Christmas Games for Families, Kids & Adults

Christmas table featuring Christmas games for families, kids and adults from Firefly Parade

There’s something about Christmas that makes you want to slow everything down.

Which is funny, because December rarely seems interested in slowing down.

There are presents to wrap, cookies to bake, meals to plan, places to go and approximately 47 things you were positive you would remember without writing them down.

And then everyone finally gathers.

The food comes out. Someone turns on the Christmas music. The kids start asking when they can open presents. People settle onto couches and around tables, and for a little while, all that December busyness fades into the background.

Those are the moments I love most.

The laughing. The stories. The traditions. The people you don’t see nearly often enough sitting together in the same room.

That’s why I love having a few printable Christmas games ready. They’re an easy way to bring everyone together without adding another complicated thing to the holiday.

I’ve put together some of my favorite Christmas game ideas for different kinds of gatherings, so you can choose what works for your group.

Which Christmas Game Should I Choose?

Still not sure? Don’t overthink it. Pick something that fits your group—or have a few different games ready and see what everyone feels like playing.

Christmas Games for the Whole Family

Christmas is one of those wonderful times when you may have several generations gathered under the same roof. That also means finding something everyone wants to play can be interesting.

I like games that are easy enough for kids to join but entertaining enough that the adults actually want to play too.

Christmas Friendly Feud

If your family enjoys a little competition, start here. Divide everyone into teams and try to guess the most popular answers to Christmas-themed questions.

Before long, people who said they were “just going to watch” will be shouting answers from the couch.

It happens every time!

Christmas 5 Second Game

You have five seconds to name three things. That sounds like plenty of time.

Until the timer starts.

Suddenly someone asks you to name three Christmas movies and you can no longer remember a single movie you have ever watched.

That little bit of pressure is exactly what makes this one so funny.

Christmas Charades

Charades is a classic for a reason.

The rules are simple, different ages can play together, and eventually someone will attempt to act out a Christmas clue in a way that makes absolutely no sense to anyone else in the room.

That performance will probably be discussed next Christmas too.

Christmas Jeoparty

If your family knows its Christmas movies, songs, traditions and trivia, put that knowledge to the test. Divide everyone into teams and turn Christmas into game-show night.

Just be prepared. There is probably someone in your family who takes Christmas trivia much more seriously than you realized.

Christmas Eve & Christmas Dinner Games

Some of my favorite Christmas games don't require everyone to stop what they're doing and officially begin “game time.”

Christmas already has enough going on.

Sometimes you just want something you can put on the table while everyone is eating, waiting for dessert, or lingering after dinner.

Games like Would You Rather, Who Is Most Like Santa?, Person Most Likely To, Christmas Mad Libs, Christmas Emoji Pictionary, and Christmas Movie Pictionary work especially well for those moments.

You can play one. You can play several. Or you can leave a few on the table and see what people naturally gravitate toward.

My tip: Don't try to fill every minute. Christmas has its own rhythm. Games should add to the gathering—not turn you into the activities director!

Family playing printable Christmas games together around the table

Christmas Games for Large Groups

Christmas gatherings have a way of growing. Family. Friends. Neighbors. Church groups. Coworkers.

Suddenly you’re looking around the room wondering how you accumulated this many people.

For a crowd, I like games that keep lots of people involved.

Christmas Mingle Bingo

Mingle Bingo is one of my favorite choices when everyone in the room doesn’t already know one another.

Guests have a reason to get up, move around and start conversations instead of staying beside the same two people all evening.

And that’s exactly what I want a Christmas game to do. The game is fun. The conversations are even better.

Christmas Friendly Feud

Friendly Feud works beautifully with a larger group because everyone can contribute as part of a team. There will be shouting. There will be debating.

And someone will absolutely insist that their answer should have been number one.

Christmas Forbidden Words

Sometimes the easiest way to make a simple game hilarious is to take away all the useful words. Players have to get their teammates to guess the Christmas word on the card without saying the forbidden words underneath.

It sounds manageable until you realize every word you want to say is sitting right there on the forbidden list.

Christmas Jeoparty

For a trivia-loving crowd, divide everyone into teams and let them work together. Somebody knows Christmas movies. Somebody knows Christmas songs. Somebody knows completely random Christmas facts nobody realized they knew.

Every team has its strengths!

Christmas Gift Exchange Games

Opening presents is already fun.

But when you're doing a family gift exchange, office exchange, or Christmas party, turning the exchange itself into a game can make it even better.

A Christmas Left Right Game keeps presents moving around the group as someone reads the story.

A Pass the Present Dice Game adds a little unpredictability to who ends up with what.

And these work particularly well when the group doesn't need another hour-long activity—you already have the gifts, so the game becomes part of something you were going to do anyway.

Friends playing printable Christmas games together at a holiday gathering

Christmas Office Party Games

Office Christmas parties are their own category.

You're trying to find something fun enough to get people involved without making anyone wish they'd suddenly developed an urgent meeting. That's where easy icebreakers and team games can work really well.

I'd look at Christmas Mingle Bingo to get people talking, Christmas Friendly Feud for team competition, Christmas 5 Second Game for something quick, or a gift-exchange game if your party includes presents.

And if you're responsible for planning the whole event, having several options available can make things much easier than trying to predict which single activity everyone will enjoy.

Christmas Games for Kids & Teens

Kids are generally pretty easy to convince that Christmas should be fun. Teenagers can require slightly more finesse!

For mixed ages, Christmas Charades and Christmas 5 Second Game are easy choices because everyone understands what to do and the rounds move quickly.

For teens, I love Christmas Selfie Scavenger Hunt and What’s On Your Phone? They already have the phones. You might as well make them part of the Christmas fun.

Christmas Emoji Pictionary is another easy game that everyone can play at the same time, while What Is Your Christmas Name? makes a silly little icebreaker when people are arriving.

And for kids who need something to do while dinner finishes cooking—or while they wait approximately fourteen years for the adults to announce that it’s finally time to open presents—keep a few printable activities nearby.

Future you will be grateful.

Quiet Christmas Activities

Not every Christmas game needs teams, timers or somebody dramatically acting out a clue in the middle of the living room. Sometimes everyone is perfectly happy sitting around the table.

That’s where quieter printable activities come in.

Word searches, word scrambles, Emoji Pictionary, A–Z Word Race, Categories and other paper-and-pencil games give people something easy to pick up and play without gathering the entire room.

These are especially useful for kids’ tables, classrooms, church Christmas gatherings or that peaceful stretch after dinner when nobody is quite ready to move yet.

I also love Christmas games built around songs.

There’s something about Christmas music that crosses generations. Grandma knows the classics. The kids know the newer versions. And sooner or later the entire table is singing instead of playing. I consider that a successful game!

Last-Minute Printable Christmas Games

December is busy enough.

If you suddenly realize the night before Christmas dinner that you’d like something fun for everyone to do, I don’t think the answer should be another trip to the store.

This is exactly why I love printable games.

Choose what you want to play, download the PDFs, print the pages you need and you’re ready.

Put quieter games on the table while people arrive. Keep a bigger family game ready for after dinner. Print something for the kids to do while they wait for presents.

You don’t need elaborate supplies. You don’t need to plan three weeks ahead. You just need a printer and a few minutes.

Just print, gather and play.

Printable Christmas games from the Firefly Parade 25 Game Bundle ready to print and play

Want Several Christmas Games Ready to Go?

If you’re hosting Christmas, I love having choices.

The Christmas Ultimate Game Collection gives you the larger party games along with the printable Christmas game bundle, so you have everything from team competition and trivia to quick-thinking games, acting games and quieter activities ready to go.

Or choose the 25 Printable Christmas Games Bundle when you want a mix of easy Christmas activities, word games, icebreakers, conversation games and challenges.

You definitely don’t need to play everything. That’s the beauty of having choices.

Put a few activities on the table while everyone arrives. Pull out a family game after dinner. Keep another one ready in case everyone is having too much fun to call it a night.

Choose what fits your group and your gathering.

The Best Christmas Game Is the One Your Group Will Actually Play

Eventually, the presents will be opened. The wrapping paper will be cleaned up. The leftovers will be packed away. And somebody will discover one last gift hiding under the tree that everyone somehow missed.

But hopefully, when everyone looks back on Christmas, the presents won’t be the only things they remember.

They’ll remember Dad’s completely ridiculous Charades performance. The answer Grandma knew before anyone else. The game the kids begged to play again. The stories that started around the table and somehow lasted longer than the game itself.

They’ll remember laughing. And more than anything, they’ll remember being together.

Because Christmas doesn’t have to be perfect to be memorable.

Sometimes all you need is good people, a little laughter, the glow of the Christmas tree...and a reason to gather.

Ready to find your games? Browse all of my printable Christmas games and choose the ones that fit your celebration.

Wishing you laughter, connection & fun,
Laura ❤️
Firefly Parade