Christmas Party Ideas! Fun Activities and Game Ideas
“I want to try something new at this year’s Christmas party!” For anyone who feels that way, this article gathers heartwarming ideas perfect for a Christmas celebration.
How about turning those precious moments with family and friends into something a little more special? Beyond classic cake-making and gift exchanges, there are games everyone can enjoy, too.
We’re introducing ideas you can use in a variety of settings—from relaxed parties with family and friends to events held at kindergartens, daycare centers, and care facilities!
Christmas Party Ideas! Fun Activities and Game Ideas (1–10)
Magic
How about trying a classic performance like magic? Magic might sound difficult, but there are plenty of tricks—from simple ones even children can do to those that use special props.
It’s also a good idea to adjust the difficulty depending on your audience.
For children, easy-to-understand tricks that use familiar items like colored construction paper or newspapers are recommended.
Santa Fukuwarai Game
When you think of fukuwarai, you probably picture a New Year’s game, right? But there’s no need to limit it to the New Year holiday.
The classic versions feature Hyottoko or Otafuku faces, but how about trying a fukuwarai with Santa Claus’s face at a Christmas party? The great thing about fukuwarai is that you can enjoy it without worrying about the number of people or the time.
You can play solo, and if you have a big group, you can give hints and cheer people on, saying things like, “Move the nose a little higher!” It also sounds fun to make a fukuwarai set together by hand.
Cookie Toss
It’s a game where you toss cookie mascots into boards or bags decorated with Santa Claus and reindeer—icons essential to Christmas.
There are holes where Santa’s and the reindeer’s mouths are, so you make cookies sized to fit those openings and throw them in.
Since Christmas treats usually give off a happy vibe, it’s important to draw them with smiling faces to get that across.
You can enjoy the game with various rules, such as seeing how many cookies you can get in within the time limit.
Finger dance
How about trying a “finger dance,” an art form expressed using only hand movements? Prepare a screen or partition to serve as a stage, then perform by extending just your hands from behind it and moving them to the music to create various expressions.
You can simply show the movements of your fingers and hands as they are, but wearing colorful gloves or brightly colored work gloves will make it look even more striking.
Christmas basket
This is a Christmas-themed twist on the game Fruit Basket, where everyone sits in a circle and people who match the prompt move from their spots.
Each participant holds one of three types of cards—Christmas Tree, Reindeer, or Santa Claus—and these are also used as prompts.
Alongside everyday prompts, you can enjoy the strategy of guessing when the card-based prompts will come up.
The game also tests your ability to move quickly so you’re not left without a seat, so be careful not to bump into others and get hurt.
Do Christmas cosplay
Seasonal motifs tend to have distinctive costumes, like Santa Claus’s outfit with its bright red color and fluffy look.
Let’s put on costumes inspired by those event mascots and enjoy becoming characters from a story.
You can use ready-made sets that come with everything, or have fun by preparing just the minimum items yourself.
Your crafting skills and creativity will be tested by which character you choose and how faithfully you decide to recreate them.
Rolling Balance Game
It’s a fun game themed around Santa delivering presents.
You can easily make it with cardboard, and it’s convenient to play right at your desk.
First, punch two kinds of holes randomly into the cardboard: large holes that a ping-pong ball can pass through, and small holes just about the size where a ping-pong ball fits snugly.
Attach paper cups under the large holes, and write point values for each.
Then add a frame around the cardboard using straws, and it’s done.
The rules are simple: aim to drop the ping-pong ball—representing a present—into the large holes while avoiding the small holes.
Santa Quiz
A great recommendation for a performance at a daycare or kindergarten Christmas party is this “Santa Quiz.” Ask questions about Santa, such as “Where does Santa live?” or “What’s Santa’s favorite animal?” and have the children answer! You can let them call out their answers and then reveal the correct one, or make it a true/false style quiz and have them raise their hands.
Kids love Santa, so this will be a wonderful opportunity for them to learn more about him.
Dance ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’
Since 2012, dance has been a compulsory subject for junior high school students.
Dance competitions for students and private teams are now held around the country, making dance a familiar part of our lives.
So how about planning a “Let’s Dance and Enjoy Christmas!!” event and creating original choreography to upbeat Christmas songs like Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You”? It could be great to have young and old alike come together and showcase their own original dances.
There are also videos that introduce example routines, so be sure to use them as a reference!
Gift exchange
When you think of Christmas, you think of presents! It’s exciting to imagine what you might get, isn’t it? So how about doing a gift exchange at your Christmas party? Decide on a budget, prepare your gifts, and swap them with everyone.
There are lots of ways to do it—like drawing lots, or passing gifts around in a circle and stopping when the music stops so you keep the one in your hands.
Be sure to have fun while exchanging!