Affordable and Fun Games for a Holiday Party
The holiday season is all about creating joyful memories with family and friends, and what better way to do that than with a fun, budget-friendly game? Hosting a festive gathering doesn’t require a hefty budget to keep your guests entertained. With a little creativity, you can turn your home into the ultimate holiday party venue with games that bring laughter, excitement, and holiday cheer—without breaking the bank. Here’s a list of affordable games that will ensure everyone has a blast!
1. White Elephant Gift Exchange
What You’ll Need: Small, inexpensive gifts (under $10) or re-gifted items.
How to Play:
Each guest brings a wrapped gift to contribute to the exchange. Players draw numbers to determine the order of selection. The first player picks a gift and opens it. Subsequent players can either “steal” a gift that’s already been opened or choose a new one. The game continues until all gifts are opened.
Why It’s Affordable: Guests bring their own gifts, making this a low-cost, interactive game that gets everyone involved.
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 it out without speaking. The team or individual who guesses the most correctly wins.
Why It’s Affordable: This game requires little more than a few pieces of paper and a bit of creativity to come up with prompts.
3. Christmas Trivia
What You’ll Need: A list of holiday-themed trivia questions.
How to Play:
Divide your guests into teams and quiz them on holiday traditions, songs, movies, and history. Award points for correct answers and give a small prize to the winning team.
Why It’s Affordable: You can easily find trivia questions online or make your own. The only investment is a little time to prepare.
4. Candy Cane Hunt
What You’ll Need: Candy canes or inexpensive treats.
How to Play:
Hide candy canes around the house or party area. The guest who finds the most candy canes wins a prize.
Why It’s Affordable: Candy canes are cheap and provide a festive treat for your guests.
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 your guests guess the title. The person with the most correct answers wins.
Why It’s Affordable: Use a free music app or playlist you already have—no additional costs needed!
6. Ugly Sweater Contest
What You’ll Need: Guests bring their own ugly holiday sweaters.
How to Play:
Host a mini fashion show where each guest shows off their sweater. Let everyone vote for the ugliest one, and award a small prize to the winner.
Why It’s Affordable: No extra supplies are required—guests bring their own sweaters, making this an easy, fun game.
7. Holiday Bingo
What You’ll Need: Printable bingo cards and small markers (like coins, candy, or beans).
How to Play:
Create bingo cards with holiday-themed images or phrases. As you call out the items, 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 take turns drawing holiday-related words or phrases while their team guesses. Set a timer for added excitement!
Why It’s Affordable: You can easily create the word list and use supplies you already have at home.
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 socks or use small balls. Set up buckets or cups as targets, and have guests compete to score the most points.
Why It’s Affordable: These are common household items that cost little to nothing.
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. The rest of the group guesses which statement is the lie.
Why It’s Affordable: No materials needed, and it’s a great way to break 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 it up. Guests write down as many ornaments as they can remember. The person who recalls the most wins.
Why It’s Affordable: Use ornaments you already own to create this simple game.
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 wins.
Why It’s Affordable: Use holiday decorations or small trinkets you already own to make this game inexpensive.
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 onto Rudolph while blindfolded. The closest placement wins.
Why It’s Affordable: You can create the materials yourself with simple craft supplies.
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 ask guests to guess how many are inside. The closest guess wins the jar.
Why It’s Affordable: This is a quick and inexpensive game using items you likely already have.
16. Holiday Karaoke
What You’ll Need: A karaoke machine or free karaoke videos online.
How to Play:
Guests take turns singing their favorite holiday songs. For added fun, let the audience vote for the best performance.
Why It’s Affordable: Free karaoke videos are available on YouTube, and you can use a smartphone or TV to play them.
Final Thoughts
Holiday parties don’t have to be expensive to be memorable. By incorporating these simple, creative, and affordable games, you’ll ensure your gathering is filled with fun, laughter, and holiday cheer. After all, it’s not about the prizes or decorations—it’s the joy of spending quality time with friends and family that makes the season special.
Happy holidays, and here’s to a fun, budget-friendly celebration!