The most anticipated meal of the year is over, and if you are anything like us you probably need a little help digesting those second helpings – and what better way to do it than with a few festive games? Here are just a few that the entire family will enjoy.
Charades
It's a seasoned classic for a reason – everyone loves charades! Make sure that everyone is up to speed on the rules and the symbols, and then get to guessing. Remember: it's the wrong guesses that make for the most entertaining ones!
Who am I?
Gather everyone around the table, and hand out Post-Its and pens. Each person must write a name – it can be a character, a celebrity, etc. - then swap them around the table. The current player must stick a name to their forehead (without peeping!) and guess who they are by asking a series of questions. If they're stuck, you can help them along with a clue or two.
Chinese whispers
Pretty much everyone knows how to play this game – one person thinks of a statement, then they whisper it into the ear of the person next to them. The whisper goes around the circuit of guests, and the person at the very end must announce it out loud. If things go according to plan, the statement will come out very differently – and often ridiculously – by the end! Add a festive twist by using Christmas song lyrics.
Lie detector
Pass out three scraps of paper to each of your guests, and get them to write out one lie and two truths about themselves – it can be absolutely anything. One player then announces their three statements, doing their best to conceal their lie, while the other players do their best to figure out which statement is totally made up. Let the fun commence!
Scattergories
Perfect for testing your brain power and competitive prowess, Scattergories is one of our family favourites. Divide up your guests into two teams, and appoint a games master to list out the categories. Each team then has three minutes to write down as many words or things connected with that category (e.g. North Pole – Santa, workshop, snow, elves, etc.). If your team has an item on their list that the other team doesn't, you score a point.
What if/ Then
This is one of the most ridiculous and fun family games ever. Every person gets two scraps of paper: one on which they write a 'What if' situation, and another on which they write a 'Then' solution – e.g. If Santa's sleigh breaks down, then Rudolph will come to the rescue. Mix all of the 'What ifs' and 'Thens' together in two separate containers, then get each player to read one of each out – you are guaranteed some utterly hilarious and ridiculous combinations.
Name the carol
This is a great way to get your brain working after all of that Christmas turkey. Each player must name the Christmas carol, using only three or four words as the clue. The aim is to call out the clues in the form of a quick-fire quiz round, and the person who names the most songs is the winner. You can adapt the game with other themes and categories.
