Hosting a holiday party is all about creating joyful memories with your loved ones, and games are a fantastic way to bring everyone together. The good news? You don’t need to break the bank to keep your guests entertained. Here’s a list of affordable and easy-to-set-up games that are sure to bring laughter, excitement, and holiday cheer to your gathering.
1. White Elephant Gift Exchange
What You’ll Need: Small, inexpensive gifts (under $10), or re-gifted items from around the house.
How to Play:
- Guests bring a wrapped gift to contribute to the exchange.
- Players draw numbers to determine the order of selection.
- The first player chooses a gift and opens it. The next player can either “steal” the opened gift or pick a new one.
- Continue until all gifts are opened, with each gift able to be stolen a set number of times.
Why It’s Affordable: Guests bring their own gifts, making it a low-cost and interactive game.
2. Holiday Charades
What You’ll Need: Slips of paper, a pen, and a bowl or hat.
How to Play:
- Write down holiday-themed phrases, movie titles, or songs on slips of paper.
- Players take turns drawing a slip and acting out the word or phrase without speaking.
- The team or individual with the most correct guesses wins.
Why It’s Affordable: You can create your own prompts using items you already have at home.
3. Christmas Trivia
What You’ll Need: A list of holiday-themed trivia questions.
How to Play:
- Divide guests into teams and ask holiday-related questions about traditions, songs, movies, and history.
- Award points for correct answers, and offer a small prize for the winning team.
Why It’s Affordable: You only need creativity to come up with trivia questions—or find free ones online.
4. Candy Cane Hunt
What You’ll Need: Candy canes or small, inexpensive treats.
How to Play:
- Hide candy canes around the house or party area.
- Guests search for the hidden candy canes, and the person who finds the most wins a prize.
Why It’s Affordable: A box of candy canes is cheap and doubles as a festive treat.
5. Guess the Holiday Song
What You’ll Need: A playlist of holiday songs.
How to Play:
- Play short snippets of holiday songs and have guests guess the title.
- The person with the most correct answers wins.
Why It’s Affordable: You can use a free music app or create a playlist from songs you already own.
6. Ugly Sweater Contest
What You’ll Need: Guests wear their own ugly holiday sweaters.
How to Play:
- Have a fashion show where each participant shows off their sweater.
- Let everyone vote for the ugliest sweater, and give the winner a fun, inexpensive prize.
Why It’s Affordable: It requires no additional supplies as guests bring their own sweaters.
7. Holiday Bingo
What You’ll Need: Printable bingo cards and small markers (coins, candy, or beans).
How to Play:
- Create bingo cards with holiday-themed images or phrases.
- Call out items, and players mark their cards. The first person to get five in a row wins.
Why It’s Affordable: Free bingo templates are widely available online, and you can use household items as markers.
8. Wrap the Present Race
What You’ll Need: Wrapping paper, tape, scissors, and random household items.
How to Play:
- Divide guests into teams and give each team an item to wrap.
- The team that wraps their item the fastest (and neatest!) wins.
Why It’s Affordable: You can use leftover wrapping supplies and inexpensive or funny items from home.
9. Holiday Pictionary
What You’ll Need: A whiteboard or paper, markers, and a list of holiday-themed words.
How to Play:
- Players draw holiday-themed words or phrases while their team guesses.
- Set a timer for added excitement, and award points for correct guesses.
Why It’s Affordable: You can easily make the word list and use supplies you already own.
10. Snowball Toss
What You’ll Need: White socks rolled into balls or plastic cups and ping pong balls.
How to Play:
- Create “snowballs” by rolling white socks or use small balls.
- Set up buckets or cups as targets, and have guests compete to see who can score the most points.
Why It’s Affordable: You can use everyday items as supplies.
11. Two Truths and a Lie: Holiday Edition
What You’ll Need: Just your guests!
How to Play:
- Each guest shares three holiday-related statements—two true and one a lie.
- Other guests try to guess which statement is the lie.
Why It’s Affordable: This game requires no materials and is perfect for breaking the ice.
12. Name That Ornament
What You’ll Need: A tray of different ornaments, a cloth, and a timer.
How to Play:
- Display various ornaments on a tray for a minute, then cover the tray.
- Guests write down as many ornaments as they can remember.
- The person who recalls the most wins a prize.
Why It’s Affordable: Use ornaments you already have for free entertainment.
13. Holiday Scavenger Hunt
What You’ll Need: A list of holiday-related items to find or small trinkets to hide.
How to Play:
- Create a list of items for guests to find around the house or yard.
- The first person or team to find everything on the list wins.
Why It’s Affordable: You can tailor the scavenger hunt to your space and use items you already own.
14. Pin the Nose on Rudolph
What You’ll Need: A large drawing of Rudolph, paper noses, and a blindfold.
How to Play:
- Guests take turns trying to pin a paper nose on Rudolph while blindfolded.
- The closest placement wins a small prize.
Why It’s Affordable: You can DIY the materials using paper and markers.
15. Ornament Guessing Game
What You’ll Need: A jar and small ornaments or candies.
How to Play:
- Fill a jar with ornaments or candies, and have guests guess the total number.
- The closest guess wins the jar.
Why It’s Affordable: It only requires a jar and small fillers, like leftover ornaments or candy.
16. Holiday Karaoke
What You’ll Need: A karaoke machine or free karaoke videos online.
How to Play:
- Let guests take turns singing their favorite holiday songs.
- For added fun, create a friendly competition and have the audience vote on the best performance.
Why It’s Affordable: Free karaoke videos are available on YouTube, and no extra equipment is necessary if you have a smartphone or TV.
Final Thoughts
Holiday games are a great way to bring guests together and create lasting memories, all without overspending. By incorporating a mix of interactive, low-cost games, you can ensure your holiday party is filled with laughter, cheer, and plenty of festive fun. Remember, the best part of these games isn’t the prizes or materials—it’s the time spent connecting with friends and family.
Happy holidays, and may your party be as joyful as it is budget-friendly!
