Christmas is the season of joy, giving, and togetherness, making it the perfect time to bring your youth group closer through fun, interactive games. Whether you’re organizing a youth group Christmas party or just needing some games for your small groups during the Christmas season, incorporating these activities into your programming is guaranteed to create lasting memories, laughter, and a festive atmosphere. The best part? These games are easy to set up and adaptable for groups of all sizes.Â
Here are 10 Christmas games that will add some merriment to your youth group this season.
1. Face Painting: Add a Festive Touch
What better way to kick off the holiday fun than with creative Christmas face painting? Set up a station where group members can transform into festive characters like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, a snowman, or an elf. All you need is a volunteer with an artistic hand and some face paint supplies—red, green, white, and sparkles are always a must! Don’t forget to provide mirrors so everyone can check out their new holiday look.
Why it works: Face painting is a great icebreaker, allowing everyone to dive into the festive spirit from the get-go. It also adds a visual element of fun to the event, making it feel like an extra-festive Christmas party.
Pro Tip: Have a few pre-drawn designs for inspiration and keep things simple with easy, recognizable Christmas symbols.
2. Costume Contest: Looks that Sleigh
If your group loves a bit of friendly competition, a Christmas costume contest will get everyone excited. Encourage your students to come dressed as their favorite holiday characters—Santa Claus, a reindeer, the Grinch, or even a Christmas tree! Let each small group nominate their two best-dressed members. Gather all the nominees on stage, take a group picture, and let the audience vote by applause for the winner. Alternatively, you can have a panel of leaders select the top costume. Be sure to reward the winner with a festive prize like a gift card, Christmas ornament, or holiday-themed treat.
Why it works: A costume contest gets everyone involved and taps into their creativity while giving the event a fun, lighthearted vibe. Plus, who doesn’t love dressing up?
Pro Tip: Post pictures of the winners on your ministry’s social media, side-by-side with the character they dressed as for a fun “who wore it better” post!
3. Candy Cane Ring Toss: A Sweet Challenge
This Christmas twist on a classic game will keep your group on their toes—literally! Set up a series of target stands (cones, bottles, or even Christmas tree decorations) and provide players with candy cane-shaped rings. Each student gets a chance to toss the rings and try to hook them onto the targets. For a bit more fun, gradually increase the distance between the players and the targets to make it more challenging as the game progresses.
Why it works: Candy Cane Ring Toss is a simple game that’s easy to set up and play. It’s a fun competition, and it’s a great game for all ages.
Pro Tip: Consider giving small holiday-themed prizes for each successful toss to keep everyone motivated.
4. Christmas Karaoke: Fa La La La Your Heart Out
What’s Christmas without some music? Set up a karaoke station and let your group show off their vocal (or lip-syncing) talents with classic Christmas tunes. Whether it’s “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night,” or “All I Want for Christmas is You,” there’s nothing like belting out a festive song to get people in the holiday spirit. You can have individuals perform solo or get small groups to sing together. Turn it into a competition by having a volunteer judge or by allowing the audience to vote for the best performance.
Why it works: Christmas karaoke is a crowd-pleaser. It’s nostalgic, entertaining, and always good for a few laughs.
Pro Tip: Offer fun categories for winners, such as “Most Creative Performance,” “Best Group Sing,” or “Most Enthusiastic Singer,” to encourage participation from even the shyest members of the group.
5. Snowball Toss: Aim for the Win
Bring a bit of winter wonderland into your small group with a snowball toss game! Using balled-up paper or soft foam balls as snowballs, set up a target board with buckets, hoops, or a snowman cutout. Each target can have different point values based on difficulty. Give each player a set number of snowballs (3-5) and see who can rack up the highest score. You can even create team challenges to add a layer of competition.
Why it works: Snowball Toss is fun, simple, and easy to organize. Plus, it’s great for all ages, making it a versatile game for mixed groups.
Pro Tip: If you want to go the extra mile, decorate your targets with festive designs, like reindeer, elves, or a gingerbread house, to make the game more immersive.
6. Christmas Card Station: Spread Some Cheer
This activity encourages creativity while also giving students a chance to share the Christmas spirit. Set up a station with blank cards, glitter glue, stickers, colored markers, and other craft supplies. Encourage everyone to create personalized Christmas cards, which they can either give to each other, take home to loved ones, or donate to a local charity or nursing home.
Why it works: The Christmas card station is a quieter, more reflective activity, but it gives people a chance to express kindness and thoughtfulness during the holiday season.
Pro Tip: Provide sample messages or fun prompts like “What’s your favorite Christmas memory?” to get people started.
7. Elf Bowling: Knock Down the Elves
Take the traditional bowling game and give it a holiday twist with Elf Bowling! Decorate empty plastic bottles to look like elves—wrap them in Christmas paper or use markers and stickers to add festive details. Players will roll a ball (or even a wrapped present) to knock down as many elf pins as possible in one go.
Why it works: Elf Bowling is a fun, hands-on game guaranteed to get everyone on their feet. It’s a silly, lighthearted activity that’s easy to set up but adds a big dose of Christmas fun.
Pro Tip: Offer a prize for anyone who scores a strike to add an extra element of excitement.
8. Sack Race: Santa’s Gift Bag Challenge
Take the traditional sack race and turn it into a Santa-themed race! Provide each student with a sack decorated to look like Santa’s gift bag. Players will hop from one end of the course to the other, racing to be the first to finish. For an added challenge, place large inflatable “gifts” or presents along the course that players must collect as they go. You can even time each student to make it more competitive.
Why it works: It’s a high-energy game that gets everyone laughing and moving. It’s especially fun if your group has a competitive streak!
Pro Tip: Encourage students to wear Santa hats or other festive gear during the race to amp up the holiday cheer.
9. Snowball Fight Arena: Ultimate Showdown
One of the most anticipated events of the day, the Snowball Fight Arena will bring out the inner child in everyone! Divide your group into teams and arm each team with soft foam balls or balled-up socks as “snowballs.” Set up barriers, forts, or even just designated sides of the room for each team to hide behind and strategize. Then let the snowball fight begin! The goal is to eliminate players by hitting them with snowballs, but you can also incorporate other objectives, like capturing the other team’s flag.
Why it works: This high-energy game is a fantastic finale to your Christmas games session. It’s a physical, team-based activity that encourages teamwork and friendly competition between small groups.
Pro Tip: If you have a hosting segment in your large group experience, consider organizing multiple rounds or using different strategies, such as timed battles or knock-out rounds.
10. Awards Ceremony: Ring in the Victories
Wrap up your Christmas games with an awards ceremony! After all the games and activities, take time to recognize the winners of each competition—whether it’s best costume, best karaoke performance, or top-scoring team in the snowball fight. Hand out holiday-themed trophies, t-shirts, or even snow globes as prizes. This is also a great opportunity to celebrate students who showed great sportsmanship or holiday spirit throughout the event.
Why it works: Recognizing students adds a sense of achievement and excitement to your event. It also reinforces the joy of coming together and celebrating as a group.
Pro Tip: Capture the awards ceremony with photos and videos to share with your group on social media or in a recap email to keep the holiday spirit alive long after the event.
Spread Christmas Cheer All Year Long in Your Youth Group
Want even more Christmas fun? These 10 games from our Merry & Bright Carnival Night Christmas Party Pack. Step right up! We’ve got a Christmas experience for your youth group you don’t want to miss. Throw an epic Christmas Carnival for your student ministry with our FREE party pack!
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