Christmas Guess Who Game
If your family loves playing games during the holidays, you’re going to love this one! We took the classic “Guess Who?” game and gave it a merry little Christmas makeover, and let me tell you, it’s a total hit with kids, teens, and even the grownups who claim they “don’t like games” (until they’re suddenly super competitive!).
Whether you’re planning a classroom party, a Christmas Eve at home, or a holiday game night with friends, this Christmas Guess Who Game will keep everyone laughing, guessing, and totally in the holiday spirit. Let’s break it down!
What Is the Christmas Guess Who Game?
So, if you’ve ever played the classic “Guess Who?” board game, you know how it works: two players each choose a mystery character from a lineup, then take turns asking yes/no questions to figure out who the other person picked. (“Does your person wear glasses?” “Is your person bald?”)
Now, picture that, but with Christmas characters instead of the usual faces. Think: Santa, Mrs. Claus, Frosty the Snowman, a gingerbread cookie, a reindeer with a scarf, a Christmas elf with pigtails… you get the idea. It’s silly, sweet, and so much fun for all ages!
What You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to set up your Christmas Guess Who game at home:
Supplies:
- A printer
- Cardstock or regular printer paper (cardstock works better for durability)
- Scissors
- Laminator (optional, but great if you want to reuse it every year!)
- Tape or glue
- 2 small game boards (you can make your own or print templates!)
- 24 Christmas character cards (two sets, one for each player)
How to Make the Game
If you’re crafty(or even just kinda crafty), this is the fun part!
1. Print Out the Character Cards
You’ll need two sets of the same 24 characters. Each card should be around 2” x 2” to fit nicely on your board.
You can design your own cards using clipart (just search “Christmas character clipart” or check out sites like Canva) or grab a printable set online. Look for a variety of characters, make them cute, silly, and super festive!
Ideas for characters:
- Santa Claus
- Mrs. Claus
- Elf with glasses
- Reindeer with antlers
- Snowman in a hat
- Gingerbread man
- Christmas tree
- Caroling kid
- Toy soldier
- Penguin in a sweater
- Polar bear
- Angel
- Nutcracker
- Grumpy elf
- Candy cane character
- Star
- Winking snowflake
- Yeti (for a fun twist!)
- Sleigh
- Bell
- Holly
- Gift box with a bow
- Christmas light bulb
- Christmas puppy
2. Create the Game Boards
Each player needs a board with 24 slots for the characters. You can make one using cardboard, a cereal box, or just print a flat template. Glue or tape one full set of the character cards to each board. Or you can just lay the cards out in front of each player.
3. Make the Mystery Cards
Use the second set of character cards as your “mystery pile.” These are shuffled, and each player secretly picks one at the start of each round.
Bonus mom tip: Laminate everything if you want to reuse it year after year, it’s totally worth it!
How to Play the Christmas Guess Who Game
Alrighty, here’s how it works!
Setup:
- Each player sets up their board with all 24 Christmas characters facing up.
- From the second deck of character cards, each player draws one mystery card. Don’t show it!
- Set that card in front of you, it’s who your opponent is trying to guess.
Taking Turns:
Players take turns asking yes or no questions to figure out the other player’s mystery character.
Example questions:
- “Does your character wear a hat?”
- “Is your character an animal?”
- “Is your character smiling?”
- “Is your character holding something?”
- “Does your character have red on their outfit?”
After each answer, the player eliminates characters that don’t match by flipping them down or covering them with a coin or candy (peppermints work great!).
Keep going back and forth until someone correctly guesses the other’s mystery character.
First one to guess correctly wins!
Christmas Guess Who – Group Party Version!
This version is awesome for bigger groups or if you don’t want to set up full game boards. No boards, no flipping, just one mystery character and a whole room full of curious players asking questions and trying to figure it out. It’s part detective work, part Christmas magic, and 100% hilarious!
How to Play the Group Version
Alright, here’s how it works, super simple and super fun!
What You’ll Need:
- A set of Christmas character cards (at least 20–30)
- A festive hat or stocking to draw from (gotta keep it merry!)
- A chair or “hot seat” for the mystery person to sit in
Game Setup:
- Choose the Mystery Person:
Pick one person to sit in the hot seat. This is your mystery Christmas character! - Draw a Character Card:
Without looking, the mystery person draws a character card and holds it up on their forehead (or clips it to a headband or Santa hat). Everyone else can see who they are… but they have no clue! - Let the Questions Begin!
Go around the room one by one, and the person in the hot seat can ask each person one yes-or-no question to help figure out who they are. Sample questions:- “Am I an animal?”
- “Do I have a beard?”
- “Do I live at the North Pole?”
- “Am I wearing red?”
- “Am I made of snow?”
- Guessing Time!
After each round of questions, the mystery person can take a guess if they think they’ve figured it out. - Winning the Game:
If they correctly guess their character they win the round. If not, you can decide if you will allow another round of questions or if they finish their turn. Then it is the next person’s turn in the hot seat. Keep playing until everyone’s had a chance to be the mystery character, or set a time limit and just play for fun!
Bonus Tips for Extra Fun:
- Add voices or actions to the characters once someone guesses correctly. Can you waddle like a penguin or laugh like Santa? It’s a riot!
- Play in teams if you’ve got littles who need a bit of help or if you want to mix up the ages.
- Use candy canes as buzzers for when someone’s ready to make a guess!
Why We Love This Version:
- It’s easy to set up, no boards or pieces to lose!
- Everyone gets to play and be part of the guessing fun.
- It’s great for classrooms, parties, or family gatherings.
So if you’re short on time or just want something that’s easy, silly, and keeps everyone giggling, this Christmas Guess Who party version is just the thing!
Tips for Playing with Younger Kids
Got little ones joining the game? Here are a few tips:
- Use simple characters that are easy to describe (ex: “the snowman with a scarf” vs. “the nutcracker in a red coat”).
- Play in teams so they can get help from an older sibling or adult.
- Skip the mystery card and just take turns describing characters for guessing practice!
- Use a smaller board with 12 characters for a quicker, more manageable game.
Educational Perks (Shhh… don’t tell the kids!)
This game isn’t just fun, it’s secretly great for learning, too!
Visual discrimination: Helps kids notice small differences in appearance
Critical thinking: They have to plan questions based on logic
Vocabulary: All those festive words, like “antlers” and “gingerbread”, build up their holiday lingo!
Conversation skills: It’s a great way to practice asking and answering questions
Add Some Holiday Snacks!
You know me, I can’t talk about family games without suggesting some snacks on the side.
Here are a few easy ones to munch while you play:
- Hot cocoa with marshmallows
- Candy canes
- Christmas cookies
- Popcorn (mix in red and green M&Ms for a fun touch!)
- Apple slices and caramel dip
Game time + snack time = memories made.
Why We Love This Game
Okay, let’s be real, holiday time can get busy and a little wild. But gathering around the table with a fun game that everyone can enjoy? That’s the good stuff. The kind of stuff your kids remember. The laughs. The “MOM, I KNEW IT WAS THE ELF!” moments.
This Christmas Guess Who Game is easy to make, silly to play, and perfect for slowing down and having a little holiday fun with the ones you love. So grab some scissors, fire up the printer, and get ready to guess your way through the jolliest characters of the season!
