25+ Best Ever Fun Family Board Games For Christmas

Host a fun and festive family game night the whole family will enjoy with these top family board games for Christmas!

If you’re looking for some fun, festive family board games to play this Christmas, look no further!

A classic family board game night during the holiday season is a great Christmas party alternative for anyone looking for a cozy evening at home with friends, family, and loved ones.

The holidays are such a busy time of year and family game nights are a great way to host a fun get-together and enjoy the magic of Christmas and the holiday spirit without all the hustle and bustle.

Holiday game nights are so much fun you may just start a new family tradition and add it to your Christmas bucket list.

But, we know that there are loads of family board games for Christmas available.

So, we did the research and compiled a list of the very best Christmas board games for families to make the task of picking the perfect game just a little easier.

From family trivia games to Christmas charades and Christmas-themed board games like The Santa Claus game, we’ve compiled a list of over 25 of the best family board games for Christmas.

So make yourself some Christmas munch and pull up a chair because it’s time to start planning the best family game night ever!

Top 15 Family Board Games For Christmas In 2023

Here are our picks for the top 15 family board games for Christmas in 2023.

For detailed game information about each of these family board games for Christmas keep scrolling.

We give you a ton of information about each of these family board game for Christmas further down in this post.

1. The Santa Claus Game
2. Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman
3. Christmas-opoly
4. Tis The Season Christmas Trivia Game
5. Ticket To Ride Nordic Countries
6. Merry Dismiss
7. Holiday Charades
8. National Lampoon’s Twinkling Lights Game
9. Buddy The Elf Game
10. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas Journey
11. Christmas Vacation Card Scramble
12. The Home Alone Game
13. Santa’s Workshop
14. Christmas Story Card Game
15. 12 Days Of Christmas Card Game

Best Family Board Games For Christmas

With so many awesome family board games for Christmas out there, it can be hard to decide on the perfect family board game for your holiday get-together.

We took the time to do the hard work and research and the good news is that we found a solid list of good board game ideas for you to play during your Christmas holiday.

Ready to talk family board game for Christmas? Great! Let’s dig in!

1. The Santa Claus Game

The Santa Claus Game is a popular Christmas board game that is all about the Christmas spirit. This game is easy to play and only takes about 20 minutes per round, making it perfect for families with children as young as 3.

The goal of this game is to give gifts instead of receive them which is a great family bonding activity focused on generosity and the joy of giving!

Players start the game by filling their sleigh with presents and then make their way through the game board where they are met with fun Christmas activities like singing and dancing.

The player who gives away all their gifts first is the winner.

2. Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman

If you’ve ever played the game Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza then you are going to love Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman.

This fun card game is easy to set up and play and can accommodate up to 8 players of all ages.

The goal of the game is simple: the first player to unload all their cards wins.

Players sit in a circle and say the words Santa, cookie, elf, candy, snowman while simultaneously playing a card from their hand.

If the card matches, everyone slaps their hands and the last person to slap has to take all the cards from the middle pile.

When a round ends you can shuffle your cards and quickly start a new game making this a great choice for repeat plays.

3. Christmas-opoly

If one of your favorite family games is classic Monopoly you’re going to love Christmas-opoly. This holiday themed game is a fun twist on the classic game.

Ideal for 2-6 players, Christmas-opoly has players collecting properties as they make their way around the holiday themed gameboard.

Players can increase the value of their properties by buying presents and trading them in for Christmas trees. But, you need to watch out or you might get trampled by a reindeer, sent to the naughty or snowed in.

A good choice for older kids this game can be played traditionally (longer gameplay) or in a quicker one hour version.

4. Tis The Season Christmas Trivia Game

This family board game is a fun game to play around Christmas with both small and large groups.

Tis The Season Christmas Trivia Game pits players against each other in a race to answer the most questions correctly about holiday traditions, carols, and more.

The game has 1800 trivia questions from 6 categories ranging from easy to hard.

Players take turns asking each other questions and then guessing the answer.

To make this game more family-friendly, adults can help younger family members with questions when needed.

The first player or team to get enough right answers to spell “Christmas” wins!

5. Ticket to Ride Nordic Countries

One of our favorite small group family board games for Christmas is Ticket to Ride Nordic Countries.

The good thing about this game is you can play it with 2-3 players making it perfect for small family gatherings.

This popular strategy board game takes players through a Nordic adventure where they earn points by  claiming railway routes and pass through tunnels and onto ferries, as they connect capital cities throughout the Nordic Countries.

Your goal in this game is to build train routes connecting cities across Scandinavia and collect as many points as possible by the end of the game.

6. Merry Dismiss

One of our favorite board games for large groups is Merry Dismissmas.

This is one of those family board games for Christmas that can easily be played with large groups of 20 or more players.

Roasting each other is the name of the game in this board game aimed at a little good natured family fun.

With over 250 game cards in this family friendly game you can easily play this game for hours.

7. Holiday Charades

Holiday Charades is like classic charades but with a festive holiday twist.

A great game choice for playing in teams, this is one of those family board games of Christmas that is quick and easy to set up.

With 60 pre-cut game cards about all your favorite Christmas songs, movies, characters and traditions this cult classic is a good choice for game nights with players of a variety of different ages.

8. National Lampoon’s Twinkling Lights Game

If you’re a big fan of the iconic Christmas movie, National Lampoon’s Christmas vacation then this Twinkling Light’s game is a great pick.

In the classic comedy, Clark Griswold is determined to string over 25 000 lights on his home. And, in this fun game players need to lay tiles to create Christmas bulb combos and score points.

Ideal for groups of 2-4 players, this is one of those family board games for Christmas that can be played with children as young as 8.

9. Buddy The Elf Game

Our top choice for families with very young children, the Buddy The Elf Game is one of those family board games for Christmas that can be played by kids as young as 5.

We think it’s also a great choice for even younger kids if they are paired up with older sibling/cousins for some guidance.

Easy to play, the goal of this game is extremely simple.

The first person to get Buddy the Elf from the North Pole to Manhattan wins the game.

10. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

One of our favorite things about the board game Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer’s Christmas Journey is that it’s a great choice for young and old to play together.

So, it’s a solid board game choice for game nights with players of a variety of different ages including very young children.

Although it only comes with 4 game pieces you can easily play with more players by using your own tokens. Small Christmas trinkets would work very well.

Simple to learn and play this is one of those family board games for Christmas you can play for hours during the holiday season.

11. Christmas Vacation Card Scramble

This board game is the perfect way to spend time with friends and family during Christmas.

It is movie-themed, drawing inspiration from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and packed with imagery that fans of the film will love.

A good choice for teens and adults, Christmas Vacation Card Scramble requires that you match and collect while you out-strategize your opponents.

We don’t however suggest this game for younger children under the age of 12 because of its estimated 90 minutes of game time.

12. The Home Alone Game

A thematic board game based on the classic movie Home Alone, this easy to learn board game for Christmas allows for 2 to 4 players.

The Home Alone Game is a solid combination of strategy, risk management and luck. So, it’s a fun game that you can play for a few rounds without getting bored.

13. Santa’s Workshop

Based on Santa’s busy workshop, this Christmas board game for families has you working with your team of elves to build toys, mine coal and tend to reindeer.

Players earn points or “Christmas Cookies” as they complete tasks and responsibilities in the North Pole. There are even ways to earn bonus points by tending to Santa’s reindeer.

Santa’s Workshop is loads of fun. However, it isn’t the best choice for very young kids because of the complexity of the rules.

As a result, we think this is one of those family board games for Christmas best suited for older teens and young adults.

14. Christmas Story Card Game

A Christmas Story – A Major Card Game is one of those family board games for Christmas that is a great choice for holiday game nights.

The goal of the game is simple, help Ralphie Parker finally get his BB gun.

To win you’ll need to sneak a look at present cards, “triple-dog-dare” other players to make risky trades, and beware of any bullies who might be lurking out on the deck.

We love the nostalgia of this Christmas board game for families and know that young and old alike will love playing it around Christmas-time.

15. 12 Days Of Christmas Card Game

If your family really likes to play board games then we love The 12 Days Of Christmas as a choice around the holiday season.

A really easy card game to learn this is one of those family board games for Christmas you can play over and over again and not get bored.

Suited for young and old alike, this festive holiday game has players gifting and receiving cards that will be added to their tally of points for 12 rounds.

At the end of the game, the player with the highest number of points wins.

Even More Family Board Games For Christmas

The following board games for Christmas may not have made our top 15 but are still loads of fun to play with the family.

All of the family board games for Christmas listed below are fun games that will make a great addition to any holiday themed game night.

16. Save Christmas
17. Santa’s Factory
18. Christmas Dominoes
19. Christmas Rush
20. Elf Snowball Showdown
21. Santa Claus Old Maid
22. Christmas Charades
23. 12 Games Of Christmas
24. CLUE: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
25. Christmas Bingo
26. Christmas Scavenger Hunt

How to Choose Family Board Games For Christmas

Hosting a game night during the festive season is a great family bonding activity.

It’s one of our favorite family traditions during the holiday season since it’s the best way to spend quality time with loved ones of all ages in a relaxed setting.

See Also: Christmas Trivia Game Printable: #1 Best Free Holiday Game Idea

To make sure your holiday game night is successful and that everyone has as much fun as possible, it’s important to make sure you choose the right family board games for Christmas.

The goal of a Christmas board game night is having a great time. And, with that in mind we wanted to share a few tips on how to select family board games for Christmas that everyone will enjoy.

Here are a few things to consider when picking family board games for Christmas:

Consider Age Groups

If there will be young kids at your family game night, it might be best to stick to family board games for Christmas that are appropriate for their age.

Younger children will have the most fun if the family board games for Christmas you choose are easy to understand and don’t require too much complexity.

For older kids who can grasp more complex family board games for Christmas, look for family board games that are engaging and require a little strategic play.

Always, try to choose family board games for Christmas that will challenge them while still remaining age-appropriate.

And, for family game nights with a mix of family members of different ages, look for family board games for Christmas that are easy to pick up and understand.

Number Of Players

When choosing family board games for Christmas, keep in mind how many family members will be playing.

Some family board games for Christmas can accommodate large groups, while others are better suited for fewer players.

If your family is big, look for family board games that can accommodate multiple players.

If you have a smaller family or group, try to find family board games that still require some strategy and skill even with fewer players.

Expectations and Duration

Before deciding on family board games for Christmas, it’s important to keep in mind how long the family board games should last and when you will be playing.

Some family board games for Christmas are shorter and can be completed faster, while others can take hours to complete which may not be suitable if you are playing with especially young children.

Little kids tend to have short attention spans so games that you can finish in under 30 minutes might be best.

Also, consider the expectations of family members when it comes to family board games for Christmas.

If some family members want more of a challenge while others just want something fun and casual, you can choose a few Christmas board games that appeal to different tastes.

When Will You Play

Deciding when family board game night will start and end can also help choose family board games for Christmas.

Will family members want to play only one family board game, or will they want to play several?

If your game night is more of a board game marathon you can consider playing more than one board game from our list.

Will you be playing after Christmas dinner or on Christmas Day before lunch?

Knowing when you will play is important when picking a great board game for Christmas since some family board games require far more time to play than others.

Choose Games That Are Easy To Learn

It’s best to stick with family board games that don’t take too long to learn and have relatively easy instructions.

Playing a game when you don’t understand the rules or aim of the game isn’t much fun for anyone including fellow players.

The best Christmas board games are easy to understand and have straightforward rules everyone (even younger kids) can pick up quickly and follow.

Final Thoughts

Christmas is a time for family, friends, and fun.

And, what better way to celebrate than by playing family board games together?

These 25+ holiday-themed family board game ideas are perfect for family game nights during the Christmas season.

From classic choices to festive new board games, there’s a great Christmas game for everyone in our list.

So gather your family around the table and get ready to have some Christmastime fun!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best family game to play at Christmas?

The best games to play at Christmas will depend on your family’s preferences. Classic family board games like Monopoly, Scrabble, and Trivial Pursuit are always a hit, while holiday-themed family board games like Elf On The Shelf: North Pole to Manhattan and The Santa Claus Game can be great for family game night if you want something that’s a Christmas theme.

When picking a game for your holiday game night consider the age and number of players, as well as how much time the family has to play before making your choice.

How long should family board games for Christmas last?

The length of family board games for Christmas will vary depending on the game.

Some family board games can take just a few minutes while others may take several hours.

Consider when family members are available to play and how quickly they want the family board game to end before picking one for your family’s holiday game night.

What family board games are best for young children?

When selecting family board games for young children, look for ones that are easy to understand and don’t require a lot of strategy or complex rules.

Games like The Santa Claus Game, Christmas Bingo or Santa Go Fish are all good easy to play family board games for Christmas kids will enjoy.

What is the most popular Christmas board game

The most popular Christmas board game is The Santa Claus Game.

In this family, board game players celebrate the joys of the holiday season by giving gifts instead of receiving them!

The first player to give away all their gifts wins!