Outdoor Christmas Party Games

Christmas games for a yard, a driveway or a street, with snow or without: press Pick 3 new games.

Outdoor Christmas Party Games

  1. Shovel the Sleigh's Runway1. Mark two parallel start lines in the snow. Each team has one snow shovel. 2. In turns of twenty seconds, one shoveler at a time clears a straight lane away from the line: a runway for a sleigh. 3. After three minutes, pace out each runway from the line to its far end. 4. The longer runway wins, as long as bare ground or packed snow shows all the way along it. Mittens stay on, and the game stops when the first player says they are cold. Youngest: age 8. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 8 min. Props: a snow shovel for each team and a watch.
  2. Stamp Out a Snow Star, Directed From the Porch1. One player goes to an upstairs window or stands on the porch steps as the director. 2. The rest of the team tramps out a five-pointed star in fresh snow, as wide as a car, walking in single file. 3. The director calls corrections down: longer on the left, close the top point. 4. Take a photo from above. With two patches of snow, two teams race to the better star. Mittens stay on, and the game stops when the first player says they are cold. Youngest: age 6. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 12 min. Props: a lawn of untrodden snow and a camera.
  3. Lantern Path to the Front Door1. Each team has eight jars or paper bags with a battery tea light inside, waiting at the sidewalk. 2. One pair at a time carries a lantern up the path at a walk and sets it down a long stride beyond the last one. 3. The next pair may leave once the first is back. 4. The first path to reach the door wins. All the lanterns stay lit for the rest of the party. Pairs stay together inside the marked boundary, with a head count before and after. Youngest: age 5. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: jars or paper bags, battery tea lights and a marked path.

Next step An outdoor Christmas scavenger hunt

How it works

These outdoor Christmas party games are for a yard, a driveway or a street party. Most need no snow. Each entry gives the youngest age that can join, and the after-dark games keep everyone in pairs inside a boundary.

Read the full guide

Check the ground first

In the All games menu, Snow on the ground holds the games that need snow and No snow needed the games made for grass or a driveway. Under More filters, the last entry of that menu, Works on snow and Works without snow add the after-dark and warm-up games, which work either way. The same rows sort by head count, minutes and energy.

Short rounds, with a warm-up between

Keep each game to about ten minutes and put one of the Warm-up games between rounds before the next. Save After dark by the lights for the moment the lights go on.

Tips
  • Hang or hide everything for the after-dark games while it is still light.

Questions and answers

What Christmas games can you play outside without snow?

Choose No snow needed in the All games menu. Roll the Tinsel Wreath Down the Driveway, Card Stars Tossed at a Stepladder Tree and Sweep the Coal Into the Fireplace are played on grass or a driveway with a hoop, a stepladder and two brooms.

What can a Christmas party do outside after dark?

Use the lights. In Flashlight Glint Hunt for Twelve Ornaments pairs search for the shine of ornaments, and in Find the One Dark Bulb the host covers a single bulb for everyone to spot.

How do you keep guests warm during outdoor games?

Play a quick moving game between the others. Dasher Runs, Dancer Spins: The Caller Chooses and Twelve Down to One take about five minutes and need no props.

Are these games for children or adults?

For both together. Every entry names the youngest age that can join, from four for the simplest warm-ups to eight for Shovel the Sleigh's Runway.

More tools

Browse Holiday Games

All 30 games

Snow on the ground 8

  • A Tree Made of Snow, Trimmed From the Yard 1. Each team has ten minutes to pile and pat snow into a cone as tall as its shortest member: a Christmas tree. 2. Trim it with what is lying on the ground: pine cones, twigs, fallen berries, seed heads. Nothing is picked from a living plant. 3. Finish with a star on top, made of anything. 4. A judge who took no part walks around with a flashlight and names the best-dressed tree. Mittens stay on, and the game stops when the first player says they are cold. Youngest: age 5. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 15 min. Props: snow and whatever has fallen in the yard.
  • Chain of Snow Angels, Wingtip to Wingtip 1. The whole party lines up along one edge of clean snow. 2. On go, everyone lies back and makes an angel whose wing touches the neighbor's wing. 3. Stand up with care, step forward and make another row. 4. Count the unbroken chain after two minutes. Guests who arrive late add an angel to the end. Mittens stay on, and the game stops when the first player says they are cold. Youngest: age 4. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 6 min. Props: a lawn of untrodden snow.
  • Follow the Hoof Prints to the Bell 1. One pair makes reindeer tracks across the yard by pressing two short sticks into the snow, side by side, every stride. 2. The trail loops and doubles back, and ends where the pair buries a jingle bell just under the surface. 3. The trackers set off five minutes later and follow the prints. 4. Time them from the first print to the ring of the bell. Then swap, with fresh snow or a new corner of the yard. Mittens stay on, and the game stops when the first player says they are cold. Youngest: age 6. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 15 min. Props: two short sticks, a jingle bell and a watch.
Show all 30 games (27 more)

Snow on the ground, continued

  • Shovel the Sleigh's Runway 1. Mark two parallel start lines in the snow. Each team has one snow shovel. 2. In turns of twenty seconds, one shoveler at a time clears a straight lane away from the line: a runway for a sleigh. 3. After three minutes, pace out each runway from the line to its far end. 4. The longer runway wins, as long as bare ground or packed snow shows all the way along it. Mittens stay on, and the game stops when the first player says they are cold. Youngest: age 8. Players: 4 to 12. Time: 8 min. Props: a snow shovel for each team and a watch.
  • Snowballs Through the Wreath on the Fence 1. Hang a plain wreath or a hoop wound with greenery on a fence or from a branch, away from windows and from where anyone is standing. 2. Mark a throwing line eight steps back. 3. Each player makes five snowballs and throws them at the wreath, one at a time. 4. Through the middle scores three points, and a hit on the wreath scores one. Snowballs are thrown at the target and never at a person. Mittens stay on, and the game stops when the first player says they are cold. Youngest: age 6. Players: 2 to 16. Time: 10 min. Props: a wreath or a hoop, and string.
  • Snowman Race: Scarf, Carrot, Then the Hat 1. Teams of three or four start at the same moment, each with a hat, a scarf and a carrot waiting on the porch. 2. Roll and stack three balls of snow. 3. Only when the body stands may a runner fetch the scarf, then the carrot, then the hat, one trip each. 4. The first team with a hat on a standing snowman wins. A snowman that falls after the whistle still counts. Mittens stay on, and the game stops when the first player says they are cold. Youngest: age 5. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: a hat, a scarf and a carrot for each team.
  • Stack the Sled High, Pull It to the Tree 1. Each team has a sled on flat snow and a pile of empty wrapped boxes at the start line. 2. Two pullers stack as many boxes on the sled as they dare, with nothing to tie them down, and pull it to the tree at a walk. 3. Only the boxes still on the sled at the tree count. A box that falls stays where it fell. 4. Each pair of pullers makes one trip. The team that lands the most boxes at the tree wins. Mittens stay on, and the game stops when the first player says they are cold. Youngest: age 5. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: a sled, a rope and a pile of empty wrapped boxes for each team.
  • Stamp Out a Snow Star, Directed From the Porch 1. One player goes to an upstairs window or stands on the porch steps as the director. 2. The rest of the team tramps out a five-pointed star in fresh snow, as wide as a car, walking in single file. 3. The director calls corrections down: longer on the left, close the top point. 4. Take a photo from above. With two patches of snow, two teams race to the better star. Mittens stay on, and the game stops when the first player says they are cold. Youngest: age 6. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 12 min. Props: a lawn of untrodden snow and a camera.

No snow needed 8

  • Card Stars Tossed at a Stepladder Tree 1. Stand a stepladder open on the lawn: the tree. Cut five stars from thick card, or use beanbags. 2. From a line six steps back, each player tosses the five stars underhand. 3. A star that stays on the top step scores five points, and each lower step scores one less. 4. Nobody climbs the ladder. Stars are collected when everyone has thrown. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 5. Players: 2 to 16. Time: 8 min. Props: a stepladder and five card stars or beanbags.
  • Carry the Tree Home Upright 1. Each team has a broom or a rake held bristles up: the tree. A bucket of sand stands at the far end as the tree stand. 2. A runner balances the tree upright on a flat palm and walks it around two cones. 3. If it tips, the runner stops, steadies it and counts to three before moving on. 4. Stand the tree in the bucket, lift it out and walk it home for the next runner. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 7. Players: 4 to 16. Time: 10 min. Props: a broom or a rake for each team, two cones and a bucket of sand.
  • Clip the Paper Bulbs in Pattern 1. String a clothesline between two trees or fence posts at chest height for each team. 2. Put a basket of paper bulbs in four colors and a bag of clothespins at the start line. 3. One player at a time carries a bulb to the line and clips it on, following the pattern the host calls: red, green, gold, blue. 4. A bulb out of order has to be fixed by the next runner. The first line of sixteen in pattern wins. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 5. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: two clotheslines, paper bulbs in four colors and clothespins.
  • Pendulum Bowling at a Row of Gift Boxes 1. Hang a soft ball in a sock from a low branch or a clothesline, so that it swings a hand's width above the ground. 2. Stand six empty wrapped boxes in a row beneath it. 3. A bowler pulls the ball back and lets it go, without pushing. One swing a turn. 4. Count the boxes that fall on the way out and on the way back. Reset for the next bowler. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 5. Players: 2 to 12. Time: 8 min. Props: a soft ball, a long sock, string and six empty wrapped boxes.
  • Reindeer on a Rope, Steered by Tugs 1. Four reindeer hold a long rope in a line and close their eyes. The driver holds the two ends at the back. 2. The driver steers the team through a course of cones with tugs alone: left end for left, right end for right, both for whoa. 3. Nobody speaks. The whole team moves at a walk. 4. Time each team. A touched cone adds five seconds, and everyone takes a turn as the driver. An adult walks beside any child whose eyes are closed. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 7. Players: 5 to 15. Time: 12 min. Props: a long rope, cones and a watch.
  • Roll the Tinsel Wreath Down the Driveway 1. Wind tinsel around a plastic hoop for each team: the wreath. 2. A player rolls it on its edge down the driveway with one hand or a stick, around a cone and back. 3. A wreath that falls over is stood up where it fell. 4. Hand it to the next roller. The first team to finish wins. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 5. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 8 min. Props: a plastic hoop wound with tinsel for each team, and a cone.
  • Sack Over the Shoulder, Through the Chimney Hoop 1. Fill a pillowcase with empty boxes for each team. A helper holds a hoop upright halfway down the course: the chimney. 2. A runner carries the sack over one shoulder, steps through the hoop without letting go and sets one box down on a doormat at the far end. 3. The runner comes back through the chimney and hands the sack on. 4. The first team with every box delivered and stacked wins. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 5. Players: 6 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: a pillowcase of empty boxes for each team, a hoop and a doormat.
  • Sweep the Coal Into the Fireplace 1. Lay a big cardboard box on its side at the end of the driveway: the fireplace. Roll a black sock into a ball for the lump of coal. 2. Two players race at a time, each sweeping a lump with a broom around a cone and into the box. 3. Brooms stay below the knee. 4. The winner of each heat stays for the next challenger. Three wins in a row retires a champion. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 6. Players: 2 to 16. Time: 8 min. Props: two brooms, two black socks, a cone and a big cardboard box.

After dark by the lights 7

  • Call the Second the Lights Come On 1. Everyone gathers by the unlit tree or house. The host has chosen a secret moment within the next two minutes. 2. Each pair calls out how many seconds from now the lights will come on, and no two pairs may say the same number. 3. The whole party counts aloud together from one. 4. The host flips the switch. The pair with the closest call leads the first carol. Pairs stay together inside the marked boundary, with a head count before and after. Youngest: age 4. Players: 4 to 40. Time: 5 min. Props: lights on a switch.
  • Count the Blue Bulbs Before the Whistle 1. The host has counted the bulbs of one color on the house and in the yard in advance. 2. Pairs have three minutes to count that color from inside the boundary, without touching a string. 3. On the whistle, every pair writes its count. 4. The host reads the true number. The closest pair chooses the color for the next count. Pairs stay together inside the marked boundary, with a head count before and after. Youngest: age 5. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 8 min. Props: a house with colored lights, a whistle, paper and pencils.
  • Find the One Dark Bulb 1. While the pairs face the street, the host covers one bulb on the lights with a square of kitchen foil. 2. On go, pairs turn around and search with their eyes only, from where they stand. 3. The first pair to point to the dark bulb scores a point. 4. The host uncovers it and covers another. Five rounds make a game. Pairs stay together inside the marked boundary, with a head count before and after. Youngest: age 6. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 8 min. Props: a string of lights within reach and kitchen foil.
  • Flashlight Glint Hunt for Twelve Ornaments 1. In daylight, the host hangs twelve shatterproof ornaments low in the bushes and trees inside the boundary and writes down where. 2. After dark, each pair gets one flashlight and a card. 3. Pairs sweep the beam around the yard and note every ornament they see glint. Nothing is touched or taken down. 4. After eight minutes, the pair with the most on its card wins. Pairs stay together inside the marked boundary, with a head count before and after. Youngest: age 5. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: twelve shatterproof ornaments, flashlights, cards and pencils.
  • Lantern Path to the Front Door 1. Each team has eight jars or paper bags with a battery tea light inside, waiting at the sidewalk. 2. One pair at a time carries a lantern up the path at a walk and sets it down a long stride beyond the last one. 3. The next pair may leave once the first is back. 4. The first path to reach the door wins. All the lanterns stay lit for the rest of the party. Pairs stay together inside the marked boundary, with a head count before and after. Youngest: age 5. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: jars or paper bags, battery tea lights and a marked path.
  • Read the Window Sign From the Farthest Step 1. Indoors, a helper holds a sheet of paper with one large word on it against a lit window. 2. Pairs start at the far edge of the boundary and walk toward the house one step at a time on the host's count. 3. A pair that thinks it can read the word stops and whispers it to the host. 4. The pair that reads it right from farthest away wins the round. The helper holds up a new word. Pairs stay together inside the marked boundary, with a head count before and after. Youngest: age 7. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 10 min. Props: paper, a thick marker and a lit window.
  • Reflector Trail to the Wagon Sleigh 1. In daylight, the host ties ten strips of reflective tape to branches and posts, making a trail to a wagon or a wheelbarrow decorated as a sleigh. 2. Pairs set off one minute apart with a flashlight held at eye level. 3. Each strip shines back only when the beam hits it. Count them as you pass. 4. At the sleigh, tell the host your count. Every pair with all ten takes a treat from the sleigh. Pairs stay together inside the marked boundary, with a head count before and after. Youngest: age 6. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 12 min. Props: reflective tape, flashlights and a decorated wagon.

Warm-up games between rounds 7

  • Dasher Runs, Dancer Spins: The Caller Chooses 1. Stand in a circle. Agree a move for each of the eight reindeer of the old poem: Dasher runs on the spot, Dancer spins, Prancer high-steps, Vixen hops. 2. Comet swings both arms, Cupid claps overhead, Donner stomps and Blitzen jumps. 3. The caller shouts the names in any order, faster and faster. 4. A player who does the wrong move becomes the next caller. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 4. Players: 4 to 30. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
  • Five Points of the Star Shuttle 1. Set out five markers in a wide star around a tree or a lamp post. 2. Each team starts at the trunk. One player at a time walks fast out to a point, touches it and comes back to the trunk, five times in all. 3. The next player goes when the first has touched all five. 4. The first team finished stands in a star of its own, arms out. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 6. Players: 4 to 20. Time: 6 min. Props: five markers.
  • Spell NOEL With an Elbow 1. Everyone stands with room to move. 2. The leader names a part of the body and a word: spell NOEL in the air with your right elbow. 3. Next, write STAR with a knee, then JOY with a hip, as large as you can. 4. The last word is spelled by the whole party at once, with both arms. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 5. Players: 2 to 40. Time: 4 min. Props: none.
  • Team Pose-Off: Elf, Tree or Present 1. Two teams huddle and each secretly picks one of three poses for the whole team: elves crouch small, trees stand tall with arms up, presents hug themselves square. 2. The teams face each other across a line and strike their pose on three. 3. Elves beat presents, which they wrap. Presents beat trees, which are bare without them. Trees beat elves, whom they tower over. The same pose twice is a tie. 4. The winning team takes one giant step forward. The first team to reach the fence wins. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 5. Players: 6 to 30. Time: 6 min. Props: none.
  • Thirty Seconds of Mitten High-Fives 1. Everyone keeps their mittens or gloves on. 2. On go, walk about and clap one mitten against the mitten of as many different people as you can, saying your name each time. 3. Count your own claps. The same person counts only once. 4. After thirty seconds, the highest count picks the next game. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 4. Players: 4 to 40. Time: 3 min. Props: none.
  • Twelve Down to One 1. The leader calls a move for each number, counting down from twelve. 2. Twelve jumping jacks, eleven stomps, ten arm circles, nine knee lifts, and so on down to one slow turn. 3. Everyone counts aloud together. 4. On "one", the whole party turns around once and bows. A new leader chooses the moves next time. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 4. Players: 3 to 40. Time: 5 min. Props: none.
  • Up the Chimney, Down the Chimney 1. The caller stands where everyone can see. 2. "Up the chimney" means reach as high as you can on tiptoe. "Down the chimney" means crouch low. 3. The caller tries to catch people out: saying one and doing the other, or calling the same one twice. 4. Anyone caught does three jumping jacks and carries on. Nobody is out. Play on a flat stretch that is clear of ice. Youngest: age 4. Players: 3 to 40. Time: 4 min. Props: none.

How this list was compiled: Written by the Game Night Generator editors on 2026-10-03 for a Christmas party in a yard, a driveway or a street. The wording is ours; player ranges, minutes and the youngest age for each game are our estimates. The lines about cold, ice and the dark are our own rule and stand in every entry. The eight reindeer names were checked on 2026-10-03 against the English Wikipedia article Santa_Claus's_reindeer (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ followed by the name). Licence: own work