I have spent years trying to find the ultimate party games for the Christmas party. I had a few duds, but a few that were absolute riots. These games can be used with about any group. Don't be afraid to try a few of the more rowdier games with your adults...they will have a blast! I promise! Most of these games can be found online..so I apologize if I have used what someone might consider an original idea. There is also a link at the bottom of the list that has some well-made printable games. Just a note: I've included two versions of the left-right Christmas gift exchange game. I am not a fan of the whole nab and grab it game (I forget what it's called) So this is a nab it and grab it free zone!
HERSHEY KISS RELAY GAME
For this Christmas party game, divide your group into two teams and have two bowls of Hershey's kisses.
Give each team one set of oversized mittens or gloves. The first person in line runs to the bowl of kisses, and has to unwrap the kiss while wearing the oversized mittens/gloves and pop the kiss into their mouth.
They run back, tag the next person in line, and exchange the mittens/gloves and the next person runs forward to get a chocolate kiss. The winning team is the one in which all members have enjoyed a kiss first....
For this Christmas party game, divide your group into two teams and have two bowls of Hershey's kisses.
Give each team one set of oversized mittens or gloves. The first person in line runs to the bowl of kisses, and has to unwrap the kiss while wearing the oversized mittens/gloves and pop the kiss into their mouth.
They run back, tag the next person in line, and exchange the mittens/gloves and the next person runs forward to get a chocolate kiss. The winning team is the one in which all members have enjoyed a kiss first....
CHRISTMAS TREE WRAP
Make and decorate human Christmas trees.
Stuff to Play:
Green paper, Paper and real ornaments, Scissors and construction paper, Tape, Prize for the winners.
How to Play:
Group players into teams of 4. Each team selects someone to be the tree. Give each team paper and ornaments, scissors and construction paper. Send a judge out of the room. Each team gets 5 minutes to decorate their tree. Then the judge returns and decides who wins.
REINDEER GAMES
A race to see who can create the best "reindeer" in a set amount of time.
Stuff to Play:
You will need the following items, in a paper bag, for each team: An unused pair of panty hose, 14-7" balloons, a Red Gift Bow and two 10" lengths of Christmas ribbon
How to Play:
Teams have 5 minutes to make the most attractive "antlers" they create with balloons they blow up and stuff into the legs of the panty hose which are worn on the head of a volunteer "reindeer", adding the red gift bow as "Rudolf's" nose and tying the end of the "antlers" with the ribbon. Judges (spectators) vote for the most attractive rack after time is called. Have your camera ready-the results are hilarious! Can also be done as a relay race.
Before You Play
1) Cut off the tip of the toe of each pair of panty hose.
2) Next: cut out a 5 inch hole in the center of the tummy of the panty hose.
3) Place one pair of panty hose, a red gift bow, 14-7" balloons (uninflated) and two 10" lengths of Christmas ribbon in a paper bag for each team.
4) Divide your group into equal size teams, (4 works good) and designate several "judges".
5) Give each team a bag with their supplies in it.
5) Instruct each team to appoint a volunteer to be the "reindeer". Have this person place the waist of the panty hose over their head with their face in the 5" hole you have cut out.
6) On GO! Teams begin inflating their balloons and stuffing them in the open toe, and up the legs of the panty hose to form "antlers". Team members should complete their creation by placing the red gift bow on the volunteer "reindeer's" nose, close off the open toe with the 10" lengths of ribbon and "positioning" the antlers for the most attractive look they can accomplish by manipulating the balloons.
7) After 5 minutes is up ask the "judges" to select the most attractive "rack"!
CHRISTMAS LEFT RIGHT GAME
Pass gifts to the left or right around the circle as the story is read. We did this a couple years…there is also a nativity version further down the blog.
Stuff to Play:
Gifts for a gift exchange
How to Play:
Seat everyone in a circle. Provide one gift for every 3 or 4 people. Hand to gifts to people at different points in the circle (not right next to each other). Read the story below and have players hand the gifts right or left whenever the words "right" or "left" are spoken.
Story: Christmas was almost here, and Mother RIGHT was finishing the Christmas baking.
Father RIGHT, Sue RIGHT, and Billy RIGHT returned from their last-minute Christmas errands.
"There's not much LEFT to be done," said Father RIGHT as he came into the kitchen.
"Did you leave the basket of food at church?" asked Mother RIGHT.
"I LEFT it RIGHT where you told me to," said Father RIGHT.
"I'm glad my shopping is done," said Billy RIGHT. "I don't have any money LEFT."
The hall telephone rang, and Susan RIGHT LEFT to answer it.
She rushed back and told the family "Aunt Tillie RIGHT LEFT a package for us RIGHT on Grandma RIGHT's porch.
I'll go over there RIGHT now and get it." she said as she LEFT in a rush.
Father RIGHT LEFT the kitchen and brought in the Christmas tree.
By the time Susan RIGHT returned, Mother RIGHT, Father RIGHT, and Billy RIGHT had begun trimming the tree.
The entire RIGHT family sang carols as they finished the decorating.
Then they LEFT all the presents arranged under the tree and went to bed, hoping they had selected the RIGHT gifts for their family.
Now I hope you have the RIGHT present for yourself, because that's all that's LEFT of our story.....
Except to with you a Merry Christmas....Isn't that RIGHT?
GIFT WRAP RACE
A christmas game where you and your partner race to wrap a package first. The catch? You can only use one hand each!
Stuff to Play
Boxes for each pair, Wrapping paper, Tape, Ribbon, Scissors
How to Play
Each pair races to wrap the box and tie the ribbon in a box around the box. The host should warn all the groups that he/she will judge the winner based not only on speed but quality of wrapping. Have all groups start wrapping at the same time. Each person should hold one arm behind their backs (no switching in the middle). After everyone is done, the host can judge who wins.
SANTAS BEARD RELAY RACE
Two teams race with Vaseline and cotton balls. The object is see how many cotton balls you can attach to your face.
Stuff to Play:
Vaseline, cotton balls.
How to Play:
Make two or more teams. On one side of the room put a couple big bowls of cotton balls. Then have the players line up while you put Vaseline all over your face (chin area etc). Make sure everyone has approximately the same amount of Vaseline applied to keep things fair. The point of the game is to run to the other side of the room stick your face in the bowl of cotton and then run back so the next person can go. The winning team is the one who has the most cotton balls stuck to their faces in the least amount of time. At the end of the race award 3 points for the team that finished first and a point for each cotton ball stuck to a face.
YULETIDE CAROL RIDDLER
Guess the real names of the Christmas carols from the alternate titles.
Stuff to Play:
Lists for everyone
How to Play:
The following words are alternate titles for several well-known Christmas songs. Fill in the proper title in the space provided. 100% correct insures you of a full Christmas stocking!
1. Quadruped with Crimson Proboscis
2. Eight P.M. to Six A.M. without Noise
3. Minuscule Hamlet in the Near East
4. Ancient Benevolent Despot
5. Exuberance Directed to the Planet
6. Listen, Aerial Spirits Announcing
7. Trio of Monarchs
8. Yonder in the Hay Rack
9. Cherubim Audited from Aloft
10. Assemble, Everyone Who Believes
11. Hollowed Post Meridian
12. Fantasia of a Colorless December 25
13. A Dozen Twenty-four Hour Yule Periods
14. Befell During the Transparent Bewitching Hour
15. Homo Sapien of Crystallized Vapor
16. Desire a Pair of Incisors on December 25
17. I Spied My Maternal Parent Osculating
18. Perambulating Through A December Solstice Fantasy
19. Adorn the vestibule
20. Tin tintinnabulums
Answers: 1. Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
2. Silent night
3. Oh little town of Bethlehem
4. Good king Wenceslas
5. Joy to the world
6. Hark the herald angels sing
7. We three kings
8. Away in a manger
9. Angels we have heard on high
10. Oh come all ye faithful
11. Oh holy night
12. I’m dreaming of a white Christmas
13. The twelve days of Christmas
14. It came upon a midnight clear
15. Frosty the snowman
16. All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth
17. I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus
18. Walking in a winter wonderland
19. Deck the halls
20. Silver bells
CANDY CANE PASS
A relay race with candy canes
Stuff to Play:
4 candy canes per team (have a few extras due to breakage)
How to Play:
Player holds 4 candy canes between fingers and passes them down the line, teammate to teammate, without dropping.
PASS THE BOW
Another team game
Stuff to Play :
6 bows for each team
How to play:
Have the teams line up side by side, either sitting or standing next to each other (they could hold hands if they wanted to). At one end of
the line, place the six Christmas bows. With their left hand have each player grab the right wrist of the person to their right. On the mark, teams pass all the bows down and back again. If a bow falls, players must retrieve while still holding on. The chain must not be broken!
A relay race with candy canes
Stuff to Play:
4 candy canes per team (have a few extras due to breakage)
How to Play:
Player holds 4 candy canes between fingers and passes them down the line, teammate to teammate, without dropping.
PASS THE BOW
Another team game
Stuff to Play :
6 bows for each team
How to play:
Have the teams line up side by side, either sitting or standing next to each other (they could hold hands if they wanted to). At one end of
the line, place the six Christmas bows. With their left hand have each player grab the right wrist of the person to their right. On the mark, teams pass all the bows down and back again. If a bow falls, players must retrieve while still holding on. The chain must not be broken!
TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
Group everyone into 12 teams, it can be random or have people count off from 1-12. Then group the teams together and give each one a verse of the twelve days of Christmas. Each team was responsible for singing one verse of the song. As you know, the song repeats itself, with a new verse added each time. The best part of all is that as the teams sing their verse, they are to act out the verse (i.e. eight maids a milking, six geese a laying). Each team should be allowed to gather together at first to determine what motions they plan to do. This is really, really funny to watch.
SNOWBALL RACE
Stuff to Play:
Large marshmallows, spoons and mittens for each team.
How to Play:
Play this game as you would any relay race. Divide into teams. Each player takes turns putting on mittens and balancing a "snowball" on a spoon while racing to the other side of the room. Drop the snowball into a bucket, return to the team, pass the mittens
and go to the back of the line. First team to complete the race wins
Group everyone into 12 teams, it can be random or have people count off from 1-12. Then group the teams together and give each one a verse of the twelve days of Christmas. Each team was responsible for singing one verse of the song. As you know, the song repeats itself, with a new verse added each time. The best part of all is that as the teams sing their verse, they are to act out the verse (i.e. eight maids a milking, six geese a laying). Each team should be allowed to gather together at first to determine what motions they plan to do. This is really, really funny to watch.
SNOWBALL RACE
Stuff to Play:
Large marshmallows, spoons and mittens for each team.
How to Play:
Play this game as you would any relay race. Divide into teams. Each player takes turns putting on mittens and balancing a "snowball" on a spoon while racing to the other side of the room. Drop the snowball into a bucket, return to the team, pass the mittens
and go to the back of the line. First team to complete the race wins
NATIVITY STORY - GIFT UNWRAP GAME
To play this Right Left Christmas Game, form a circle and pass the
gift(s), (candy, prizes, etc.) to the right when you hear the word RIGHT and to the left when you hear the word LEFT. When the story is over, the gifts belong to whoever is holding them.
In those days, Caesar Augustus decided to count everyone LEFT living in the whole Roman world. Joseph LEFT, taking Mary with him RIGHT to his town of Bethlehem to register.
When they arrived, there were no rooms LEFT. All of the inns in Bethlehem were RIGHT full. There was just nowhere LEFT for them to stay. Finally, someone offered to let them stay RIGHT in their stable.
Mary was pregnant and while in Bethlehem the RIGHT time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a boy RIGHT there. RIGHT there in a Bethlehem stable, the Savior of the world was born. Mary wrapped him with LEFT over strips of cloth and laid him RIGHT in a manger.
Some shepherds who lived RIGHT near Bethlehem, were out at night RIGHT in their fields watching over their sheep. RIGHT then, they saw a bright light. The light was so bright that they had to close their eyes. When they opened them again, a beautiful angel was standing RIGHT in the sky RIGHT above them with his arms LEFT opened wide. The shepherds looked RIGHT at each other and were LEFT feeling very afraid.
Then the angel spoke RIGHT to them. "Do not be afraid. I'm RIGHT here to bring you the good news LEFT for all people. Today RIGHT in Bethlehem a baby has been born, He is the RIGHT one, the one that will save the world. You will know the RIGHT baby because He will be LEFT wrapped in cloths, and laying RIGHT in a manger."
RIGHT then, a large group of angels appeared RIGHT there, and they said, "Glory to God, and peace be to all people LEFT on the earth."
The shepherds were LEFT amazed and excited. They had to go RIGHT away to see this baby the angels were talking about.
They LEFT as fast as they could, and soon found Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus RIGHT were they angels said they would be. The shepherds fell RIGHT to their knees when they saw Jesus, and were LEFT filled with joy that they had found the Savior. They stayed for a short time and then LEFT . As soon as they LEFT they began shouting RIGHT in the streets and telling everyone LEFT in town about what they had seen.
RIGHT after Jesus was born, wise men traveling RIGHT on their camels noticed a very strange star RIGHT in the sky. They knew that the RIGHT One who would save the world had been born.
RIGHT away King Herod got very worried. He assembled all of the important people LEFT in the area and asked them where this baby had been born. The people replied, "RIGHT in Bethlehem."
RIGHT then King Herod called the wise men to meet with him RIGHT away. He asked them to go and find the child RIGHT away. “RIGHT as soon as you find Him,” he said, “ tell me, so that I can go to Him RIGHT away and worship Him."
After the wise men spoke to the King, they LEFT to find the baby. They didn't know RIGHT where the He was, but followed the star LEFT in the east until it hung RIGHT over the place where Jesus was. When they found Jesus, and they bowed RIGHT down and worshiped him.
RIGHT after that, they opened the gifts they had brought Jesus... gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then they LEFT to find a place to sleep for the night.
That night the wise men all had the same dream RIGHT as they were sleeping. They were not to go RIGHT back and tell King Herod where they had found Jesus. King Herod wanted to kill Jesus because he was jealous of Him. So, the wise men LEFT for home another way so that Herod would not know the RIGHT direction they had come from. They also decided RIGHT then that they would not tell King Herod anything about what they had seen.
When the wise men LEFT , an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Arise, take Jesus and Mary, and run RIGHT to Egypt. Joseph got up RIGHT away and woke up Mary. She quickly picked Jesus RIGHT up and they LEFT in the middle of the night for Egypt where they would be safe.
RIGHT after King Herod died an angel appeared again RIGHT away to Joseph and told him to go RIGHT to a place called Nazareth. And that's RIGHT where Jesus grew up.
To play this Right Left Christmas Game, form a circle and pass the
gift(s), (candy, prizes, etc.) to the right when you hear the word RIGHT and to the left when you hear the word LEFT. When the story is over, the gifts belong to whoever is holding them.
In those days, Caesar Augustus decided to count everyone LEFT living in the whole Roman world. Joseph LEFT, taking Mary with him RIGHT to his town of Bethlehem to register.
When they arrived, there were no rooms LEFT. All of the inns in Bethlehem were RIGHT full. There was just nowhere LEFT for them to stay. Finally, someone offered to let them stay RIGHT in their stable.
Mary was pregnant and while in Bethlehem the RIGHT time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a boy RIGHT there. RIGHT there in a Bethlehem stable, the Savior of the world was born. Mary wrapped him with LEFT over strips of cloth and laid him RIGHT in a manger.
Some shepherds who lived RIGHT near Bethlehem, were out at night RIGHT in their fields watching over their sheep. RIGHT then, they saw a bright light. The light was so bright that they had to close their eyes. When they opened them again, a beautiful angel was standing RIGHT in the sky RIGHT above them with his arms LEFT opened wide. The shepherds looked RIGHT at each other and were LEFT feeling very afraid.
Then the angel spoke RIGHT to them. "Do not be afraid. I'm RIGHT here to bring you the good news LEFT for all people. Today RIGHT in Bethlehem a baby has been born, He is the RIGHT one, the one that will save the world. You will know the RIGHT baby because He will be LEFT wrapped in cloths, and laying RIGHT in a manger."
RIGHT then, a large group of angels appeared RIGHT there, and they said, "Glory to God, and peace be to all people LEFT on the earth."
The shepherds were LEFT amazed and excited. They had to go RIGHT away to see this baby the angels were talking about.
They LEFT as fast as they could, and soon found Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus RIGHT were they angels said they would be. The shepherds fell RIGHT to their knees when they saw Jesus, and were LEFT filled with joy that they had found the Savior. They stayed for a short time and then LEFT . As soon as they LEFT they began shouting RIGHT in the streets and telling everyone LEFT in town about what they had seen.
RIGHT after Jesus was born, wise men traveling RIGHT on their camels noticed a very strange star RIGHT in the sky. They knew that the RIGHT One who would save the world had been born.
RIGHT away King Herod got very worried. He assembled all of the important people LEFT in the area and asked them where this baby had been born. The people replied, "RIGHT in Bethlehem."
RIGHT then King Herod called the wise men to meet with him RIGHT away. He asked them to go and find the child RIGHT away. “RIGHT as soon as you find Him,” he said, “ tell me, so that I can go to Him RIGHT away and worship Him."
After the wise men spoke to the King, they LEFT to find the baby. They didn't know RIGHT where the He was, but followed the star LEFT in the east until it hung RIGHT over the place where Jesus was. When they found Jesus, and they bowed RIGHT down and worshiped him.
RIGHT after that, they opened the gifts they had brought Jesus... gold, frankincense and myrrh. Then they LEFT to find a place to sleep for the night.
That night the wise men all had the same dream RIGHT as they were sleeping. They were not to go RIGHT back and tell King Herod where they had found Jesus. King Herod wanted to kill Jesus because he was jealous of Him. So, the wise men LEFT for home another way so that Herod would not know the RIGHT direction they had come from. They also decided RIGHT then that they would not tell King Herod anything about what they had seen.
When the wise men LEFT , an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Arise, take Jesus and Mary, and run RIGHT to Egypt. Joseph got up RIGHT away and woke up Mary. She quickly picked Jesus RIGHT up and they LEFT in the middle of the night for Egypt where they would be safe.
RIGHT after King Herod died an angel appeared again RIGHT away to Joseph and told him to go RIGHT to a place called Nazareth. And that's RIGHT where Jesus grew up.
Printable Game Site
http://party-games-etc.com/christmas_party_games.htm
http://party-games-etc.com/christmas_party_games.htm
28 comments:
did the right and left games at a dinner on friday night you are right we had a blast a great night's fun
I have played this game for 2 years straight on demand! I have to come up with something different this year. They will be disappointed because they always have so much fun with the left right game.
We did thhis last year I wrote a story using Church members in the story and we used Left, Right and across. It was a lot of fun. October 2011
I would love to get the story you wrote using church members. Would you consider letting me use it of course I would change the names.
Thank you for these great ideas. We have used almost all of them over the years for our church Christmas parties. The reindeer rack game has been our all time favorite. This year we are going to do the human Christmas tree game. Looking forward to using it on Sunday!!!
Thank you for these great game ideas! We have used almost every one of them over the years at our Church Christmas parties. The reindeer rack game was the funniest and most favorite of all. This year we will do the human Christmas tree game on Sunday. Should be loads of fun ;-)
Thank you for these great game ideas! We have used almost every one of them over the years at our Church Christmas parties. The reindeer rack game was the funniest and most favorite of all. This year we will do the human Christmas tree game on Sunday. Should be loads of fun ;-)
Thanks for your great ideas. Our church's Parish Council played the Reindeer Rack and 12 Days of Christmas games. My goodness, everyone had such a great time, and I got lots of positive comments. We all just laughed so hard. Its was great that everyone joined in and had fun.
Thanks, Allyu
We sing the 12 Days of Christmas but we let every group make up their own verse. We are a food pantry so it might be 12 demanding clients, 11 cans of tomato sauce, 10 piles of paper, etc. It's quite fun!
We have done the Left Right Nativity game for years as a gift exchange it has brought much laughter to many lives. We have everyone who wants to participate purchase a gift for their gender and age group (women for women, boys for boys, etc.) Then each group gets in a circle and we pass the gifts according to the story whichever gift you end up with is the one you open and keep. We have laughed so hard we cried!
Thanks a bunch for some of the other ideas I'm anxious to see how they go over this year. I found some that I think will be most interesting!!
thank you sooo much for these games!
Nativity Story gift un-wrap game was a great success today at our church Christmas Party. Thank you so much for the post:) Crystal
Thank you for the work you have done. God bless this and all who use these.
Thanks so much you have saved me a bunch of time.
I'm in love with all these ideas and wish I could play them ALL but our youth dinner is on the 20th and our Church dinner is on the 17th..plan to use a few esp. the Left Right story. Patrice Placide (Trinidad, West Indies)
Thank you so much for posting these games!!! Our Youth Group Christmas party is tomorrow night. Its a large group btwn 60-80 so I love the relay games, the Vaseline on the face, human tree decorated etc where more kids can participate. Thank you thank you!!!
Love these games, they will be a hit at our youth group Christmas Party tonight!
We play the left right games at our family reunions. We make up a story using our ancestors' names and we have added skipped left, skipped right in which you skip the person beside you and we even added across in which you pass the gift to the person sitting across you at the table, if it is uneven then one person exchanges gift twice when passing across (this is determined before the game starts). Everyone brings a unisex gift and all the gifts are moving at the same time. The children have their own gifts at a separate table from the adult game. Most people want the gift that is wrapped the prettiest...
Christmas Party at Home!! It sounds good but organizing any kind of party at home is almost impossible for me. I am very bad party planner. That is the reason I prefer reserving the outdoor venues.
Good to know about these party games. It’s my cousin’s birthday next month and we all are planning to give him a grand party and searching for lovely venues in Houston currently. Hope to get a perfect venue according to our needs.
I love these ideas. Thank you!!!!
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Wow, I wish I had landed on this page earlier. My 2016 Christmas celebrations would have been the best. Nevertheless, I will be implementing the creative ideas this coming Christmas and I am looking forward to having an awesome and fantastic time especially after outsourcing online Rewriting Help.
My name is Debbie Hogan and I really enjoyed your blog about Christmas traditions and games. I have been married to my husband Jim for almost 49 years, have 2 adult sons and 6 wonderful grandchildren. I was a teacher and speaker for MOPS for over 20 years and have a real heart for young moms and their families. Christmas traditions are very important to our family, especially those that are Christ-centered. Our favorite tradition and game is The Candle Tree, a ceramic Christmas tree that has 15 holes to place birthday candles in. To play the game, each person picks a candle and makes a wish, then the adults light the candles. While they burn we first read the story about the birth of Jesus, then sing Christmas carols until, one-by-one, the candles burn-out. Everyone looks on with great anticipation until the last candle goes out with a flicker and we have a very happy winner. We have reproduced the Candle Tree and it will be available soon. Please go to our website: www.traditions4u to see our Kickstarter video so your family can enjoy this game that will become your favorite Christmas tradition!
Looking forward to trying the left right game.
I will have a group of at least 40 250 so I'll kind of lost in this game I would like to do it but is everyone in the circle get a gift.
Sorry I meant 40 to 50 ladies just wanted to see if everyone in the circle gets a gift
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