Fun Christmas Party Games

There are many games that are fun for a group of friends or office co-workers to play but sometimes it's hard to think of new ones. Try one or two of these instead of the same old same old that you've done every year.

Many traditional games can be played with holiday theme. For example, play charades but you must act out something Christmas related like baking cookies or decorating a Christmas tree. A fun 'name that tune' game involves one person humming a Christmas carol and the other guests racing to see who can start reciting the lyrics first. A fun variation of a very traditional birthday party game is 'pin sleigh on the reindeer' or 'pin the sack on top the sleigh'. You can either buy a Christmas poster and make the pin-ups out of construction paper or draw your own picture on large posterboard. You could also do Pin the Nose on Frosty. A traditional game of Simon Says can be replaced by "Santa Says".

Who Am I? Before the party, write down the name of a Christmas character on an index card... such as Santa, elf, Rudolph, Donner, Frosty, Scrooge, Grinch, etc. As each guest arrives, tape a random card to his or her back. The guests then try to guess who they are by asking each other 'yes' or 'no' questions like "Do I fly?" or "Am I made of snow?".

Children love a good candy cane hunt. It can be inside or outside. You can hide them before the guests arrive and kick off the party with it, or gather all the guests in one room or area playing another game while one of the hosts hides the candy canes. Another good candy cane game is fishing. Cut fish shapes out of craft foam. Cut a hole near the head of each one big enough for a candy cane to go through. Fill a tub with water and put the fish in - they will float. Use wrapped candy canes to go 'fishing'. You could mark the underside of a few fish with a letter or number and if someone gets that fish they get a prize.

A fun Christmas Memory Game tests the memory skills of the guests. Put 15-20 Christmas related items on a tray and keep it covered. Have everyone sit or stand where they can see, remove the cover for 30 seconds then re-cover it. Have everyone write down on paper what they saw on the tray. The person who remembers the most wins.

There are countless great games to play at your next Christmas party. Hopefully this list will jumpstart your imagination and your party will be unforgettable.