Which game fits your group?
- Charades6+ · 4+ players · 10 min
- Trivia8+ · 2+ players · 10 min
- Bingo6+ · 2+ players · during the exchange
- Left right4+ · 3+ players · 5 min
- Pass the parcel4+ · 3+ players · 10 min
- Draw on your head6+ · 2+ players · 5 min
- White elephant8+ · 3+ players · 20 min
- Two truths and a lie8+ · 3+ players · 10 min
Ages and times are planning suggestions. Younger players can join with an adult.
Charades
Prompt slips, bowl, timer
- Make 2 teams. Put the 6 printable prompts on slips in a bowl.
- One player acts silently. Their team has one minute to guess for one point. Misses score nothing; the other team cannot steal.
- Alternate teams for 6 turns, 3 each. Highest score wins. A tie is a shared win.
Adapt it
Act seated. An adult can whisper prompts to a nonreader.
Trivia
Quiz, paper, pens
- Use 2 teams, or let each guest answer alone.
- Read each printable question twice. Allow 30 seconds to answer. Keep the key hidden until all 10 questions are done.
- Award one point per correct answer. Highest total wins; ties share the win.
Adapt it
On a call, write privately and show answers together. No fastest-chat contest.
Bingo
Different card each, pencils
- Give each player a different card code and a pencil.
- Mark events as they happen. Four in a row, column or diagonal wins; the host checks the events.
- Share wins on the same event. End bingo with the exchange, even without a completed line.
Adapt it
Over 24 guests: use pairs. An adult can help a nonreader.
Left right
One wrapped gift each, story
- Seat guests in a circle with one wrapped gift each.
- Read the printable story. At LEFT or RIGHT, pass one place that way. Wait until every gift has moved.
- At the end, open the gift you hold. No points; voluntary trades afterwards.
Adapt it
An adult can help with passing.
Pass the parcel
Layered parcel, music
- Wrap one prize with one paper layer per player. Sit in a circle.
- Pass while music plays. Stop the music; the holder removes one layer. Restart. The music operator faces away so stops do not target a guest.
- Repeat until the final layer comes off. That person keeps the prize.
Adapt it
Skip music and pass in order for gentler play. Keep passes within easy reach.
Draw on your head
Paper plate and washable marker each
- Hold a paper plate on your head. Draw with a washable marker without looking.
- Read these 4 prompts, pausing 10 seconds after each: a tree, a star, a snowman beside the tree, a present underneath.
- Put the plates down and reveal the pictures together. There is no judging or winner. Stop after this picture.
Adapt it
Use a table if holding the plate is awkward. Younger children can look.
White elephant
One wrapped gift each, numbers
- Agree on budget and theme beforehand. Each player brings one wrapped gift and draws a number.
- Player 1 opens first; the next player opens or steals. Freeze each gift after one steal.
- Only one steal per numbered turn: whoever loses a gift opens a new one. Stop after the last gift opens. No final swap.
Adapt it
For younger children, remove stealing. The host can carry gifts to seated players.
Two truths and a lie
No supplies
- Offer three short holiday statements about yourself: two true and one made up.
- Guests vote for the false one with one, two or three fingers. Reveal the answer.
- Allow one minute each. Stop after one turn each or 10 minutes, whichever comes first. No scores; anyone can pass without explaining.
Adapt it
For work, describe 3 things in your room. Works seated and on a call.
Print before guests arrive
Party game sheets
Charades prompts, a quiz with answer key, and two left right stories. 3 pages. Print to fit Letter or A4.
Open PDF to print: Party game sheetsPDF · Letter
Gift exchange bingo
24 different cards, four per page. 6 pages.
Open PDF to print: Gift exchange bingoPDF · LetterSmall games that make good prizes
*Paid link
SmartGames IQ Puzzler Pro brain teaser puzzle
A brain teaser puzzle where the player works out how everything fits for each challenge, reasoning through placements before picking another.
Why we like it
SmartGames IQ Puzzler Pro is a logic puzzle for any puzzle-minded player from age six to adult.
Since it runs to adult, a parent and child can trade turns on the same challenge. Once stockings are emptied, the puzzle can pass back and forth on the couch all afternoon.
CATAN On The Road deck for tabletop play
A CATAN deck game that players shuffle, deal and play in turns around a table, at home or while away on a trip.
Why we like it
CATAN On The Road is a card game for a household that never tires of CATAN.
Regular players get a fresh way to play CATAN, with only a deck to pack. On a holiday road trip, the cards can come out on a motel table between drives.
Hasbro Monopoly Deal tabletop card game
A Monopoly-themed card game that players deal out and play around a table, trying to outwit each other turn by turn.
Why we like it
Monopoly Deal brings the property rivalry of Monopoly to a card game, a handy stocking stuffer for game-night families.
Nobody has to set up a board, so a round can start right after Christmas dinner. Relatives keen on striking deals in the classic game get that same back-and-forth with cards in hand.
UNO Minecraft edition card game
A Minecraft-themed edition of the UNO card game, with a deck that gets dealt out and played in rounds around a table.
Ages 7+ (UNO)
Why we like it
Any Minecraft fan aged seven or older can find this UNO Minecraft deck waiting in their stocking.
Since it plays like regular UNO, they can bring Minecraft to a game the family already knows. On Christmas afternoon, the deck can come out for a round with visiting cousins.
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