Christmas parties are one of the most enjoyable parts of the holiday season for most of us. The chance to gather together with family and friends and create lasting memories makes Christmas even more special. However, there are some cases where Christmas parties can become a bit routine. If you’re looking for a way to spice up your Christmas party, make sure that you’re adding at least one of these party games to the mix.
Two Truths and a Lie has been a staple at parties for years, but you can create a Christmas version of the game that is sure to illicit a lot of laughs. Simply change the traditional version of the game to Christmas memories. Essentially, every person has to write down two things that really happened during the Christmas season in their past, and one thing that didn’t. It’s up to the other players to determine which one of the three statements is a lie. You don’t really have to keep score in this game, so there may not be winners and losers. Instead, it’s a good chance to share some funny or sentimental moments from Christmas past.
This one is especially fun if you have multiple people at your party who like to bake. Before the party, figure out how many people will want to participate. This also gives you a chance to create a group of people who will judge the final submissions. Create a basket of baking ingredients for each participant (each one should be filled with the same items). Within the basket, give everyone a seasonal food item that doesn’t typically go with the item that they’re baking. For instance, have everyone make chocolate chip cookies, but require them to incorporate a candy cane. Once the competition is over, the judges can name a winner.
Dress the Snowman
If you’ve ever been to a bridal shower, you may have seen a game similar to this one. However, instead of wrapping the bride to be in toilet paper and other random items, contestants will decorate a snowman. You can head to your local craft store and get various sizes of Styrofoam balls. Get a large, medium, and small for each person (or team) who will be participating in the contest. Then, gather a random group of craft items and other small pieces of decoration that can be added to the makeshift snowmen. Depending on the number of people at your party, you can create teams or have people tackle the project on their own. The best part about this game is that you can use the same items next year if you want to!
Decorate the Gingerbread House
This game works pretty similarly to the Dress the Snowman game. You can find prefab gingerbread houses at virtually any grocery store or big box retailer during the holiday season. Most of them also come with several things that can be used for decoration. If you really want to ramp up the fun, grab some other types of candy, colored frostings, and toppings. Again, you can work in teams or have people compete on their own to decorate the most impressive gingerbread house. Once the decorating is done or time has run out, have everyone vote for the winner with the understanding that they can’t vote for their own entry.
Five Second Rule
The five second rule goes far beyond picking up that potato chip that you dropped on the floor. It’s also an incredibly fun game that can be played at Christmas parties. Before the party, create several cards with holiday-themed questions or tasks. For instance, have a card that reads “Name 3 Christmas Carols.” One person will draw one of the cards, and the person sitting to their left has five seconds to respond to the task. The best part about this game is that it can continue as long as you want it to. Once you’ve reached the bottom of the deck, simply shuffle your cards up and go through them again.
Jingle Bell Pong
A holiday-themed, family-friendly version of Beer Pong sees you use jingle bells instead of ping pong balls. You can find small jingle bells at virtually any store during the holidays, so that should be easy. Instead of using full sized cups, you can use smaller cups (such as the ones used for mouthwash) to increase the level of difficulty. If you’re going for a more adult themed party, you can fill the cups with eggnog or the alcoholic beverage of your choosing, but it’s certainly not required to play this game. This is a perfect game for Christmas parties, primarily because you can tailor it to the group of people you have at your party.
Candy Cane Hunt
Obviously, this entry on the list is better if you have several small children who will be attending your Christmas party. Instead of hunting Easter eggs, have someone hide candy canes around the house, and then send the kids to find them.
Christmas Drinking Game
If we’re going to have an entry on the list that’s only for the kids, it’s only fair to include at least one entry that only applies to the adults. A Christmas drinking game can be a fun time for everyone, but it’s important to handle it responsibly. Before the party, write down some different “Drink if you have ever __________” scenarios on cards. Go around the circle and have someone read the top card, and everyone takes a drink if they’ve done what’s listed on it.
Bad Santa
This game is a hit, especially if you have several people attending. It’s also more fun if you have everyone bring a few gag gifts that are wrapped or in gift bags. Everyone’s name goes in a hat a predetermined number of times, and as long as there are unclaimed gifts in the pool, the person whose name is drawn has to choose from them. However, when the gifts are all claimed, Bad Santa creeps in and instead of giving, people start stealing. With no gifts left to choose from, the person whose name is drawn has to steal from another player. The catch? They have to be able to describe the package that the gift is in. For instance, if Jane’s name gets drawn after the last gift has been claimed from the pool, she would say, “I want to steal John’s red box with the candy canes on it.” The game continues until no names are left in the hat.
