Spin the wheel Ugly sweater party games
Make the sweaters the main event
The fun of an ugly sweater party is the clothes, so the best games make the sweaters part of play. Some entries are awards, such as Most Lights, Best Homemade and Funniest Sweater. Others are small games: Sweater Bingo, Sweater Age and a relay where teams pass a sweater down the line.
Awards work best with a simple vote. Give each guest three stickers or small slips of paper at the door and let them place them on a sheet with the guest's name. One person counts stickers while the games run, and you announce winners before the end of the night. Cheap prizes like a candy cane trophy keep the stakes low.
Everything on the list is safe for children and for workplaces. Nobody is judged on their body, only on knit and ingenuity, and most games need only stickers, a phone camera and a little floor space. For a crowd of 20 or more, run two games at once.
What's on this wheel
- Ugliest Sweater: sticker vote
- Most Lights: wins if it blinks
- Best Homemade: DIY only
- Best Thrift Find: under $10
- Funniest Sweater: crowd applause
- Group Photo: fake family card
- Sweater Trivia: guess who made it
- Sweater Age: how old is it
- Sweater Fashion Show: runway walk
- Pun Contest: best sweater joke
- Add a Pom-Pom: team design swap
- Sweater Bingo: spot the pattern
- Sweater Relay: put on, take off
- Match the Pair: find your twin
- Itchiest Sweater: wool award
- Cutest Pet Sweater: dogs and cats
- Kid's Choice Award: kids vote
- Best Group: matching sweaters
- Sweater Charades: act the picture
- Sweater Hunt: find items on it
- Pass the Sweater: wear it
- Sweater Swap: draw a number
- Snack Match: snacks by color
- Sweater Stack: wear three at once
- Name the Sweater: give a title
- Sweater Sketch: draw your own
- Best Back: what is behind you
- Most Sparkle: glitter award
- Sweater Karaoke: sing in costume
- Sweater Dance Off: freestyle round
- Sweater Cookies: decorate them
- Sweater Story: where it came from
- Judge's Choice: host picks
- Cozy Corner Award: warmest sweater
- Sweater Memory: who wore what
- Sweater Auction: fake cash
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Running the night
- Print or hand out sticker slips as guests arrive, and open Entries to remove anything that doesn't fit your party size.
- Ask the crowd for a drum roll, then press Spin to land on a game or an award category.
- For games, run them for 5 to 10 minutes. For awards, collect votes right away or save them for the finale.
- Use Remove from wheel after each result, and keep the last award for the end of the party.
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Ugly sweater party games questions
How do you judge an ugly sweater contest?
Use sticker voting, one vote per person per category, plus a host's pick for ties. Categories like Most Lights and Best Homemade are easier to judge than a single "ugliest" winner.
What if someone didn't bring a sweater?
Have a stash of cheap extras and some tinsel, bows or felt. A guest can decorate a plain sweatshirt in 10 minutes and still enter the Best Homemade award.
Are these games okay for kids and coworkers?
Yes. Nothing on the list targets a person's looks or body. Games like Sweater Sketch and Name the Sweater work well in offices and classrooms alike.
How many games do I need?
Four to six games plus three or four awards will fill a two-hour party. Spin again whenever the room goes quiet.
Where do people find ugly sweaters?
Thrift stores have the best ones from November on, often for under $10. A plain sweater plus tinsel, felt shapes and safety pins turns into a homemade entry in one evening.
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