Christmas Pictionary: 150 words and a draw-card generator

150 Christmas Pictionary words by level

Forty words per level across four themes, then thirty for the office. Print a level, cut the words into slips and fold them into a bowl, or read them off your phone to each artist.

How to play Christmas Pictionary

Five rules. Read them out before the first artist picks up a marker.

1. 1Form two teams. Three to eight people a side works best. Put one person on the clock and the score.
2. 2The artist draws a card in secret. Open the generator on a phone, or pull a folded slip from a bowl. Only the artist sees it.
3. 3Draw, don't write. No letters, numbers or spoken hints. Pointing at parts of your own drawing is fine.
4. 4One minute on the clock. Only the artist's team guesses. A right answer scores a point for the team.
5. 5Missed it? The other team can steal. If the clock runs out, the other team gets one shot to steal the point. Then they send an artist.

In the office, hybrid or on video

• In the office: A whiteboard or a flip chart at the front, two working markers and an eraser. Teams sit on either side so nobody shouts over the artist.
• Hybrid: Point the room camera at the board, or have office artists draw on a laptop whiteboard so remote players see it sharp. Remote guesses go in the chat.
• On a video call: Share the built-in whiteboard in Zoom or Microsoft Teams, or have the artist draw on paper with a thick marker and hold it up. The host sends each card by private chat.

Pictionary fills 15 to 20 minutes of a party. Planning the whole event for a remote team? Our virtual holiday party page lists hosted games, tastings and kit workshops with prices for your headcount.

Four ways to change it up

Everyone has drawn once? Change one rule for the next round.

• Relay sketch. Each teammate adds one line for ten seconds, then hands the marker on. The last artist can't say a word either.
• Wrong hand round. Everyone draws with the hand they don't write with. Easy words become hard, and nobody's art skills matter.
• Blind ornament. The artist closes their eyes after the first stroke. Works great with the Decorations cards.
• One-minute gallery. Everyone draws the same card at once on paper. Hold them up to the camera and vote for the best snowman.

For a slower, cozier hour, Comfy Cozy Game Shows puts the whole team on a hosted game show. Want acting instead of drawing? Try our Christmas charades cards, or the year-round Pictionary word generator.