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Company Christmas parties bring everyone together to celebrate the year and enjoy some holiday cheer. Whether you’re hosting a casual lunch or a formal evening event, a few good games give people an easy way to mix and laugh together.

These 25 company Christmas party games are built for adults at work. Most need little more than paper, a timer, and a small prize, and many work just as well for remote teams.

Related: 5 Meaningful Christmas Messages to Employees

Quick Picks: Which Christmas Party Games Fit Your Team?

Short on planning time? Start with the games that fit your group:

• Remote or hybrid teams: Christmas Trivia (#1), Holiday Bingo (#2), Name That Holiday Tune (#11), Holiday Two Truths and a Lie (#14), Holiday Emoji Quiz (#22), Christmas Jeopardy (#24)
• Large groups: Christmas Trivia in teams (#1), Holiday Bingo (#2), Ugly Sweater Contest (#7), Holiday Photo Booth Contest (#18)
• No prep or low budget: Christmas Charades (#8), Festive Pictionary (#9), Holiday Two Truths and a Lie (#14), Secret Santa Guessing Game (#16)
• Competitive teams: Candy Cane Relay Race (#10), Wrapping Paper Relay (#17), Festive Minute to Win It Games (#21), Snowman Building Challenge (#23)
• Quieter or mixed crowds: Ornament Decorating (#12), Christmas Cookie Decorating Contest (#20), Hot Cocoa Bar and Networking (#25)

For a two-hour party, plan on two or three games. Pair one active game with one low-key option so everyone has a comfortable way to join in.

1. Christmas Trivia

Summary: Test your team’s knowledge about all things Christmas with this competitive trivia game.
How to Play: Divide participants into teams and ask holiday-themed trivia questions. Each correct answer earns points, and the team with the most points wins.
What You’ll Need: A list of trivia questions, answer sheets or buzzers, and a prize for the winning team.

2. Holiday Bingo

Summary: Classic bingo with a holiday theme.
How to Play: Distribute bingo cards with festive symbols and call out the symbols randomly. Players mark their cards, and the first to get five in a row shouts “Bingo!”
What You’ll Need: Bingo cards, markers, and a prize for the winner.

Related: 10 Food Ideas for an Office Party

3. White Elephant Gift Exchange

Summary: A lighthearted gift exchange game full of surprises and steals.
How to Play: Participants bring wrapped gifts within a set budget. Players take turns choosing a new gift or stealing an already opened one. Each gift can only be stolen a set number of times. You can use this White Elephant gift rules generator to make it easy.
What You’ll Need: Gifts brought by participants, a number system for turns, and a space for unwrapping.

4. Gingerbread House Decorating Contest

Summary: A creative competition to design the best gingerbread house.
How to Play: Provide kits and let individuals or teams decorate gingerbread houses. Judges select winners based on creativity or theme.
What You’ll Need: Gingerbread house kits, frosting, and decorating supplies.

5. Christmas Karaoke

Summary: Showcase your team’s singing talent with holiday classics.
How to Play: Set up a karaoke machine and encourage employees to sing holiday classics. Award points for enthusiasm or costumes.
What You’ll Need: A karaoke machine and a playlist of holiday songs.

6. Office Scavenger Hunt

Summary: Teams race to find holiday items hidden around the office or venue.
How to Play: Hide holiday-themed items around the venue and provide clues to guide participants. The first team to find all items wins.
What You’ll Need: Scavenger hunt items, a list of clues, and prizes for the winners.

7. Ugly Sweater Contest

Summary: A contest to see who has the wackiest holiday wardrobe.
How to Play: Employees wear their ugliest Christmas sweaters, and a panel of judges votes on the funniest and most creative designs.
What You’ll Need: Participation by employees and prizes for the winners.

Related: 25 Workplace Conflict Examples & How to Manage Them Like a Boss

8. Christmas Charades

Summary: A classic guessing game with a holiday twist.
How to Play: Players act out holiday phrases or movies while their teammates guess. Use a timer for each turn.
What You’ll Need: A list of holiday-themed phrases or movie titles and a timer.

9. Festive Pictionary

Summary: A drawing game featuring holiday-themed prompts.
How to Play: Players draw holiday-themed prompts while their teammates guess. Use a whiteboard or paper for sketches.
What You’ll Need: Drawing supplies, a list of prompts, and a timer.

Related: Ridiculous Coloring Sheets for HR Pros

10. Candy Cane Relay Race

Summary: A fast-paced relay that tests balance and coordination.
How to Play: Teams pass a candy cane from one person to another using only their mouths. The fastest team wins.
What You’ll Need: Candy canes and a space for the relay.

11. Name That Holiday Tune

Summary: A music guessing game that challenges holiday song knowledge.
How to Play: Play short clips of holiday songs and have participants guess the title and artist. Award points for correct answers.
What You’ll Need: A speaker, a playlist of holiday songs, and a scoring system.

12. Ornament Decorating

Summary: A hands-on activity where employees design their own ornaments.
How to Play: Provide plain ornaments and craft supplies. Participants decorate their ornaments, and a winner is chosen based on creativity.
What You’ll Need: Ornaments, paints, markers, and other craft supplies.

Related: Holiday Staffing: When It Makes Sense & When It Doesn’t

13. Snowball Toss

Summary: A simple tossing game anyone can play.
How to Play: Players toss “snowballs” into targets from various distances. Award points based on difficulty.
What You’ll Need: White bean bags and a bucket or a snowball fight kit.

14. Holiday Two Truths and a Lie

Summary: A holiday-themed icebreaker that sparks conversation.
How to Play: Players share two true holiday-related statements and one false one. Others guess which is the lie.
What You’ll Need: Nothing but participants’ creativity.

15. Christmas Movie Trivia

Summary: A quiz focused on everyone’s favorite holiday films.
How to Play: Ask questions about classic holiday movies. The team or individual with the most correct answers wins.
What You’ll Need: A list of movie trivia questions and a prize for the winner.

16. Secret Santa Guessing Game

Summary: A playful addition to the classic Secret Santa tradition.
How to Play: After the gift exchange, participants guess who their Secret Santa was. Offer small prizes for correct guesses.
What You’ll Need: Secret Santa gifts and a list of participants.

17. Wrapping Paper Relay

Summary: A race that combines speed and wrapping skills.
How to Play: Teams race to wrap oddly shaped items as quickly and neatly as possible. Judges pick the winners.
What You’ll Need: Wrapping paper, tape, scissors, and objects to wrap.

18. Holiday Photo Booth Contest

Summary: Capture memories with a festive photo competition.
How to Play: Participants use props to take creative photos. Judges select the funniest or most festive pictures.
What You’ll Need: A photo booth setup, holiday props, and a prize.

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19. Reindeer Ring Toss

Summary: A ring toss game featuring reindeer antlers as targets.
How to Play: Players toss rings onto inflatable reindeer antlers worn by a volunteer. Award points for each successful toss.
What You’ll Need: Inflatable antlers and rings.

20. Christmas Cookie Decorating Contest

Summary: A sweet competition to design the best holiday cookie.
How to Play: Participants decorate cookies, and a panel of judges selects winners based on creativity and design.
What You’ll Need: Plain cookies, icing, and decorating supplies.

21. Festive Minute to Win It Games

Summary: Three fast-paced holiday mini-challenges that get everyone laughing.
How to Play: Pick a few 60-second challenges and rotate players through them. Try the Jingle Bell Shake (shake bells out of a tissue box tied around your waist), the Peppermint Blow Race (use a straw to blow peppermint candies across a table into a taped square), or the Ornament Slide (slide lightweight ornaments across a table and try to land them inside a wreath). Each round takes a minute, so you can fit several into a short party.

What You’ll Need: Jingle bells, empty tissue boxes, tape or a belt, plastic ornaments, a wreath, peppermint candies, straws, and a timer.

22. Holiday Emoji Quiz

Summary: A visual guessing game featuring holiday-themed emoji sequences.
How to Play: Show sequences of emojis that represent Christmas carols or movies. Participants guess the titles.
What You’ll Need: Emoji sequences displayed on a screen or paper and a scoring system.

23. Snowman Building Challenge

Summary: A team game where participants create their own “snowman.”
How to Play: Teams wrap a member in toilet paper and accessories to create a “snowman.” Judges select the best snowman.
What You’ll Need: Toilet paper, hats, scarves, and other accessories.

Related: 25 Highest-Paying Trade Jobs (Official U.S. Labor Data)

24. Christmas Jeopardy

Summary: A trivia competition with a Jeopardy-style format.
How to Play: Create a Jeopardy board with holiday categories. Teams take turns selecting questions and earning points.
What You’ll Need: A Jeopardy-style board, questions, and a scoring system.

25. Hot Cocoa Bar and Networking

Summary: A relaxed activity for mingling over customized hot cocoa drinks.
How to Play: Set up a DIY hot cocoa bar and encourage mingling. Provide a variety of toppings and flavors.
What You’ll Need: Hot cocoa, mugs, and toppings like marshmallows, candy canes, and whipped cream.

Putting Your Game Lineup Together

A good mix of company Christmas party games includes something active, something social, and something quiet. Keep each game short, have small prizes ready, and make joining in optional so every employee, regardless of personality or role, feels comfortable taking part.

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