one is more about the laugh-out-loud spectacle than keeping score.

Best for True Crime Fans

This whodunnit game serves up squeaky clean and family-friendly entertainment. The rules of play might be a bit too complicated for kids younger than 13, but certainly your teens can play along with the adults. Needless to say, this murder mystery is definitely not snoozy.

Best for Keeping Everyone on Their Toes

Team Santa and Team Jesus duke it out in this irreverent holiday party game for grown-ups that features puzzles, riddles and controversial jokes. The rules are easy to learn, and the play is wildly entertaining. Best of all, although the content is mature, there’s nothing too raunchy, so you can comfortably play with Aunt Jean.

Best for Showing Off Those Baking Skills

Turn this time-honored holiday tradition into a party game by adding an element of competition to the activity. Divide guests into teams so they can race to build the best gingerbread house before the clock runs out. Bonus: This party game doubles as dessert.

Best for Showing Off Your Vocal Prowess

This family-friendly party game is pretty straightforward: Gather everyone together and let the karaoke caroling begin. This one does go down easier after a couple of adult drinks, but guests of all ages will have a blast belting it out—and the worse the singing, the sillier the entertainment.

Best Way to Revisit a Classic

This movie trivia board game is sure to be a hit with fans of the cult classic movie that it’s based upon. The game is intended for teen and adult players—since little kids probably don’t know the movie that well—and it can only accommodate four players, so this one is best-suited for a small holiday celebration (or played in pairs).

Best Activity for Kids to Burn Off That Sugar Rush

Little kids and limber adults (maybe?) will enjoy navigating this festive obstacle course with challenges that include jumping through hoops (literally) and tiptoeing across a balance beam, to name a few. Bottom line: This is a fun way to get the party started for the under ten set.

Best for Hand-Eye Coordination

A popular gift exchange game that involves unwrapping presents and trying to steal from friends, white elephant is easy to play and amusing for partygoers of all ages. Just be sure to give guests a heads up since everyone will need to arrive at the party with a gift.

Best for Keeping the Kids Entertained

This free printable I Spy sheet with a holiday theme makes a good party game for young guests to play while the grown-ups get to relax. This one’s entertaining and challenging enough to keep underage partygoers occupied for a decent length of time.

Most Thrilling Game

Looking for a fun game for your family-friendly holiday celebration that doesn’t involve trekking snow into the house? Grab some indoor snowballs and start a dry snowball fight for some seasonal fun that won’t freeze your hands. This party game will take everyone by surprise, but it’s sure to be particularly thrilling for the younger crowd.

Best Game to Play With Your Grandparents

Jigsaw puzzles might not exactly scream ‘party-time’ but hear us out on this one because they’re actually a good fit for a relaxed (but fun) bash. For starters, jigsaw puzzles are a great way to bring people together, since kids and grown-ups can get in on the game, and because they’re so mellow, puzzles are highly conducive to conversation, too.

Best Game to Play with a Crowd

Perfect for when you have a full house and you want to avoid a lull in the festivities, this 24-player game is an easy crowd pleaser. Everyone, from grandma to Uncle Joe can easily partake if they’re not up for the mingling in-between courses.

Best Spin on a Classic

Like name that tune, but with just Christmas carols. Split your loved ones into teams and have one member hum the first few seconds of a popular Christmas song. Whoever guesses the tune correctly gets a point and their team goes up next.

32. Truth or Dare

Best for Stirring the Pot (a Little)

Here’s the perfect opportunity to get your cousin to admit she’s the one who prematurely sliced some of Aunt Mary’s famed pecan pies that one Christmas in 2003. Or you can dare one of your cousins to tell Grandma Jean that the family knows her yummy “homemade” cranberry sauce is actually store bought.