money Think Beyond Dirty Santa with These Clever Christmas Activities
Given the especially tight window between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, it seems the 2024 holiday season has gotten into full swing a little earlier than usual. People are already putting up their Christmas trees (yes, even in the kitchen!) and shopping for gifts, so it's only natural that the Christmas party planning is also in full force. And as much as we love a festive cocktail or good party appetizer, it's the party games and activities that most encourage mingling and merriment, so plan accordingly!
Whether you're looking to plan a Christmas drinking game, host a Christmas trivia battle of the brains, or coordinate a tacky Christmas sweater contest, you'll find plenty of adult-friendly ideas to get in the competitive holiday spirit with friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers.
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How Many Ornaments?
Consider this the tree version of the classic count-the-candy-in-a-jar game. Upon their arrival, have each guest quickly guess the number of ornaments on the tree. Record names and numbers on pieces of paper, and award the person with the closest guess a prize (a special ornament, perhaps?).
Ugly Sweater Contest
It's a classic for a reason! Challenge party guests to arrive in the tackiest sweater they can find. You can also break up awards by category: Best Thrifted Find, Best DIY Sweater, and so on.
Untangle the Lights Contest
Turn the holiday headache into a fun challenge. Tangle strands of lights into jumbles of cords, then see how fast teams can sort each strand out.
Holiday Headband Contest
Similar in spirit to a tacky sweater contest, this challenge can be completed from start to finish at the party. Give every guest a plain headband along with an array of festive materials (bottle brush trees, putz houses, tiny reindeer) and craft supplies (glitter, construction paper).
One-Handed Gift Wrap Game
Challenge your party guests to see who can wrap a present the fastest. The catch? They must work in pairs and each person can only use one hand!
Get the tutorial at Party Game Ideas.
Shiny-Brite Tic-Tac-Toe Game
Hang on to those empty 9-grid boxes of ornaments because they can double as tic-tac-toe grids! Place the boxes alongside a bowl of ornaments in two distinct patterns or colorways.
Name That Holiday Tune
Create a playlist of holiday songs (try these country Christmas favorites), then see who can guess the song and artists' name first.
Cheer Pong
Think of this as a festive twist on beer pong using jingle bells. Or, for a beer pong-cornhole hybrid, check out a tutorial at Playground Park Bench.
Pin the Nose on Rudolph
Draw an image of a reindeer on butcher or kraft paper, then challenge guests to place his "nose" (red gift bows) in the right spot while blindfolded. (The game gets even more challenging after partygoers have imbibed a bit!)
Christmas Movie Bingo
Pop some popcorn and make some hot chocolate for a Christmas movie night! Print off copies of a Christmas Movie Bingo game to get the whole gang involved in the fun. Or queue up your favorite Hallmark Christmas movie and try your hand at Hallmark Christmas Movie Bingo!
Christmas Alphabet Drinking Game
Go through the alphabet in a circle, as each person says a Christmas related name, item, song, and so on, for the letter they have. If you hesitate or draw a blank, you have to drink!
Christmas Limbo
How low can you go? Use a Christmas scarf or candy cane prop to make this party game more festive, and for even more of a challenge, tuck a balloon in your shirts for "Santa" bellies.
Who Am I?
Also known as "Celebrity," each player draws from a pile of index cards featuring the name of a Christmas-related character (from Chevy Chase to Santa) and, without looking, sticks it to his or her head. Guests ask each other "yes" or "no" questions for everyone to guess their identities.
Elf Drinking Game
This game combines two of our favorite things: Christmas movies and Christmas cocktails. So turn on Elf and play along, but remember to drink responsibly!
Get the tutorial at Delish.
Christmas Movies Emoji Game
Can you guess these classic Christmas movies just from their emoji description? Put your skills to the test with this clever game.
Get the tutorial at Play Party Plan.
Hallmark Christmas Movie Drinking Game
Here's a great party game for your next movie night—a Hallmark Christmas movie, to be exact. Talk about getting into the Christmas spirit!
Two Truths and a Lie
Pick three "facts" (think anything from your favorite Christmas memories to the worst gifts you've ever been given), and see how many people can pick the lie from three statements. Or, try "Two Naughties and a Nice," where you reveal three things (two naughty, one nice) and people have to guess which two are legit.
Christmas Movie Trivia
Find out who has the best Christmas movie trivia knowledge with questions covering both classic Christmas movies and modern day flicks.
Get the tutorial at My Party Games.
Christmas 'Would You Rather?' Adult Edition
Everyone's heard of this classic party game! However, this one is not only Christmas-inspired, but it's also adults-only too.
Get the tutorial at Backyard Games.
'Never Have I Ever' Christmas Edition
Have you ever re-gifted something? If so, you might just lose this game. The punishment? Every time you've done something, you have to take a drink of your holiday cocktail.
Get the tutorial at Tea With Gi.
Truth or Dare
You know the rules. And they're basically the same—just add Santa hats—and decidedly holiday dares (think making the next beer run in a Santa suit or sit on everyone's lap and tell them what you want for Christmas!).
Candy Canes
If you've ever played the Spoons card game, we think you'll love this version even more. The reason? Instead of cutlery, you use candy canes!
Name That Christmas Carol
Compile a list of lyrics (can be obvious or lesser-known) from Christmas songs and see how many each team can guess in one minute. Or, instead of lyrics, hum a portion of the tune for your team to guess. Warning: Things might get loud.
Elf on the Shelf Game for Adults
After the kids have gone to sleep, break out ol' Elf on the Shelf and have an adults-only contest to see who can come up with the funniest placement.
Get the details at Mommy Savers.
White Elephant
Perhaps the most popular of all Christmas party games, White Elephant keeps the gift exchange exciting by allowing for swaps.
Jello Shot Christmas Tree
Okay, so this one is not so much a game as a challenge. Can you and your friends conquer this boozy Christmas tree?
Get the tutorial at My Incredible Recipes.
Name That Holiday Scent
Holiday candles are superior and really help set the stage for the season. Grab a ton of holiday candles in fun scents, blindfold your guests and have them guess the scent. May the best nose win!
"Chubby Snowball"
It's your holiday twist on the classic Chubby Bunny game. See how many marshmallows each guest can git in their mouth while still being able to say the word "snowball". The person holding the most marshmallows in their mouth is the winner.
Christmas Charades
Who doesn't love a game of charades? Have everyone write down some of their favorite holiday characters and take turns selecting one to act out. Let's see who can pull off The Grinch or embody Frosty the Snowman.
20 Questions (Christmas Edition)
Write a different holiday character on pieces of paper then have each player tape one to their back. As you mingle throughout the night, you have to ask the other guests yes or no questions to try to determine what character you are. You can't exceed 20 questions so make each one count!
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