Christmas themed game ideas are centered around the symbols, traditions, and stories associated with the holiday season, making them suitable for individuals or groups of any size. These games emphasize fun, creativity, and festive enjoyment rather than competition alone. Popular ideas include Christmas bingo, holiday charades, “guess the carol” challenges, ornament decorating contests, and memory games using Christmas images.
Themed games help create a warm and cheerful environment, encouraging laughter and participation while reinforcing the magic of Christmas. By drawing inspiration from familiar holiday customs and visuals, these games evoke nostalgia and excitement, making gatherings more memorable and entertaining for everyone involved.
Christmas Themed Game Ideas
Christmas Scavenger Hunt
Credit@thecottageqc
Description:
A festive treasure hunt filled with Christmas clues and surprises.
Players search for holiday-themed items hidden around the space.
Perfect for families, classrooms, or office parties.
How to Play (Long Steps):
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Prepare a list of Christmas-related items such as ornaments, candy canes, bells, stockings, or printed holiday symbols, and hide them around the play area before the game starts.
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Divide players into teams or allow individuals to play solo, giving each team a printed checklist or clue sheet with riddles leading to the hidden items.
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Set a clear time limit and explain that players must find as many items as possible by solving clues, not by randomly grabbing objects.
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The team that finds the most items or completes the hunt first wins a Christmas prize.
Santa Hat Ring Toss
Credit@tozaihome.com
Description (3 lines):
A fun and simple holiday party game using Santa hats.
Players toss rings to land them on festive targets.
Great for all ages and quick rounds.
How to Play (Long Steps):
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Place Santa hats upside down on the floor or hang them upright on bottles, cones, or pegs at varying distances.
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Give each player an equal number of rings made from plastic, rope, or paper plates with the centers cut out.
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Players take turns standing behind a marked line and tossing rings toward the hats, aiming to land rings inside or around them.
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Assign different point values based on distance or hat size to increase excitement.
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After all turns are completed, total the scores and declare the highest scorer the winner.
Christmas Charades
Credit@cymru
Description (3 lines):
A lively guessing game with Christmas words and actions.
Players act out holiday-themed clues without speaking.
Encourages laughter, creativity, and teamwork.
How to Play (Long Steps):
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Write Christmas-related words or phrases such as “decorating the tree,” “Santa stuck in chimney,” or “wrapping presents” on small cards.
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Divide players into two teams and decide the order of turns.
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One player from a team draws a card and silently acts out the word while their team guesses within a set time limit.
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No talking, sound effects, or pointing to objects is allowed during the acting.
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If the team guesses correctly, they earn a point, and the team with the most points wins.
Pin the Nose on the Reindeer
Credit@njdevils
Description (3 lines):
A Christmas twist on the classic party game.
Players attempt to pin a nose on a reindeer while blindfolded.
Perfect for kids’ parties and festive gatherings.
How to Play (Long Steps):
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Hang a large poster of a reindeer on the wall at child-friendly height.
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Prepare red paper noses with double-sided tape or pins and write each player’s name on the back.
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Blindfold one player at a time and gently spin them around to disorient their sense of direction.
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Guide them toward the poster and allow them to place the nose where they believe it belongs.
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Remove the blindfold and check placement, awarding the win to the player closest to the correct spot.
Christmas Bingo
Credit@phnc.us
Description (3 lines):
A festive version of traditional bingo with holiday symbols.
Uses Christmas images instead of numbers.
Easy to organize and enjoyable for all ages.
How to Play (Long Steps):
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Create bingo cards filled with Christmas-themed pictures such as trees, stars, bells, snowmen, and Santa hats.
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Give each player a card and provide small markers like beans, coins, or candies.
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Randomly draw matching picture cards or call out the item names clearly.
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Players mark the called images on their cards if present.
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The first player to complete a straight line, diagonal, or full card shouts “Christmas Bingo” and wins a prize.
Snowball Toss
Credit@toddlerapproved.com
Description (3 lines):
An energetic game using soft “snowballs.”
Players aim to hit Christmas-themed targets.
Ideal for indoor or outdoor play.
How to Play (Long Steps):
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Create snowballs using white socks, foam balls, or crumpled paper wrapped in white tissue.
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Set up targets like stacked cups decorated as snowmen, gift boxes, or bells.
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Mark a throwing line and explain the rules clearly before starting.
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Each player gets a set number of snowballs to throw at the targets.
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Award points for each target knocked down or hit successfully.
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The player or team with the highest score after all rounds wins.
Christmas Pictionary
Credit@funpartypop.com
Description (3 lines):
A drawing-based guessing game with holiday themes.
Players draw Christmas items while teammates guess.
Great for creative and artistic fun.
How to Play (Long Steps):
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Prepare a list of Christmas words such as “mistletoe,” “elf,” “Christmas dinner,” or “gift wrapping.”
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Divide players into teams and give each team a drawing board or paper.
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One player draws a card and sketches the word without using letters or numbers.
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Teammates guess within a time limit while the artist continues drawing.
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Correct guesses earn points, and teams rotate drawers.
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The team with the highest score at the end wins the game.
Ornament Relay Race
Credit@happytoddlerplaytime.com
Description (3 lines):
A fast-paced team game involving Christmas ornaments.
Encourages teamwork and coordination.
Perfect for larger groups and parties.
How to Play (Long Steps):
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Divide players into equal teams and line them up at a starting point.
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Place a box of ornaments at one end and an empty Christmas tree or container at the other.
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One player at a time carries a single ornament carefully to the tree and places it gently.
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The player then runs back to tag the next teammate.
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Dropped ornaments must be picked up before continuing.
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The first team to decorate their tree or place all ornaments correctly wins the race.
Guess the Christmas Song
Credit@BESTFRIENDS TV
Description (3 lines):
A music-based holiday guessing game.
Players identify Christmas songs from short clips.
Fun, interactive, and full of festive cheer.
How to Play (Long Steps):
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Prepare a playlist of popular Christmas songs and short instrumental clips.
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Divide players into teams or allow individual participation.
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Play a short clip from each song and stop it quickly.
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Players must guess the song title before time runs out.
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Extra points can be awarded for naming the artist or singing a line correctly.
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Keep score after each round and declare the team or player with the most points the winner.
Stocking Stuffing Challenge
Credit@Megan and Madi
Description (3 lines):
A fast and funny Christmas challenge game.
Players race to fill stockings with holiday items.
Creates excitement and lots of laughter.
How to Play (Long Steps):
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Hang empty Christmas stockings on a line or wall at equal distances.
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Place a pile of small Christmas items such as candies, ornaments, toys, and notes nearby.
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On the signal, players race to grab items one at a time and place them into their stocking.
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Only one item may be carried per trip to ensure fairness.
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Set a time limit and stop the game when time is up.
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Count the items in each stocking, and the player with the most wins.