Hosting & celebrations · September 15, 2026 · 10 min read
6 Holiday Party Games to Print and Play at the Table
Choose six paper-and-pencil holiday party games with free printable prompts, separate answer keys, clear rules, and a worked round for the host.
For a holiday party game you can play sitting down, try guessing a parcel from three clues, remembering a window full of winter pictures, or passing a drawing around the table. Each game below has its own free printable, with the prompts already written.
These six paper-and-pencil holiday party games use winter pictures, wrapping, and imaginary parcels. Choose one for your gathering; you don't need to turn the evening into a tournament. The puzzles work well as a separate table activity, while the clue and drawing games need everyone playing to begin together.
Choose a game and print only what you need
| Game | People | What to print |
|---|---|---|
| Three-clue parcels | 3–10, including one host | Page 1 for the host; page 2 per player |
| Winter window memory | 2–8 | Both pages per person |
| Gift-tag code | 2–12; teams of 2–4 | Page 1 per team; one answer page |
| Parcel shelf | 2–8, in pairs | Page 1 per pair; one answer page |
| Winter word pairs | 2–8 | Page 1 per person; one answer page |
| Pass-the-parcel picture | 3–8 | One sheet per person |
Bring pencils and a timer. The downloads are US Letter PDFs for printing and handwriting, not fillable forms. Print at actual size on Letter paper, or use your printer's fit setting for A4. Black-and-white printing works: color doesn't carry any answers. Print single-sided so a hidden answer page stays separate from a playing sheet.
The previews link to the same downloads as the text links. Open a preview to inspect the full page before printing. Nobody needs an account or a purchased game.
1. Three-clue parcels
Choose this for a group that likes solving clues. One person reads clues while the others make a single secret guess. An early correct guess is worth more, but a wrong guess ends your chance for that round.
Download Three-clue parcels: host and player sheets (2-page PDF)
Set up: Pick a host and give everyone else a player sheet. The host keeps page 1 hidden; it contains all eight answers and three clues per answer. Everyone can see the host, but players keep their written guesses private.
- The host announces the round number and reads clue 1, then allows 15 seconds. A player can write an answer now or wait. Anyone who writes circles “1” and puts their pencil down.
- Read clue 2 and allow another 15 seconds. Players who haven't guessed can write an answer and circle “2.” Earlier guesses stay unchanged.
- Read clue 3 and allow a final 15 seconds. Players still waiting can write and circle “3,” or leave the row blank to pass.
- Reveal the answer. A correct guess earns 3 points after the first clue, 2 after the second, or 1 after the third. A wrong guess or a pass earns 0. Accept the named object or a clear synonym, such as “present label” for “gift tag.”
Repeat through round 8, then add the points. The highest total wins; tied players share the win. The host doesn't compete because they've seen the answers. Someone arriving late can join the next round, although their shorter total won't be comparable with a full-game score.
A worked round, then the finish
Here is an illustrative round with three players, not a report of a tested family gathering. The first answer is scarf.
The host reads, “I can be long enough to wrap more than once.” Mia writes “scarf,” circles 1, and puts her pencil down. Eli and Jo wait. After “My ends may have fringe,” Eli writes “scarf” and circles 2. Jo waits for “You wear me around your neck,” then writes “scarf” and circles 3. At the reveal, Mia earns 3 points, Eli earns 2, and Jo earns 1.
The rest of this example shows how a pass and a tie work. Jo passes round 2, and Mia makes a wrong guess in round 5. Both score zero for those rounds and return normally for the next one.
| Round | Mia's points | Eli's points | Jo's points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | 2 | 3 | 0, pass |
| 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | 0, wrong guess | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 8 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Total | 16 | 16 | 12 |
Mia and Eli share the win. There's no extra round to invent.
Host-only preview: show all clues and answers
2. Winter window memory
Choose this for a short visual challenge. Everyone studies the same twelve-picture window, then tries to remember both the pictures and their places. People can write names instead of drawing, so drawing skill doesn't affect the score.
Download Winter window memory: picture and recall sheets (2-page PDF)
Give each person both pages, with the picture page face down. Turn it over together and study it for 45 seconds. Cover or turn over the picture page, then spend two minutes filling the empty window on page 2. Everyone works at the same time; there are no individual turns.
When time ends, uncover page 1. Award 1 point for each different correct picture and another point when it's in its original pane, up to 24. A repeated picture only scores once, using its best placement. For example, a mug drawn in the wrong pane earns 1 point. The mug in its original bottom-left pane earns 2. Writing “cup” also counts if it's clearly the same pictured object.
Leave a pane blank when you don't remember; it scores zero. Tied totals share the win. Use this sheet for one memory round: repeating the same arrangement after the reveal changes the challenge. Someone who has already studied the preview can keep time instead.
See the empty recall sheet
3. Gift-tag code
Choose this when people want to solve something together. Six imaginary parcels have destinations written in numbers. Teams decode the labels using the alphabet key printed on their sheet.
Download Gift-tag code: puzzle and answers (2-page PDF)
Make teams of two to four people and give each team page 1. Keep page 2 hidden. Start a six-minute timer, then let teammates divide up the labels or work through them together. A slash separates words; a hyphen separates letters. For instance, 2-15-23 becomes B-O-W.
Each team writes one shared answer per label. They can revise an answer until time ends or leave it blank to pass. Stop together and check page 2, awarding one point for each complete destination, up to six. Ignore capitalization and punctuation. Teams with the same top score share the win. With just one team, try to finish all six before the timer rather than compete with another group.
These are fictional locations in a word puzzle. There's nothing to hide beforehand or search for around the house. A late arrival can join a team that's still solving.
Show the six decoded destinations
4. Parcel shelf
Choose this for a puzzle table people can join in pairs. Work out where each parcel belongs from the clues. The first shelf has five places; the second has six. Both have one solution.
Download Parcel shelf: two puzzles and explained answers (2-page PDF)
Give each pair a puzzle page and keep the answer page nearby, face down. Read the picture-name list for the first shelf, then use the clues to write each name into one place. “Immediately left” means the next place over; “somewhere right” allows a gap. Pencil helps because the pair can revise a trial arrangement.
Once an arrangement satisfies every clue, move to the second shelf. There's no timer or score: the pair finishes when both shelves are solved. If you're stuck, turn over the answer page and read its explanation together. You can stop after the first shelf or leave a puzzle for later.
New arrivals can begin another copy whenever they like. This is the easiest option here to leave available while the rest of the gathering continues.
Show both shelf solutions and explanations
5. Winter word pairs
Choose this for a quick word-matching round. Match eight beginnings to eight endings to make words and phrases such as the things you might wrap, light, or see in winter.
Download Winter word pairs: matching sheet and answers (2-page PDF)
Give each player page 1 and keep page 2 out of sight. Start a three-minute timer. Everyone works independently, joining each beginning to one ending. Use every ending once. Players can draw connecting lines, write the completed words, or do both.
At the finish, check the eight pairs on page 2. Award one point per correct pair, up to eight; spaces don't matter. A blank answer is a pass and scores zero. Tied totals share the win. There isn't a bonus for finishing early, so players can check their matches for the remaining time.
For a quieter version, share a sheet with a partner and skip the timer. Once the answers are revealed, move to another game instead of asking the same group to repeat the puzzle.
Show the eight word pairs
6. Pass-the-parcel picture
Choose this when you'd rather make something than keep score. Each drawing travels around the table. By the end, several people have helped turn an open gift box into a tiny winter scene.
Download Pass-the-parcel picture (1-page PDF)
Seat three to eight players where passing left makes a loop. Give everyone a sheet and ask them to add initials at the top. One player reads the cues and runs a one-minute timer; they can draw too. Everyone follows the same cue at the same time:
- Draw an open gift box near the bottom of the drawing space.
- Add a tiny winter house coming out of the box.
- Make a curling ribbon into a river through the scene.
- Add a mitten-shaped boat floating on that river.
- Draw a snowflake-shaped balloon above the house.
- Give the picture a title on the line at the bottom.
Pass left after each of the first five cues. After cue 6, return each drawing to the person whose initials are at the top. Show the pictures and read any titles people want to share. There's no judging, guessing, or winning drawing.
Add to what's already there; don't erase another person's marks. You can skip any cue and pass the sheet unchanged. With fewer than six players, a drawing may come back to you before it's finished, so continue with the next cue. Anyone joining mid-game can read cues or wait for a new set of sheets.
Keep the next round optional
If people want another activity, offer a different game from the table above. Three-clue parcels, memory, decoding, logic, matching, and drawing ask people to do different things, so the next choice can follow the group's mood. Keep an unused copy of a puzzle for someone who arrives after a reveal.
For the room and invitation, see the Christmas party theme ideas. For an activity you'd like to return to next winter, browse the holiday traditions for families. More downloadable sheets are in the free printable collection.