What games work for a family Christmas or winter gathering?

How to choose games for your gathering

Before you pick any games, think about four things: how much space you have, how old the players are, whether everyone can read, and which holiday themes suit your group. A living room full of relatives, a classroom party and a quiet family night all need different choices.

Space comes first. Some games need a clear path or open floor, while others work with everyone sitting in a circle or around a table. Next, think about age and reading. Word slips and written guesses suit readers, and picture games or a reading buddy help younger children join in. Last, think about theme. Winter words and props suit most groups, and you can add or leave out Christmas references depending on who's coming.

If you're not sure whether a game will hold the group's attention, try one short round first. If the children ask for another turn, play again. If they don't, move on. You can shorten or repeat any round to suit the group.

Which games fit your room?

Plan the games around the space you'll actually have. A classroom may call for quieter games that are mostly seated. A living room can fit a short relay if you clear a path and move bags and furniture out of the way. On a family night, an adult can play along instead of refereeing every round.

The table below lists starting suggestions for each setting. Swap games around if your room or group calls for something different.

Christmas and winter games to play, with rules

Here are rules for several simple games. The ages listed are a starting point. Change the rules to suit the children in your group. Keep the supplies for each game together so you can switch games quickly.

• Paper Snowball Fight (ages 4 and up, any room; you'll need scrap paper and tape): Crumple paper into snowballs and use tape to mark two boundary lines. Split the players into two teams of the same size, one behind each line, and give each team the same number of snowballs. Throw the snowballs toward the other team's side for one minute, keeping throws below face height. When time is up, everyone stops. Count the snowballs behind each team's line and leave out any between the lines. The team with fewer snowballs on its own side wins, and equal counts are a tie. Play one round, or agree on a set number of rounds before you start and give each team the same number of snowballs again before every round.
• Gift-Wrap Relay (ages 5 and up, needs floor space; each team needs a box, leftover wrapping paper and tape): One player wraps the box and the next player unwraps it. Pass the box down the line, switching between wrapping and unwrapping, until everyone has had one turn. The game is cooperative, so all teams finish and nobody races to win. Younger children can do the easier steps while an older teammate tears tape or holds the box steady.
• Holiday Charades (ages 5 and up, seated or standing; you'll need prompt slips and a timer): Write winter words, movie titles or familiar activities on slips of paper. A player picks a slip and acts it out while the group has up to one minute to guess. Go around the group once without keeping score. Anyone can pass on a turn.
• Snowball Toss (ages 4 and up, any room; you'll need paper snowballs and a bucket): Mark three distances from the bucket. Each player gets three throws from the closest line and scores one point for every snowball that lands in the bucket. Players with equal scores share the win.
• Guess the Gift (ages 4 and up, seated; you'll need a few wrapped household objects): Choose three household objects that are safe to handle and easy to recognize by shape or weight, and wrap each one. Pass one object around so each child can hold it or gently shake it and make one guess. Then unwrap it and move on to the next object. Don't keep score.
• Freeze Dance, Winter Edition (ages 3 and up, needs room to move; you'll need music): Play music while the children dance, then pause it and have everyone freeze like a snowman. Play five rounds and don't knock anyone out. A child who'd rather sit out can be in charge of pausing the music.
• Winter Bingo (ages 5 and up, at a table; you'll need bingo cards and paper markers): Agree before you start that one complete row wins. Call out the pictures or words one at a time, giving everyone time to mark each call. Stop after the first call that completes a row and check all the cards. Anyone who completed a row on that call shares the win. If every picture or word has been called and nobody has a row, finish without a winner.
• Memory Tray (ages 5 and up, seated; you'll need a tray and household objects): Put ten winter objects on a tray and give everyone about 30 seconds to look. Cover the tray, take away one object, then uncover the tray. Let each child make one guess about what's missing, then reveal the answer. Put the object back and play two more rounds the same way, for three rounds in all. Don't keep score. For an easier game, use fewer objects.

How to include different ages and children who can't read yet

You can mix ages in the same game. Pair a younger child with an older one for a relay or charades turn, use simpler prompts, or give children different jobs within the game. Nobody has to perform if they'd rather pass.

Reading ability is a separate question from age. Games built on word slips or written answers need extra support for children who can't read yet. Picture games need much less.

There are two ways to handle this. You can keep a written game and pair each child with a reading buddy, or choose a game that needs no reading at all. These party games with no reading required let everyone use the same picture or demonstration version and get equal turns.

Christmas themes or general winter themes?

Families, classrooms and community groups don't all mark the season the same way. Most of these games work with either a Christmas theme or a general winter theme. Only the prompts, pictures and props need to change.

If you choose a general winter theme, you may also want to plan the rest of the gathering without holiday references. This guide to planning a seasonal party without a holiday theme covers practical details, such as confirming the finish time and pickup arrangements.

Do you need prizes?

Prizes are optional. A funny title or team bragging rights can make a round feel special without spending money. Several of the games above aren't scored at all, which suits younger or mixed-age groups.

Example: a 90-minute game schedule

This is an example plan, not a pace you have to keep. It assumes a room with enough clear floor space for a relay. If your room is small, swap the first two blocks for seated games. The times add up to 90 minutes: 15 + 20 + 20 + 35. The last block breaks down as 10 + 10 + 10 + 5 = 35.

For a one-hour gathering, shorten the plan and keep one quieter game ready in case the group needs a break. There's no set number of games for a given amount of time. Leave room for explaining rules, taking turns and switching between games.

• 0 to 15 minutes, Paper Snowball Fight: Show everyone the two lines and play a one-minute round. If you offer another round, give each team the same number of snowballs again first.
• 15 to 35 minutes, Gift-Wrap Relay: Show how to wrap and unwrap the box, then take turns.
• 35 to 55 minutes, Holiday Charades: Keep the prompts familiar and let players pass.
• 55 to 90 minutes, quieter finish: about 10 minutes of Snowball Toss, 10 minutes of Guess the Gift, 10 minutes of Winter Bingo or Memory Tray, and 5 minutes to pack up supplies and move on to the next activity.

Checklist before guests arrive

• Choose games that suit the room, the space you'll have and how much noise is OK.
• Check the prompts and pictures so the theme suits your group.
• Set up a reading buddy or a picture game for anyone who can't read yet.
• Lay out the supplies for the first game.
• Keep a quieter seated game ready, such as Guess the Gift, bingo or Memory Tray.
• Decide whether to give prizes, and check any classroom rules first.
• Leave a few minutes at the end to pack up the supplies.

Sources and further reading

• Holiday Party Games for Kids' Winter Break
• Christmas party games for families

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