15 Christmas Eve Family Games

Christmas Eve has its own kind of excitement. The presents are under the tree, the kids are counting down to bedtime, and everyone is looking for something fun to do together.

These Christmas Eve family games are easy to fit between dinner, holiday movies, and your usual traditions. Some will get everyone laughing and moving; others are quiet enough to play when it’s almost time to settle down. Pick two or three that suit your family—you don’t need to turn the whole evening into a competition.

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1. Christmas Eve Scavenger Hunt

Make a short list of things to find around the house, such as a candy cane, a stocking, something with a snowflake, and a wrapped present with a bow.

You can give everyone the same list and race to finish, or pair younger kids with an adult. If you’d rather keep the evening calm, skip the timer and work together to find everything.

Keep it simple: Don’t hide anything that’s already part of your Christmas decor. The fun is in noticing what’s around the house.

2. Christmas Charades

Write Christmas words and activities on slips of paper, then take turns acting them out without speaking.

Try building a snowman, wrapping a present, a reindeer learning to fly, or Santa getting stuck in a chimney. Mix easy clues with sillier ones so both kids and adults get a chance to shine.

You can play in teams or let the whole family guess together.

3. Guess the Christmas Song

Play the first few seconds of a Christmas song and see who can name it first. If everyone knows the classics too well, hum the tune instead—or have someone read a line of lyrics in a completely serious voice.

Younger kids can earn a point for singing along, even if they don’t know the song title. This one is especially easy to play while setting out snacks or tidying up after dinner.

4. Christmas Movie Quote Quiz

Read a line from a favorite Christmas movie and challenge everyone to name the film. Choose movies your family has actually watched so the game feels fun rather than impossible.

For an easier version, give three possible answers. You can also ask bonus questions, like naming the character who said the line.

5. What’s in the Stocking?

Fill a large stocking with a few familiar objects: a candy cane, an ornament, a small toy, a pinecone, or a pair of mittens.

Each person reaches inside without looking and tries to identify an object by touch alone. Keep track of correct guesses, or simply enjoy the surprising answers. Use sturdy items and leave out anything sharp or breakable.

6. Christmas Would You Rather?

Take turns asking festive questions that make everyone choose between two options.

Would you rather decorate a giant gingerbread house or ride in Santa’s sleigh? Would you rather have snow every Christmas Eve or find an extra present under the tree every year?

The best part is hearing why everyone chose their answer. It’s a great game for the dinner table because you need no supplies at all.

7. Wrap the Present Relay

Give each team a small box, wrapping paper, tape, and ribbon. Set a timer and see who can wrap the neatest present before it runs out.

For extra laughs, have each pair wrap their box while one person uses only their left hand and the other uses only their right. If younger kids want to join in, let them decorate the finished packages with stickers.

Save the wrapped boxes to use as Christmas decor next year.

8. Christmas Pictionary

Put Christmas themed prompts in a bowl and take turns drawing them while everyone else guesses. Good prompts include gingerbread house, snow angel, Christmas lights, and reindeer.

A small whiteboard works well because you can erase it between turns, but plain paper is just fine. Don’t worry about artistic talent—the terrible drawings are usually the most memorable part.

9. Candy Cane Hook Challenge

Place several candy canes on a table and give each player one candy cane to use as a hook. See how many they can pick up and move into a bowl in one minute.

Leave the wrappers on if you plan to eat the candy canes afterward. For little kids, skip the timer and let them try to move just one or two.

10. Christmas Memory Tray

Arrange 10 to 15 small holiday objects on a tray. Give everyone 30 seconds to look at them, then cover the tray and ask players to write down or say as many objects as they remember.

Use things like a gift tag, bell, ornament, ribbon, candy cane, and tiny bow. To play another round, swap out a few objects and see who spots the changes.

11. Pass the Present

Wrap a small prize in several layers of paper. Have everyone sit in a circle and pass it around while Christmas music plays. When the music stops, the person holding the present removes one layer.

Keep playing until someone opens the final layer and wins the prize. For a version where everyone gets something, tuck a small paper activity or treat suggestion between a few layers.

12. Christmas Eve Bingo

Make bingo cards with Christmas Eve sights and activities instead of numbers. Squares could include someone wearing Christmas pajamas, a holiday song plays, hot chocolate, a pet near the tree, and someone says “Santa.”

Play throughout the evening rather than trying to finish in five minutes. It gives kids something to watch for while the family goes about its usual Christmas Eve traditions.

13. Ornament Hide and Seek

Choose one ornament that looks different from the rest and hide it somewhere in the room. Everyone searches until they find it, then the winner gets to choose the next hiding spot.

Make a rule that the ornament must stay visible without moving furniture or opening cupboards. A soft or unbreakable ornament is your best choice if excited little kids are playing.

14. Christmas Family Feud

Ask Christmas themed questions and have teams guess the most popular answers. Try questions such as “Name something people leave out for Santa” or “Name something you might find in a stocking.”

You can make up your own answer list before the game or ask a few relatives for responses earlier in the week. This works particularly well if grandparents, cousins, or visiting friends are spending Christmas Eve with you.

15. Christmas Story Round Robin

Start a story with one sentence, such as, “On Christmas Eve, we heard a strange sound coming from the kitchen.” The next person adds a sentence, and the story continues around the room.

Encourage everyone to make it funny, magical, or completely ridiculous. Younger children can add just a few words if they prefer. It’s a lovely last game before bedtime because everyone can play while curled up on the couch.

Make Christmas Eve Game Night Your Own

You don’t need prizes, elaborate supplies, or a strict schedule to make Christmas Eve games special. Put a few ideas on slips of paper and let the kids choose, or save one quiet game for the moment everyone needs to wind down. If you’re turning the whole night into a bigger event, pair these with our Christmas Eve sleepover party ideas.

Years from now, they may not remember who won Christmas Pictionary. They’ll remember laughing together while they waited for Christmas morning.