Hey friends! I love Christmas because it’s a great time to catch up and visit with family members. But have you ever been sitting around after Christmas dinner, unsure what to do now that the main event is over? I have! I know some people enjoy sitting and relaxing after dinner for the rest of the day, but I can handle about 30 minutes before I get ancy and want to do something else. If this situation sounds familiar to you, or maybe you just want to step up your family time this Christmas, this Friday Favorites is perfect for you – it’s all about Christmas games you can play with your family! And if you’re thinking to yourself “Christmas is next week, I don’t have time to get a lot of supplies for these games,” I promise these are all super easy low prep games – most just need normal household supplies!

1. Fishbowl

Fishbowl is one of my favorite party games and is great for a large group of people! All you need are pens, paper, a bowl, and a timer or cell phone. The game is basically a combination of Taboo, Charades, and “password.” You can make the words Christmas-themed or limit it even more to topics like Christmas carols or movies. This game is great for all ages and can be played multiple times without getting old.

2. Christmas Stocking

The Christmas stocking game can be played at any point in the day because it’s played individually rather than together. All you need to do is take a Christmas stocking or sock and fill it with Christmas items – you can be as obvious as a candy cane or as sneaky as a piece of wrapping paper – and seal the top so no one can look inside. Tell the people playing how many items are inside and have them feel the stocking to figure out what’s in it. The person closest to writing down all of the correct items wins a prize!

3. Empires

Empires is another favorite party game of mine that can be easily adapted to be Christmas-themed. It’s similar to fishbowl in that all it requires is pen, paper, and a bowl. Choose a theme, such as Christmas movies, and have everyone write down something in the category. One person will need to facilitate the game by reading everyone’s submissions twice at the beginning. People will go around the circle guessing who wrote what, and once someone is guessed they will move to join that person’s “empire.” The game gets tricky when you get close to the end and the submissions that no one can remember are the only ones left!

4. Christmas Carol Pictionary

This game can be played with a large or small group of people! The game is simple: participants should be divided into two teams and each will send up representatives to draw a Christmas carol for their team to guess. If the team can’t guess, the other team can steal it for a point. A whiteboard is easiest to use, but if you don’t have one you could get creative with a notepad, ipad, or butcher paper. You can download this printable to get the Christmas carol cards.

5. Minute to Win It Games

Last but not least, these Minute to Win It games are perfect for the competitive family! My friend used this blog to plan a Minute to Win It Christmas party last year, and everyone had a blast. The blog includes instructions for the games as well as a printable score card so everyone can keep track of wins/losses for each game. This is great for a family because people can be playing different games at the same time.