Christmas Party Games + Activities for All Ages

Was last year's Christmas party a bore? Keep Christmas party guests big and small entertained with festive games and activities that are sure to please all ages.

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Pump Some Fun Into Your Christmas Party

The air is chilly and string lights are being hung as we speak, which can only mean one thing: The Christmas season is upon us! So, what are you waiting for? It's time to start planning your Christmas party. And this year's party is sure to be anything but boring because we've got DIY Christmas party games that every guest will love.

Get the party started by passing out candy-filled Christmas crackers. Pass them out as guests arrive, and use them as place cards or party favors. These Christmas crackers are made from recycled materials so they're inexpensive and easy to make.

get the how-to: How to Make Flameless Party Crackers

Have Guests Take a Sweet Guess

Prepping this classic party game couldn’t be easier. Fill a decorative jar with holiday candies and jot down the total number. Hang the free printable sign from the jar and have guests record their guesses as they walk through the door. At the end of the night, the closest guess takes home the jar. While you're at the printer, you might as well print out some free Christmas party invitations, below.

See More Photos: Free Christmas Party Invitations

From: Sam Henderson

Deck the Gingerbread Halls

What's more festive than building gingerbread houses? You can make this a laid-back activity or go full-on competition mode to see who can build the very best gingerbread house. Take the rustic route with our log-cabin gingerbread house how-to, below.

get the how-to: Make a Log Cabin Gingerbread House

But Don't Forget Mini Gingerbread Houses for the Kiddos

Traditional gingerbread houses may be a little challenging for the younger guests but that doesn't mean they have to miss out on the fun. Host a kid-friendly gingerbread house party with our how-to, below.

See More Photos: Host a Kid-Friendly Gingerbread House Decorating Party

Put Those Old Gift Tags to Good Use

If you're like us, you have a mismatched bag of gift tags from Christmases past stashed with your wrapping paper. Put them to use at your Christmas party with a few rounds of gift-tag guess who. Simply write the name of a Christmas character on the tags and place them in a bowl. To play, have a player draw from the bowl and hold the tag up to their forehead for everyone but themselves to read, while they try to guess who they are. Upcycle your forgotten gift tags with our how-to, below.

get the how-to: 3 Fun Christmas Game Ideas for the Family

Organize a Round of Christmas Trivia

Do you have the North Pole knowledge that it takes to survive a round of Christmas trivia? Put your and your guests' Christmas craniums to the test. Perfect your trivia night hosting skills with our tips, below.

learn more: How to Host Trivia Night at Home

Host a Cookie Decorating Competition

A cookie decorating party is a fun way to keep the kids occupied and totally entertained during the holidays. Host a top-notch gingerbread decorating party with our tips, below.

See More Photos: Plan the Perfect Gingerbread Cookie Decorating Party for Your Kids and Their Friends

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Just Don't Forget to Decorate Some Cookies for Man's Best Friend

Your perfect pup has been good all year long, so why leave them out of the fun? Bake and decorate a few festive doggie treats as pet-approved party favors. Put some bark in your holiday baking with our recipe, below.

get the how-to: Homemade Christmas Cookies for Dogs Recipe

Divide Into Teams and Have a Gift Wrap Relay Race

On your mark, get set, go! Teams compete to see who can wrap a gift the fastest with a relay-style twist. One player cuts the paper, the next wraps the box and the last ties the ribbon. Rev up the friendly competition with more party games, below.

learn more: The Best Party Games for Adults

Kick Off a Christmas Carol Freeze Dance

"Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell ro—" Freeze! Get the party up and moving with a classic game of freeze dance with a Christmas carol spin. Drop the needle on HGTV editors' favorite Christmas playlists, below.

learn more: Editors' Pick: Our Favorite Christmas Music Playlists

Put Up a Festive Photo Op

No party is complete without a festive photo op for guests to capture the night's memories forever. Learn how to make a stunning DIY party photo booth with our tips, below.

get the how-to: How to Set Up Your Own DIY Photo Booth

Then, DIY Some Christmas-Inspired Photo Props

Make kid-friendly photo props to ensure your Christmas party photo booth isn't just a hit with the adults. DIY your own festive photo props with our how-to, below.

get the how-to: Easy DIY Photo Props for a Kid-Friendly Holiday Party

Play Pin the Nose on Rudolph

This Christmas take on a classic party game is sure to give your little ones a giggle. Simply blindfold each player and have them pin a red bow nose on Rudolph. Get Rudolph ready to guide the sleigh with our how-to, below.

get the how-to: 3 Fun Christmas Game Ideas for the Family

See Which Guest Has the Best Arm

Step right up and put your skills to the test! This snowman-toss game is a hit with kids, but we're willing to bet a few adults will wanna give it a shot, too. DIY your own snowman-toss game with our how-to, below.

get the how-to: 3 Fun Christmas Game Ideas for the Family

Craft Cute Christmas Tree Snow Globes

These miniature Christmas tree snow globes are as fun to make as they are to eat. Set up a table for guests to make their own or simply make them ahead to send home as adorable (and edible) party favors. Stack up something sweet with our how-to, below.

get the how-to: Candy Christmas Tree in a Snow Globe

DIY a Ring-a-Tree Game Board

To DIY this challenging party game, fill an old crate with floral foam and place one bottle-brush tree in each of the 12 openings. Cover the foam with shredded paper or other filling and use game rings to toss over the trees. Finally, mark the station with this free downloadable sign. Gamify your Christmas party with more Christmas game ideas, below.

learn more: 11 Christmas Games to Play With the Whole Family

From: Sam Henderson

Decorate Tasty + Adorable Reindeer Cookies

These reindeer cookies are so easy to make, even the littlest guests can take part. And what's better than a Christmas craft that you can eat? Recall the most famous reindeer cookie of all with our recipe, below.

get the how-to: Holidays Made Easy: Delish Deer Cookies

Hand Out Some Christmas Bingo Cards

Odds are you already know how to play bingo, so we'll spare you the rundown. But, we should mention that these printable holiday bingo cards pair well with Christmas music, as guests can mark off common Christmas items as they hear them represented in songs. Print out more Christmas fun with our printable Christmas templates, below.

learn more: 75+ Printable (and Free!) Christmas Templates

Take the Pressure Off of Gift Giving

White-elephant gift exchanges are a great way to take the pressure off of buying the perfect gift. Plus, this fun activity is ideal for parties with guests who aren't already friends. Gift something great with our favorite white-elephant gift ideas, below.

learn more: The Best White Elephant Gift Ideas Under $25

Have a Treasure Hunt

Kids love Christmas trees, so why not give their curiosity a challenge? Create a Christmas tree scavenger hunt by hiding ornaments and items in the tree, then creating lists for each child. Reserve a special prize for the first to find each item. Create more holiday magic for your kids with our ideas, below.

Learn More: 20 Ways to Create Holiday Magic for Small Kids

Encourage Guests to Play Poke-a-Present

This DIY poke-a-present game is as beautiful as it is fun. Use it to store party favors or stow away an assortment of fun gifts for guests to take their pick. Build your own poke-a-present game with our how-to, below.

get the how-to: How to Make a Poke-a-Present Game

From: Sam Henderson

Upcycle Boxes Into a Gingerbread Village

Everything is ordered online these days, so how about you put all those boxes to good use? These cardboard gingerbread houses are a low-mess alternative to ordinary gingerbread houses and utilize a template to make the building process easy. Upcycle your cardboard with our how-to, below.

get the how-to: Cute + Crafty: DIY Cardboard Gingerbread Village

Then, Turn the Bigger Boxes Into a Life-Sized Gingerbread Playhouse

This gingerbread-themed playhouse is made out of large boxes and decorated using mostly homemade decorations. Let the kids in on the fun of building the house, or build it ahead of time for hours of playtime at the party with an adorable party decoration to boot. Build some fun that will outlast the season with our how-to, below.

get the how-to: How to Build a Life-Sized Gingerbread Playhouse

Give Beer Pong a Christmas Twist

Everyone knows one of the best ways to get into the Christmas spirit is by getting into the Christmas spirits. For those 21 and up, this Christmas twist on a classic party game is sure to spread some cheer. We recommend filling cups with eggnog and swapping the Ping-Pong ball for a jingle bell. Finally, mark the station with this free downloadable sign. Pregame with our favorite holiday cocktails, below.

Learn More: Holiday Cocktail Heaven

From: Sam Henderson

No Snow? Make an Indoor Snowman

Unfortunately, we can't all experience a white Christmas. But, for those of us in warmer climates, we can still build a snowman. By painting a few boxes white, then gathering a few signature snowman accessories like scarves, hats and a carrot nose, kids can experience the fun of building a snowman right inside the living room. Unwrap more Christmas crafts for kids, below.

See More Photos: 75 Christmas Crafts for Kids

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Set Up a DIY Christmas Card Station

A DIY Christmas card station is a great way to get guests interacting once the party begins. Give your Christmas card a 3D effect with our how-to, below.

get the how-to: Handmade Christmas Tree Card

Or, Print Out Kid-Friendly Santa Cards

Print out several Santa cards beforehand and scatter them around the kids' table. Give kids glitter glue, cotton balls, markers and any other fun embellishments so they can make their Santa card truly unique. Color me jolly with our how-to, below.

get the how-to: Kids' Craft: Printable Santa Holiday Card

From: Kim Stoegbauer

Whip Up Some Snow Slime

An ooey-gooey, wintery wonderland is only a few ingredients away. Trust us, kids will love getting their hands on this snow slime. Whip up a batch with our instructions, below.

get the how-to: DIY Snow Slime

Turn Twigs Into Adorable Ornaments

Christmas crafting doesn't have to be fanciful to be beautiful. Sometimes, all it takes is some twigs from the yard and basic craft supplies to make something adorable. These twig ornaments are easy to make and great for party-time crafting. Turn twigs into something beautiful with our how-to, below.

get the how-to: Get Kids Crafting With These Easy Twig Ornaments

Make Candy Necklaces

Set out bowls of Christmas candy alongside ribbons and string to encourage pint-sized guests to create their own (edible!) bracelets and necklaces.

Make Coffee-Filter Christmas Trees

Dip coffee filters in fabric dye for a trendy ombre effect then stack them to create a quick-and-easy tabletop Christmas tree. This party-time activity can double as a decorative favor that will last all winter long.

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Hosting the Holidays and Deck the Halls

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Christmas Party Games + Activities for All Ages

Related To:

Shop This Look

Pump Some Fun Into Your Christmas Party

Have Guests Take a Sweet Guess

Deck the Gingerbread Halls

But Don't Forget Mini Gingerbread Houses for the Kiddos

Put Those Old Gift Tags to Good Use

Organize a Round of Christmas Trivia

Host a Cookie Decorating Competition

Just Don't Forget to Decorate Some Cookies for Man's Best Friend

Divide Into Teams and Have a Gift Wrap Relay Race

Kick Off a Christmas Carol Freeze Dance

Put Up a Festive Photo Op

Then, DIY Some Christmas-Inspired Photo Props

Play Pin the Nose on Rudolph

See Which Guest Has the Best Arm

Craft Cute Christmas Tree Snow Globes

DIY a Ring-a-Tree Game Board

Decorate Tasty + Adorable Reindeer Cookies

Hand Out Some Christmas Bingo Cards

Take the Pressure Off of Gift Giving

Have a Treasure Hunt

Encourage Guests to Play Poke-a-Present

Upcycle Boxes Into a Gingerbread Village

Then, Turn the Bigger Boxes Into a Life-Sized Gingerbread Playhouse

Give Beer Pong a Christmas Twist

No Snow? Make an Indoor Snowman

Set Up a DIY Christmas Card Station

Or, Print Out Kid-Friendly Santa Cards

Whip Up Some Snow Slime

Turn Twigs Into Adorable Ornaments

Make Candy Necklaces

Make Coffee-Filter Christmas Trees

More from:

Hosting the Holidays and Deck the Halls

18 Fun Party Themes, Games and Activities 18 Photos

11 Christmas Games to Play With the Whole Family

Boozy Christmas Countdown Wreath

21 Fun DIY Thanksgiving Games and Activities for All Ages 22 Photos

How to Host an Exchange Party

Host Happy: Throw a Festive Friendsmas Party 26 Photos

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