It's that Time of Year! - Fun Christmas Games

One reason that Christmas is so special is because it is a time for family togetherness and general good cheer. These games are sure to put everyone in a festive holiday mood.

Non-competitive Games

Peace and joy are central Christmas themes, and these non-competitive games are true to the spirit of the holiday.

Snowman on the Back - Make a snowman out of construction paper. You can make one for each family member if you desire. Apply double-sided tape to the back of it. The object of the game is to stick the snowman on someone’s back without him or her noticing. It’s a fun activity that can last the entire holiday season. Feel free to substitute Santa, an elf, or any holiday symbol.

Family Tree - Genealogy is a great Christmas activity. This family tree, however, has nothing to do with ancestry. Find a brave volunteer--dads come highly recommended. Wrap him up in green butcher paper and have the kids decorate him. Don’t forget the camera.

Mystery Present - Put a small gift in a small box. Put that box in a slightly larger box. Put that box in a slightly larger box. Continue until you reach a box of adequate size. You’ll need a die. Hand the die to the first participant. He or she predicts what number will turn up. If correct, that person puts on a pair of oven mittens and unwraps the first box. The game continues until the box with the actual gift in it is opened. You may put intermediate or gag gifts in before the main gift.

Semi-competitive games

Some people enjoy Christmas games with a slightly more competitive edge. Ebeneezer Scrooge and the Grinch come to mind, but we won’t judge you if you prefer such games, too.

Candy Canes - This is identical to the classic card game, Spoons, except you’re going to use candy canes. Each player gets four cards. The goal is to get four of the same card in your hand. This is done by picking up and discarding when it’s your turn. The first person with four of a kind slyly takes a candy cane from the middle of the table. Everyone else may then take a candy cane, regardless of whether they have four-of-a-kind. The person without a candy cane is eliminated from the game.

Christmas Freeze Dance - This is played exactly like traditional freeze dance using Christmas music. A referee starts a Christmas song. Participants dance. The referee stops the music. Participants must freeze. The last person to stop is eliminated from the competition.

Christmapictionairy - This is what happens when you cross Pictionary with Christmas caroling. Put the names of Christmas songs in a hat. A player will randomly choose a Christmas carol. He or she will draw the song. When the song is guessed correctly, the entire team must sing it. Once a song is correctly sung by the entire team, it is awarded a point.

Wishing you and yours a very happy holiday season!

From all of us at Folger Kia!