Candy canes are basically the Swiss Army knife of holiday snacks. They’re festive, they’re inexpensive, they come
with built-in handles, and they’re shaped like tiny hooksmeaning they’re born for party games. If you’ve
ever hosted a holiday get-together and thought, “We need something fun that doesn’t require a stage, a spreadsheet,
or a full-time referee,” congratulations: you’re in the right place.
This guide is packed with candy cane party games for kids, teens, and grown-ups who still giggle when someone drops
something during a relay. You’ll find fast “minute-to-win-it” style challenges, team relays, calmer table games,
and a few sneaky crowd-pleasers that double as icebreakers. Best of all: most of these games use what you already
havecandy canes, cups, tape, and a little competitive spirit (the polite kind… mostly).
Why Candy Canes Make the Perfect Party Game Prop
The classic candy cane shape isn’t just cuteit’s functional. That curved hook lets players snag, carry, drag,
hang, scoop, and “fish” for objects in ways a regular piece of candy simply can’t. And because candy canes are
lightweight, you can run games indoors without turning your living room into a contact sport arena.
Plus, candy cane games naturally fit Christmas party games, classroom holiday parties, winter birthdays, and even
office gatherings where you need something that feels festive but not awkwardly intense. (You know the vibe:
“fun,” not “corporate trust fall.”)
Quick Setup and Safety (Because Peppermint Shouldn’t Be a Hazard)
- Use wrapped candy canes for any game involving mouths, shared surfaces, or “hooking.”
- Have a “break bowl” for snapped candy canes. Broken pieces happenplan for it.
- Mind little kids: for ages under 4, skip mouth-based games and stick to tossing, hunting, or table play.
- Allergies matter: keep ingredient labels nearby, especially if you’re using flavored or filled canes.
- Hygiene hack: if you want ultra-clean play, swap in inexpensive plastic candy cane props for the “mouth games.”
- Floor safety: peppermint dust + socks = holiday ice rink. Sweep between rounds if needed.
18 Candy Cane Party Games That Actually Work
Each game below includes what you need, how to play, and quick ways to adjust difficulty. Mix and match for your
crowd size and energy level. If you’re hosting a longer game night, aim for an odd number of rounds so you don’t
end in a tie (unless you enjoy sudden-death marshmallow playoffs).
1) Candy Cane Hunt (The Holiday Classic That Never Fails)
Best for: kids, families, mixed ages • Time: 5–10 minutes
You need: 20–50 candy canes (wrapped), baskets or gift bags, optional clue cards.
Hide candy canes around the room (or yard) while players face away. Set a timer and let the hunt begin. For a calmer
version, give each person a checklist: “Find one behind a book,” “Find one near something red,” etc. For older kids
and teens, add riddles that lead to “bonus canes” worth extra points.
2) Candy Cane 4x1 Relay (Pass the Peppermint Baton)
Best for: teams, classrooms, big groups • Time: 5 minutes per round
You need: one candy cane per player + 1 extra per team, tape for start/finish lines.
Split into teams and line up relay-style. Player 1 starts holding an extra candy cane hooked onto the one in their hand.
They speed-walk to the far line, transfer the hooked cane to a teammate’s candy cane (no pockets, no “helpful” hands),
then that teammate returns. The first team to complete all transfers wins. Want chaos? Make them do it while holding
a jingle bell that must keep ringing.
3) Hook ’Em Up (Minute-to-Win-It Candy Cane Hook)
Best for: older kids, teens, adults • Time: 60 seconds
You need: a bowl of wrapped candy canes per player, one candy cane “hook” per player.
Players hold one candy cane in their mouth (hook end out) and must lift and move other candy canes from a bowl onto
the tablehands-free. Set the goal (5 canes is a common sweet spot). If a cane drops, it stays dropped. This game is
fast, hilarious, and somehow makes everyone look like they’re trying to operate a tiny peppermint crane machine.
4) Candy Cane Pickup (The “No Hands” Transfer Challenge)
Best for: competitive crowds • Time: 60 seconds
You need: a pile of wrapped candy canes, an empty bowl or cup.
Similar to Hook ’Em Up, but simpler: candy canes start in a pile on the table, and the destination is a bowl a foot away.
Players use the candy cane in their mouth to pick up and drop as many canes into the bowl as possible in one minute.
Make it harder by moving the bowl farther away or requiring canes to land “hook up.”
5) Candy Cane Horseshoes (Hook the Pole)
Best for: all ages • Time: 5–10 minutes
You need: a sturdy upright pole (wrapping paper tube taped to a weight works), candy canes.
Players stand behind a line and toss candy canes toward the pole. Score 3 points for a hook, 1 point for closest.
If you want a cleaner “indoor-safe” version, use a short cone or a paper towel roll on a heavy plate to prevent tipping.
This is great as a come-and-go station during a bigger party.
6) Candy Cane Tree Toss (Stick the Cane)
Best for: teams, kids, winter parties • Time: 5 minutes
You need: a small artificial tree per team, a pile of candy canes.
Teams stand a set distance away and take turns tossing candy canes at their tree, trying to get them to catch on the branches.
The team with the most candy canes hanging at the end wins. Adjust difficulty by moving the line back, using mini canes,
or making players toss with their non-dominant hand.
7) Candy Cane Chopsticks (Peppermint Precision)
Best for: table play, classrooms, quieter parties • Time: 60–90 seconds
You need: two candy canes per player, a bowl of mini marshmallows (or pom-poms), empty cup.
Players hold one candy cane in each hand like chopsticks and transfer as many marshmallows as possible into a cup before time runs out.
For a tougher round, use small jingle bells (they roll) or require players to transfer into a narrow-neck bottle.
This game is sneaky-hard and very satisfying when someone finally gets “the chopstick rhythm.”
8) Candy-board Shuffle (Candy Cane Shuffleboard)
Best for: mixed ages, low-mess fun • Time: 3–5 minutes
You need: painter’s tape, a table, marshmallows, candy canes.
Tape three scoring zones on a tabletop (1 point, 2 points, 3 points). Players use a candy cane like a little hockey stick
to push a marshmallow into the zonesno flicking with fingers. Play to 10 points or run a quick tournament bracket.
Want drama? Make the 3-point zone tiny and declare it “the North Pole.”
9) Candy Cane Spoons (Cards + Chaos)
Best for: teens, adults, family game night • Time: 10–15 minutes
You need: a deck of cards, one candy cane per person (minus one).
Play the classic card game Spoons, but use candy canes in the center instead. When someone gets four of a kind, they
grab a candy cane. Everyone else scrambles. The person left without a candy cane gets a letter in “C-A-N-E” (or any
short word you like). It’s simple, loud, and weirdly effective at getting people off their phones.
10) Candy Cane Pond (The Mouth-Only “Fishing” Trick)
Best for: teens, adults, supervised older kids • Time: 60 seconds
You need: a plate on a stable base (like a jar), candy canes hanging over the edge, one cane per player.
Players hold their candy cane in their mouth and must snag a cane off the “pond” and pull it freeno hands. Count how many
canes each person retrieves in one minute. It looks easy until you try it, at which point everyone becomes a determined
peppermint crane operator again.
11) Candy Cane Fishing (Kid-Friendly, Adaptable, and Cute)
Best for: younger kids, classrooms • Time: 5–8 minutes
You need: a stick/dowel, string, a candy cane tied on as the “hook,” and paper fish with paper clips.
Make simple paper fish and add paper clips. Kids “fish” by hooking the paper clip with the candy cane. You can write
prizes, dares, jokes, or trivia questions on the fish. This one scales beautifully: make it silly for little kids or
turn it into a holiday trivia challenge for older players.
12) Candy Cane Hook Relay (Run, Hook, Drop, Repeat)
Best for: high-energy groups • Time: 5 minutes
You need: two baskets per team (start and finish), lots of wrapped candy canes.
Place a basket of candy canes at the start and an empty basket at the finish line. Each player holds a candy cane in their
mouth and uses it to hook one cane from the start basket, runs it down, and drops it into the finish basket. If it falls,
they return to the start and try again. It’s a relay plus a dexterity challengemeaning it’s louder than you expect.
13) Candy Cane String Race (Two People, One Wiggly Mission)
Best for: pairs, coworkers, older kids • Time: 2–4 minutes
You need: a 6-foot string per pair, one candy cane per pair.
Tie the candy cane onto the center of a string. Partners hold the ends of the string and stand apart until taut. Without moving
their hands up the string, they must “walk” the candy cane along the string to one partner, then back to the other. It becomes
a teamwork puzzle: tiny steps, steady tension, and laughing at how serious everyone gets.
14) Candy Cane Balance Relay (Don’t Drop the Hook)
Best for: kids, families • Time: 5 minutes
You need: two candy canes per runner.
Each runner carries two candy canes with one hooked onto the other. They walk to a turn-around point and back without dropping.
If the hooked cane falls, they return to the start and try again. This is perfect when you want a relay without sprinting indoors,
and it’s surprisingly intense for something involving peppermint.
15) Candy Cane Derby (Marshmallow “Batting” Distance)
Best for: larger spaces, outdoor-friendly parties • Time: 10 minutes
You need: candy canes, large marshmallows, measuring tape (optional).
One person “pitches” marshmallows gently underhand. The batter uses a candy cane to swat each marshmallow forward. Give each player
three hits and measure the farthest distance. For a more controlled indoor version, award points based on landing zones taped on the floor.
It’s goofy, photogenic, and great for mixed ages.
16) Candy Cane Bowling (Peppermint Pin Knockdown)
Best for: kids, families, office parties • Time: 5–8 minutes
You need: plastic cups (pins), a peppermint candy or small ball, a candy cane “pusher.”
Set up cups like bowling pins. Players use a candy cane like a mini hockey stick to roll a peppermint candy (or nudge a small ball)
toward the pins. Score like bowling, or keep it simple: most cups knocked down in two tries wins. This is an excellent “station game”
while people snack and mingle.
17) Ornament Rescue (Hook the “Decoration”)
Best for: table game lovers • Time: 60–90 seconds
You need: paper clips or small ring shapes, a bowl, candy canes.
Toss paper clips into a bowl and place an empty cup nearby. Players use the hook of a candy cane (handheld) to snag paper clips one by one
and drop them into the cup. It’s simple, clean, and great for people who prefer precision over sprinting. If you want holiday flair, use
tiny ornament rings or gift tag loops instead of paper clips.
18) Spin the Candy Cane (A Sweet Gift-Opening Game)
Best for: kids, family gatherings • Time: 10 minutes
You need: a large novelty candy cane (or a clean plastic one), small wrapped prizes or stocking stuffers.
Sit in a circle with prizes in the middle. Spin the big candy cane like a pointer. Whoever it points to chooses a prize (or opens one gift).
Keep going until everyone has something. This is especially helpful when you want a structured, low-stress way to distribute small goodies
without the chaos of a pile-and-grab moment.
How to Host a Candy Cane Game Night Without Losing the Plot
Build a “Game Menu” (So People Know What’s Next)
Pick 6–8 games for a 45–60 minute block. Mix movement games (relay, hook relay) with table games (chopsticks, shuffleboard) so guests can catch
their breath. Post the lineup on a piece of paper or a whiteboard. People relax when they can see the planeven if the plan is “competitive marshmallow batting.”
Use Simple Scoring
- Team points: 2 points for first, 1 point for second.
- Individual bracket: top 2 scores advance each round.
- Most improved award: for the guest who starts terrible and ends legendary (holiday character arc!).
Prizes That Don’t Feel Like Homework
Keep prizes small and funny: a “Peppermint Champion” certificate, a tiny trophy, a holiday sticker pack, or first pick of dessert. The best prize,
honestly, is bragging rights plus a photo of someone concentrating way too hard while holding a candy cane in their mouth.
Make Candy Cane Party Games Easier for Any Crowd
If You Have Toddlers
Focus on hunts, gentle tossing games, and “fishing.” Avoid mouth-based challenges and tiny loose pieces. Make everything bigger: bigger targets, shorter distances, more time.
If You Have Teens
Teens like games that feel fast and slightly chaotic: Candy Cane Spoons, Hook ’Em Up, and relays with silly constraints (non-dominant hand, one-foot hopping, etc.).
Keep rounds short and rotate quickly so no one has time to decide it’s “not cool.” (They will still try.)
If You Have Adults Who “Don’t Do Games”
Start with table games and stations: Candy Cane Shuffleboard and Candy Cane Horseshoes. Once people are laughing, they’re much more likely to try a relay.
Bonus tip: don’t call it “icebreakers.” Call it “peppermint challenges.” Same concept, less corporate.
What It’s Like When You Actually Play These Games (Real-World Party Experiences)
In real holiday parties, candy cane games tend to do something magical: they turn “a room full of people who arrived at different times” into “a group that’s suddenly cheering for Janet
to successfully hook a candy cane like it’s an Olympic event.” The first few minutes are usually politepeople read rules, laugh gently, and pretend they’re not competitive. Then someone
drops a candy cane, someone else accidentally makes a dramatic slow-motion save, and the whole room collectively decides: we are invested now.
At classroom parties, the biggest win is how easy it is to keep kids engaged without needing complicated supplies. A Candy Cane Hunt burns energy immediately, which makes the rest of the party smoother.
The “fishing” style games are especially popular because every child can take a turn without feeling rushed. Teachers and parents often notice that the kids who are usually quiet end up shining in the
precision gamesCandy Cane Chopsticks and Ornament Rescue reward patience, not loudness. And because the props are festive, kids stay excited even when they’re waiting.
For families, relays become the unexpected highlight. The moment a grandparent decides to try the Candy Cane Balance Relay “just once,” everyone pays attention. It’s not about speed; it’s about the
delightful seriousness people bring to something so silly. Families also tend to love the games that create instant stories: the marshmallow in Candy Cane Derby that takes a weird bounce and rolls under
the couch; the perfectly tossed candy cane that somehow lands and sticks on the tree like it has a résumé; the sibling who was so confident in Candy Cane Spoons and then loses in round one
because they were busy laughing.
In office or group-friend settings, the station games are a lifesaver. Not everyone wants to sprint in dress shoes (valid), but almost everyone will try a one-minute challenge if the vibe stays light.
Candy-board Shuffleboard is especially effective because it lets people chat while playingturn-based games keep the party social instead of turning it into a full-volume athletic event. And once a few
“I’m just watching” guests see the scoreboard, they often wander in “for one round,” which is party-host gold.
The most consistent real-world lesson: use wrapped candy canes, keep a small trash bowl for broken pieces, and don’t over-explain. A quick demo beats a long speech every time. People learn candy cane games
by seeing themespecially the hook challengesso do a goofy practice attempt yourself, let everyone laugh, then start the timer. The second lesson: build in tiny resets. After a relay, take 30 seconds to
sweep peppermint dust, restack cups, and refresh the candy cane pile. Those micro-pauses keep the party flowing and prevent the “wait, where did the pieces go?” confusion.
Finally, candy cane games create a very specific kind of holiday memory: not the “perfect aesthetic” kind, but the “we laughed so hard we couldn’t talk for a minute” kind. And that’s usually the goal.
The best parties aren’t flawlessthey’re fun. If your guests leave still arguing (politely) about whether Candy Cane Pond was “rigged,” you hosted correctly.