Christmas Party Game

Christmas party games don't have to be complicated to be fun and festive. You can make-up your own Christmas games or come up with creative holiday twists on old party favorites.

Do you have a great Christmas game idea you'd like to share? Have a funny story about a holiday party game gone wrong? Don't be shy -- post your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below this article.

Basics for Good Christmas Party Games

There are several basic ingredients that will make your Christmas party games work well. Here are a few things to look for:

• Games should be appropriate for the age group.
• Everyone should be able to actively participate.
• Directions should be clear and not overly complicated.
• Avoid long games to stave off boredom for party guests.

Games for Kids

Kids love Christmas -- for many it's their favorite time of year. You may not need to have elaborate Christmas party games for a group of kids to have a great time. Some game ideas to try are:

• Pin the nose on Rudolph, the star on the Christmas tree, or the beard on Santa
• Have a Christmas Piñata
• Santa Says
• Christmas cookie eating contest, fastest eater is the winner
• Guess the Christmas carol
• Pass the stocking -- played like hot potato
• Scavenger hunt with holiday items
• Dress like Santa -- kids race to see who can put on Santa suit, beard, and hat the fastest
• 'Snowball' Toss -- see who can toss the most cotton balls into a basket

Non-competitive Christmas party games are also good options for kids' parties. You can do Christmas crafts, Christmas dress up games, or a Christmas 'talent show.'

Christmas Games for Families and Mixed Groups

If you are having a party with different age groups, you should have games that will be fun for both adults and kids. Choose short games to keep children's attention spans.

For competitive games, pair adults against other adults and children against children to keep things fair and foster an atmosphere of friendly competition. Try to balance active and quiet Christmas party games.

Christmas Charades

A twist on standard charades. Performances are limited to characters, people, or animals associated with Christmas.

Christmas Present Pass

Choose a small gift that's appropriate for any age or gender; edible gifts like candy bars work well. Wrap the gift in several layers of wrapping paper. Have guests stand or sit in a circle and pass the present while Christmas music plays. A designated person will stop the music at random, and whoever is left with the gift unwraps one layer. The winner is the person to unwrap the last layer of wrapping paper.

Christmas Candy Guess

Place Christmas candies in a jar and have guests place their guess of how many are in the jar on a holiday gift tag or scrap of paper. Winner is the closest guess.

Wrapping Race

Choose some odd shaped items to wrap. Players can face each other or work in teams. The person must wrap the present in entirety, including ribbon and gift tag. Fastest wrapper wins the game. This can be adapted with a box or something easier to wrap for younger children.

Christmas Memory

On a tray or platter, place a variety of small and large Christmas items. Guests have a designated time period to study and remember the items. The tray is taken away, and guests must write down the items they remember. Winner is the person with the most items remembered. This works well for mixed groups when families play as teams.

Gift Grab

For this game, guests bring a small wrapped gift under a designated dollar amount. A number is placed under each gift, and the same numbers are placed on pieces of paper for guests to pick out of a hat. A guest draws a number and takes the gift with the corresponding number. After a player has received a gift, they are free to 'grab' a gift from another player in exchange for their gift. The gift grabbing continues until all numbers are chosen, and guests are left with the gift in their hands.

Christmas Trivia

This can be as complicated or as simple as you wish. Make up Christmas trivia cards and players or teams shout out their guess for the correct answer. Players or team with the most points for right guesses wins.

More Resources

• Christmas Games and Ideas from Family Fun
• Christmas Ideas from Parents.com
• Check our LoveToKow Crafts, Kids, Recipes, and Buyers Guide for more information to help you plan the perfect Christmas party and holiday season!