Spin the wheel Christmas Scattergories
How the game works
In Scattergories, players share one letter and a list of categories, and race to write an answer for each category that starts with that letter. This wheel plays one category per round instead. For "Things in a stocking" and the letter C, you might write candy, coins or clementine. Answers that two or more people share are crossed out, so the point is to be quick and a little unusual.
Get the letter from the random letter generator. It leaves out hard letters like Q, X and Z by default and has a round timer built in. The 40 categories on this wheel are mostly broad on purpose, so most letters have at least a few answers.
A round takes about two minutes, including scoring. Five or six rounds fit in 15 minutes between dinner and dessert, and the game works with 3 to 12 players, with each person writing on their own paper.
What's on this wheel
- Things in a stocking
- Words that rhyme with snow
- Christmas cookies
- Winter clothing
- Things you hang on a tree
- Holiday songs
- Reindeer names or nicknames
- Things that are red or green
- Gifts a kid might want
- Gifts a grandparent might want
- Foods on a holiday table
- Things in a winter car kit
- Things that glow
- Things you wrap
- Things in Santa's workshop
- Hot drinks
- Things that are cold
- Winter sports
- Places you can see lights
- Things in an attic
- Words for a sweet treat
- Things you plug in
- Things with a bow
- Christmas decorations
- Items on a wish list
- Things that jingle
- Words for snow
- Jobs people do in December
- Things you do on Christmas Eve
- Things in a gift shop
- Cold weather animals
- Things in a kitchen at Christmas
- Characters in holiday stories
- Things that come in a box
- Things you can bake
- Words that describe a grumpy elf
- Sounds of the holidays
- Things in a snow globe
- Ways to travel in winter
- Things a guest might bring
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Playing a round
- Give everyone a pen and paper. One player presses Spin and reads the category out loud.
- Open the letter tool, draw a letter, and start a 60-second timer. Everyone writes as many answers starting with that letter as they can.
- When time is up, read the answers aloud. Answers that match are crossed out, and each unique one scores a point.
- Click Remove from wheel after each round so categories do not repeat, and add up the points after six rounds.
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Christmas Scattergories questions
How do you score Christmas Scattergories?
One point for each unique valid answer, zero for any answer that someone else also wrote. The group decides together whether a doubtful answer counts, and the host has the last word.
How long should the timer be?
Sixty seconds suits most adults and teens. Give children 90 seconds, and let them use pictures or a parent as a scribe.
Can kids play?
Yes, from about age 7. Choose easier categories like Things that jingle or Winter clothing, and accept any word that starts with the letter and fits the category.
What if nobody can think of an answer for a letter?
Draw again. Agree before play that any round can be redrawn once, so a tough letter doesn't ruin the turn.
Can I use my own categories?
Yes. Add them in Entries, one per line, up to 34 characters each. The Original list chip restores the 40 holiday categories.
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