The hours after Christmas lunch are some of the best of the year. The food is done, there's nowhere to be, and the afternoon stretches out ahead of you.
The games that work in this window are slightly different from the ones you pull out before lunch. Energy levels have shifted. Some people want a game. Others are happy to watch, chat alongside it, and maybe wander over when something interesting is happening.
These four games cover every version of that afternoon.
Giant Kubb — for the ones who want a proper contest
If the backyard group games have wrapped up and someone's still got competitive energy, Kubb delivers. Teams throw wooden batons to knock over wooden blocks before taking down the king in the centre — tactical, team-based, and the kind of game where opinions about strategy emerge surprisingly quickly.
A game takes twenty to forty minutes, fits perfectly into the post-lunch pace, and the "one more game" instinct is strong. It's also a different game from the ones in Post 15 — you can play Cornhole and cricket in the morning and Kubb in the afternoon and nobody's repeating themselves.
Yardzee and Farkle — for the ones who want something relaxed
The Backyard Dice set — oversized Yardzee and Farkle — is made for the after-lunch afternoon where not everyone wants to run around. Roll the giant dice, score your combinations, pass to the next player.
It works beautifully in the background of a long afternoon. People drift in and out of the game while conversations keep going. Nobody needs to be fully committed to keep it running. The competitive element builds naturally as the scores develop, but it never tips into anything high-stakes. Good for: the group who wants to be doing something without it being a whole thing.
Backyard Chats Tumbling Tower — for the ones who want to actually connect
Backyard Chats is the Tumbling Tower with conversation prompts on every block. Pull a block, read the question, answer it. Some questions are funny. Some are genuinely interesting. Occasionally one leads somewhere real.
On Christmas Day, when extended family who don't see each other often are all in the same place, Backyard Chat creates the conversations that wouldn't have happened otherwise. For grandparents and grandchildren, for cousins who only see each other once a year — this is the game worth bringing out after lunch. It turns the game into an excuse to actually talk.
Sling Puck — for the kids who need to do something
Fast, loud, and impossible to play without laughing. Sling Puck is a two-player tabletop game where each player races to flick all their pucks to the opponent's side. Games last about ninety seconds.
It's the perfect option for kids who've sat through a long Christmas lunch and have energy to burn. Set it up on the dining table or a bench — it takes ten seconds, games are quick, and everyone wants a rematch. While the adults settle into Yardzee or Backyard Chat, the kids are sorted.
Set it all up before lunch
The games that get played on Christmas afternoon are the ones already out, not the ones fetched from a cupboard when someone eventually suggests doing something. A small amount of setup before lunch means the afternoon takes care of itself.
