45 Fun Christmas Games to Play With Family and Friends

Tic Tac Toe is such a fun little game to play no matter your age. But you can make it extra festive by baking edible cookies that spell out "ho ho ho." It makes a fun stocking stuffer if you wrap the game up, too.

Get the tutorial at Revel and Glitter.

SHOP COOKIE CUTTERS

Race to see who can open a gift box faster: Now that's a game all kids would love to play. The key is to wrap boxes that are the same size and in the same way to make it fair.

Get the tutorial at The Resourceful Mama.

Grab your copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas and gather the kids in a circle. Wrap a small gift and have them pass it along every single time you read the word "who." The last person holding it wins!

Get the tutorial at Kid Friendly Things to Do.

If you ever played Mad Libs as a kid, you definitely know you're in for a ho-ho-hilarious time. This version is like you're writing a letter to Santa! It's great for friends, family, and even office get-togethers.

Get the tutorial at Happiness Is Homemade.

The fun of this game isn't the gift but rather the act of punching a hole to get it! You can make your own out of cardboard and tissue paper or buy one online if you don't have the time.

Get the tutorial at The Craft Patch.

SHOP PUNCH A PRESENT

The great thing about trivia is you can make it as big of a game (with lots of teams) or as small (a few individual players) as you'd like. You can also give different point values to questions depending on their difficulty, too.

Get the tutorial at Lil Luna.

It'll be hilarious to act out many of the fun Christmas activities and have others guess what you're doing. You'll find prompts like make a snow angel, drinking hot chocolate, and opening presents. There's one for just Christmas or you can get the whole pack for an entire year of fun!

Get the tutorial at The Joys of Boys.

Run, run, Rudolph! For this fun game, each player gets a red pom pom and a spoonful of vaseline to dip their nose in. Whoever is the first to get their pom pom onto the Rudolph picture across the room is the winner. The catch? You can't use hands!

Get the tutorial at Play Party Plan.

Imagine this one takes place right in Santa's workshop! Pair off into teams of two elves, then have one hike small toys under their legs while the other tries to catch those toys in the basket tied to their back. The first team to five wins!

Get the tutorial at Play Party Plan.

The Grinch, Rudolph, Frosty, Santa—there are so many Christmas characters to choose for this guessing game. Write them on sticky notes, then have each player place one on their forehead so they can guess who they have using hints from other players. There are also apps you can use!

SHOP STICKY NOTES

This one counts as both a craft and a game! After your kiddos finish making the snowman using tissue boxes and a few other craft items, they'll "melt" him by using the blocks as bowling pins meant to be knocked down with a ball.

Get the tutorial at Craftaholics Anonymous.

You've heard of the "Jingle Bell Rock," but what about the jingle bell roll? To play, line up five ball ornaments at the end of a table, give each player 10 jingle bells, then watch as they roll them and attempt to knock off all five ornaments.

Get the tutorial at Play Party Plan.

Here's one for the littlest hands this holiday season! To make it, use cardboard to craft a tree with circular, colored cutouts, then have the kiddos put balls through the correct spaces. It's fun and helps with categorization skills!

Get the tutorial at I Can Teach My Child.

Want to put a seasonal spin on a classic game of ring toss? One person will wear antlers while the others try to hook rings around them. You can buy rings or make your own using pipe cleaners.

Get the tutorial at Kid Friendly Things to Do.

If your family traditions include making gingerbread houses, make the activity even more exciting by turning it into a competition. After the decorating is done, everyone can vote on their favorite house (without choosing their own, of course!).

SHOP GINGERBREAD HOUSE KITS

Take rockin' around the Christmas tree and turn it into a competition by hosting a holiday dance-off. Just turn on some Christmas tunes, start dancing, then stop when a designated player yells "freeze!" Whoever stops moving last is out.

For this one, each player gets an ornament and a gift box. Everyone must fan their gift box toward their ornament to get it to roll across the room and over the finish line—but you can't actually touch the ornament!

Get the tutorial at Play Party Plan.

Look Mrs. Claus, no hands! Each player must wear a Santa beard, place a cookie on their forehead, and try to get it into their mouth using only their facial muscles. Whoever can complete the challenge first, wins!

Get the tutorial at Happiness Is Homemade.

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen...and that will help you solve this reindeer scramble! Make two teams and tell players that they will be spelling all of the reindeer names. The first team to unscramble and form all nine reindeer names wins!

Get the tutorial at Kid Friendly Things to Do.

Unwrapping gifts is one of the simplest parts of Christmas—unless you have to wear oven mitts while doing it! This game is challenging, hillarious, and will allow everyone to take their time when opening presents.

SHOP CHRISTMAS OVEN MITTS