14 Festive Games for Holiday Family Gatherings

Introduction

The holiday season is a time for families to come together and enjoy quality time. One way to create lasting memories is by playing festive games that can involve the whole family. Whether you are hosting a holiday party or looking for ways to entertain your family during the season, these 14 festive games are sure to bring joy, laughter, and friendly competition to your holiday family gatherings.

1. Holiday Scavenger Hunt

A holiday scavenger hunt is a fun and interactive game that can be enjoyed by all ages. Create a list of holiday-themed items or clues and hide them throughout your home or outdoor space. Divide the family into teams and see who can find all the items or solve the clues first. This game encourages problem-solving skills, teamwork, and friendly competition.

2. Christmas Charades

Charades is a classic game that can be given a festive twist during the holiday season. Write down holiday-related words or phrases on small pieces of paper and put them into a hat. Divide into teams and take turns acting out the words or phrases while the other team tries to guess. This game is guaranteed to bring lots of laughter and entertainment.

3. Ornament Guessing Game

This game is a great way to test everyone’s observation skills. Fill a clear jar with various holiday ornaments and have each family member guess how many ornaments are in the jar. The person with the closest guess wins a prize. It’s a simple yet engaging game that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults.

4. Gingerbread House Decorating Contest

Gingerbread houses are a holiday tradition, and having a decorating contest can add an extra element of fun. Divide the family into teams and provide each team with a pre-made gingerbread house kit. Set a time limit and let the creativity flow. Once the time is up, judges can determine the winner based on creativity, design, and overall presentation.

5. Holiday Trivia

Test your family’s knowledge of holiday facts with a holiday trivia game. Create a list of questions and divide into teams. The team with the most correct answers at the end wins. You can customize the questions to include specific holiday traditions, movies, or music to make it more personalized and entertaining.

6. Ugly Sweater Contest

Ugly sweater parties have become a popular holiday tradition. Have a contest to see who can come up with the most creative and outrageous ugly sweater. Let everyone vote for their favorite, and the winner receives a prize. This game is not only fun but also a great opportunity for everyone to showcase their fashion sense.

7. Pin the Nose on Rudolph

A holiday twist on the classic party game “Pin the Tail on the Donkey,” Pin the Nose on Rudolph is a fun and festive game for the whole family. Hang a large picture of Rudolph on the wall and blindfold each player. The player who can place the red nose closest to the correct spot wins.

8. Holiday Bingo

Bingo is a versatile game that can be adapted to any theme, including the holidays. Create holiday-themed bingo cards with squares filled with holiday-related words, images, or symbols. Call out the items, and players mark them off on their cards. The first player to get a line or a full card yells “Bingo” and wins a prize.

9. Snowman Building Competition

If you live in a snowy area, a snowman building competition is a perfect outdoor game for a holiday gathering. Divide into teams and see who can build the best snowman within a time frame. Add decorations and accessories to make it more festive. The competition allows everyone to embrace the winter season and get some fresh air.

10. Name That Holiday Tune

Put your family’s knowledge of holiday music to the test with this fun game. Play snippets of holiday songs, and the first person to correctly guess the song title gets a point. The player with the most points at the end wins. You can create different rounds featuring different genres or eras of holiday music to keep it exciting.

11. Snowball Toss

Transform your living room into a winter wonderland with an indoor snowball toss game. Use soft, lightweight snowball toys or crumpled-up pieces of paper as “snowballs.” Place various targets around the room and assign point values to each target. Take turns tossing the snowballs and keep track of points. The player with the highest score wins.

12. Holiday Pictionary

Put your artistic skills to the test with a holiday-themed game of Pictionary. Create a list of holiday-related words or phrases and divide into teams. Each player takes turns drawing a word or phrase while their team guesses within a time limit. This game is not only enjoyable but also encourages creativity and communication.

13. Guess the Gift

Add an element of surprise to your holiday gathering with a “Guess the Gift” game. Ask each family member to bring a wrapped gift (within a predetermined budget) without revealing its contents. Number the gifts and have each family member guess what is inside each gift. The person with the most correct guesses wins a prize.

14. Holiday Charades

Similar to Christmas Charades, Holiday Charades focuses specifically on holiday-related words and phrases. It’s a great game to get everyone in the holiday spirit and create laughter and bonding moments. Remember to keep the holiday-themed words or phrases appropriate for all ages.