With Christmas just around the corner, you’re probably beginning to plan your family get-to-together. Christmas is a lovely time of year, but it can certainly get quite stressful. Most people feel some degree of stress surrounding their families at Christmas time, which rest assured is a very normal thing to feel and not something you should feel guilty about. Having some Fun Family Games to Play at Christmas can mean things are a little more structured, and a time to relax. Here are some ideas that suit even if you have little ones, and suitable for the whole family.
Our Favourite Family Games to Play at Christmas
Candy Canes
For this one, you’ll need a deck of cards and at least three players sat around a pile of candy canes which contain one less than the number of players in the circle. Everyone takes turns drawing cards with the goal to be the first to draw four of a kind, e.g. four Queens or four Kings. Once a player manages this, they take a candy cane from the pile as quickly as possible, and the other players must then race to grab one of the remaining candy canes. The player who doesn’t get one is eliminated, and the game continues in the same way until only one winning player remains.
Christmas Bingo
Why not make your own Christmas Bingo game or download the bingo cards online and print them out in paper copy. Keep is simple and traditional; or the cards could feature mini festive challenges, such as “sneak a quote from a Christmas film into a normal conversation” and “Put Elf On The Shelf into the most hilarious situation you can think of”. Players check these challenges off as and when they complete them, and the first to do so wins!
Family Games of Charades
Charades is a classic game for Christmas day, and one that is perfect for all age groups. Get your family and friends into two teams, and take turns acting out words or phrases written on a slip of paper.
Typically, there are six common categories in charades: book titles, films, TV programmes, song titles, plays, and well-known quotes / phrases. The purpose of the game is to get your team to guess what’s on their selected slip of paper using only gestures. When your team gets the answer correct, or the timer runs out, your round is up and it’s the other team’s go. The team that manages to guess the answers most efficiently throughout the game wins.
Board Games
An easy way to keep the little ones happy and to mix up your Christmas Day malaise is with some classic board game fun. Monopoly, Scrabble, Ludo, and Trivial Pursuit are all great fun, and most people probably have at least ones of these board games already tucked away in their cupboards somewhere.
Alternatively, for a bit extra or as they get older why not discover some new ones. We love Lost Ruins of Arnak; Great Western Trail; Terraforming Mars and Ticket to Ride Europe.
Stocking Guessing Game
For this game, simply fill up a stocking with different objects, such as toy cars, candy canes, pinecones or a bouncy ball. Let the players feel inside the stocking and try to identify its contents. The player with the most correct guesses is the winner! You can make the game easier or trickier depending on age range, by popping more obscure objects into the stocking if your players are older, and simpler objects if they’re younger.
Father Christmas Limbo
This game is pretty silly, and definitely one that the kids will enjoy. Have the players put a pillow underneath their shirts as a “Father Christmas belly”. Next, place a limbo stick at a starting height and have the players one by one try to limbo underneath. Once each player has had a go, lower the stick again, and after every time to see who have make it underneath the lowest. Anyone who fails to make it underneath the stick with their Father Christmas belly still in place at any point in the game is eliminated.
Christmas Memory Game
To play this game you need to first pick eight Christmas themed images, such as Father Christmas, a Snowman, a Reindeer, etc. Draw or print out two of each of these images, so you end up with a total of sixteen cards. Place the cards face down on a table or the floor in a 4 x 4 layout. Then, take it in turns to pick out a card and then try to find its partner in one go. The first player to match up the most pairs wins. You could also do this with objects – cover them up and then see how many you can remember.
Having a handful of preplanned games for the kids to play at Christmas should make the day run much more smoothly while allowing you to enjoy the grown-up parts of Christmas in much-needed peace and quiet! (…or joining in and getting very competitive yourself!)
What do you like doing as a family at Christmas?
What a fantastic way of integrating the kids and helping them get an education. I hope my will like these games too.
If you have revolving doors in your home you can play chase the family
Can’t beat a family game of charades.
Love getting the kids away from the screen a bit!!
I love board games! I think it’s great family bonding time, and can even help kids with certain skills.
We love new games and have a games night monthly with all the familuy
Some fantastic ideas for kids here. Great games to keep them interested !
looks like great festive fun together
Pictonary another fun game and you can if you can make your own
There are some lovely ideas here, we love a board games night over Christmas
very nice
We love to play a good game of Monopoly or the Game Of Life x
The board games come out every Christmas, and we always add one or two to them too!
Some awesome ideas here we love to do some baking to pass time
What great ideas
Lots of great ideas – we love family games night here
Lots of fun festive games to be had with all the family some great ideas
love these, looks like some great fun!
Board games are ideal at getting the family all together which is so important when technolgy rules our kids so much.Good old fashioned games will always create bonding time and precious family memories.
We love a good board game at Christmas.
Brilliant ideas here, I especially love “Candy Canes”
As long as it is not Monopoly I love a good family game
Charades and board games are absolute Christmas classics! I like the sound of Christmas bingo too!
Love all these ideas! I’ll 100% be making some Christmas bingo for my nephew! Thanks so much for putting this together ♥️
Some lovely information there. Thank you for sharing!
I like the stocking guessing game, I think my children would love this idea x
lots of fab games love the Christmas bingo one
The kids would be so pleased…they love playing board games Christmas day, thank you!
Some really lovely ideas for amusing little ones there – who I think are always the hardest. It’s so much easier when kids get a bit older and can loose themselves in a book, computer game, new mobile or whatever…
Love playing board games, Setting it out on the kitchen table, drinks nibbles, so much fun!
We love love playing a game and going for a walk.
I love the sound of Christmas bingo, my son would enjoy this
Its a Christmas family tradition that we all play games after the massive Christmas feast! Thank you for all the new ideas!
Lovely ideas for making xmas memories
Love the sound of Xmas bingo.
As a family we like to watch all the Christmas tv programs on Christmas Day
Fabulous ideas to spend time as a family! xx
Christmas Bingo looks amazing especially!
Great ideas.
These are such great ideas! I especially love the Santa limbo and Christmas bingo. Definitely going to be playing these on Christmas day!
We like to play games; usually something new the kids got for Xmas. Then, later, when the kids have gone to bed the adults play drinking games.
Just brilliant and educational too!
I love Christmas games! it’s a great way to connect with the family away from technology!
Christmas bingo sounds like a must this year, thanks for sharing.
Ahh the good old board games which always end in tears or tantrums in this house…….haha sore losers lol
Going to the football and to the pub for Christmas dinner
some lovely ideas, great blog post
Some great ideas for Christmas games , I used to love monopoly
My favourite thing at Christmas – playing Christmas games. Brilliant post
Some lovely inventive game ideas! These are the sorts of thing I remember from my childhood at Christmas too.
Me and my 4 year old grandson change things up each time we play a game – we play our own made up versions and take turns in making up new rules. Its much more fun and it is a good way of getting him to use his imagination – not that he needs any encouragement
some excellent ideas here –looking forward to trying some out at christmas
Good choice of games! We’ll probably play Cluedo, which we got hooked on back in summer. Merry Christmas!
Lots of fun games, love the stocking guessing game, we use a big fluffy sock!
Some great games there!