74 days to Christmasdays

Name That Christmas Song

Listen to a short musical clue and race to identify the Christmas song before anyone else.

Players
2+
Ages
7+
Time
about 15 min
You need
Nothing needed

Set up

Hum a Christmas song and see who gets it

One person gets a song on this screen, hums it, and everybody else races to name it. Then the phone moves on. Keep score in the room if you want to.

Which songs?
How is the clue given?

Some of these are harder to hum than others. That is the game.

How to play Name That Christmas Song

One person thinks of a Christmas song and hums the tune — no words, and never the title. Everybody else races to name it, and the first one to get it takes the point. Then somebody else takes a turn. That is the whole game, and it has always been played from memory, which is why it needs nothing at all.

What it does need is for the clue-giver to think of a song, which is harder under pressure than it sounds. The board above hands them one privately, from 60 carols and Christmas classics, so nobody has to sit there going blank. It plays no music: the humming is the game. There is also the Finish the Title round, where instead of humming you say the first few words aloud and the room completes it. These are the rules the game is built on.

What it is

Name That Christmas Song challenges players to recognize familiar Christmas music from a short clue. One person gives the musical clue by humming or using another simple agreed method, and everyone else tries to identify the song as quickly as possible.

Because the game can be played entirely from memory, it needs no playlist, equipment or prepared materials. It works especially well with families, friends and coworkers who know a mix of Christmas music, and the difficulty can be adjusted simply by choosing more familiar or more obscure songs.

Setting up

No materials are required. Choose one person to give the first musical clue and decide how players will answer, such as calling out the song title or raising a hand before guessing. Agree before starting whether the exact title is required and whether the person giving the clue may hum only or use another non-lyrical musical cue.

How to play

  1. Choose one player to give the first musical clue.
  2. The clue-giver thinks of a Christmas song and hums part of its melody without singing the lyrics or saying the title.
  3. The other players listen and try to identify the song.
  4. The first player to give the correct title earns one point.
  5. Choose a new clue-giver and begin the next round with a different Christmas song.
  6. Continue until everyone has given clues or the group has played the agreed number of rounds.
  7. Add up the points after the final round. The player with the most points wins.

Rules

  • The clue-giver may hum the melody but may not sing or speak any lyrics from the song.
  • Do not say any part of the song title while giving the clue.
  • Decide before starting whether close versions of a title count as correct.
  • A player may make only one guess at a time and must wait for another clue or another player to guess before trying again.
  • Use songs reasonably familiar to the people playing so the game remains enjoyable rather than becoming a test of obscure knowledge.
  • For mixed-age groups, include songs familiar to different generations.

Winning

Each correctly identified song earns one point. After the agreed number of rounds, the player with the most points wins. If there is a tie, use one final song as a tiebreaker and award the win to the first tied player who identifies it correctly.

Variations

  • Team Version: Divide the group into teams and alternate which team receives the first chance to identify each song.
  • Christmas Movie Songs: Use songs strongly associated with Christmas movies and television specials.
  • Kids Version: Stick to widely known Christmas songs and allow longer musical clues before guesses begin.
  • Finish the Title: Instead of humming, say the beginning of a Christmas song title and ask players to complete the title without using lyrics.

Keep playing

More games for your group

Three that go well after Name That Christmas Song — or let the Finder choose.