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Hear me out. It’s the middle of summer, it’s hot, and someone suggests throwing a Christmas party. Your first instinct might be to laugh. But here’s the thing — Christmas in July party ideas are genuinely having a moment, and once you experience one of these parties, you’ll wonder why you’ve been waiting until December to have this much fun.
Christmas in July started as a way to celebrate the holiday spirit smack in the middle of the year — and it’s caught on in a big way. From backyard BBQs with a festive twist to full-blown office holiday parties in the summer heat, people are leaning in. And honestly? It makes so much sense. There’s no holiday stress. No jam-packed schedule. Just an excuse to deck the halls, play some games, and have a good time with your people.
If you’re planning a Christmas in July party and want ideas that actually work — for the theme, the food, the games, all of it — you’re in the right place. Here are 25 ideas to pull it all together.
What Is Christmas in July?
Christmas in July is exactly what it sounds like — a celebration of Christmas spirit in the middle of summer, typically around July 25th (half a year from December 25th). Some people go all-in with full holiday décor and matching sweaters. Others keep it casual with a few festive touches and a lot of good food.
There’s no rulebook. That’s kind of the whole point. It’s Christmas without the pressure, the credit card bills, or the family obligations. Just the fun parts — the twinkle lights, the games, the laughter, and the excuse to eat way too many cookies in July.
How to Set the Scene: Theme and Décor Ideas
You don’t need to redecorate your entire house. A few strategic touches go a long way.
Keep the Colour Palette Festive
Classic red and green works, but Christmas in July has room to play. Try red, green, and white with bright pops of yellow or gold to give it a summery feel. Think: tropical Christmas. Santa on the beach. Elves in flip flops.
Mix Summer and Christmas Together
This is where it gets fun. A few ideas:
- String up fairy lights outdoors
- Use a mini Christmas tree as a centrepiece — but decorate it with mini sunglasses, tiny flip flops, and summery ornaments
- Swap traditional stockings for brightly coloured ones hung from a fence or patio railing
- Put up a “North Pole” sign next to your backyard pool or BBQ
Keep It Simple If You Want
Not everyone wants to go full Christmas-in-the-backyard. A festive tablecloth, some red and green balloons, and a playlist of Christmas songs is genuinely enough to set the mood. The games and the people do the rest.
Tip: A good string of outdoor fairy lights and a couple of red and green balloon packs go a long way. Pick up some festive paper plates and napkins to save on cleanup too.
What to Eat and Drink at a Christmas in July Party
The beauty of a summer Christmas party is that you get to mash up the best of both worlds.
Food Ideas
- Christmas BBQ: Fire up the grill but give things a holiday twist. Think honey-glazed ribs, cranberry chicken skewers, or a “Christmas tree” veggie platter with a star-shaped dip bowl at the top.
- Cookies are non-negotiable. Christmas sugar cookies in summer just hit differently. Set up a decorating station and let guests go to town.
- A charcuterie board shaped like a Christmas tree is easy to make and always gets a reaction.
- Mince pies, shortbread, and gingerbread travel perfectly from December to July. Nobody is going to complain.
Drink Ideas
- Sparkling cranberry punch — festive red colour, super easy, and works for all ages
- Christmas sangria with cranberry juice, orange slices, and cinnamon sticks
- Peppermint lemonade for something seasonal but refreshing
- Eggnog cocktails (or mocktails) for the brave ones — yes, even in summer
The Best Christmas in July Party Games (This Is the Good Part)
Here’s the truth: the food and the décor set the stage, but the games are what actually make a party memorable. This is where guests go from “this is nice” to “I haven’t laughed this hard in months.”
For a Christmas in July party, your regular Christmas games work perfectly. Same holiday spirit, same rules, zero shipping delays. And if you want to skip the planning entirely, my 20 Printable Christmas Games Bundle gives you 20 ready-to-play games in one instant download. Print what you need, grab some pens, and you’re set.
Here’s a look at the types of games that work best and which ones to reach for depending on your crowd.
For Getting Everyone Warmed Up: Icebreakers
Nobody walks into a party in full social mode. Icebreakers ease people in and get the conversations flowing before the real games start.
Christmas Find the Guest Bingo is one of my favourites for this. Every guest gets the same card filled with prompts like “find someone who has visited Santa’s Village” or “find someone who wraps gifts in July.” Guests circulate and chat to find people who match the prompts. No competition, no pressure — just conversation. It works beautifully for groups where not everyone knows each other, which is pretty common at summer parties.
For more on how to run this one, check out How to Play Christmas Find the Guest Bingo at Your Holiday Party.
For the Competitive Crowd: Christmas Feud
This one always brings the energy. Christmas Feud is a Family Feud-style game where teams compete to guess the most popular survey answers to Christmas-themed questions. It’s loud, it’s funny, and it gets surprisingly competitive in the best way.
One person takes on the Emcee role, two teams face off, and the Fast Money Round at the end always produces the most chaotic moments. Perfect for larger groups and works just as well on a patio in July as it does in a living room in December.
For tips on running a smooth game night with this one, head to How to Throw a Stress-Free Christmas Game Night with Printable Feud Questions.
For a Mix of Ages: Trivia and Finish the Lyrics
Christmas Songs Trivia and Finish the Lyrics are crowd-pleasers because everyone thinks they know Christmas music — and then the questions start. You’ll be amazed at how many people blank on the second line of “Jingle Bells.”
These work well for mixed-age groups because you can play as individuals or teams, and the knowledge gap between generations makes it funnier, not harder.
For Kids (and the Adults Who Love Chaos): Candy Dice and Scavenger Hunts
The Candy Dice Game is exactly what it sounds like — roll the dice, follow the instructions, win (or lose) candy. Kids absolutely love it and adults get weirdly competitive. All you need is a bag of candy and the printed game sheet.
If you want something more active, a Christmas Scavenger Hunt works brilliantly in summer. Take it outdoors, hide the clues around the yard, and watch the kids burn off some energy while the adults enjoy a cold drink. Check out 20 Outdoor Christmas Scavenger Hunt Clues to Create a New Family Tradition for a ready-to-run version.
For Gift Exchange Parties: Left Right and Pass the Prize
If your Christmas in July party includes a gift exchange (and it should — it’s the best part), these two games make the swap so much more entertaining than just passing gifts around a circle.
The Left Right Christmas Game has a host read a festive story packed with the words “left” and “right” — every time one is said, guests pass the gift in that direction. Whoever is holding it at the end wins it. The story gets more chaotic and the passing gets faster. People love it.
Pass the Prize works similarly — guests pass a gift while music plays, and when it stops, whoever is holding it opens it. Swap back and forth a few times and suddenly a simple gift exchange becomes a whole event.
For more gift exchange game ideas, read 5 Fun Gift Passing Games for Christmas That Everyone Will Love.
The All-in-One Solution: 20 Printable Christmas Games Bundle
If you want to stop thinking about games entirely and just have them ready, the 20 Printable Christmas Games Bundle is the easiest call you’ll make all summer. You get 20 games across every category — trivia, icebreakers, dice games, gift exchange games, word games, and more — in four organized PDF files. Download once, print what you need, done.
With 36,000+ games sold and a consistent Star Seller badge, it’s a pretty tried-and-tested solution. Customers consistently say the same things: easy to print, everyone had fun, worked for all ages. That’s exactly what you want from your party entertainment.
What’s included:
- Christmas Riddles
- Finish the Lyrics
- Christmas Songs Trivia
- Christmas Trivia
- Christmas Jeoparty
- Gift Exchange Dice Game
- Left Right Story Game
- Secret Santa Questionnaire
- Roll-a-Tree Candy Dice Game
- Most Likely To
- Pass the Prize
- Find the Guest Bingo
- Who Is Most Like Santa
- Finish My Phrase
- Naughty or Nice
- Santa Switch
- What’s in the Bag
- What’s on Your Phone
- Candy Dice Game
- Christmas Feud
That’s a lot of fun for one download.
Christmas in July Party Ideas for Different Groups
For an Office Party
Summer office parties can feel a bit forced if there’s no structure. A few games give people something to do besides stand around the snack table. Christmas Feud works brilliantly for office crowds — teams of coworkers, friendly competition, and a Fast Money Round that always produces memorable moments. Find the Guest Bingo is also great for workplaces where not everyone knows each other well.
Keep prizes simple — gift cards, a nice candle, or a box of chocolates. Nobody needs to go home with something enormous.
For Families with Kids
Mix the age groups intentionally. Start with an icebreaker that kids and adults can do together, move into something active like a scavenger hunt, then wind down with Candy Dice or a round of trivia split into kids vs. adults teams. Kids love beating the adults. Adults love letting them win (most of the time).
For a Friendsmas Vibe
Keep it casual and funny. Christmas Feud, Finish the Lyrics, Most Likely To, and Naughty or Nice are all perfect for a group of friends who know each other well. These games tend to get personal and hilarious fast — which is exactly the vibe you want.
For Large Groups
The bigger the group, the more you want games that can run in teams or that everyone can participate in simultaneously. Feud, Bingo, and Trivia all scale beautifully. For 20+ people, split into teams early and let the friendly rivalry carry the energy through the night.
Quick Tips for Pulling It All Together
A few final things that make a real difference:
Print your games before the day. Sounds obvious, but it’s the thing people always forget. Print everything the night before, set it aside, and don’t touch it until party time.
Use cardstock if you can. Standard printer paper works fine, but cardstock makes the games feel more polished and holds up better through multiple rounds. Worth the extra few cents.
Have a prize stash ready. Doesn’t need to be fancy. A bag of candy canes, a few chocolate bars, or some small gift cards is enough. Having a tangible prize raises the stakes and makes people play harder.
Mix up your game types. Don’t run three trivia games in a row. Alternate between active and seated, competitive and collaborative. The bundle makes this easy because you have enough variety to build a full game lineup without repeating a format.
Lean into the absurdity. It’s Christmas. In July. Wearing a Santa hat while eating a burger is supposed to be ridiculous. That’s the whole point. The more you commit to the bit, the more fun everyone has.
Make Your Christmas in July Party One to Remember
Christmas in July party ideas work because they take everything people love about the holiday — the warmth, the togetherness, the games, the excuse to eat too many sweets — and strip away all the stress that comes with December. No pressure. No exhaustion. Just a really good time with your people.
The games are what tie it all together. They give guests something to do, break the ice, spark the laughter, and create the moments people actually remember. Whether you pick a couple of games from this guide or grab the full 20 Printable Christmas Games Bundle for an instant entertainment lineup, you’ve got everything you need.
Now go put on a Christmas playlist, crank up the air conditioning (or fire up the backyard), and celebrate. July deserves a little Christmas magic too.
🎄 Ready to sort your games in one click? Grab the 20 Printable Christmas Games Bundle and download, print, and play today.
For more Christmas game ideas and party planning guides, check out the Ultimate Guide to Printable Christmas Games — it covers everything from trivia to escape rooms to gift exchange games.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Christmas in July? Christmas in July is a mid-year celebration of holiday spirit, typically observed around July 25th. It’s an informal tradition where people embrace Christmas themes, decorations, food, and games in the middle of summer — all the fun of the holidays without the December pressure.
What are the best games for a Christmas in July party? Any Christmas game works beautifully for a Christmas in July party. Top picks include Christmas Feud for competitive groups, Find the Guest Bingo for icebreaking, Candy Dice for kids, and the Left Right game for gift exchanges. The 20 Printable Christmas Games Bundle covers all of these in one download.
Do I need a lot of decorations for a Christmas in July party? Not at all. A few string lights, some red and green accents, and a festive playlist are more than enough to set the mood. The games and food do most of the work.
Can I use regular Christmas games for a Christmas in July party? Yes! All Christmas games work perfectly for Christmas in July. Printable games are especially handy because there’s no waiting for shipping — just download, print, and play the same day.
