Christmas Party Game Ideas

Christmas is that magical time of year that brings out the creativity in all of us in an effort to find the perfect way to celebrate the holidays. Many people become depressed during this time of the year as they may not have anyone to share the holiday season with. A Christmas party featuring holiday games is the perfect way to get friends, co-workers, neighbors, family, or that special someone together to share in the festivities as a group, and by having a party with games and gifts, it will ensure that nobody is forgotten about or left out. The benefits of hosting a Christmas party that is packed full of games with prizes can also end some of the hassles of guessing what to give each of these people by simply choosing various inexpensive gifts that you know everyone will like. Your guests will also need bring a wrapped gift, marked with man, woman, or unisex to contribute to the party games as well.

Predetermine a set price for the party gifts, usually about $10.00, and have a table set up for all of the wrapped gifts, so that your guests can get an idea of which gift they are willing to do battle for. You will need to clear out a room or area large enough for your guests to play the games. Chairs, pencils, paper, a stereo, and other items should be accessible to your guests to play the games. You may also want to keep a few extra gifts on hand to ensure that nobody is left out of the gift giving festivities once the games have ended. Christmas party games with brightly wrapped holiday gifts given as prizes are the perfect ice breaker as everyone will get caught up in the spirit of the holiday, along with the excitement of winning a Christmas gift.

Let the Games Begin

1. The first game can start by sending out the invitations with a note included that there will be a prize for the person that decks out in the most Christmas gear. This can include anything from a Christmas costume to guests wearing garments that display cheerful holiday clothing, jewelry, hats, or anything that their imagination can dream up. The person that shows up to your party that is voted by all as wearing the "best dressed" Christmas outfit wins a wrapped gift of their choice from the gift table.

2. The Right & Left Game
Write a short Christmas story that includes the words left and right throughout the story. Have everyone stand in a circle, and hand one gift to anyone in the group. The host then starts reading the story out loud, and each time the word "right" or "left" is said, the gift is passed either to the right or left. When the story has ended the person holding, the gift wins.

3.Name that Christmas Song
Have a stereo and Christmas tapes or cd's available. Play a few lines of a song and the person that guesses the Christmas tune first, wins a gift, or for a harder version of the game, you can make them also guess the artist that is singing the song as well. It is ideal to try and find old songs that are rarely played so that guests have to put their thinking caps on.

4. Balderdash
Give each guest a piece of paper and a pencil. The host will choose ten difficult words from a dictionary. The guests will write down what they think the words mean, and the one that comes the closest to guessing the meaning of each word wins. This game is won by giving points to each person that guesses the meaning of each word correctly, and the person with the most points by the end of round ten wins.

5.What is it Game
Fill a large bowl with oddly shaped and strange items. Cover the bowl with an old towel taped firmly to the bowl, and cut a hole in the middle of the towel that is big enough for a hand to fit through. Have each guest sit in a chair, blind folded, then have them dig into the bowl and pull out an item. They must correctly guess what the item is too win a prize. This one is a blast as you get to watch each persons' facial expression as they are feeling strange objects.

6.Christmas Alphabet
Give each guest a piece of paper that has the letters vertically written from A to Z. Your guests must then come up with a word for each letter that relates to Christmas. The first one that completes the list with legible words wins a gift.

7. Lump of Coal
Fill several miniature Christmas stockings with Christmas candy or small gifts, enough for each guest, and fill one of the stockings with a lump of coal. Black rocks work well for the coal. Then put a number on each stocking. As guests arrive, have them pick a number from a bowl that has been filled with paper with numbers written on the paper. The guest that chooses the stocking with the lump of coal gets to exchange their gag gift for a real gift from the gift table.

8. Christmas Star
Before your guests arrive, tape a paper star underneath one of the chairs that will be used for your party. Save one gift for the end of the evening and have each of your guest's turn their chair over to reveal who has the hidden star.