The Ultimate Christmas Scattergories Game (+Free Printable Card)

These Christmas Scattergories will have everyone racing the clock, stretching their brains, and sharing laughs around the dinner table. Scattergories is a fun and fast-paced game that brings the whole family together.

Who Can Play?

All ages! Christmas Scattergories is a versatile activity that works for:

• family game night
• school celebrations
• holiday parties
• a friendly competition on Christmas Eve or Day

Scattergories: Game of Categories

Objective

Score points by coming up with unique words that fit within specific categories. All answers must begin with a designated letter and be submitted before the timer runs out!

Supplies Needed

• A 3-minute timer (your phone works great!)
• 20-sided letter die or this online letter generator
• Category lists below
• Free printable answer sheet (get it below!)
• Writing utensils

How To Play Christmas Scattergories

1. Roll a letter using your die or use the online generator. (Skip tricky letters like Q, U, V, X, Y, Z.)

2. Set the timer for 3 minutes.

3. Each player writes a word that fits each category and starts with the chosen letter.

4. When time’s up, compare answers. Unique answers = 1 point. If multiple players write the same word, it’s 0 points for everyone who duplicated it.

5. After one or more rounds, the player or team with the most points wins!

Additional Rules

• Articles (a, an, the) don’t count as the first letter.

• Don’t just slap on adjectives to force a match!

• Bonus points for multi-word answers (e.g., “Candy Cane” for C).

• When in doubt, vote as a group.

Christmas Categories & Lists (For All Ages)

These fun and festive Christmas-themed categories will keep players on their toes! Use one list per round or reuse the same categories with different letters.

List 1: Santa

1. Name on Santa’s naughty list
2. Things Santa eats
3. Item in Santa’s sleigh
4. Santa’s hobbies
5. Place Santa might get stuck
6. Thing Santa says
7. Santa’s clothing items
8. Santa’s helpers
9. Santa’s favorite cookies
10. Thing Santa gives as gifts
11. Thing Santa loses on Christmas Eve
12. Word that rhymes with “Santa”

List 2: Gifts

1. Gifts that fit in a stocking
2. Gifts you can wear
3. Gifts that are red
4. Gifts kids love
5. Gifts that smell good
6. Gifts that make noise
7. Gifts you can eat
8. Gifts that cost under $20
9. Gifts that end with “T”
10. Gifts that are homemade
11. Gifts for pets
12. Gifts that are hard to wrap

List 3: Christmas Fun

1. Christmas carols
2. Holiday movies
3. Winter activities
4. Christmas party games
5. Festive foods
6. Things you do on Christmas morning
7. Holiday drinks
8. Holiday decorations
9. Things you do on Christmas Eve
10. Fun places to see Christmas lights
11. Silly Christmas traditions
12. Things you do in the snow

List 4: Christmas Movies

1. A funny Christmas movie
2. A classic holiday movie
3. An animated Christmas movie
4. A Christmas movie with a kid as the main character
5. A Christmas movie featuring Santa Claus
6. A Christmas movie set in the snow
7. A Christmas movie set in the 1900s
8. A Christmas movie based on a book
9. A Christmas movie with a talking animal
10. A Christmas movie about a family
11. A Christmas movie that takes place in a big city
12. A Christmas movie with a magical or fantastical element

Related:

List 5: Winter Wonderland

1. Something white
2. Winter animals
3. Cold weather clothing
4. Frozen treats or desserts
5. Sparkly or icy things
6. Winter sports
7. Cold U.S. states
8. Things you eat when it’s cold
9. Songs about winter
10. Things made of ice
11. Cold places
12. Things you do when it’s cold outside

List 6: Christmas Food

1. Christmas cookies
2. Festive drinks
3. Holiday appetizers
4. Traditional Christmas dinner dishes
5. Sweet holiday treats (non-cookie)
6. Foods shaped like Christmas symbols
7. Christmas morning breakfast foods
8. Foods found in stockings
9. Foods made with chocolate
10. Classic Christmas side dishes
11. Foods you might give as gifts
12. Red foods

Related:

List 7: Holiday Travel

1. Things you pack in a suitcase
2. Airport must-haves
3. Road trip snacks
4. Travel games to play in the car
5. Christmas songs to sing while traveling
6. Holiday destinations
7. Things you see at the airport
8. Ways to travel in winter
9. Souvenirs to bring back
10. People you might travel with
11. Things you forget to pack
12. Winter travel essentials

List 8: Family

1. Name of a family member you exchange gifts with
2. Place where a family member lives
3. Family pet
4. A relative who will wear an ugly Christmas sweater
5. A family game or contest
6. Post-Christmas dinner tradition
7. A family Christmas tradition
8. Serious family member
9. A family “rule”, quirky holiday habit, or ritual
10. Fun or mischievous family member at Christmas
11. Something everyone looks forward to on Christmas
12. A family Christmas memory with family

List 9: Christmas Decorations

1. Something on the table
2. A front porch item
3. Something on the Christmas tree
4. A type of ornament
5. A handmade decoration
6. A store-bought decoration
7. Something green
8. Something red
9. Something you hang lights on
10. Something in a Christmas village
11. Something in a church
12. Something tacky

List 10: Christmas Music

1. A classic Christmas carol
2. A Christmas song you hear in stores
3. A song about Santa Claus
4. A Christmas song you play on repeat
5. A Christmas song containing the word “love”
6. A modern/pop Christmas song
7. A song from a Christmas movie
8. A religious or spiritual Christmas song
9. A Christmas song that multiple artists have covered
10. An instrument used in a Christmas song
11. A gift mentioned in a Christmas song
12. A song that mentions weather

Related: Christmas Song Trivia

More Christmas Games You Don’t Want To Miss!:

Free Printable Christmas Scattergories Game Card

Want a grab-and-go version? Download the free Christmas Scattergories printable to make setup super simple! Keep a few on hand for classroom parties, holiday travel, or dinner table fun.

Fun Scattergories Game Variations

This Scattergories game can be changed and adapted for the group.

• Team Play: Pair players up, especially younger kids, for teamwork and shared laughs.

• Create your own list: Let kids make a list based on what they love about Christmas!

• Adjust Speed: Shorten the time limit to 1 or 2 minutes for a rapid-fire challenge.

• Allow matching answers to score points: Unlike the traditional rules, players can still earn points even if they have the same answer as someone else.

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