12 Days of Christmas Games: Fun and Festive Ideas for Everyone
The holiday season is a time for joy, laughter, and spending quality time with friends and family. One of the best ways to make the countdown to Christmas extra special is by organizing 12 Days of Christmas games.
These games are perfect for families, friends, work parties, or even school events, adding a playful twist to the festive season.
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Here’s a detailed look at some of the best Christmas games you can play during the 12 days of Christmas.
12 Days of Christmas Games
Content Summery
1. Christmas Charades
How to Play:
Charades is always a crowd-pleaser, and it’s even better with a holiday theme! Create a list of Christmas-related actions or phrases like “wrapping presents,” “singing Christmas carols,” or “sledding down a hill.” Split into teams, and players take turns acting out the phrase while their teammates try to guess what it is—no words or sounds allowed!
Why it’s Fun:
This game is perfect for family gatherings or office parties. It’s a great icebreaker that guarantees lots of laughs as people try to guess the often ridiculous actions.
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2. Christmas Bingo
How to Play:
Create or print out Bingo cards with Christmas-themed images or words (like Santa, snowman, reindeer, ornaments, candy canes, etc.). Instead of numbers, each square contains a different Christmas symbol. As you call out the images or words, players mark them on their cards. The first person to complete a row or column yells “Bingo!”
Why it’s Fun:
This is a simple yet exciting game that’s great for all ages. You can also give out small festive prizes like candy canes or Christmas ornaments to the winners!
3. Christmas Scavenger Hunt
How to Play:
Create a list of Christmas-themed items (like a red ornament, a candy cane, or a Santa hat) and hide them around your house, yard, or office. Players or teams race to find the items, and the one who finds the most wins. You can also create clues to make it more challenging.
Why it’s Fun:
A Christmas scavenger hunt is perfect for both kids and adults. It keeps everyone active and involved while adding a sense of adventure and competition to your holiday celebrations.
4. Pin the Nose on Rudolph
How to Play:
This is a festive take on the classic “Pin the Tail on the Donkey” game. Draw or print a large picture of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and hang it up on a wall. Blindfold each player, spin them around, and see who can stick the red paper nose closest to Rudolph’s real nose.
Why it’s Fun:
This game is especially fun for kids, but adults will get a kick out of it too! It’s easy to set up and always results in plenty of giggles.
12 Days of Christmas Games for Family
5. Christmas Pictionary
How to Play:
Prepare a list of Christmas-related words or phrases, such as “decorating the tree,” “snowball fight,” or “Santa’s sleigh.” Players take turns drawing the word while their teammates guess what it is. Use a whiteboard or large sheet of paper to display the drawings.
Why it’s Fun:
This game is perfect for groups of any size and creates a lot of laughter as people attempt to draw complex holiday scenes. It’s also a great option for school or work parties.
6. White Elephant Gift Exchange
How to Play:
Each player brings a wrapped gift (usually with a price limit). Participants draw numbers to determine the order in which they choose a gift from the pile. The twist? After a gift is opened, the next person can choose to either pick a new gift or “steal” an already opened one. The game continues until all gifts are chosen and claimed.
Why it’s Fun:
This classic gift exchange game is full of surprises and laughter as gifts are swapped and “stolen” throughout the game. It’s perfect for holiday parties and brings out a fun, competitive spirit.
7. Christmas Carol Trivia
How to Play:
Prepare a list of questions related to popular Christmas songs. For example, “Which song starts with ‘You better watch out, you better not cry’?” or “How many gifts were given in ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’?” Players or teams compete to answer the most questions correctly.
Why it’s Fun:
This is a great game for music lovers and can be played with people of all ages. It’s a fun way to test your knowledge of Christmas carols and get everyone singing along!
8. Christmas Memory Game
How to Play:
Arrange 20-30 Christmas-themed items (like a small ornament, candy cane, Santa figure, etc.) on a tray. Give everyone one minute to look at the tray and memorize the items. Then, cover the tray and ask each person to write down as many items as they can remember. The person who recalls the most items wins.
Why it’s Fun:
This is a simple yet challenging game that sharpens memory and observation skills. It’s a quick, entertaining activity that works well for both kids and adults.
9. Holiday Name That Tune
How to Play:
Play short clips of popular Christmas songs, and players have to guess the title of the song as quickly as possible. You can make it more challenging by only playing a few seconds of each song. Award points for each correct answer, and the person or team with the most points wins.
Why it’s Fun:
This game brings out the competitive side in players and gets everyone in the Christmas spirit by featuring their favorite holiday tunes. It’s perfect for holiday parties, especially if your group loves music.
10. Christmas Wrapping Race
How to Play:
Give each player a set of oddly shaped items and a roll of wrapping paper. The goal is to wrap all the items as neatly and quickly as possible. The person who finishes first (with decent wrapping skills!) wins.
Why it’s Fun:
This game is full of laughter as people try to quickly wrap strange-shaped items like a ball or stuffed animal. It’s a perfect game for groups of all ages.
11. Candy Cane Hunt
How to Play:
Hide candy canes around your house or party area, much like an Easter egg hunt. Set a time limit, and whoever finds the most candy canes by the end wins a prize. You can also offer smaller rewards for every candy cane found.
Why it’s Fun:
This game is a simple yet exciting way to get everyone moving. It’s ideal for kids but fun for adults too, especially when prizes are involved!
12. Christmas Tree Relay
How to Play:
Divide players into teams. Each team has a stack of holiday decorations. One at a time, players race to a “Christmas tree” (which could be a cardboard cutout or even a person standing still) and add one decoration before running back to tag the next teammate. The first team to fully decorate their “tree” wins.
Why it’s Fun:
This game brings out lots of energy and team spirit. It’s fast-paced and competitive, making it perfect for a party atmosphere.
Conclusion:
The 12 Days of Christmas games are a great way to keep the festive spirit alive during the holiday season.
Whether you’re with family, friends, coworkers, or students, these games provide endless entertainment, laughter, and holiday cheer.
Mix and match these ideas to create a countdown full of fun that will make this Christmas one to remember!
Happy holidays, and let the games begin!
