Christmas
Name That Carol
Also called Guess the Carol, Carol Intro Quiz
The host plays the first few seconds of a Christmas song and teams race to name it.
- people
- 6–100
- time
- 15 min
- energy
- Medium
- materials
- Household items
Kids-safeHR-safeChurch-safe
Before you start
Build the playlist in advance and test it on the venue speaker. Seat teams of 4–6 together.
- 1The host plays 3–5 seconds of a song.
- 2The first team to ring or shout gets to answer.
- 3Correct title is one point; a wrong answer gives the other teams a second listen.
- 4After 20 songs the highest score wins.
Cards for this game28
Edit them now. Host mode deals them one at a time, big enough for the room.
28 cards
- Silent night, holy night, all is calm→ Silent Night
- Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way→ Jingle Bells
- Deck the halls with boughs of holly→ Deck the Halls
- Joy to the world, the Lord is come→ Joy to the World
- O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant→ O Come, All Ye Faithful
- Hark! The herald angels sing→ Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- Away in a manger, no crib for a bed→ Away in a Manger
- We wish you a merry Christmas→ We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- The first Noel, the angel did say→ The First Noel
- O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree→ O Christmas Tree
- Up on the housetop reindeer pause→ Up on the Housetop
- God rest ye merry, gentlemen→ God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
- O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie→ O Little Town of Bethlehem
- Angels we have heard on high→ Angels We Have Heard on High
- We three kings of Orient are→ We Three Kings
- Good King Wenceslas looked out→ Good King Wenceslas
- On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me→ The Twelve Days of Christmas
- It came upon the midnight clear→ It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
- O holy night, the stars are brightly shining→ O Holy Night
- Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way→ Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
- Here we come a-wassailing→ Here We Come A-Wassailing
- Ding dong! Merrily on high→ Ding Dong! Merrily on High
- Go, tell it on the mountain→ Go, Tell It on the Mountain
- I saw three ships come sailing in→ I Saw Three Ships
- Oh, bring us some figgy pudding→ We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Over the river and through the wood→ Over the River and Through the Wood
- Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh→ Jingle Bells
- While shepherds watched their flocks by night→ While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
What to say3
- 1“Ears open — here's song number one!”
- 2“Team two rang first… what's your answer?”
- 3“Three seconds was all you needed — impressive!”
Host tips3
- Cue every track to the start of the recognisable part before the party. Fumbling through a 20-second instrumental intro kills the pace.
- Use versions the room knows — if most guests are Filipino, include Jose Mari Chan and local carols, not just American pop covers.
- Decide a ruling on near-misses before the first song. “Jingle Bell Rock” versus “Jingle Bells” will come up.
Variants2
Fancy titles
Read carol titles rewritten in over-formal words — “Quietude of the Nocturnal Hours” for “Silent Night”.
Hum it
No speaker? The host or a volunteer hums the carol with their mouth closed.
Good for
Occasions
ChristmasReunionTeam buildingSchool
Venues
Indoor, smallIndoor, largeOfficeChurch hallOnline