The holiday break is a great time for playing board games. In our house, I bring a stack of our fave family Christmas games to the dining room and they live there all December long. When the mood strikes, we can pull out a game and play it on the dining room table. Over the years we’ve added our printable Christmas games to the pile.
Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.
Does your family tend to play more games during December? There is something wonderful about unplugging from our phones, our television and everything else to sit down and play a game of cards or a board game. So, I thought it would be fun to gather all kinds of fun Christmas games for families, in one spot.
Some of these are more obscure and harder to find, while others are readily available. I’ve included games for older kids and games for younger kids too. From simple Christmas card games to more complicated Christmas strategy games. The common theme is Christmas and a fun way to get your family to sit down and enjoy some time together. So, let’s get to it.
The Best Family Christmas Games
Clue: The Grinch Edition – First up is a Christmas twist on our favourite board game…Clue. The Grinch edition of Clue doesn’t involve anyone being murdered. Instead, players must figure out how the Grinch stole Christmas. identify WHO caught the Grinch, WHAT Christmas item the Grinch stole, and WHERE the item was stolen from. ages 8+
Christmas Story Card Scramble – We watch this one every year…Ralphie and his nostalgic Christmas are a favourite movie in our house. And, this edition of Christmas Story Card Scramble doesn’t disappoint. Who has to be the leg lamp card?
Hallmark Channel Monopoly – Head over to Hallmark to find the official Hallmark Channel Holiday Monopoly game. Go to a Christmas concert or take a ride in a horse-drawn carriage. This game is packed with Hallmark Christmas movie magic. Perfect for the cheesy Christmas movie fan in your life. ages 8+
Elf Monopoly – Play along with Buddy the Elf as you make your way around the board, passing all the places visited in the movie. There are Christmas Cheer cards and Christmas Spirit Cards too! A fun game for any Elf fan. ages 8+
Merry Grinchmas! – That pesky Grinch wants to stop Christmas from coming to Whoville. Players will work to save Christmas this year as the Grinch makes his way around the Whoville board. A fun board game for the family to play together. ages 5+
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Game : Christmas Journey – If your kids like playing Candy Land they will love playing along with Rudolph and the gang as they go on a Christmas Journey. This is a great family game night game for kids of all ages. ages 8+
Christmas Rush – Our family loves a fast-paced, active card game. Christmas Rush will have everyone passing cards and laughing as players try and collect 4 identical cards. If your family likes playing Spoons this will be a big hit. ages 7+
The Santa Claus Game – Here’s a great one for the little kids to play. Players will hop into Santa’s sleigh and take on the role of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Kids learn all about the joys of sharing and giving. An award winning holiday game your kids are sure to enjoy. ages 3+
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Twinkling Lights Game – Ah, Clark Griswald, will he ever learn that he doesn’t have to try so hard to have a great vacation? This card game makes a terrific stocking stuffer game for families. A card strategy game that will have players trying to collect the cards to make twinkling light patterns. More challenging than you might think. ages 6+
‘Tis the Season, Christmas Trivia Game – This one is for the trivia fans. Divide into teams and see who knows the most about Christmas. Categories include; history, traditions, movies, carols, literature and more. ages 12+
Llama Drama Holiday Edition Card Game – Any llama lovers out there? Yep, the animals are super popular right now. The Llama Drama Christmas Card game reminds me of UNO – building and losing cards as you go along. The characters on the cards are cute and they each have a different “value”. A quick, simple and fun game for groups to play. ages 7+
Operation: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Edition – If you grew up playing Operation, you’re gonna have fun with this Christmas edition. Players have to remove all kinds of silly items from Bumble, the Abominable Snowman. He rumbles if you happen to miss the mark. ages 6+
Santa Claus Go Fish – Simple and straightforward holiday fun for the kids. A deck of Christmas themed playing cards that are perfect for playing Go Fish. Easy breezy fun for all. ages 4+
Charlie Brown Christmas Journey – A super cute and nostalgic Peanuts board game. We love the movie and this game gives us all the feels. Charlie and the gang make their way around the neighbourhood trying to find the true meaning of Christmas. ages 8+
Elf Card Scramble – We own the Christmas Vacation version of this card scramble game and it’s a very engaging game for kids and adults. There are a few different ways to play, which we always love about a good board game. In this Elf version, you are playing with Buddy the Elf and his friends and family in this card building game. ages 10+
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Card Scramble – Speaking of the Christmas Vacation edition! We’ve spent a whole lotta time playing this game. We love all the fun details in the board itself – so many fun references to the movie. Gather up the cards you need to win before your opponents get a chance. ages 10+
Christmas Mashup Murder Mystery – There has been a murder! At Christmas! Everything you need to host a murder mystery night at your house. This one is for the big kids only. Each guest takes on a different role in the story and everything unfolds…until you catch the murderer. You can even play this one over Zoom.
And finally, there is our awesome collection of free printable Christmas Games – 20+ word games, dice games, scavenger hunts and more
So, the only question that remains is which game will you play first?
More Christmas activities
Check out our silly reindeer games to play
Make sure you are following along…
FOLLOW KITCHEN COUNTER CHRONICLES ON
SUBSCRIBE TO KITCHEN COUNTER CHRONICLES TO HAVE OUR DELICIOUS RECIPES, FUN CRAFTS & ACTIVITIES DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX.