Holiday Games & Family Fun

Holiday games, activities, and ideas for all ages!

The holidays are a magical time, filled with twinkling lights, festive cheer and cherished traditions. But — let’s be honest — they can also be challenging, frustrating and expensive.

That’s why Boys & Girls Clubs of the Capital Area curated these holiday games and activities to help families connect and make memories this holiday season. With experience empowering kids to have fun and build their confidence, we're here to help you make this holiday season extra special for kids and grownups alike.

Scroll down to discover a treasure trove of fun and engaging DIY activities for the whole family. Whether you're looking for a quick and easy craft or silly game to get everyone from the toddler to grandma laughing, our activities have you covered. We also share some ideas for making new traditions as a family this holiday season.

Let the holiday fun begin!

Making Holiday Traditions

1) Find an Ornament Representing a Child’s Interests or Wins for the Year

Youth can accomplish so many things in just one year — building STEM or artistic skills, trying a new sport, moving to a new town. Ask your young person: “When you look back on this year, what do you think you’ll remember most about it?”

Did they score a goal during a game? Earn their driver’s license? Get cast in the school play?

Commemorate these important life experiences by spending the season looking for a “special ornament” they can add to the tree and look back on their year with nostalgia and pride.

2) Event-ize Seeing Holiday Lights

Holiday lights are one of the most sparkling reminders of the season. While it can be easy to get caught up seeing them from drives to school, work and errands, making holiday lights an annual tradition makes it a lot more special. Whether you drive through a festive neighborhood or a formal light display or take a walk through a favorite street or park, set a date and make it special. Ideas for making this tradition stand out: pack a special treat or hot chocolate, pick a dress code (from pajamas to cozy sweaters), and play your favorite holiday tunes.

3) Create a Giving Back Tradition

Giving back taps into the compassion of the holiday season. Explore local charities that provide opportunities to give back to your community — and make doing so an annual tradition. From donating items to toy drives or food banks to volunteering at an organization like an animal shelter or soup kitchen, there are a lot of ways to show up in your community. Adults can also model giving back by sharing what charities they donate to and why.

Family Friendly Holiday Games

The holidays are a time for family. However, having everyone under one roof doesn’t necessarily bring loved ones closer. That’s where these holiday games come in — there’s no greater gift than when every generation is laughing together.

TRADITIONAL GAME IDEAS

1) Festive Charades

First, write down holiday-related concepts or topics, cut or tear them up so they’re all on an individual piece of paper, then put them into a hat or bowl. Participants split into two teams. A member from each team draws a holiday-related concept or topic from a hat. They must act it out without speaking or miming the letters. Whichever team guesses the answer correctly gets a point. The first team to 20 points wins! Here are some ideas to get started!

DECORATING THE HOUSE  | ICE SKATING

GOING TO A HOLIDAY PARTY | BUILDING A FIRE

SNOWBALL FIGHT | MAKING A SNOWMAN

SLEDDING FAMILY | WRAPPING A GIFT |

SNOW | BAKING COOKIES | HOT CHOCOLATE

2) Holiday Scattergories

Put a festive spin on the scattergories game with holiday themes! To start, create a few lists of different seasonal categories. This can include holiday songs, characters in classic holiday movies, festive foods or winter sports to name a few. Give family members paper and pencils/pens to jot down their answers and establish a time limit. When the game starts, everyone needs to come up with as many answers as possible for a specific holiday category. When time runs out, read out the answers each person wrote per category. Score a point for every answer that is not repeated! The winner racks up the most points at the end of the game. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. HOLIDAY SONGS

2. CHARACTERS IN CLASSIC HOLIDAY MOVIES

3. HOT DRINKS

4. WINTER ACTIVITIES

5. WARM CLOTHES

6. BEST THING ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS

7. SOMETHING BLUE

8. WINTER SPORTS

Make It Harder: For each category, randomly assign a letter their answers must start with. Example: “Festive foods” that start with “C!”

3) Holiday Guess Who

Put names of famous seasonal characters on separate pieces of paper and throw them all into a hat. Ideas: The Grinch, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Buddy the Elf, or Kevin McCallister.

Have each participant draw one name, but don’t let them peek at it! Instead, everyone tapes the name they drew to their forehead. Participants must ask other guests yes-or-no questions to gather up clues to figure out who they are. Whoever guesses right first wins!

NONTRADITIONAL GAME IDEAS

1) Six Word Holiday Stories

Get creative by creating your own holiday story together with this six-word-story game! Be sure to incorporate some festive themes and characters. It starts with one person setting the scene by saying “Once upon a time there was…” and then completing the sentence with a maximum of six words. Family members then go around in a circle, each contributing six words to the collective story. The story ends after everyone has gone twice.

2) Marshmallow Jenga

Fact: kids are never bored if there’s an open bag of marshmallows in the house. Place a large plate or cutting board on your table, then ask each participant to take turns stacking marshmallows on top of each other. When someone causes the structure to collapse, they’re out!

3) Jingle In The Trunk

Ready to get silly? This activity is sure to get families loosened up and laughing. Prep required: Make two “jingle belts.” Hot glue, duct tape or tie an empty tissue box to an adjustable belt. Do this for two belts. Put the same number of jingle bells or small balls inside each tissue box.

Competition time! Pick two family members to wear the belts, with the boxes hanging in the back. Then, watch them face off in a competition to see who can shake their bodies to bounce the bells out of their box the fastest. Everyone from grandparents to toddlers will have fun showing off their moves!

Holiday Crafts & Activities

Your family just showed up several hours early to your holiday get together. Quick! Here are some fun ideas for crafts using materials you likely already have on hand. (These also work well to help use up that slow-moving time before dinner or in a post-present malaise.)

1) Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?

Regardless of what climate you live in, it’s always fun to build a snowman. Present an indoor “Snowman Challenge” and challenge kids (adults also welcome) to build the best snowman possible out of household items (think pillows, paper towel rolls, etc.). See what they can come up with scavenging the house and building without any glue, binders, etc. Have everyone present their final product and ingenuity.

2) The Nose Knows

Round up a handful of foods or items with strong seasonal smells — like an orange, candy cane, pine tree branch or gingerbread cookie. Place each item in its own empty tissue box and have kids use their nose to see if they can sniff out what’s inside. Ask kids to describe the scents they’re smelling — fruity, nutty, etc. — and name places that remind them of the different aromas — grandma’s house, farmers market, etc. This game is less about getting the answers right and more about prompting kids to use critical thinking skills to support their guesses.

3) Decorate Festive Treats

Set out a variety of edible decorating items and ask kids to come up with themes and decoration ideas. From store bought gingerbread house kits to homemade sugar cookies, anything can be the base. Decorating and building materials can include various candies and snack foods — pretzel sticks, gumdrops, sprinkles, icing tubes, etc.

4) Make Your Own Snowflakes

This one’s a classic for a reason but can also be a great STEM lesson. Teach your kids about the unique and symmetrical nature of snowflakes by making your own six-pointed masterpieces. All you need to start are paper and scissors.

1. Trim each piece of paper into a square and fold the square into a triangle. (Folding paper into a triangle first makes it easy to trim off the extra part.)

2. Fold this triangle in half again, and then fold the new triangle into thirds so the edges sides stick up unevenly.

3. Trim the uneven part off at an angle to create your points. Then, start cutting out pieces from the sides to make your snowflake design — just don’t cut the paper all the way through.

4. When you and your child finish cutting, unfold carefully to reveal your unique snowflakes!

Thank you for visiting

Giving kids what they truly need doesn’t take much. The most meaningful gift isn’t wrapped or found in a store — it’s access to caring mentors, safe places to grow, reliable meals and opportunities that open doors.

Because when kids are given what they need, they grow into the kind of people our community needs — resilient, prepared and full of promise. Albany & Troy need Club Kids. And right now, Club Kids need you.

Support our youth services: www.bgccapitalarea.org/give

Other Holiday-themed Articles

Youth Gift Guide: The Best Experience Gifts for Kids

https://www.bgccapitalarea.org/post/youth-gift-guide-the-best-experience-gifts-for-kids

A Guide To Chanukah

https://www.bgccapitalarea.org/post/a-guide-to-chanukah

A Guide To Diwali

https://www.bgccapitalarea.org/post/a-guide-to-diwali

A Guide To Kwanzaa

https://www.bgccapitalarea.org/post/a-guide-to-kwanzaa