[Angel]

The holiday season is all about spending time with loved ones, and playing games together is a perfect way to create joyful memories.

What are your favorite affordable or DIY games that work well for Christmas gatherings with family or friends?

Share your ideas, whether it’s creative twists on classic games, themed activities, or simple but entertaining options that don’t break the bank!

[Margery]

Scavenger Hunt, monopoly, chess or checkers, best hot chocolate or cider drink contest, snowman building fun, maybe bowling or sledding.

[Barbara]

Lot fun group games instead of the same ole same ole … Research group game ideas by watching some on TikTok.

[Kim]

We do a “snowball”. Wrap small gifts…gum, stickers, scratch tickets, candy in layers of Saran (plastic) wrap. Eg…start with a pack of gum, wrap a two foot piece of plastic wrap around it.

Sticking it lightly. Do a few layers of wrap then another gift.

Lots of people sit in a circle. One person rolls two dice, with oven mitts on, when you roll doubles, take as many layers as you can off of the snowball while the person to the left of you quickly grabs the mitts and the dice and rolls to get doubles.

When he rolls doubles he will pass the mitts and take the ball….and so on. It gets fast and fun.

Change your prizes for the season, or your crowd.

[Tara]

Reindeer Marshmallow grab. Solo cups on the hands as hooves. Big pile of marshmallows in the middle of the table. Whoever can get the most in their pile in the designated amount of time wins.

Think hungry hungry hippo with plastic cups. Kids love it.

Little kids use the big marshmallows.

Big kids make it harder with the tiny marshmallows.

[Lexi]

We play dirty bingo! We wrap anything. Toilet paper, pens, ramen noodles, you name it. You put all wrapped gifts in the middle.

You take turns rolling two dice in a pie tin, if you get doubles, you take a gift from the center.

If someone else gets doubles, they can either steal your gift or take one from the middle.

When all gifts are gone from the middle, that round is done. You then unwrap everything and put it in front of you.

You set a timer for a few minutes and go around again, but doubles means you can steal from another person.

This goes on until the timer runs out. If playing with a lot of people, we usually say the item is “dead” after 3 steals meaning it can’t be taken again!

And yes, you can always steal your item back!

it’s a lot of fun. Growing up we used to do a kids games and then an adult game!

[Johanna]

At our work holiday party they had boxes wrapped with ribbon tied around them we had to open with oven mitts on.

Winner got to pick from the prize bucket.

Prize bucket was just a bunch of dollar store candy and beauty products.

[April]

Put about 12 items in a stocking and people can only feel the item and make a list.

Who ever guesses the most wins.

[Carlee]

Musical candy canes, instead of chairs it’s candy canes the you have to grab from a table that everyone circles

[Sheila]

Any games you already own. Playing cards are cheap and offer all the cards games in one deck.

Old made take out all but one queen.
Slap Jack
Speed

Double solitaire
Poker
War
Fish
21
Knock or 31

[Bekah]

Charades,I Spy, 20 questions, any deck of cards game like Gin, Rummy, War, Speed, Sevens, etc. We also play a budget version of Pictionary

[Laura]

Plastic wrap game. Wrap random flat prizes in the plastic wrap. Use entire roll and flatten plastic with each piece to make it even harder for everyone.

Gift ideas: lottery tickets, cash, chocolates, candy, piece a paper with note to pick one thing out of bag (my mom does single serve bags of chips/popcorn).

[Brenda]

For children, hide candy canes around the yard or at a park and have a scavenger hunt.

[Paula]

Don’t know if it was mentioned, but how about a scavenger hunt? Could be things in the house or outside the house.

Use riddles to suggest items to find. Or just a list.

Instead of actually bringing home the items, use iPhone photos.

There are endless possibilities. Fun for all ages.

[Author]

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