Christmas Price Is Right Game: Rules, 20 Item Ideas and Variations

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The Christmas Price Is Right game is a guessing game where players estimate what holiday items cost. The closest guess without going over wins the point. It needs nothing but paper, pens and a list of items, and it works for family dinners, office parties and gift exchanges. Below are the rules, 20 item ideas, scoring and four ways to change it up.

How to play the Christmas Price Is Right game

1. Before the party, choose 15 to 20 holiday items and look up the price of each one at a store or website you like. Write the prices on a hidden answer sheet.
2. Give each player or team a sheet with the list of items and a blank next to each one.
3. Players write their price guess for every item. Set a time limit of about five minutes.
4. Read the real prices aloud one at a time.
5. For each item, the closest guess that is not higher than the real price wins one point. If everyone went over, nobody scores.
6. The player with the most points wins.

20 Christmas items to price

Mix cheap items with expensive ones so guesses vary a lot. Use real prices from your own store, since prices change from place to place and year to year.

1. A 7-foot artificial Christmas tree
2. A box of 100 LED string lights
3. A fresh pine wreath
4. A pack of 24 glass ornaments
5. A gingerbread house kit
6. A tin of holiday cookies
7. A personalized stocking
8. A Santa hat
9. A large inflatable lawn snowman
10. A roll of wrapping paper
11. A box of candy canes
12. A chocolate advent calendar
13. A holiday scented candle
14. A nutcracker figure
15. A bag of mini marshmallows
16. A pair of fuzzy holiday socks
17. A star tree topper
18. A poinsettia plant
19. A carton of eggnog
20. A holiday board game

Christmas Price Is Right variations

• Bidding round: show one item at a time and have four players call out bids in turn, like on TV. Closest without going over wins.
• Higher or lower: show a price and have players guess whether the real price is higher or lower.
• Gift exchange version: give each player play money. After each item, subtract how far off they were. The richest player picks a gift first.
• Grocery round: use items from your holiday dinner shopping and reveal the total at the end.

Hosting tips for a Christmas price guessing game

• Show pictures: a photo of each item helps guests picture the size and quality.
• Keep a tie rule: if two guesses are equally close, both players score.
• Use real items as prizes: the cheap items on the list make good small prizes.
• Print the sheet: a numbered list with blanks is all you need.

Christmas Price Is Right for an office party

At work, keep the items neutral and the stakes low. Use office-friendly picks such as a holiday coffee gift card, a desk plant, a box of chocolates or a team lunch tray. Play in teams of three or four so quieter coworkers can talk it through, and run it as a single 10-minute round during a lunch or before a gift exchange. A shared screen with one photo per item works well for remote teams. Players type their guesses in the chat, and the host reveals the answer after everyone has posted.

Christmas Price Is Right for kids

Kids enjoy this game most when the items are things they know. Swap in toys, candy, a sled, a video game and a pair of mittens. Let younger children guess higher or lower instead of an exact price, and give a small treat for every close guess. Older kids can practice rounding by guessing to the nearest dollar. It quietly teaches how much everyday things cost, which makes it a good classroom party game too.

Scoring sheet for the Christmas Price Is Right game

#	Item	Your guess	Real price	Point?
1	Item name
2	Item name
3	Item name

Copy the table onto a sheet of paper with one row per item, or print it out. Fill in the real price column only when you reveal the answers.

For more holiday party ideas, see our Christmas Minute to Win It games, our Christmas Heads Up words and Trivial Pursuit vs Wits & Wagers.

Christmas Price Is Right game FAQ

How do you play the Price Is Right game at a Christmas party?

Players guess the prices of holiday items. The closest guess without going over wins a point, and the most points wins.

How many items should I use?

Fifteen to twenty items takes about 20 minutes, including reading the answers.

What if everyone guesses too high?

Nobody scores for that item. That rule is what makes guessing low a smart strategy.

Can kids play?

Yes. Kids often do surprisingly well. Pair younger kids with an adult or let them guess for toys and candy.