30 Fun Christmas Party Game Ideas the Whole Group Will Love

Have a jolly time at your party with a themed game of charades. After everyone writes down a Christmas-centric clue, throw the pieces of paper in a Santa hat, then have each person take turns drawing from the hat and acting out what their note says.

Give the classic party game a festive twist by writing tasks on each block. Some ideas are "Name you favorite Christmas movie" or, to sprinkle in some drama, "What's the worst gift you've ever received?" It'll keep everyone playing entertained, and there's no limit on how many people can join in on the fun.

This is also an exciting way to decide who gets to open their presents. Write each party-goer's name on the blocks, and whoever's name is pulled, they get to open their gift.

An easy version of poker, in blind man's bluff each player is dealt one card that they have to present to the rest of the players without looking at it themselves. The objective of the game is to have the highest card, and once the cards are shown, players are to place their bets on whether they believe they have the highest card at the table. For a holiday version, replace betting money with candy canes—or for higher stakes, gifts.

Similar to charades, have each player write a Christmas-related person or character on a Post-It note, then pass the note face-down to the person to the right or left of you. Once each player has a note that is not their own, everyone must put their notes on their foreheads, and guess who their character is by asking 20 or fewer questions.

Better start working on your aim, because this game requires precision. Perfect for the kids in your family, this inflatable version comes with two sets of antlers and ten rings, as well as two red noses for an extra sprinkle of holiday spirit.

If you're unfamiliar with the game Mafia, it's a popular party game where a group of designated "mafia" members in your party try to, er, take out the designated civilians. While it can take a second to get used to all the rules and roles of the game, it's an extremely fun, competitive activity. For a holiday version, replace the Mafia members with Grinches and the Civilians with the Whos. The other roles (Narrator, Doctor, and Detective) can stay the same.

This party game works well in any group, but it's best when it's played with people who all know each other really well. What you'll do is gather players to sit in a circle, either read pre-written out cards or call out a question on the spot, like "Who's most likely to search for their hidden presents?" and have everyone point to who they think is most likely to do that at the end of a countdown from three. Whoever has the most fingers pointed at them is out (or takes a drink). Whoever is the last person in, wins.

This artistically inclined version of charades is a fun way to get the energy up. Have everyone write down a Christmas-specific thing, separate into at least two teams, and put the pieces of paper in a Santa hat. Have a person from each team go up to their respective white boards, draw a single piece of paper from the hat, and countdown from three to signal when they can start drawing whatever was on the piece of paper. Whichever team figures out what their teammate is drawing first wins a point.

Grab your favorite holiday scarf or some shiny tinsel and have your guests go to town on showing off how low they can go. Whoever gets the lowest without falling can win a prize or open a present.

You'll need some donuts and strong strings for this game. Split everyone into two groups, and tie one string each around two of the glazed desserts. A team member from each group will need to eat their donut as quickly as possible to beat the other person and win a point. Whoever wins gets to open their presents first. This is a fun, and possibly messy, game for a white elephant party.

Frosty looks a bit cold out in the yard, don't you think? Either already have some snowmen created before your guests arrive or have them create them as part of the contest, and have at least two groups compete to have the best dressed snowman. Have a set of judges to determine which team is the winner.

How many peppermints are in the jar? A great party opener, as your guests arrive, have them write down their name and how many peppermints they think are in a filled jar in your entryway. At the end of the party or after everyone has arrived, reveal who guessed correctly and gift them with a prize.

A tried and true classic, ugly sweater parties will never get old. When you send out your invites, make sure to include that everyone must wear the ugliest holiday sweater they can find. At the end of the party, have everyone write down who they think had the most hideous sweater, and prize the winner with a trophy. This one on Amazon is customizable, so you can simply write "Christmas" and the current year or wait until after the party to order it.

Like an Easter egg hunt but with candy canes, hide a set number of the minty treats around your home—both inside and out if you want an added challenge—and sick everyone loose to gather as many as they can find. Whoever finds the most candy canes of the bunch wins.

We're dreaming of a white Christmas solely for the purpose of being able to have a snowball fight. Split up into teams or just go nuts, and pelt your opponents with the freezing spheres until either one team gives up or everyone's too wiped out. Just make sure you don't get any ice in your snowballs!

Another reason to hope for a heavy snowfall: Sledding. Go out and find the tallest hill you can and bring the party there. Include BYOS (bring your own sled) on the invite, and get to racing. Have rich hot chocolate ready to go in a crockpot back at the house to warm everyone up after the races.

Like a holiday-themed corn hole match, or maybe a festive version of beer pong, set up a tabletop beanbag toss game, and replace the bags with jingle bells. You may think it'll be easier to get the bells in the holes, but we wouldn't be too sure.