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For some families, Christmas feels like a marathon of a day. Opening presents takes up an hour or two if you really savor the moment (check out our favorite gift ideas!), prepping, cooking and then enjoying the big feast and then cleaning up afterward is good for a few more, But once you've finished the figgy pudding, you'll still need to occupy the family and any guests you may have staying with you for the holiday season. A person can only watch so many Christmas movies in a row and no one really wants to hear the same story Uncle Joe always tells for the hundredth time. If you have overnight guests with young kids or a big group that needs something to do while dinner's being prepped, you'll need some activities at the ready to answer the inevitable cries of, "I'm bored!"
Let these fun Christmas games come to the rescue. Engaging your family and friends in a little casual competition will get everyone's adrenaline pumping, keep the post-holiday doldrums away and may even help make some new memories to treasure for years to come. And while some of these require no materials at all so you can put them together in a flash, many of these Christmas activities involve an element of crafting or DIY too, so you can have a good time making them before you play. Playing games together can also be a fun bonding activity that keeps you talking and basking in each other's company more than sitting in front of the TV, so gather the crew and get playing.
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Hold sled races
Bundle up and work off the post-dinner slump with sled races. Have participants line up at the top of a hill (a safe distance apart, to prevent mid-hill crashes) and let 'er rip. First to the bottom wins!
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Christmas Heads Up
Write the name of a Christmas character on each sticky note, then have each player paste one to their forehead without looking at what it says. Then, everyone has to help each other to guess whose name is on their heads without saying the name. It's a guaranteed laugh-fest.
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Christmas family trivia
Get to know the faces around the table even better with a rousing game of family trivia. Have everyone write down a little-known fact about themselves when they arrive, then read them out after dessert or whenever you've got some down time and ask everyone to guess which fun fact belongs to who. It's a game and bonding experience in one!
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Christmas Mad Libs
Get all of your [nouns] together to [verb] a super [adjective] game of Mad Libs. The silliest, most creative or just downright bizarre card wins the day. It's also a great way to work on the kids' vocabulary, to sneak some learning into the festivities.
BUY CHRISTMAS MAD LIBS
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Christmas wrapping race
Instead of stressing about how beautifully your gifts are wrapped, gather some helper Elves and see who can wrap their gift as quickly as possible. Sure, you may not exactly save paper this way, but it does take the pressure off the perfectionists among us.
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Ring the reindeer antlers
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Christmas scavenger hunt
Instead of sitting around the TV digesting after dinner or while waiting for the roast to come up to temp, embark on a holiday-themed scavenger hunt. Personalize it by coming up with items that are sentimental for your family. Get help from this deck of more than 200 cards that has an indoor deck and an outdoor deck, for both warmer and colder climates.
SHOP CHRISTMAS SCAVENGER HUNT GAME
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Christmas Guess Who
Give the iconic game of Guess Who a festive twist by making cards with pictures of family members. Polaroid photos would give it an easy, vintage twist. To get your competitor to guess the correct person, use holiday prompts like, "Who makes her signature Christmas dessert?" or "Who's celebrated the most holidays in our family?" When you're finished playing, incorporate the pictures into your decor.
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Christmas dance freeze
Turn rockin' around the Christmas tree into a competition by holding a holiday dance-off. Turn on the music and get groovin', then shut it off without warning and shout, "freeze!" Whoever stops moving last is out. You'll get the giggles, guaranteed.
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Oven mitts game
Opening Christmas gifts while wearing oven mitts is just as hard (and hilarious) as you think. As an added perk, giving unwrapping an element of difficulty will make everyone slow down and savor the moment when opening presents on Christmas morning — not to mention result in some really fun photos.
Get the tutorial from Karen's Ideas Galore »
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Play Christmas movie bingo
Turn your Hallmark movie marathon into a more collaborative activity when you just can't resist attaching your backsides to the couch. This fun movie Bingo board will turn it into a fun family activity and ensure everyone's paying attention to the action.
RELATED: 18 Christmas Bingo Games for Wholesome Family Fun
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Snowman bowling
For a few weeks before the big day, save a stack of uniform-sized containers like tissue boxes or shipping packaging. Then, paint them white and attach a paper hat and nose, painted-on eyes and a mouth, pom pom buttons and some sticks for arms. Grab a ball and you're ready to bowl! Not only is it an adorable and easy activity, it also helps recycle some boxes.
Get the tutorial at Craftaholics Anonymous »
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Guess the Christmas smell game
If you've ever been to one of those kid-friendly haunted houses, you already know what a fun challenge it can be to test your nose. Put a few classic Christmas scents like peppermint, nutmeg and pine needles) into separate jars with tight lids. Blindfold your guests and ask them to guess the scent. No peeking!
Get the tutorial from Kid Friendly Things to Do »
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DIY Christmas Sorry! board game
This super crafty blogger made her own clay game pieces and cork board for this festive spin on the classic board game Sorry!. If you don't have the time or skills to do the same, use Christmas Hershey's Kisses on a regulation board to give it a little more holiday spirit. The winner gets to eat their team (and maybe the opposing ones, too).
Get the tutorial at Motte »
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Christmas Bingo
Bingo makes a great family game because pretty much everyone can play, from the little ones right on up to great-grandma (the real expert). Print out a handful of free Christmas bingo boards to put the whole crew in a holly jolly mood. Use red and green candy pieces for markers so you can reuse the games again and again.
Get the tutorial at Crazy Little Projects »
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Gingerbread house competition
Up the ante on your gingerbread house project to keep even reluctant builders engaged. Challenge each construction team to construct a replica of their own home, an iconic favorite from a Christmas movie or the zaniest structure they can dream up. Just don't eat too many of your materials before you're done! The end results will double as decor.
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What's in Santa's hat
This tactile version of the Christmas scents challenge doesn't require any special equipment; just a Santa hat and your imagination. Just place some small toys or figurines in the hat and ask participants to suss it out by feel. It will delight young kids, but older ones will get a kick out of it, too. Christmas stocking work too, if you're short on Santa hats.
Get the tutorial at Everyday Health »
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Candy cane hunt
If you already have candy canes lying around for decorating or eating, then you're halfway to playing this game. Instead of hiding Easter eggs, conceal a selection of candy canes around the house or the yard if you live in a warm climate. Just don't forget any, if you don't want a sticky surprise in a few weeks.
Get the tutorial at Dirt & Boogers »
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Cookie decorating contest
Turn one of your holiday baking chores into a game for the whole family by adding a little friendly competition. It's simple: Whoever decorates the best cookie wins. Add categories for messiest, most creative or most toppings for bigger groups. All competitors get to eat their creations at the end so really, everyone wins.
RELATED: 49 Creative and Easy Christmas Cookie Decorating Ideas To Try These Year
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Sort the ornaments game
This toddler-appropriate sorting game will help your little one work on their categorization skills while getting into the holiday spirit. Use some sturdy card stock or poster board to make a cardboard tree with circular colored cutouts, and then ask your kiddos to put the ornaments through the appropriate spaces.
Get the tutorial at I Can Teach My Child »
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Holiday Charades or Pictionary
Whether your Christmas gathering is stocked with amateur artists or theater buffs, you can add a holiday twist to everyone's favorite acting or drawing games. Just swap out your charades or Pictionary prompts for holiday movie titles, songs or objects to turn it into a topical activity.
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'Frozen' Tic-Tac-Toe game
Wine corks get the Frozen treatment in this winter-appropriate version of tic-tac-toe. Crafting the game pieces will also help use up the leftover corks from all of your holiday merry-making. Your little Elsa and Anna fans will love it.
Get the tutorial at MollyMoo »
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Plastic wrap gift game
This fun twist on gift-giving works best for groups of four or more. Wrap small toys, candy or even cash in a big ball of plastic wrap and pass it around. Everyone gets a chance to snag some silly prizes with a fun game that will get guests of all ages giggling.
Get the tutorial at Awesome Jelly »
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White Elephant
This gift-giving activity goes by several names, but it's great no matter what you call it. Everyone places their wrapped gifts in a pile, then draws numbers to decide who picks first. Number one grabs a present from the pile, then each subsequent player can either "steal" a gift from someone else, or take one that hasn't been chosen. You can either unwrap gifts as you go, or at the end to keep 'em guessing.
RELATED: 40 Super Creative White Elephant Gifts That Everyone Will Want to Steal
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Snowman drawing contest
Budding artists, this is your moment: The top-of-your-head snowman drawing contest makes a fun and silly holiday activity. It might just reveal some hidden talent! Drawing on top of your head is a lot harder than you may think, so we recommend washable markers.
Get the tutorial at Housing a Forest »
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Santa hats cup stacking game
Grab a handful of red solo cups and white pom-poms for this suspenseful stacking game. See how many "Santa hats" you can stack on top of one another before your tower topples over.
Get the tutorial at LalyMom »
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Holiday share-a-story
Collaborative storytelling is a creative way to get friends and family talking. Have one person start a holiday-themed story with a single sentence, then go around the room with each person adding another one. Your turn ends when your sentence does. Try to craft the most original, exciting Christmas caper you can.
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Snowman slam game
This quieter, softer tabletop version of snowman bowling will keep the kids occupied while the grown-ups get dinner ready. Decorate white Styrofoam cups with adorable felt snowmen faces, pile them into a pyramid, and toss a pom-pom "snowball" at them to see who can get a strike.
Get the tutorial at Growing a Jeweled Rose »
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Snow painting game
Even those who live in cold climates don't have to sequester inside all day. These super-vibrant "snow paints" only require food dye and water, so you probably have the goods on hand. Try a friendly family art competition or a chilly game of Pictionary outside. Then, set up a hot cocoa bar inside to thaw out.
Get the tutorial at The SITS Girls »
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Christmas cup tower game
Grab some green plastic cups and pom poms for a crafty game that comes together in seconds. Challenge players to stack the cups high enough to look like a Christmas tree without knocking over the whole thing. The most towering fir wins the day. Save the cups to use again later, for a "green" game.
Get the tutorial at Little Bins for Little Hands »
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Lizz Schumer Senior Editor Lizz Schumer covers pets, culture, lifestyle, books, entertainment and more as Good Housekeeping's senior editor; she also contributes to Woman's Day and Prevention.
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