12 Plays of Christmas: A Game-A-Day Adventure for the Holidays

This Christmas, our family is starting a new board game adventure! I’ve always loved the idea of stretching the holiday magic over the full 12 days of Christmas but never quite figured out how to make it happen.

With Thanksgiving kicking off a whirlwind of holidays, birthdays, and gymnastics meets that keep us busy until April, I wanted something that would be relaxing and fun, not just another thing to plan and check off the list. I cherish our slow days, and Christmas—with the tree lit up, carols playing, cookies baking—brings the ultimate sense of hygge for us.

It took a bit of convincing for my husband too—But I think we’ve found a way to make it work for our family this year, and I’m so excited to share all the details with you!

12 “Plays” of Christmas: A Game-A-Day Adventure for the Holidays

Here’s the general gist: Instead of the usual Christmas morning rush with a pile of gifts, we’ll be unwrapping one new game each day of the 12 days of Christmas. The kids will draw a key from a “Father Christmas” bag, matching it with a wrapped game under the tree. Each day, we’ll play the new game together, learning the rules and enjoying some quality time together as a family. By the end of this holiday season, we’ll have a collection of games that will entertain us all year long.

Of course, our kids will still have other gifts to open on Christmas morning. We typically follow the 4-gift rule, plus they’ll have presents from family members as well. But my hope is that by focusing on one special game each day, we’ll bring a bit of wonder and excitement that will carry us through the full 12 days of Christmas, sprinkling some holiday magic into each one.

Fun Family Board Games for Kids

The challenge, of course, was selecting family games that would be both exciting and diverse enough to keep us entertained throughout the holiday season—and beyond! I wanted to choose games that offered different mechanics and would be fun for everyone in the family, regardless of age. It was important to me that each game would bring something unique to the table, both in terms of gameplay and the memories we’d create together.

I’m really happy with the ones we’ve selected, and, fingers crossed, they’ll all be a hit with the family!

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The Quacks of Quedlinburg is a push-your-luck game that lets players become potion-making “quacks”, adding ingredients to their cauldrons with the risk of exploding if they push their luck too far. I’ve heard nothing but great things about this one, and it seems to always be one of the most recommended games for families with kids these days. If this game’s a hit, I’m already anticipating purchasing the Herb Witches expansion next Christmas.

Not going to lie, Mystic Market initially made the list purely because of its vibrant, colorful potion vials. My youngest, who adores making potions and has a weakness for all things bright and whimsical, is the perfect audience for the game’s design and presentation. Reviews state that while the game is easy to learn, it includes a decent amount of strategy, where shifting prices keep everyone engaged. With just the right balance of luck and planning, Mystic Market includes a bit of math, economics, and imagination—all while crafting potions and having a blast together. I hope it’s a game that’s well received by my Harry Potter-loving kids!

I love discovering compact games that can be played just about anywhere, and Scout by Oink Games fits the bill perfectly. Highly recommended for players of all ages, Scout offers a unique challenge with its rule against rearranging your hand, challenging players to think strategically and use creative “scouting” moves to form runs and sets. Its quick playtime is a bonus for our family, making it perfect for those moments when we only have 15–30 minutes to enjoy a game.

Forbidden Island is a cooperative adventure game where players work together to retrieve four treasures from a sinking island before it completely disappears. Each player takes on a unique role with special abilities, and teamwork is essential for survival. Even though my kids usually prefer more competitive games these days, I thought it’d be fun to add at least one new cooperative one this year and Forbidden Island seems to be one of the most popular ones around. Plus, their friends love playing other cooperative games like Ghost Fightin’ Treasure Hunters and Castle Panic.

Tinderblox is our pick for a dexterity game this year. In this fast-paced game, players take turns carefully stacking colorful wooden blocks to build a tower while avoiding the dreaded collapse. It should be a fun challenge that requires steady hands and a lot of focus, and it’s perfect for those moments when we want something active but not too complicated. Since both my kids love HABA’s Animal Upon Animal: A Christmas Stacking Game, I’m hoping Tinderblox will become a year-round favorite to fill that same niche!

Rebel Princess is our pick for a trick-taking game, and I’m hoping it’ll be a hit! The theme is cute—princesses trying to avoid proposals from various Prince Charmings, and the whole thing is based on the classic game of Hearts. It’ll be our family’s first trick-taking game, so I’m excited to see how we all take to the strategy involved. In Rebel Princess, each princess has a special power, which adds a fun twist to the game. Plus, each of the 5 rounds introduces a unique rule to keep us all on our toes!

Mycelia is a cute deck-building game from Ravensburger that also weaves in a fun puzzle element. It instantly caught my attention this year. The artwork is absolutely adorable—those cute mushrooms are impossible to resist! It’s a beginner-friendly deck builder, making it a perfect introduction for my family to this genre. I’m hoping the simple theme and gameplay will keep it fun and not too overwhelming for us. I’m excited to try it out, although I missed the sale on it, so I’m crossing my fingers for a great deal before Christmas! One of the things that stands out in reviews is how fun it is for players of all ages, from kids to adults, with a decent balance of strategy and luck.

Love Letter is our pick for a social deduction game. It’s praised for both its simplicity and portability. Easy to learn and quick to play, with rounds typically lasting around 15 minutes, reviewers note it combines strategy and deduction in a compact design. As someone who loves small, portable games perfect for quick sessions, Love Letter was an easy pick to include. It’d make a cute stocking stuffer as well!

Oh My Pigeons! is our pick for this year’s “party” game. It features a fun “flicking” component that I’ve read is always a hit with kids. With quick 15-minute rounds, reviews highlight how easy it is to pick up and play, making it ideal for both family game nights and gaming sessions with friends. I’m sure the adorable pigeon-themed artwork and hilarious gameplay, including flicking “pigeon poo” across the table, will have my kids laughing.

Like the Quacks of Quedlinburg, Camel Up is consistently at the top of the list when it comes to games that are just pure fun. In the game Camel Up, players bet on five quirky camels racing around a pyramid, and each die roll brings exciting, unpredictable results. The game features a pyramid dice shaker that releases one die at a time, adding suspense to every camel’s movement. Since it allows up to 8 players, it’ll also be a nice game to pull out for larger family gatherings or when the kids have friends over.

Since both of my kids love cats, I searched for a fun cat-themed game, and Cat Lady came highly recommended! In this game, players collect various cats, outfits, toys, and treats to create the ultimate feline collection. Reviews state the game is simple to learn yet offers enough depth to keep everyone entertained, so hopefully it’ll be a great fit for our family game nights. Plus, the cat-themed components are so cute!

Originally, I had planned to purchase Schotten Totten as our pick for a two-player game. But then I discovered Parade, a card game based on Alice in Wonderland, and I couldn’t resist! I knew my Alice would love it, but I was also excited to find that the deck can be used to play other games too, including Schotten Totten, Lost Cities, Arboretum, and Odin, in addition to Parade itself.

Just a few more…

Yes, I know I promised 12 games for the 12 days of Christmas. But it’s become a tradition in our family to give the kids a new “holiday” game on St. Nicholas Day, as well as a new game for their birthdays. Plus, I couldn’t resist including one of my children’s favorites of late—just in case you’re looking for another small game that would make a great stocking stuffer!