My family has been throwing Christmas parties for as long as I can remember, and aside from the food, the Christmas party games are always a highlight! I love hosting friends and family and making sure everyone has a blast. Here are the best Christmas party games that are always a hit—and I’ll explain exactly how to play them.
White Elephant Gift Exchange Rules
When you think of Christmas games, a White Elephant Gift Exchange probably tops the list. While every group has its twist on the rules, here’s how my family plays:
Gift Setup: Everyone brings a wrapped gift, and we sit in a circle with the presents piled in the middle. We draw numbers to see who goes first.
Gameplay: The first person selects and unwraps a gift for everyone to see. The next person can either steal that gift or pick a new one. If your gift is stolen, you can either take someone else’s or grab a new one. A gift can only be stolen three times before it’s locked in!
Bonus Round: After everyone has gone, we let the first person take one last turn to steal a gift if they ended up with something less exciting. This is usually a nice gesture if they happened to pick a dud that nobody wanted the whole game!
White Elephant Gift Exchange Ideas
White Elephant usually means gag gifts, but over the years, we’ve found that mixing gag gifts with desirable ones makes the game more fun! Toss in a few gifts people actually want to steal — or go for hilariously shocking (but tasteful!) gag gifts. It definitely keeps everyone on their toes. Here are some fun ideas of what to bring for your Christmas party games!
- dancing cactus toy (pictured above)
- squatty potty
- 3 French hens (but literal, real live hens)
- pickle bandages
- a fully frozen 20 lb turkey
- life size cutout of a party guest
- Snoop Dogg Cook Book
- used candles
- nose hair trimmer
- live goldfish from the pet store
- funny Christmas t-shirt
- personalized t-shirt or socks with someone’s face on them
- roll of toilet paper with a $20 bill hidden inside
- Richard Simmons Chia pet
- “cold hard cash” – cash frozen in ice
- batteries with a note reading “toys not included”
- autographed picture of yourself
It’s also fun to do a White Elephant Gift Exchange with just nice gifts and a group of friends. Just make sure to set a $$$ limit.
Holiday Family Feud
In addition to the White Elephant gift exchange, another crowd favorite is Holiday Family Feud!
Divide into teams (we like men vs. women), and have one person moderate while someone else runs the game from a laptop.
We use a stool or bench in the middle for a “buzzer,” and the first player to slap it gets to answer. We follow all the classic Family Feud rules, leading to friendly competition and big laughs.
Things can get pretty intense when both teams are doing well, but it’s all in good fun and always a blast for everyone!
Christmas Trivia
A trivia game is the perfect way to break the ice or keep guests entertained while waiting for dinner. You can go all out and do it Jeopardy-style or keep it simple by printing out questions for everyone to answer. It’s a fun way to see who knows their Christmas trivia best! Bonus: Hand out festive pens for guests to use and take home as a small gift.
Christmas Tree Drawing Game
One of the easiest and funniest games is the Christmas Tree Drawing Game. Everyone puts a paper plate on top of their head and attempts to draw a Christmas tree! There’s not really a winner (unless you want to vote on the best one), but it’s hilarious to see what kind of ‘art’ people come up with!
Prizes for Christmas Party Games
Another fun twist we’ve added to our holiday party is handing out prizes! We let the group vote on categories like the best Christmas outfit, the most epic White Elephant gift, the best (or funniest) Christmas tree drawing, or the trivia champ. It adds a little friendly competition and tons of laughs.
Here are some prize ideas for you!
- Housewares like this Lazy Susan Serving Tray
- Fun items like a S’mores Maker
- Yummy and delicious gift baskets are always a hit
- You can’t ever go wrong with gift cards
Looking for more group games to play with adults? While these aren’t specifically holiday-themed, I’ve got a few more games that are perfect for a big group of grown-ups. Trust me, they’re a blast! You can check them all out right here!
By the way… did you notice how festive and beautiful my Christmas decor looked in the background of the party photos? Decorating your house for Christmas is the best—it lets you enjoy the magic all season long and makes your holiday parties feel extra special. I’ve got a full post with all the details on how I decked out my mantel, including links to everything that I used, posted here. And for all the details on this gorgeous and classic Christmas tree, you can go to this post here.
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