When it comes to holiday parties, food and decor are important. But keeping your guests entertained is the most important part. While you could just turn on a Christmas movie, where’s the fun and bonding in that? Have a couple of board games to play instead! Bring out everyone’s competitive side with this list of fun games that are perfect for holiday parties.
From “Frozen” themed games for the kids to Yahtzee for the adults, there’s something for guests of all ages. And if you’re attending instead of hosting, make things easier on the host by bringing a few of these games. They’re all under $50, so just be sure to order them now so they’ll arrive on time before Christmas.
18 Holiday Party Games Under $50
- Strategize and Collect: Mancala was considered a classic when I was a kid and it was one of my favorite games. Build your strategy and collect gemstones along the way. While it’s a two-player game, you can grab multiple sets if you’re hosting several people — $15
- Sorry Not Sorry: It’s all about sweet revenge in Sorry! Draw the cards and be the first one to reach the home base to win — $7
- Roll the Dice: For a fun family game night, go with Yahtzee! Play for a straight, risk it all, hold out and scream and shout. The player who earns the highest score wins — $9
- You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch: It’s like the one above, but the Grinch version. Stir up some holiday mayhem and roll the green dice — $24
- Fun for the Kids: While the adults play party games, the kids will have so much fun playing Taco vs. Burrito. Designed for two to four players, they can have fun learning, practice their math skills and use the action cards to trade, steal, rebuild and more — $16
- Festive Fun: If you’re looking for something more festive, try Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman. This Christmas-themed game has cute little cards that represent the holiday, and players slap the pile when their word matches the card — $10
- Classic Game: You can never go wrong with a game of Connect 4. It’s easy to learn how to play and you can keep the rounds going to see who wins the most. Whoever connects four chips in a row wins — $18
- Ring Around the Reindeer: For something more physical, you need this inflatable Reindeer Antler Toss Game. It includes two antler hats, 12 tossing rings and an air pump for inflating — $9
- UNO: You can’t have a conversation about classic games without including UNO in the mix. Make your opponents draw four, try to snag as many wild cards as you can and slap down cards with matching numbers and colors — $7
- Happy Christmas, Harry: Get sorted into your house and start your journey at Hogwarts in this “Harry Potter” version of Monopoly. Slightly different from the regular board game, this one has a Hogwarts-themed gameboard and pieces like Hagrid’s Motorbike and the Hogwarts Express Train — $20
- Test, Move, React: Bop it! Twist it! Pull it! Test your reflexes and reaction time with this interactive Bop It! Hasbro game — $12
- Bingo!: Bring the holiday magic into Bingo by playing this Christmas-themed version. It’s perfect for large groups, kids and adults. But please don’t shout Bingo unless you actually have a bingo! — $14
- Double, Double, Toil, Trouble: It’s the one game that encourages you to get into some trouble. Roll the dice in the Pop-O-Matic bubble and move each of your pieces across the board! The first person to get their pieces around the entire board wins — $7
- Let It Go: In Hasbro’s Don’t Break the Ice, kids can recreate their favorite scenes from Frozen and imagine themselves as Princess Elsa living in Arendelle. Just don’t break the ice! — $18
- Ultimate Twisting: Twister is the ultimate party game, and this version comes with a bigger mat and more spots, perfect for holiday parties and entertaining guests — $21
- Elf on the Shelf: When in doubt, you can always play a game of hide and seek to liven things up. But, instead of guests hiding, grab a couple of Elf on the Shelf dolls for them to find instead. Whoever finds one first or finds the most wins — $30
- Jenga: Pull out the blocks and stay on top in the game of Jenga. Just make sure the blocks don’t fall, but if they do, then start over for another game of fun — $20
- Family Feud: While you may not be able to win $20,000 in this at-home version of Family Feud, you can certainly win bragging rights. Just like the popular game show, split your teams into two for a friendly game of guessing — $48
