Musical Gifts Game Ideas

Try one of these four musical gifts games that combine the idea of hot potato and musical chairs with a traditional gift exchange game for a super fun Christmas game idea!

It’s the perfect option for smaller groups who don’t want to do stealing but still want the gifts to be exchanged in a fun way! Try it at your next Christmas party, office party, or family holiday gathering!

Two of the most classic party games are hot potato and musical chairs! We’ve created four Christmas games that incorporate the idea of passing gifts around to music, similar to hot potato or musical chairs for these musical gifts games!

There are two variations you can use in place of traditional gift exchange ideas and two that you can play just to win prizes or gifts from the host! The basic idea is the same – you play music, gifts (or people) move to the music, and someone ends up with a gift at the end of each round!

All four versions are fun – just choose which of these Christmas party games the most sense for your group and situtation! We’ve found that people love musical party games so any of them should be fun regardless of what you choose!

This one is great if you’re doing a family gift exchange, a gift exchange with homemade gifts, or anything where party attendees might get feelings hurt if stealing is involved!

The first version of musical gifts is designed to be used as a gift exchange! It’s simple, mixes up gifts, and a lot of fun! And it’s a little different than the right left gift exchange or pass the present game that most people have played!

This one is great if you’re doing a family gift exchange, a gift exchange with homemade gifts, or anything where party attendees might get feelings hurt if stealing is involved in the gift exchange game!

1. Start by putting together a Christmas playlist for the game. I have an entire list of Christmas songs here you can choose from! Or just grab a random Christmas playlist of songs that you can use for the game!

2. Ask everyone who will be coming to the party to bring a wrapped gift of some sort and put all of those on a table when they get to the party.

3. Or if you’re providing all the prizes (kind of like in the Christmas saran wrap game), make sure you have one for everyone playing. You can either wrap them or leave them unwrapped – it’s up to you if you want them to see what they’re choosing when they win or not!

4. Have everyone sit in a circle close enough that they can pass the gift around as they go! Pick out a random gift from the table and give it to someone in the circle to start the first round.

5. Play Christmas music and tell your guests to pass the gift around the circle until the music stops. It’s like hot potato but with gifts and you actually want the gift when the music stops!

6. Whoever has the gift when the music stops, opens the gift, takes the gift with them, and leaves the circle (and game).

7. Pick another gift and play around round the exact way. Keep going like this until everyone gets a gift! It’s a simple way to exchange gifts without all the stealing and pressure!

If you want this game to go quicker and just be one of many Christmas games you play during your party, try this speed variation instead. Or just do this holiday hustle gift exchange instead!

1. Have everyone sit in a circle just like the first version.
2. Hand out all of the gifts to people randomly.
3. Play a song and while you play it people pass gifts around the circle.
4. When the music stops, everyone opens the gift they have in their hand. Or you could give everyone a number and each round just pull out three numbers (kind of like a cake walk) and the people whose numbers are called open their gift and leave the circle – this variation would be faster but not just one round!

If you want to do some sort of musical gifts idea but without the gift exchange element, try one of these last two ideas instead!

1. Place a lightweight gift of some sort (cash, gift card, movie tickets, candy, etc.) in a gift box.
2. Have everyone sit in a circle and give everyone in the circle gift boxes (I just grabbed a bunch of cheap ones at the dollar store) that are empty other than the one with the prize (but don’t show them what the gift is or where it is).
3. Play music and while you play music, everyone passes the gifts around the circle. When you stop the music, whoever has the gift with the prize inside wins the prize and is out of the game.
4. Put another prize in a gift box and play as many rounds as you want or until everyone wins a prizes of some sort. You could do all the same prizes or mix it up so they never know what they’re going to win!

You can watch the video below to see this game in action – it’s easier to see than read sometimes!

If you want something that really is just like hot potato, try this version!

1. Have everyone sit in a circle and give one person a wrapped gift box (no need to put anything in it).
2. Play the music and just like in hot potato, when the music stops whoever is holding the gift box is out. If you want, you can let them pick out a prize when they are out (especially if you’re playing with kids) or not.
3. Repeat this until only one person is left and they win a larger prize, I have lots of ideas in this Christmas bingo post if you need ideas!

Want to mix it up with some other gift exchange games this year? Try one of these fun gift games!

• Dice gift exchange game – this viral game is a super fun variation on a gift exchange that uses dice. Or try this dice gift game too that’s similar but better for larger groups!
• Deck of cards gift exchange – this fun gift exchange uses playing cards to determine what you do with your gifts! It went viral for a reason!
• Christmas never have I ever – a combination of never have I ever with a gift exchange game, this one is always a hit!
• Grinch gift exchange – a Grinch inspired variation of the classic left right game using the Grinch book!
• Gift exchange with cards – custom cards tell you what to do with your gift in this fun game!