Party Whammy

24 Christmas category prompts

Each deck has eight prompts. Use all three decks for a full round, or agree on one deck for a shorter game. Print the prompts with an answer sheet for each player or team.

Family gameSuggested starting point: ages 8 and up write their own answers; ages 6 to 7 play with someone who writes for them. Adjust for reading ability.Timed writing, followed by reading answers together

How to play

  1. Give each player or team the chosen prompts, a blank answer sheet and a pencil.
  2. Draw one letter from the mug and announce it twice. Ignore A, An and The at the start of an answer.
  3. Write one answer per prompt in 3 minutes, or use a 2-minute junior round with fewer prompts. Leave a row blank if you cannot think of an answer.
  4. Stop writing at the timer. Read answers for each prompt and cross out duplicates and invalid answers.
  5. Resolve disputes with the host rules, then give one point for each valid answer no other player or team wrote for that prompt.
  6. Keep the used letter aside and repeat for three rounds. Add the scores; the highest total wins, and tied players share the win.
Random category prompt

Draw one when the room is ready

Something on the Christmas dinner table — food and sauce count; cutlery does not

Deck 1: food and table prompts

Think about Christmas food, drinks and treats.

  1. Something on the Christmas dinner table — food and sauce count; cutlery does not
  2. A food left out for Santa — reindeer treats count too
  3. Something sweet hiding in a stocking — candy and chocolate both count
  4. A drink that warms a winter night — name the drink, not the mug
  5. Something a gingerbread house is built from — icing counts
  6. A vegetable that shows up at Christmas dinner — frozen vegetables count
  7. Something you bake the week before Christmas — name something baked, not a shop
  8. A treat shaped like a tree, star, or cane — include the shape in your answer

Deck 2: decorations and around-the-house prompts

Think about the tree, presents and things around the house.

  1. A gift that fits inside a stocking — name a specific gift rather than 'a toy'
  2. Something hanging on the tree — tinsel counts; the cat does not
  3. A color on the presents under your tree — you may look before writing
  4. Something you store decorations in — boxes, bins and egg cartons count
  5. A smell that means Christmas is close — one word is enough
  6. The first thing you pull from the decoration box — think of your own decorations
  7. A chore finished before guests arrive
  8. Something found on a winter porch — boots, mats and shovels count

Deck 3: characters, songs and stories prompts

Think about Christmas characters, songs and traditions.

  1. A character who visits on Christmas Eve — name a character, not their sleigh
  2. Something a snowman would wear — write one item
  3. A carol your family sings badly
  4. A present a pet would unwrap — you may name the animal too
  5. Something the Grinch would steal — something from Whoville
  6. A job at the North Pole workshop — toymaking and accounting both count
  7. Something you wear to bed on Christmas Eve
  8. A hiding place for a present

Christmas category game sheets

Draw a letter, set a three-minute timer and write Christmas answers before it rings. The 24 prompts above come in three decks of eight, with a category picker and print button. Below are blank answer rows, 20 paper letter strips and house rules for scoring duplicates and settling disputes. You need paper, pencils, scissors, a mug and a timer.

What do you need? Print an answer sheet Read the scoring rules

What to print for the game

Print the prompts and one blank answer sheet per player or team, plus a host copy of the scoring rules. Keep the prompts where everyone can read them, or have the host read them aloud before starting. Use the same prompts for everyone whose scores you will compare.

A full round uses all 24 categories. For a shorter round, agree on one eight-prompt deck before drawing the letter. The category picker is useful for a one-question practice turn; it does not draw the letter for you. There is no fixed answer key: players supply their own answers, and the host applies the rules below.

Your printable answer sheet

Print a fresh copy for each round, or make three copies per player for a three-round game. The numbers follow the decks above: food is 1–8, decorations is 9–16, and characters is 17–24. If you use one deck, fill only its eight rows.

Player or team: ____________________ Round: ______ Letter: ______

PromptAnswerPoint (0 or 1)
1__________________________________
2__________________________________
3__________________________________
4__________________________________
5__________________________________
6__________________________________
7__________________________________
8__________________________________
9__________________________________
10__________________________________
11__________________________________
12__________________________________
13__________________________________
14__________________________________
15__________________________________
16__________________________________
17__________________________________
18__________________________________
19__________________________________
20__________________________________
21__________________________________
22__________________________________
23__________________________________
24__________________________________

Round score: ______ / 24 (or ______ / 8 for one deck; ______ / 12 for a half-sheet round)

Three-round totals: Round 1 ______ + Round 2 ______ + Round 3 ______ = ______

House rules agreed before play: ________________________________________

Get the sheets, letters and pencils ready

You can print two days ahead, cut the letters the day before and set out the sheets before dinner. Keep the host rules on the table when you play after dinner.

  • Print the chosen prompts and enough answer sheets for every player or team.
  • Print one host copy of the scoring and dispute rules below.
  • Cut out the 20 letters below, fold each piece and put them in a mug.
  • Set out one pencil per player or team, plus a spare.
  • Have a timer ready for three minutes, or agree on two minutes and fewer prompts for a junior game.
  • Pair children who need reading or writing help with a partner, and agree on any optional rules before starting.

Cut out these letters: Cut each table cell into a separate piece. The full set is B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, W and Y.

LetterLetterLetterLetter
BCDE
FGHI
JKLM
NOPR
STWY

How to play a round

  1. Agree on the prompts. Use all 24 or one eight-prompt deck. Give everyone the same writing time and read the house rules aloud.
  2. Draw and announce a letter. Take one folded piece from the mug and say the letter twice. Keep it visible while everyone writes.
  3. Start the timer. Allow three minutes for the full game. Every answer must fit its category and begin with the drawn letter. Ignore an opening A, An or The: “The Grinch” starts with G. Write one answer per row; leave it blank if you are stuck.
  4. Stop at the buzzer. Late answers do not score. Read answers aloud for one prompt at a time, crossing out duplicates and answers that do not fit the category or letter.
  5. Settle disputes, then add points. Give one point for each valid answer that no other player or team wrote for that prompt. Blank rows score zero. The maximum is 24 points for the full pack or eight for one deck.
  6. Play the next round. Keep used letters beside the mug so they cannot repeat during the three rounds. Add all three scores to find the winner; tied players share the win. For a new game, return all letters to the mug.

Practice example: With C, “carrots” can answer the Christmas dinner food prompt and “cookies” can answer the food left for Santa prompt. If two teams write “carrots” for the same prompt, neither earns that point. A valid “cookies” answer earns one point if nobody else wrote it for that prompt.

Example timing, not a fixed duration: Allow 3 minutes to write and 7 minutes to read answers and score: 10 minutes per round, or 30 minutes for three rounds. Setup is extra. A large table or a disputed answer may need longer. If you need to fit this into a gathering, the Christmas family-game guide includes other games and an example party schedule.

How to score answers and settle disputes

Keep this host sheet beside the scores. These are the house rules for this version, not a claim about every boxed category game.

SituationRuling
Two or more players give the same answer for one promptAll matching answers score zero.
Two names describe the same itemTreat them as duplicates: “sprouts” and “Brussels sprouts” match. Check the letter separately; “sprouts” begins with S and “Brussels sprouts” with B.
Singular and plural formsTreat them as duplicates, such as “cookie” and “cookies.”
Different brand namesThey may count as different answers if both fit the category and drawn letter. A brand name does not bypass either requirement.
Different people with the same first nameUse full names to distinguish them. The first counted word still has to begin with the letter.
One-word and multiword answersEither is allowed. Both earn one point; there is no default bonus for extra words.
A valid answer seems obvious or boringIt still counts unless everyone agreed on a different rule before the round.

If your group wants a two-word-answer bonus or wants to reject very obvious answers, write the exact rule in the blank field before playing. Agree on the bonus amount; do not introduce it while scoring.

Four steps for a disputed answer:

  1. Ask the players involved to read their answers and explain how they fit the category and letter.
  2. Have the table vote on whether each disputed answer is valid or whether the answers are duplicates.
  3. If the vote is split, the host makes the final ruling for that round.
  4. Cross out any answer ruled invalid or duplicated, then finish scoring. Correct a point entered too early; do not restart the round.

Host notes: Disputed prompt ______ Answers __________________________

Ruling to use consistently this game: __________________________________

This process settles answer disputes. It is separate from a tied final score, which this version treats as a shared win.

Help younger players join in

As a starting point, players aged eight and up can write their own answers, while children aged six to seven can play with a writing partner. Use reading ability and the help each guest wants as your guide. A partner can read the prompt, listen to a child’s idea and write it down while the child concentrates on answers.

Try just the eight food prompts with a two-minute timer for a junior round. You can also use half the full sheet, provided you agree on the same 12 prompts for everyone in that round. Keep junior scores separate from full-sheet scores, or put adults and children into teams that all use the same prompts and time limit.

Someone who would rather keep time or judge answers can take that role. The family games for children and grandparents guide offers other ways to share playing and hosting jobs.

For a rematch, put all 20 letters back in the mug and draw again. Keep the same decks or switch to a single deck; agree on the change before writing starts. A child who wants a different kind of seated activity could try the roll-and-build Christmas tree game.

More games for your Christmas table

Choose the next activity by what your guests want to do:

For more options, browse printable party games, quiet party games or the wider party games collection. If you are organizing more than the game table, seasonal party ideas covers choosing an activity and arranging the rest of the gathering.

Christmas category game questions

How do you play without a boxed set?

Use the 24 prompts, blank answer sheet and paper letter strips on this page. Draw a letter from a mug, write answers for three minutes, then cross out duplicates and score one point per valid unique answer.

What happens when two players write the same answer?

Every player with that answer crosses it out and scores zero for that prompt. Different wording for the same item, such as sprouts and Brussels sprouts, also counts as a duplicate under these house rules.

Which letters are in the set?

The set contains B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, W and Y. It leaves out A, Q, U, V, X and Z. Not every prompt has an obvious answer for every letter; blank answers are allowed.

How long does a round take?

Writing lasts three minutes, or two minutes for the junior version. Reading answers and scoring take additional time, depending on the number of players and prompts. An example with three minutes of writing and seven minutes of scoring takes ten minutes per round.

Can younger children play with adults?

Pair a child with someone who can read the prompts and write their answers. Try the eight food prompts with a two-minute timer. Compare scores only among players using the same prompts and time limit.