Whether you're throwing your own Christmas party or are just expecting to attend, having a collection of fun Christmas party games in mind will keep everyone entertained, particularly kids. Children young and old will enjoy these fun-filled activities. Plus, since some encourage movement, these games can help the littlest members of your party burn off energy—which is a real win-win if they were baking or eating cookies.
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Try these 10 Christmas games at your next kid's party, which require minimal setup, and you'll be crowned the party planner of the year!
1. Stack The Gifts
Best for: All ages
All you need is a collection of empty boxes wrapped up to look like gifts and some enthusiastic kids. Challenge individuals or teams to stack their tower of gifts the highest without any of them falling over. To increase the pressure, you can introduce a time limit of 60 seconds.
2. Dress-Up Relay
Best for: Preschool and elementary-aged kids
This Christmas party game will help kids use up a lot of energy in a fast-paced dress up race.
Each child will start by lining up in front of a pile of winter clothes. They will then be challenged to dress completely in a hat, mittens, snow pants, and coat before having to unwrap a candy with their hands in mittens. Finally, they have to return to the start and take everything back off, replacing it in a neat pile again. It's great practice for those busy mornings once school starts back again!
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3. Candy Cane Hunt
Best for: Elementary-aged kids and up
Hide candy canes around the house and have children hunt them. They can then hang them on the Christmas tree and cash them in for a small prize.
4. Snowball Race
Best for: Elementary-aged kids and up
Kids are given a styrofoam or ping pong ball and a drinking straw and have to blow their "snowball" across the finishing line before their friends.
5. Snow Shovel Race
Best for: Ages 7 and up
You'll need some bowls and cotton balls to challenge kids to a snow shovel race but not the kind you're thinking. To "shovel the snow" they will need to balance cotton balls on a spoon and transfer them into the bowls before their friends beat them (it's harder than you think!)
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6. Christmas Name That Tune
Best for: Tweens and teens
Christmas party games don't need to be rowdy, especially for the older crowd. Gather everyone, get comfy, blast your favorite holiday playlist, and see who can guess the title and artist first. Keep a tally to crown the music champion of the season!
7. Who Am I?
Best for: Tweens and teens
Write celebrity names on sticky notes and attach them to party-goers foreheads. They then have twenty questions they can ask with a "yes" or "no" answer to try and guess the name of their celebrity.
8. Pass The Parcel
Best for: All ages (determined by the prize)
Choose a prize that would appeal to the age of the party goer. It could be a small toy, book, or collectible. Before the party assemble different wrapping papers, including newspaper and brown paper, as well as traditional printed wrapping paper.
Wrap the prize once before adding a small gift such as a candy or dollar store toy and wrap again. Repeat by wrapping and adding another small gift with each new layer of wrapping paper.
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To make it fair you should have as many layers as children attending. When it's time to play, sit the children in a circle and pass the parcel around the group while playing music. When the music stops, the child has to tear off just one layer and claim their prize. The beauty of this game is that the adult can time the music to make sure every kid gets a gift.
9. Santa Says…
Best for: Preschool and elementary-aged kids
Just like the well-known game "Simon Says," kids will be asked to copy a range of actions but only if "Santa says." If you don't say Santa and they copy the action anyway they will have to sit out. You can customize the actions to the stage of the party: jumping and dancing when they have energy and then moving to smaller actions like clapping or nodding as they party winds down.
10. Time To Calm Down (Sleeping Lions)
Best for: Preschoolers
This game is a beloved favorite of daycare teachers the world over. Children are asked to lie down very still and pretend they are part of a sleeping lions pride. The teacher gets to choose the quietest lion as the winner, but don't be surprised if some of them fall asleep—bonus!
