Welcome to Day 10 of our 25 Days of Nostalgia series!
Today, we’re diving into the chaotic, hilarious, and occasionally tear-filled world of Christmas party games from the 80s and 90s. These festive classics brought families together and made every holiday gathering unforgettable.
Long before smartphones and online multiplayer games (although you could still find me playing the MegaDrive or watching classic Christmas films like Yr Injan Fach Fentrus while the grown-ups enjoyed their festive drinks), our entertainment relied on creativity, a sprinkle of competitiveness, and occasionally a parent armed with a questionable Santa costume.
From classic board games that could go on for hours to parlour games that had us laughing until we cried, these were the moments that made my Christmas gatherings unforgettable. I’ve split them into two categories, so let’s take a collective, festive trip down memory lane.
Table of Contents
Board & Card Games
From timeless classics to slightly odd games that kept everyone entertained, this category had it all. Whether you were strategising your way to victory or bluffing through a card game, these were the moments that turned quiet Christmas afternoons into unforgettable laughter-filled ones!
I will never forget sitting down with my Grandparents and learning how to play Rummy after Grandma had one too many Shandys and Grandad was a few whiskeys in. We cackled the night away and I will cherish those memories forever.
Monopoly: The Never-Ending Game
Ah, Monopoly. The Christmas game that wasn’t so much a party activity as it was an endurance test. By the time someone finally managed to put a hotel on Mayfair, half the players had either quit, gone to bed, or started a bitter feud that lasted well into the New Year.
My mum used to profess her love for us all as her gin slowly disappeared (then mine), and the conversations that happened in-between turns became an event of their own.
Why We Loved It: The thrill of bankrupting your siblings.
Why We Hated It: That one family member who took forever to decide whether to mortgage their properties. Every. Single. Turn.
Cluedo: The Original True Crime Festive Edition
Nothing brought out the Christmas competitiveness quite like trying to figure out whether it was Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick. Every accusation felt like a courtroom drama, and someone always threw a tantrum when they got it wrong.
Why We Loved It: Playing detective while casually accusing family members of murder.
Why We Hated It: That one person who always peeked at the cards and ruined the game.
Chess: The Ultimate Standoff
For the intellectuals of the family, chess was the perfect way to spend Christmas afternoon. I took an intense liking to the game from a very young age. Unfortunately I never managed to jump past a 1300/1400 Blitz/Bullet rating but my love of the game still holds strong.
Still, the moment I genuinely outwitted my mother for the first time was one that i’ll remember forever.
Why We Loved It: The smug satisfaction of saying “checkmate.”
Why We Hated It: Realising 2 minutes in that you were never going to win against Uncle Derek.
Boggle: The Word Nerd’s Delight
Shake the letter cube, set the timer, and let the chaos begin. Boggle was a quick, competitive way to show off your vocabulary—or reveal that you really needed to read more books.
Why We Loved It: The thrill of spotting a long word no one else noticed.
Why We Hated It: The arguments over whether “qi” was actually a word (spoiler: it is).
Guess Who: The Great Face-Off
“Does your person wear glasses?” Cue the flipping down of tiles and the smug satisfaction of knowing you’re on the right track. Guess Who was simple, straightforward, and an excellent way to prove you were the most observant person in the room.
Why We Loved It: The drama of eliminating all but one tile with a single question.
Why We Hated It: Realising you asked a question wrong and eliminated the wrong faces.
Pictionary: Artistic Chaos
A drawing game where artistic ability was optional and hilarity was guaranteed. Watching someone attempt to sketch The Snowman only to have it guessed as “a melted puddle” was Christmas magic at its finest.
Why We Loved It: The ridiculous guesses that had everyone in stitches.
Why We Hated It: Being paired with someone who didn’t know the difference between a snowflake and a star.
Card Games: Cheat, Hearts, and Rummy
Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a deck of cards. Whether you were bluffing your way through Cheat, competing for tricks in Hearts, or building sets in Rummy, card games were an essential part of festive gatherings.
I remember sitting in Cardiff with my Grandma and Grandad being taught Rummy from the age of about 8.
Why We Loved It: The mix of strategy, luck, and hilariously bad poker faces.
Why We Hated It: The inevitable accusations of cheating (usually correct).
Battleship: Sink or Sulk
Who knew Christmas could turn into naval warfare? Battleship was the ultimate test of patience. Calling out grid references felt like commanding an armada, and sinking your sibling’s last ship was pure triumph.
Why We Loved It: The smug satisfaction of yelling, “You sunk my battleship!”
Why We Hated It: The inevitable argument about whether a ship was “actually” hit or not and whether or not your siblings were cheating.
Parlour Games
These games were often the life of the party, filling rooms with laughter, chaos, and the occasional sibling or friendship rivalry. Whether it was racing to claim a chair, shouting out ridiculous answers during the Christmas quiz or acting out clues in charades, parlour games brought everyone together—even if only for a brief truce during the Christmas chaos.
One of my fondest memories is watching my siblings try to outdo each other in Musical Statues, freezing in increasingly ridiculous poses while my aunt gleefully eliminated anyone who dared to move an inch.
These games weren’t just fun; they were family traditions that stayed with us long after the decorations came down.
Musical Chairs: The Great Elbow Battle
Ah, musical chairs—the Hunger Games of Christmas parties. As soon as the music stopped, it was every kid for themselves. There were no alliances, no mercy, and absolutely no respect for personal space. You’d shove, dive, and even sit on someone else if it meant avoiding elimination.
Why We Loved It: The pure adrenaline rush of sprinting for a chair to the sound of Jingle Bell Rock.
Why We Hated It: That one kid who hovered near the chairs the entire time. We all know who you are.
Pass the Parcel: The Wrapping Paper Marathon
The parcel was always wrapped in about 87 layers of paper, each one revealing a prize that got progressively worse. If you were lucky, the music would stop on you at the “good” layer (a chocolate bar). If not, you’d get a pencil sharpener or, worse, nothing at all.
Why We Loved It: The suspense. Would you get the prize, or just another layer of disappointment?
Why We Hated It: The suspicious way the music always seemed to stop anywhere that wasn’t me.
The Polo Game: A Way to Shut Us up for 10 Minutes
Maybe this was just my family, I’ve struggled to find much of anything online bar a brief mention of it on an article about “caravanning with kids” from the early 00’s. The idea behind it was genius, who can keep a polo in their mouth for the longest before it cracks. It kept us quiet for AGES, until someone lost of course.
Why We Loved It: POLO’S!
Why We Hated It: We didn’t but my gosh do I feel stupid now.
Balloon Pop: The Loudest Game in Town
Sit on a balloon until it pops. It’s simple, loud, and often terrifying for anyone under five years old.
Why We Loved It: The satisfaction of finally popping the balloon.
Why We Hated It: The irrational neurodivergent fear of anything loud. (Still hate popping balloons to this day!)
Charades: The Game of Wild Gestures
Acting out festive clues was always entertaining—especially when someone’s “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” looked more like a dance gone horribly wrong—or perhaps someone attempting a reindeer audition for Riverdance.
Why We Loved It: Watching the over-the-top performances.
Why We Hated It: When someone picked an impossible clue like Die Hard.
Who Am I?: The Sticky Note Guessing Game
A sticky note on your forehead, a name scribbled on it, and endless yes-or-no questions to figure out who you were. Pure Christmas chaos.
Why We Loved It: The satisfaction of guessing correctly.
Why We Hated It: That one person who wrote down something impossible, like “The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.”
Musical Statues (aka Freeze Dance)
When the music stopped, so did you. Whether it was a dramatic mid-dance pose or trying not to giggle, Musical Statues turned every kid into an amateur mannequin.
Why We Loved It: Showing off your best moves and ridiculous frozen poses.
Why We Hated It: The kid who always wobbled but somehow never got caught.
Last Call
Whether you were battling over the Monopoly board or scrambling to pop a balloon, these Christmas party games were the heart of my holiday gatherings (aside from the Christmas snacks of course).
From the laughter of parlour games to the strategic showdowns of card games, these traditions brought my friends and family closer and created memories that outlasted the festive season.
They brought my friends and family together (sometimes literally, thanks to Musical Chairs) and created memories that lasted far longer than the festive season.
Which of these games was your favourite, which did you play during your Christmas holidays? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to join us tomorrow for Day 11 of our 25 Days of Nostalgia series!
- Day 9: Dadblog’s Ultimate Christmas Quiz: Festive Fun for All Ages
- Day 11: 60 Hilarious Christmas Dad Jokes & Puns to Sleigh Your Holiday
FAQ: What Are the Best Christmas Party Games for Kids?
Times have changed, and Christmas games have taken on a whole new level. Here are 5 of the best Christmas party games for kids to play this year:
- Christmas Scavenger Hunt – Hide small festive items like candy canes or ornaments around the house and let the kids hunt for them.
- Pin the Nose on Rudolph – A festive twist on the classic “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.”
- Snowball Toss – Use white beanbags or cotton balls and have the kids aim for buckets or targets.
- Christmas Bingo – Create bingo cards with festive icons like Santa, reindeer, and snowflakes.
- Pass the Present – Similar to Pass the Parcel but with a single wrapped gift and silly challenges at each layer.
