christmas skittles party game

Skittles Candy Game: A Fun Party Game Idea for the Family

With Christmas right around the corner, I bet you’re starting to think of awesome party game ideas to keep your family and guests entertained. Well, have you ever heard about this simple yet fun Skittles Candy Game? I only started playing a few years ago when my aunt introduced it to us and now we’ve been playing ever since.

We are huge game playing fanatics so even though this one is a bit more on the simple side, it’s actually quite fun. And look, at a glance you will probably be like “there is no way this is actually fun,” but trust me because it is.

And here, I’ll explain everything you need to know about this Christmas Skittles Game including what you’ll need, how to set it up and how to play! It’s even all included in the printable game cheat sheet below.



[Disclaimer: Please note this post may contain affiliate links. This means I may receive a commission if clicked at no extra cost to you. Though the opinions remain my own.]


What You Need to Play the Skittles Candy Game

Out of all the Christmas games we play each year, this is probably one of the easiest games to set up. It only requires a few items, some of which you may even already have at home.

However, it’s definitely a party game you can play for any occasion.

These are the only items you’ll need for this Skittles candy game idea. Some are optional and some may be something that you’ll need for other party or Christmas games as well. So click through below and grab what you need for this awesome party game.

white party table (one or two depending on how many player’s you’ll want at once as there should be no more than 2 per table)

big bag of Skittles (the regular kind because of the game rules shown below)

plastic red party cups (yes, it has to be this specific kind)

party game prizes (optional but prizes always make things more fun)

Yup, this is pretty much all you need for this game. So let’s go ahead and move on to find out the fun stuff which is how to play!

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skittles sorted out in correct cups after playing the christmas party game

How to Play this Awesome Skittles Candy Game Idea

Yay! Now that you have everything you need to play this awesome party game, it’s time to find out how to play. And look, I’m warning you now that this is one of those games that’s much more fun playing than reading the instructions.

In fact, reading this over may seem like it’s not such a great game but trust me, it does get competitive (especially if you’ll be giving out awesome but inexpensive game prizes).

So don’t knock it before you try it and find out how to play below.

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how to set up the skittles candy game

How To Set Up this Christmas Game

I mentioned earlier that this will be one of the easiest game set ups you’ll ever have to do.

Open Space

To start, you’ll need a big open space where you can place your party tables. There should be no more than two players per table so I typically recommend to have one-two tables.

What we’ll do is move the couches out of the way and set them up in the living room. If it’s not too cold outside, the patio might be a good idea as well.

Skittles & Cup Placement

Just like the picture shown above, you’ll need 7 party cups per player. You’ll place 6 empty cups in two rows of three and then you’ll fill up one of the red cups with a mix of Skittles.

I recommend you shake the big bag of Skittles first so that you can really get a good mixture before pouring them into the cup. And of course, fill up each player’s cup at the same level to keep it fair.

Easy peasy and now it’s time to start playing! Game rules and instructions are up next, but for easy access at your party, you can grab your printable Skittles Game Cheat Sheet below.



Skittles Candy Game Rules

Yes, every party game has their own unique set of rules. This is how we play it but feel free to add in your own unique twist (and if you do, please let me know because I would do get new ideas and inspiration).

Objective of the Game

And as you can see from the image above, the objective is to correctly sort out the Skittles into the various cups. This will be a race competition so whoever gets this done first wins the game. Sounds simple enough right? Yeah… not as easy as you think.

How To Play

Alright, so once you have the game set up, you are ready to play!

1) Line up two players per table, each in front of their Skittles cup set up. They must place one hand behind their back and keep it there throughout the entire game.

Ohhh, things just got interesting didn’t it? ?

2) Now they’re ready to start sorting. Remember, one cup = one color. The player wins when all of the Skittles have been properly sorted into the right cup.

Even though this sounds like a super basic and simple game (which it is), it’s still pretty challenging as we’re trying to be the fastest which causes us to mess up.

This means that you are more than likely to place one Skittle in the incorrect cup. But remember, you can only use one hand so that means you have one hand to dig that Skittle out of the cup to put it in the right one.

Every time you do this, you increase your chances of accidentally tipping over the cup, thus spilling out all of your Skittles. And if you have grown men playing with their big hands, this gets pretty funny to watch.

3) Again, the first person who gets all of the Skittles properly sorted wins the game and their awesome game prize!

I’m telling you, it’s a game you should definitely give a try this holiday season.

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christmas skittles party game

Have Fun Playing this Christmas Skittles Game!

Haha I know my reaction when I was first told the rules to this game changed after I actually played it. So give this game a try this Christmas or any other occasion with your family and friends.

Oh and did I mention this is a game kids can play too? I just wouldn’t recommend you team them up against adults haha. And make sure they don’t try to eat the Skittles afterwards LOL! And remember to grab your printable Skittles Game Cheat Sheet below for easy access at your party.


So tell me, what do you think about this Christmas party game? Do you have other favorite games you love to do each year? Let me know in the comments below as I would love to hear from you!

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7 thoughts on “Skittles Candy Game: A Fun Party Game Idea for the Family”

    1. Lucy | CheersToLife

      Yup, that’s how we do it, but you’re most welcome to set or adjust the rules to whatever you see fit 🙂

  1. My family did this but we put the skittles or m&ms on a plate and used a straw to suck up the candy and transfer them to separate cups. This was also one of our minute to win it games at our relay for life event. So much fun!

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