8 Christmas Party Games for Family and Friends

1. Categories: all you need is your phone or tablet

Between dinner and dessert, a round of Categories gives everyone still at the table something to join in. Open the app on one shared device, choose a mode and read its instructions together. The category supplies the topic and your group supplies the words. Begin with something familiar, such as animals, so everyone has a way into the game.

All you need is your phone or tablet, with the app installed. Try a practice round and let it finish according to your chosen mode before deciding whether to play again. A short game brings the group together before the Christmas activities begin.

Got a bigger group? In Categories: Word Party Game, you can set up a tournament for up to 10 players and keep the fun going across several rounds.

Choose Christmas party games for your gathering

Pick two or three activities before guests arrive. This list has options for staying at the table, playing in teams and following clues around the house. Group sizes and times are suggestions for these versions.

Game	Suggested group	Time	Preparation
Categories	2 or more	One round of your chosen mode	Phone or tablet with the app
Christmas Charades	4 or more	10–15 min	Scenes and a timer
Mystery Parcel	3 or more	5–10 min	A wrapped object and three clues
What Changed on the Tray?	2 or more	5–10 min	Sturdy decorations and a cloth
Back-to-Back Christmas Drawing	4 or more	10–15 min	Paper and pencils
Left, Right	4 or more	5 min	A parcel and a story
Five-Decoration Hunt	4 or more	10–15 min	Five paper clues
Whose Tradition Is It?	4 or more	10–15 min	Paper, pens and a bowl

2. Christmas Charades: scenes everyone can recognize

Make two teams. Someone from the opposing team whispers a scene to the actor, who has one minute to perform it without speaking. Their team guesses, with one point for a correct answer. Alternate teams until everyone has had a chance to act.

Try “untangling the lights,” “wrapping an awkwardly shaped present,” “finding one more chair” or “carrying a baking tray that is too hot.” Everyday scenes let people join in without knowing film titles or song lyrics. Mix the teams if children and adults are playing together.

3. Mystery Parcel: three clues before the unwrapping

Wrap a household object where nobody can see it. Its keeper gives three clues, from broad to specific. For a spoon: “You will find me in many kitchens,” “You use me with one hand” and “I help you eat soup.”

After each clue, everyone may make one guess. A correct first-clue answer earns three points; the second earns two; the third earns one. Record guesses without confirming them until the end so everyone can keep playing. Unwrap the object and repeat with another. The parcel is a guessing prop; there is no need to buy gifts.

4. What changed on the decoration tray?

Arrange eight different objects: a ribbon, card, napkin, paper star and other sturdy decorations. Give the group thirty seconds to look. Cover the tray, remove one object out of sight, then show the tray again.

Each person or pair names what is missing. Reveal it to end the round, then play twice more, removing a different object each time. Remove two for a harder round or use fewer objects to make it easier. With small children, choose large objects they can handle rather than fragile decorations.

5. Back-to-Back Christmas Drawing: listen and interpret

Form pairs and sit back to back. One person draws a simple scene without showing it, then describes it for one minute. Their partner tries to reproduce it without asking questions or seeing the original. Compare pictures at the end and switch roles.

Try a table, a present underneath and a star above a chair. The person describing can explain where each shape goes but cannot touch their partner’s paper. Play two rounds per pair. No blindfolds or drawing skills are needed; the reveal is about the difference between what was said and what was imagined.

6. Left, Right: pass a parcel around the table

Sit in a circle and give one person a parcel. Someone reads the story below slowly. Whenever you hear LEFT or RIGHT, pass the parcel to the person on that side. Do not pass it for other words.

“We put the parcel to the RIGHT of the door. Anna moved it to the LEFT side of the table, but the plates were there. She searched on the RIGHT, then moved RIGHT again. Grandma pointed to a chair on the LEFT. Everyone looked LEFT while the cat settled on the RIGHT. Finally, the parcel took one last trip to the RIGHT and found its place.”

Whoever has the parcel at the end chooses the next game or reads the next story. It can hold a decoration or a card; decide this beforehand so nobody expects a gift exchange. To play again, make up another short story using both words.

7. Five-Decoration Hunt

Draw five decorations on cards and hide them within an agreed area. Give each team the same clues: “where stories are kept” for a bookshelf, or “where coats take a rest” for a coat rack. Match all five clues to real locations in your home.

Teams write down each card’s location without moving it, leaving the hunt available for everyone. After ten minutes, gather to check answers: one point per correct location. Read clues aloud for anyone who needs it and use accessible spots that do not require climbing on furniture or opening drawers.

8. Whose Tradition Is It?

Each person writes an unsigned seasonal tradition or memory: “We always lose the sticky tape while wrapping” or “The dessert I look forward to most is the one my aunt brings.” Fold the slips and mix them in a bowl.

Read one aloud and let everyone try to identify its author. After one guess per person, the writer reveals themselves and can add a sentence of context. Finish after reading every slip. Favorite foods, end-of-year plans and memories of get-togethers count too; everyone does not have to celebrate in the same way.

Two ways to plan the after-dinner games

For a short burst of play: start with a round of Categories, follow it with Mystery Parcel and finish with Left, Right. You can prepare these without clearing the whole room.

For an afternoon of games: begin with Categories, split into teams for charades, then try the decoration hunt. Save drawing and traditions for when everyone sits down again. There is no need to finish the entire list; repeat the games your group enjoys.

Before starting, explain when each round ends and whether you will keep score. Welcome late arrivals on the next turn. Someone who would rather not perform can guess or read clues. Choose examples from your own celebration rather than relying on snow, songs or characters that not everyone knows.

For more talking games after dinner, see our six party word games for adults without extra equipment. You can time charades and drawing rounds with the Category Game Timer.

10 Party Games for Friends and Family

Memory game reference

The tray game adapts the observation-and-recall idea in Kim’s Game, explained by Scouts. The scenes, Left, Right story and examples on this page are suggestions for your gathering; swap in details your group knows.