Christmas party booster! A collection of game ideas that large groups can enjoy
When a big group gets together for a Christmas party, it can be hard to decide which games will get everyone excited.
Even though you’re all gathered, conversations can fizzle out and the energy can dip.
That’s why this article introduces a wide range of games and activities that will instantly liven up a large Christmas party! From easy-to-prepare options to ones that involve a bit of creativity, you’ll find plenty of ideas that work in all kinds of situations.
Make the most of this special once-a-year day and have a great time together!
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Make Your Christmas Party a Hit! A Collection of Game Ideas for Large Groups (51–60)
Fruits Basket
Fruit Basket is a game we often played as a recreation activity in elementary school.
Arrange chairs in a circle with one fewer chair than the number of players.
Choose one person to be “It” (the Oni) by playing rock-paper-scissors, and have them stand in the center of the circle.
Divide the players into groups by fruit names.
When “It” calls a fruit, everyone in that fruit group must stand up and move to a different chair.
The person left without a chair becomes the next “It.” If “It” says “Fruit Basket,” everyone must switch seats.
You can also group by Christmas-themed words instead of fruits.
Present drop
There’s a game where everyone sits in a circle—commonly known as “Drop the Handkerchief.” I’m sure many of you have played it at least once at a school camp or on a camping trip.
Let’s spice up your Christmas party with a Christmas-themed remake called “Drop the Present.” The person who’s “it” can put on a Santa hat for a mini cosplay to set the mood.
Just like in the original game, the Santa who drops the handkerchief runs away so they don’t get caught by the child.
It’s sure to be just as much fun as Drop the Handkerchief!
Rock-paper-scissors game
How about trying a simple “Rock-Paper-Scissors Game” precisely when there are a lot of people? One person comes to the front and plays rock-paper-scissors against everyone else at once.
Only the winners stay standing, and those who lose sit down.
As the number of players gradually decreases, the remaining winners get more and more excited.
It gets even more fun if there’s a prize for the final winner.
Jenga
Jenga is a game where you pull out stacked blocks and try not to make the tower collapse.
It’s simple, but it really gets your heart racing.
The block you remove is placed on top, the next person removes another block, and so on; the person who causes the tower to fall loses.
Recently, there have been many variations, such as “Love Jenga” and versions with penalty-game elements where commands are written on the blocks.
Make Your Christmas Party a Hit! A Collection of Game Ideas for Large Groups (61–70)
Musical chairs
This is the classic recreational game, musical chairs.
Prepare one fewer chair than the number of participants.
While the music is playing, everyone walks around the chairs in circles.
When the music stops, it’s game time—dash to grab a seat.
Anyone left standing is out, then remove one more chair and continue.
If you’re playing at home, you can use cushions or floor pillows instead of chairs.
Christmas games using paper cups
You can find lots of cute Christmas-themed paper cups for sale, right? How about using them to play various games? For example, you could compete to see who can build a paper cup tower the fastest, or play a shell game by hiding an item and guessing where it is, like juggling.
If you put a star on top of the paper cup tower or use ornaments as the hidden items, it will create an even more Christmassy atmosphere.
There are plenty of other games you can try, too, so if you’re interested, give it a search.
Shiritori
‘Shiritori’ is a word game everyone has played at least once.
It’s a classic way to kill time.
You start with a word, and then each person in turn says a word that begins with the last syllable of the previous word.
If you use a word that ends with “n,” you lose.
It’s a simple game, so older kids might find it a bit boring.
If you’re playing at a party, you can make it more fun for everyone by setting a theme—like limiting it to animal names—or by adding a time limit!