The ugly sweater party is one of the most popular holiday party trends. And for good reason – it’s a lot of fun!
Many of us have stories of in-the-office holiday potlucks or after-work holiday parties that weren’t entertaining to keep us occupied or engaged. But an ugly sweater party is a great way to bring your co-workers together and celebrate the Christmas season in a fun, festive way.
If you’re on the ‘holiday planning committee’ at work, here are some ugly Christmas sweater party games to keep things lively and entertaining for all your guests.
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12 Games for Your Ugly Sweater Christmas Party
1. Vote for the tackiest holiday sweater
What kind of party doesn’t have this game at the top of its list? This game is a fun way to get everyone into the ugly sweater spirit and sparks some friendly (and not-so-friendly) competition!
When do you get to vote on the most visually unappealing sweater during the year? For those who have never attended one, this is the best game for your co-workers to understand that the ugliest sweater dress code must be unapologetically embraced.
A good idea is to reward the ugliest Christmas sweater winner with a certificate, candy canes, and other small holiday prizes.
2. Holiday edition: think quick
Come up with 10 categories, listing some of the most holiday classic items like Christmas decorations, reindeer names, things Santa wears, or Christmas carols.
Split your co-workers into teams of two or three, and give each team 10-15 minutes to come up with three items for each category. The team with the most correct answers wins! A light and fun contest to get everyone moving and interacting with one another.
3. Name that movie: Guess the Christmas sweater
This game is a little more challenging than the others, but it will get your co-workers thinking. First, find a selection of holiday movie stills, and then give your co-workers a list of holiday movies.
For each picture they think matches the movie, they get to choose one item from the ugly Christmas sweater table as a prize. A fun and creative way to celebrate the holiday season without playing a game that will dull everyone’s spirits.
Check out or list of holiday spirit movies:
Black Holiday Movies to Add to Your Watch List Now
4. Unscramble the Christmas song titles
Looking for an easy way to get your co-workers interacting? Try this fun and unique game that’ll have everyone working together as a team!
Write down 10 Christmas song titles and then write them out in random order. Have your co-workers work together to rearrange the words of each title, so it makes sense, and then see who can do it the fastest.
This is one of the first Christmas party games I played with my co-workers, and I still remember how hard I laughed watching people around me get so competitive!
5. Feud: Holiday edition
“Survey says,” The infamous line read by the Feud host, this game is a perfect way to get the party started. Split your group into two teams, and have them come up with answers to survey questions that would be typical of a holiday gathering.
The team with the most answers gets the point, and at the end of the allotted time, whichever team has the most points scores small prizes!This game is a favorite among many co-workers, as it’s easy to play and helps get people warmed up and having a great time.
Here’s a digital file of Feud game sheets that I recommend.
6. Drink “if” game
Why not try a fun, work-friendly twist on the classic ugly sweater game for your holiday celebration? Just have your guests take a sip of their favorite holiday non-alcoholic beverage whenever someone reads something that applies to them.
You can create your own questions, buy this online holiday version, or use classic ones, like “have you ever lived in a cabin” or “do you own a snow globe.” The game can be customized to fit the interests and backgrounds of your party guests, and it’s sure to get everyone laughing and having a good time!
7. Guess the price of the christmas gift
Another fun and festive challenge, this game involves giving each player a Christmas gift to look at and then trying to guess the price of the gift within a specific budget. You can do it as one big group or break it into teams for friendly competition.
Whichever way you choose to play, this holiday game is sure to be a hit! Set a time limit for players to guess the price and then reveal the actual value of the gift at the end. Whoever comes closest will win a prize or sweet treat!
8. White elephant gift exchange
The basic premise of a white elephant gift exchange is that each player brings a wrapped gift to contribute, and everyone takes turns choosing a gift from the pile. Then, everyone must try to steal or “steal” the best gifts from each other until the final winner is decided.
This is one of the most popular games with staff every holiday season because it’s the best way to get everyone on the same page to bring a gift if they want to get in on the action. So if you’re looking for a holiday activity that’s fun, competitive, and easy to organize, look no further than the classic white elephant gift exchange.
9. Christmas trivia
Better than board games, for the one who claims to be a “know-it-all,” you’re going to want to add Christmas trivia as part of your party theme. You can quickly come up with your own questions or use some of the hundreds and thousands already available online.
But if you want to make it even more fun, you can divide your guests into teams to compete against each other. Prepare your answer keys ahead of time and have a variety of different categories you cover, from music, movies, food, history, and more.
10. Ugly sweater bingo
If you’re looking for a fun and festive way to incorporate the ugly sweater theme into your holiday party, why not try an ugly sweater bingo game? This activity is easy to set up and gives guests a chance to get creative with their outfits while still having some friendly competition.
Another of my favorites, one of the best things about choosing this game, is that you can easily find downloadable bingo cards online and even print out “bingo” callouts to use during the game.
11. Guess who baked the cookies
This activity is perfect for a Christmas celebration. It involves giving each player a wrapped cookie or another treat to try and guess who baked it based on clues, either in written form or by comparing notes with other guests.
The goal of this game is to work together as a team and guess the correct answer, so it’s a great way to get your co-workers or friends to interact with each other. What better way to spend the holidays than by eating sweet treats that your co-workers or friends have made with love?
Need a recipe to make for your work party? Check out our holiday recipes!
The Ultimate Holiday Cookie Recipes to Save for Later
‘Tis The Season for These Cake Recipes for Christmas
12. Face the cookie
This is a fun game for larger groups where players have one minute to get the cookie from their forehead and put it in their mouth. Use a standard-size cookie like Oreos or chocolate chip cookies, divide the players into teams, and then watch as everyone competes to see who can move their cookie from their forehead to their mouth first.
It doesn’t matter how you do this—as long as no hands are involved! However, I will give you a forewarning to prepare to laugh so hard because the way people look as they maneuver cookies from their foreheads to their mouths will have you grabbing your stomach because of how hilarious it is.
Read more of our holiday content found on the blog
Kb in Bloom’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guide for BIPOC Women
Holiday Nails That Are Better Than Red Nail Polish
50 Gratitude Affirmations to Remember Now Through The Holidays
