Christmas games don’t need big rules, fancy kits or loud instructions shouted across the room. Most of the fun comes from slightly silly challenges that everyone understands within the first minute and then immediately takes far too seriously.
If you have got a bit of space, a few household items and a willingness to look mildly ridiculous, these games are easy to set up and even easier to get stuck into.
1. Marshmallow Knock
This game is simple. One person guards a row of marshmallows while the other tries to knock them off the table using a soft ball or rolled-up socks. No hands allowed for defence. Fast rounds work best.
2. Blindfolded Bow Scoop
This game involves scooping gift bows into a bowl while wearing a blindfold, using only a spoon. Set a short time limit and prepare for plenty of misses.
3. Ornament Flip Cup
This game uses plastic ornaments placed upside down. Players flick them into cups using one finger. First to clear their side wins.
4. Ornament Switch
This is a memory game. Players briefly look at a layout of ornaments, turn away, and then try to spot what’s been swapped around.
5. Flip Cup Tic-Tac-Toe
This game mixes speed with strategy. Teams race to flip cups to claim squares on a grid. Once flipped, that square is locked.
6. Tea Light Snuff
This game is all about breath control. Line up battery tea lights and see who can “snuff” them out fastest by blowing from a set distance.
7. Candy Cane Lane
This game involves using only a candy cane held in the mouth, players transfer small items from one bowl to another.
8. Streamer Frenzy
This game is chaotic in the best way. Players unwrap themselves from streamers without using their hands while a timer ticks down.
9. Blindfold March-in-the-Box
This game involves stepping carefully into a taped square on the floor while blindfolded. Everyone else is allowed to give extremely unhelpful directions.
10. The Whitney Challenge
This is a stacking game. Players build a tower using awkwardly shaped items, usually while following a random rule like using one hand or standing on one foot.
These games aren’t about winning properly. They are about laughing at the attempts, the near misses and the moments that somehow become the highlight of the evening.
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