22 Christmas Games for Kids to Play All December

If you have been desperately Googling ‘christmas games for kids’ at 11pm the night before a class party (no judgment — I have absolutely been there), this list is going to save your December.

We are talking 22 games that actually work: movement-heavy, easy to explain in 30 seconds, and fun enough to hold the attention of kids who have already eaten three candy canes.

Whether you are hosting a school party, a family get-together, or just trying to survive a rainy Saturday in December, you will find something here for every single week of the month.

I have organised these so the energy levels ebb and flow — you get a wild relay, then a printable to catch your breath, then something active again. Plus, every game has an age range so you know exactly what works for your crew.

And hey, while you are in full Christmas planning mode, it does not hurt to have your 2025 Christmas Gift Guide for everyone bookmarked too — just saying. Now, let’s get the games going!

1. Left Right Christmas Gift Pass

This is the Christmas game that has been absolutely everywhere on Pinterest in 2026, and honestly? The hype is 100% deserved. Everyone sits in a circle, each holding a small wrapped gift they brought from home. A designated reader (that’s you, host!)

reads a festive Christmas story out loud — every time the word ‘left’ is said, every single player passes their gift to the left; every time ‘right’ is said, gifts go right.

The story is packed with lefts and rights, so there is a LOT of chaotic, giggling passing. When the story ends, whatever gift you are holding is yours to keep and unwrap. Age range: 5 and up.

To set this up, ask each child or family to bring one small wrapped gift with a price cap — $5 works perfectly for classroom parties, or you can go gift-card-sized for family gatherings.

Print out a left-right Christmas story (loads of free ones based on ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas are online, with lefts highlighted in green and rights in red to help the reader keep pace).

Pro tip: the person reading should NOT also be playing, because keeping up with the story AND passing a gift is genuinely impossible. Ask me how I know.

What makes this game such a crowd-pleaser is that nobody loses and nobody gets their feelings hurt — there is no stealing, no scoring, just a wonderfully unpredictable shuffle of presents and a lot of laughter when kids start passing the wrong way.

For a classroom spin, swap wrapped gifts for holiday candy bags so the price stays ultra-low. You can even read the story faster on a second round to crank up the chaos and the giggles.

2. Christmas Bingo

Christmas Bingo is the classic for a reason — it plays in 10 minutes, works for a crowd of 6 or 60, and even the youngest players can join in with just a tiny bit of help.

Each player gets a unique 5×5 Bingo card filled with Christmas pictures (a candy cane, a stocking, Rudolph, a star, a snowman, a gingerbread man, jingle bells, a Christmas tree, a present, an elf, hot cocoa, mittens, a wreath, an angel, a sleigh, an ornament, a snowflake, a nutcracker, a fireplace, mistletoe, North Pole sign, Santa hat, Mrs.

Claus, a bell, and a FREE centre square). The host calls out items one by one, and players use bingo daubers, coins, or small sweets to mark their card. First to fill a row — horizontal, vertical, or diagonal — yells ‘Bingo!’

and wins a treat. Age range: 4 and up.

Print one card per player and make sure no two cards are identical (shuffle the grid so images appear in different positions).

Calling tokens can be as simple as slips of paper in a Santa hat, or you can buy a bag of mini Christmas erasers and draw them out one at a time for extra festive flair.

Having a few small prizes on hand — candy canes, stickers, mini ornaments — keeps the energy up through multiple rounds. You can easily play five or six rounds in 20 minutes, which is perfect for restless kids.

The beautiful thing about Christmas Bingo for kids is that the pictures do all the heavy lifting — no reading required, which means it is fully inclusive for pre-readers. Want to ramp it up for older kids?

Try ‘blackout Bingo’ where you must fill the entire card to win, or ‘four corners’ where only the corner squares count.

Print this sheet, grab some M&Ms as markers (doubles as a snack — you are welcome), and you have yourself a full game in under two minutes of prep.

3. Candy Cane Hunt

Think Easter egg hunt, but make it Christmas — this is every bit as exciting and takes about three minutes to set up.

Before the kids arrive, hide mini candy canes all over the play area: tucked behind couch cushions, peeking out from bookshelves, hanging off door handles, stashed in plant pots, balanced on stair banisters. Each child gets a small bag or stocking and on ‘Go!’

they race to find as many candy canes as they can in a set time limit (three to five minutes works great). The child with the most candy canes at the end wins an extra treat. Age range: 3 and up.

For little ones aged 3–5, keep the hiding spots low to the ground and fully visible — half-hidden is perfect so they feel the thrill of discovery without frustration.

For older kids aged 6 and up, really tuck those candy canes away and add a twist: write numbers on a few special candy canes. The child who finds the ‘golden’ numbered cane wins a bonus prize.

You will need about 5–10 candy canes per child so everyone walks away with a decent haul. Assign a soft limit to avoid any competitive tears — for example, once you find 8, stop and let others catch up.

The Candy Cane Hunt works brilliantly outdoors too if you have a garden and mild December weather — poke candy canes into garden pots or hang them from low branches.

Indoors, scope out your space the night before so you remember where you hid everything (I once found a rogue candy cane in April, so… learn from my mistakes).

This game pairs perfectly as an icebreaker right when guests arrive — it gets kids moving immediately and breaks any shy-kid awkwardness instantly.

4. Christmas Maze

This one is a quiet, satisfying solo challenge that kids absolutely love — hand it out while you are getting the next active game set up and watch them go laser-focused.

The Christmas Maze is a single-page printable puzzle: kids must help Santa navigate a winding maze from the North Pole entrance all the way to a Christmas tree in the centre, avoiding dead ends, elves, and snowdrifts along the way.

It is a genuine maze with one correct path, multiple wrong turns, and a triumphant finish when they crack it. Age range: 4 and up (simpler loops for little ones, trickier switchbacks for bigger kids).

Print one sheet per child — that is the only supply you need beyond a pencil or crayon.

For younger kids aged 4–6, allow them to use their finger to trace first before committing with a pen, which removes frustration and keeps it fun rather than stressful.

For older kids aged 7 and up, add a timer challenge: first to complete the maze wins a small prize. You can also run it as a race between two kids placed side-by-side with their own sheets — purely electric, honestly.

Beyond the fun-factor, mazes are secretly brilliant for kids because they build spatial reasoning, patience, and fine motor control — all things their teachers will quietly thank you for.

If you are hosting a big party and need to stagger activities, the Christmas Maze is the perfect ‘buffer game’ between high-energy relays.

Slip a few extra sheets into party favour bags so kids can puzzle away on the drive home, which also buys tired parents about 15 blissful minutes of quiet. Everyone wins.

5. Pin the Nose on Rudolph

This is the Christmas cousin of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, and it is just as wonderfully silly as you remember — possibly more so, because the blindfolded walk toward a giant Rudolph poster while your friends shout increasingly unhelpful directions is peak children’s party energy.

Hang a large Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer poster on the wall at kid height (no nose drawn on, obviously). Each child gets a red circle sticker or a cut-out red circle with a small piece of tape on the back.

They are blindfolded, spun around three times, and pointed in Rudolph’s general direction. Whoever places their nose closest to the correct spot wins. Age range: 3 and up.

You can buy a ready-made Pin the Nose on Rudolph set online for around $5, or make your own by printing or drawing a large Rudolph face on poster board.

Number each player’s nose dot so you can identify who placed it closest — this avoids any ‘but MINE was closer!’ disputes, which I promise will otherwise happen. Mark each child’s starting point the same distance from the poster to keep it fair.

A gentle spin — just two turns for the youngest kids — keeps the game accessible without the toddler-falls-over drama.

For an extra laugh, skip the spin for a round and tell kids to keep their eyes closed and walk a wavy ‘elf path’ to the poster.

The resulting nose placements (Rudolph’s ear, the wall beside his head, the table next to the poster…) are genuinely hilarious and produce excellent photo opportunities.

This game flows well right before a sit-down activity since it gets kids excited and then the promise of a prize keeps them engaged and in line — a little crowd control magic never goes amiss.

6. Christmas I-Spy Sheet

I-Spy is one of those magical games that feels effortless for the kids but is secretly doing a lot of heavy lifting — visual scanning, counting, focus, and festive fun all wrapped up in one cosy page.

The Christmas I-Spy Sheet is a busy, illustrated scene packed with hidden Christmas objects: candy canes, stockings, snowflakes, bells, stars, presents, elves, ornaments, mittens, gingerbread men, and more, all jumbled together in a delightful snowy Christmas village scene.

Each child gets a sheet and a list of items to find and count — they circle or tally each one they spot. The player who correctly finds all items (or the most items) wins. Age range: 3 and up.

Print one sheet per child, and all they need is a pencil or crayon to circle items or tally marks in the count boxes provided.

For little ones aged 3–5, call out one item at a time as a group so everyone participates together rather than racing individually — this keeps it social and no one gets left behind.

For older kids aged 6 and up, make it a timed race: set a one-minute timer and see who spots the most items. Having answer totals only on the host’s sheet means kids cannot peek ahead.

The Christmas I-Spy Sheet is gold for staggered arrival situations — as each child arrives, hand them a sheet and a pencil so they are immediately occupied and not running laps around the kitchen while you try to finish setting up.

It also works beautifully as a ‘calm down’ game between two high-energy activities.

Slip extras into party favour bags for long car journeys home, and consider laminating a set with dry-erase markers so siblings can use them year after year — a genuinely lovely little investment.

7. Christmas Freeze Dance

No Christmas kid party is complete without a round of Freeze Dance, and the Christmas version is even better because the music is already brilliant. Kids dance freely — jumping, spinning, wriggling, doing their absolute best reindeer impressions — while festive Christmas carols play.

The moment the music stops, everyone must freeze completely still. Anyone still moving is out and takes a seat on the ‘elf bench’ (which is just a chair by the wall, but give it a name and the kids are DELIGHTED by it).

Last one standing wins a candy cane crown. Age range: 2 and up.

Queue up a playlist of upbeat Christmas songs — ‘Jingle Bell Rock,’ ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’ ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,’ and ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ are always a hit.

Use a Bluetooth speaker and pause the music unpredictably — sometimes after just three seconds, sometimes after a full 30, to keep everyone on their toes. Designate a clear open space and push furniture back before you start.

For very young kids aged 2–4, drop the elimination rule and just play for the joy of dancing and freezing — it is just as fun without the competitive pressure.

Freeze Dance is one of those christmas games for kids that burns a shocking amount of energy in about eight minutes flat, which is very useful if you need kids to be calm and seated for food shortly afterwards.

Add a silly freeze pose challenge for bonus laughs: shout ‘freeze like a snowman!’ or ‘freeze like a Christmas tree!’ right before stopping the music, and watch twenty tiny humans attempt to hold increasingly ridiculous poses while giggling uncontrollably. Pure gold.

8. Color Santa Contest

Forget competitive games for a second — this one is about creative confidence, and kids absolutely light up doing it.

The Color Santa Contest gives every child the same uncoloured line-drawing of Santa Claus on their sheet, and they have a set amount of time (five to eight minutes works great) to colour him in as creatively as they like. The catch?

There are zero rules about what colours to use. Purple Santa? Absolutely. Rainbow coat? Go for it. Polka-dot boots? Chef’s kiss.

At the end, all the finished Santas are displayed and either a panel of ‘elf judges’ (adults) or a group vote picks winners in categories like Most Colourful, Funniest, and Most Festive. Age range: 3 and up.

Set out a good spread of crayons, coloured pencils, and markers at a central table so kids can choose their tools freely — the more colours available, the more adventurous the results.

Set a gentle timer so everyone finishes at the same time and the ‘gallery reveal’ moment happens together, which is genuinely one of the most delightful parts of the whole game.

Having multiple winner categories means almost everyone gets a ribbon or a small prize, which keeps the mood warm and inclusive rather than competitive.

The Color Santa Contest is a brilliant mid-party pause that recharges kids’ batteries after a round of high-energy games. It doubles as beautiful party decor — line all the finished Santas up along the mantle or tape them to a window and they look amazing.

Send each child home with their own Santa artwork as a keepsake (or quietly photograph them and make a little December memory book — total mum/teacher move but honestly so worth it). These creative christmas games for kids are the ones families remember years later.

9. Jingle Bell Stocking Toss

This is a toss game with Christmas charm dialled all the way up — kids stand behind a throwing line and try to toss jingle bells (or small beanbags wrapped in Christmas fabric) into hanging stockings of different sizes.

Large stockings earn 1 point, medium stockings earn 2 points, and the tiny stocking — the sneaky one swaying at the end — earns 5 points. After three tosses each, the player with the most points wins a prize. Age range: 4 and up.

Hang the stockings from a curtain rod, a string of twine strung between two chairs, or a doorway hook — they need to be at varying heights and distances to create the different point values.

Fill each stocking slightly with scrunched newspaper so they hold their shape and have a visible opening. Use real jingle bells tied into small fabric pouches (so they do not scatter across the floor — wise choice, trust me), or just use regular small beanbags.

Adjust the throwing distance based on age: 3–4 feet for little ones, 6–8 feet for older kids.

The Jingle Bell Stocking Toss is a brilliant addition to an Olympic-style Christmas games lineup where you rotate kids through multiple station games and tally overall scores.

The satisfying jingle sound every time a bell lands inside a stocking earns a disproportionate amount of excitement, especially from the watching crowd.

For a team version, split into two groups and alternate turns — the team with the most total points after all players have thrown wins a group prize like a bag of Christmas candy to share.

10. Christmas Shape Match

This one is a super-satisfying matching puzzle that younger kids absolutely devour — it feels like a big-kid activity and they are SO proud when they get them all right.

The Christmas Shape Match sheet shows a column of Christmas silhouette shapes on the left side (a Christmas tree, a candy cane, a star, a snowflake, a stocking, a bell, a gift box, a reindeer, an elf hat, a gingerbread man) and a matching column of the same shapes in different sizes and rotations on the right side, all scrambled up.

Kids draw a line from each shape on the left to its match on the right. Age range: 3 and up.

Print one sheet per child and hand them a crayon or pencil — that is genuinely all the setup required. For children aged 3–5, do the first match together as a demonstration so they understand the concept, then let them fly solo.

For older kids aged 6 and up, add a timing challenge or mix in a few ‘trick’ shapes that look almost identical (a subtle size difference between two stars, for example) to increase the difficulty.

You can also use different crayon colours to draw each matching line, which makes the finished sheet look wonderful and colourful.

Christmas Shape Match quietly builds shape recognition, visual discrimination, and concentration skills — all while kids think they are just doing a fun puzzle, which is the best kind of learning.

It is a brilliant landing game for when kids arrive and you are still setting up the active stations, and it also works perfectly as a calm-down buffer after something wild like Freeze Dance.

Keep a stack of extras on hand because kids often want to do a second sheet and race a sibling — which, tbh, is exactly what you want to hear as a host.

11. Cotton Ball Snowball Toss

This game is hilariously simple and kids never, ever get bored of it — cotton balls become ‘snowballs’ and the goal is to toss as many of them as possible into a bowl, bucket, or cauldron (cauldron feels very dramatic for December but kids love it) from behind a throw line.

Each player gets 10 snowball tosses and counts how many land in the bucket. The player with the most snowballs in the bucket wins. Age range: 3 and up.

Set up three buckets at different distances — a large one close up worth 1 point, a medium one mid-range worth 2 points, and a small one at the back worth 5 points.

Players can choose which bucket to aim for on each throw, which adds a delicious element of strategy even for little kids. You will need a big bag of cotton balls (they are genuinely inexpensive) and some tape on the floor for the throw line.

Tip: do this on a hard floor rather than carpet so the cotton balls are easy to scoop up between rounds.

The Cotton Ball Snowball Toss works brilliantly as a rotation station at a Christmas games Olympics party — set a 90-second timer, let each kid fire off as many throws as possible, tally the score, and rotate.

It also doubles as an informal sensory activity for very young children (aged 2–3) who are not quite ready for competitive games — just let them throw cotton balls into a big bucket and fish them out again on repeat, and they are perfectly occupied.

For a team version, two teams stand at either end of the room and ‘snowball fight’ — tossing cotton balls back and forth, trying to have the fewest on their side when the timer sounds.

12. Christmas Riddles

Christmas Riddles is one of those printable games that secretly sorts kids into shrieking ‘I GOT IT!’ the moment the answer clicks, and the collective excitement is absolutely infectious.

Each player gets a sheet of 10 illustrated Christmas riddles — short, rhyming clues that describe a Christmas object, character, or tradition without naming it. Kids read each riddle, think it through, and write their answer on the blank line beneath it.

They can work solo or in pairs, and when time is up everyone compares answers before the host reveals the correct ones from the answer key. Age range: 6 and up (with a little adult help, 4–5 year olds can join in too).

Print one sheet per player or per pair — pencils or pens are all they need. Set a five-minute timer to create a gentle sense of urgency that makes it feel like a game show, not homework.

Reading the riddles aloud one by one works brilliantly for mixed-age groups where younger kids are paired with older siblings or adults who can help decode the clues.

Award one point per correct answer, and the player or team with the most points wins a Christmas treat.

What makes Christmas Riddles such a reliable hit is how it stretches thinking without any pressure — there are no buzzers, no hands shooting up, no embarrassment. Kids puzzle quietly, then erupt when the answer is revealed.

It is also a wonderful take-home activity: slip a sheet into each party bag and challenge kids to stump their parents with the riddles on Christmas morning.

Sneaky little learning opportunity wrapped up as holiday fun — and honestly, these are some of the cleverest christmas games for kids when you want something that feels a little different.

13. Elf Hunt

The Elf Hunt is like a scavenger hunt but with a brilliant Christmas story layer on top of it: before the party, the host hides 8–12 small plastic elves (or elf picture cards) all around the space.

The premise you sell to the kids is that the elves escaped from Santa’s workshop and must be found before Christmas is ruined — and kids BUY this completely, even the older ones who know better but play along anyway. On ‘Go!’

everyone searches the space for hidden elves. The child who finds the most elves wins a prize. Age range: 3 and up.

You can use cheap plastic elf figurines from the dollar store, printed elf picture cards (just google ‘elf clipart,’ print, and cut out), or even small elf ornaments.

Number each elf so you know exactly how many are out there and can confirm none have been accidentally sat on or stuffed into a sofa cushion. For little ones, hide elves in obvious spots at eye level.

For older kids, get creative — tape an elf inside a book, tuck one behind a picture frame, hide one under a couch cushion. Make a list of hiding spots so you can reveal any unfound elves at the end.

The Elf Hunt works beautifully as an opening game when kids first arrive because it gets them moving immediately, learns the space, and the hide-and-seek energy is universally irresistible.

For a longer, more involved version, attach a riddle clue to each elf pointing toward the next hiding spot — instant Christmas scavenger hunt upgrade.

This one pairs perfectly with the check-in to classic kids party game ideas if you are planning a full season of events, because the same seeking format translates brilliantly to other holiday themes.

14. Snowman Building (Balloons)

This is a team game that produces equal amounts of physical effort, creative problem-solving, and pure hilarity — kids work in teams to build a ‘snowman’ using only white balloons, masking tape, and whatever decorations are provided (marker-drawn faces, cut-out scarves, paper hats).

The team whose snowman looks most recognisably like an actual snowman when the timer ends wins. Age range: 5 and up.

Pre-blow a batch of white balloons in three sizes — big ones for the body, medium for the chest, small for the head — or let teams blow their own as part of the challenge (which adds chaos but also adds a lot of lung-burning laughs).

Give each team a roll of masking tape, some black marker dots for eyes and mouth, strips of coloured paper for a scarf, and a small cone of paper for a hat. Set a five-minute timer, shout ‘Build!’, and step back.

The structural engineering attempts alone are worth the admission price.

Snowman Building with Balloons is one of the best christmas games for kids at indoor parties because it requires almost no prep budget — white balloons are pennies, tape is tape, and marker is marker.

The competitive element of ‘best snowman’ judging adds genuine investment from the kids, and having adult or teen judges who deliberate with serious snowman-evaluation faces makes the reveal moment perfect.

Take a group photo of all the snowmen (and their proud builders) before they inevitably float away or pop — because they will pop, and that is also part of the fun.

15. Ornament Spoon Relay

This is a classic egg-and-spoon race given the full Christmas treatment, and it is just as nerve-wracking and exciting as you remember — possibly more so, because ornaments are rounder and slipperier than eggs.

Players line up in teams, and the first player in each team must balance a plastic Christmas ornament on a spoon, walk (no running!)

to a turning cone at the other end of the room, come back, and pass the ornament — without touching it with their hands — to the next player. If the ornament falls, they must go back to the start.

First team to have every player complete the course wins. Age range: 5 and up.

Use shatterproof plastic ornaments for obvious safety reasons — nobody wants a broken glass ornament situation at a kids’ party, full stop. Regular wooden or metal spoons both work; serving spoons are actually easier for younger kids because of the wider bowl.

Mark the start and turning point clearly with cones, chairs, or tape. Keep the walking rule strictly enforced because the moment someone runs, the ornament hits the floor and the chaos multiplies beautifully.

The Ornament Spoon Relay builds concentration and physical coordination in a way that feels nothing like exercise — kids are so focused on keeping that ornament balanced that they walk with the kind of careful poise that their teachers can only dream about on normal days.

For a fun variation, try a relay where players hold the spoon handle in their mouth instead of their hand (supervise closely for younger children) — the resulting concentration faces are absolutely priceless and make for brilliant party photos.

Check the ornament after each round because even plastic ones get dented from repeated drops.

16. Santa Beard Cotton Ball Race

This game is absolutely unhinged in the best possible way and kids talk about it for MONTHS afterwards. Each player applies a generous smear of Vaseline or honey around their chin area — the thicker the better, because it needs to be sticky.

Then they run to the other side of the room where a big bowl of cotton balls is waiting, dip their face into the bowl, and lift their head to reveal how many cotton balls have stuck to their ‘beard.’

They run back to the start, the cotton balls are counted, and the player who amasses the fullest, fluffiest Santa beard wins. Age range: 5 and up, with close supervision for the sticky bits.

Set up a start line and a cotton ball station at the opposite end of the room — about 15–20 feet apart works well.

Pre-portion a small cup or smear of Vaseline per child to keep things hygienic, and have wet wipes on hand for quick clean-up between rounds (this is non-optional, trust me).

Run kids in pairs or small groups for maximum crowd-watching energy — the audience commentary as someone lifts their head from the cotton ball bowl to reveal three sad lone fluffs or, gloriously, a magnificent full white beard is the highlight of the whole party.

The Santa Beard Cotton Ball Race is a Minute-to-Win-It style christmas game for kids that works brilliantly as a standalone event or as the grand finale of a games Olympics.

For a team relay variation, each team member takes a turn: they run, dip, and return — but instead of peeling off the cotton balls, they add them to a communal ‘team Santa beard’ drawn on a poster board, sticking each ball with a piece of tape.

The team with the fullest poster beard at the end wins. Honestly, set up a photo booth backdrop next to the cotton ball bowl because the mid-dip and mid-reveal shots are Christmas card gold.

17. Which Christmas Character Are You Quiz

Every group has a Rudolph, a Buddy the Elf, a Grinch-who-secretly-loves-Christmas, and an absolute Mrs. Claus — and this quiz reveals exactly who is who. The Which Christmas Character Are You Quiz is a short, illustrated personality quiz with 8 multiple-choice questions.

Each question has four answers mapped to four characters: Santa Claus, Rudolph, Buddy the Elf, and Frosty the Snowman. Kids circle or tick their answers, tally their most-chosen letter, and flip to the results section to discover which festive character they are.

Age range: 6 and up (younger kids love being read the questions and choosing an answer).

This works perfectly as a quiet, settled activity — hand it out after a high-energy game when kids need to breathe but are not quite ready to sit for food yet. No supplies needed beyond the printed sheet and a pencil or crayon.

The real magic happens after: get each child to stand up and announce their character, and then group all the Santas together, all the Rudolphs together, etc.

— it becomes a spontaneous little social moment as kids compare results and debate whether their friend is really a Buddy the Elf (they always are).

For a big group, tally the overall results on a board: how many Santas, Rudolphs, Buddy the Elves, and Frostys does this class have? Kids LOVE a group data reveal moment, and the inevitable ‘nooooo I am NOT a Grinch!’

reactions are the gift that keeps on giving. This quiz is also a beautiful take-home keepsake — kids can share their result with parents, grandparents, and anyone else who will listen, which given the festive season is approximately everyone.

If you are looking for more personality-quiz fun, the What is my ideal Valentine’s Day quiz is another crowd-pleaser worth bookmarking for your next holiday party.

18. Candy Cane Fishing

Candy Cane Fishing is a wonderful fine-motor game wrapped up in joyful Christmas novelty — kids use a ‘fishing rod’ made from a stick, a string, and a bent pipe cleaner hook, and try to hook candy canes from a pile on the floor or in a bowl.

Each successfully hooked candy cane is theirs to keep. Set a 60-second timer per player and see who can fish out the most. Age range: 3 and up.

Make the fishing rods ahead of time: tie a 60cm length of string to a wooden dowel or a ruler, and attach a pipe cleaner bent into a small hook at the end.

Lay out a pile of standard candy canes on a low table or on a non-slip mat on the floor. Players kneel or crouch beside the pile and carefully hook candy canes one at a time.

For younger children, let them use their hands to place the candy cane on the hook (counting as a ‘catch’) — the fishing action is still satisfying at that level. For older kids, strictly no hands: hook only.

Candy Cane Fishing is lovely as a station game that runs continuously alongside other activities — set it up in a corner with a helper, and kids rotate through every two minutes.

It is also wonderfully calm relative to most Christmas party games, which makes it a great choice immediately after something loud and energetic like Freeze Dance. The bonus? Every player walks away with actual candy, which is the best possible prize system ever devised.

If you want to lean into the Christmas craft angle, let kids decorate their fishing rods with tinsel or stickers before playing — doubles as a keepsake to take home.

19. Wrap the Present Relay

Wrapping presents is chaotic and messy even when adults do it carefully — so imagine a team of kids trying to wrap a box as fast as possible in a relay format. That is this game, and it is everything.

Teams line up at one end of the room. At the other end is a table with an empty box, wrapping paper, tape, scissors, and a ribbon.

The first player runs to the table, completes one wrapping step (fold one side of paper over the box), runs back, tags the next player who does the next step, and so on until the present is fully wrapped with a bow on top.

First team to complete a wrapped present wins. Age range: 6 and up.

Set out identical wrapping stations for each team — same size box, same amount of paper, same length of tape pre-cut and stuck to the table edge (cutting tape mid-relay is a game-stopper, so do this ahead of time).

Define the wrapping steps clearly before the game starts: fold 1, fold 2, fold 3, tuck, tape, second tape, ribbon, tie. Having a visual step chart on the table helps enormously.

Younger kids aged 6–8 can be paired so two players tackle one step together, which keeps the game inclusive without slowing it down too much.

The Wrap the Present Relay is one of those christmas games for kids that gets louder with every round because the finished presents look increasingly creative and chaotic — crumpled paper, tape in creative locations, ribbons tied in knots that defy physics — and everyone finds the results hilarious.

Award a prize for both the fastest team AND the tidiest present, because the gap between these two categories is usually spectacular and acknowledging both keeps everyone feeling celebrated. Plus, the wrapped boxes make cute fake presents to put under a classroom tree afterwards.

20. Reindeer Antler Ring Toss

This game is so festive it practically decorates the room for you — one player wears a reindeer antler headband (the kind you can find everywhere at Christmas for $2), stands very still, and their teammates try to toss plastic rings, glow rings, or embroidery hoops onto the antlers from behind a throw line.

Each ring that lands and stays on an antler scores a point. After each player has had a turn wearing the antlers and being the ‘reindeer,’ tally up the scores. Age range: 4 and up.

Reindeer antler headbands are inexpensive and widely available at Christmas markets, dollar stores, and online. Use plastic glow-stick rings (the kind kids wear as bracelets at parties) for tossing, or cut rings from pool noodles for a sturdier option.

The ‘reindeer’ player must stand still with their hands at their sides — which is its own hilarious challenge as rings bounce off, miss completely, or somehow loop a perfect landing on the very tip of an antler.

Set the throw line 4–6 feet back depending on age.

The Reindeer Antler Ring Toss is a spectacular team photo opportunity — there is something about a child wearing antlers with three rings draped over them that is objectively the most Christmas thing you will ever see, and the photos are always frame-worthy.

For a competitive version, run it as a tournament: pairs of kids compete against each other, the winners advance, and eventually you have a ring toss champion who earns the title of ‘Head Reindeer’ and a small prize.

Being named Head Reindeer is, apparently, an enormous honour. Kids take it very seriously and it is wonderful.

21. Musical Chairs (Carol Edition)

Musical Chairs needs no introduction — but the Carol Edition cranks up the Christmas atmosphere by using only Christmas carols as the music, and adding one festive twist: when the music stops, the host shouts a Christmas category (things that are red, names of Santa’s reindeer, things you find on a Christmas tree) and whoever is left standing without a chair must name one item from that category before they officially sit out.

Correct answers earn a consolation candy cane — so even ‘losing’ feels pretty good. Age range: 4 and up.

Set up chairs in the classic inward-facing circle, with one fewer chair than players. Play your Christmas carol playlist from a phone or speaker and pause it at completely random intervals — the unpredictability is everything. When the music stops, kids scramble for chairs.

The child left standing answers the Christmas category question before stepping out. Remove one chair each round. The last child seated wins the game and a prize.

The category question twist is the little upgrade that transforms standard Musical Chairs from a game kids have played a hundred times into something that feels genuinely fresh.

It also means the ‘out’ players stay mentally engaged rather than sitting bored on the sidelines watching everyone else have fun — and engaged spectators make better, louder cheerleaders.

Keep the category questions getting progressively harder as the game advances and fewer players remain, so the final rounds feel thrillingly competitive. This is one of those christmas games for kids that adults secretly love just as much — you have been warned.

22. Decorate the Gingerbread Man Relay

This relay is a brilliant mix of speed and creativity — teams race to decorate a giant gingerbread man outline drawn on poster board, using stickers, foam shapes, and markers.

The first player runs to the poster, adds one decoration (a button sticker, a drawn eye, a foam bow tie), runs back, tags the next player, and so on.

The team whose gingerbread man looks most festive and complete when the timer sounds wins a judges’ vote. Age range: 4 and up.

Draw or print a large gingerbread man outline on a piece of poster board for each team and tape it to the wall at kid height.

Set up a decoration station beside each poster with a pile of round sticker ‘buttons,’ foam sticker shapes, marker pens, googly eyes, and pre-cut pieces of yarn for hair or a scarf. Set a four-minute timer and let the relay begin.

Each player must genuinely add something — no running up and running back empty-handed — but they choose what to add, which is where the creativity kicks in.

The Decorate the Gingerbread Man Relay ends with a gallery moment that kids absolutely love — both teams step back to look at their finished creations and vote (or a panel of adult judges deliberates with great ceremony) on the winner.

Award points for creativity, festiveness, and overall cheerfulness. In practice, both gingerbread men always look wonderfully chaotic and both teams feel like winners, which is the ideal party outcome.

Display the finished poster board gingerbread men on the wall for the rest of the party — they make the space look brilliant and every kid points proudly to the bit they added.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best Christmas games for kids at a class party?

For a class party, you want games that work for large groups, need minimal materials, and are easy to explain fast.

Top picks from this list include Christmas Freeze Dance, Candy Cane Hunt, Christmas Bingo, and the Ornament Spoon Relay — all of these scale easily to 20–30 kids, need no complicated setup, and keep energy high.

Mix one active game with one printable round to give the group natural breathing breaks.

What Christmas games work for mixed ages including toddlers?

Candy Cane Hunt, Cotton Ball Snowball Toss, Pin the Nose on Rudolph, and Christmas I-Spy all work brilliantly for mixed ages including toddlers aged 2 and up.

For the very youngest, drop any elimination rules and focus on participation — every child gets a turn and walks away with a small treat. Christmas Freeze Dance is also a universal crowd-pleaser that works from age 2 upward with no modifications needed.

How do I keep kids entertained at a Christmas party without lots of prep?

The printable games on this list — Christmas Bingo, Christmas I-Spy, Christmas Riddles, Christmas Shape Match, and the Which Christmas Character Are You Quiz — need almost zero prep beyond printing and grabbing pencils.

For active games, Freeze Dance needs only a phone speaker and Christmas carols, and Cotton Ball Snowball Toss needs only a bag of cotton balls and a bucket. None of the 22 games here require elaborate setups or expensive materials.

What is the Left Right Christmas Gift Pass game and how do kids play it?

The Left Right Christmas Gift Pass is a gift exchange game where everyone sits in a circle holding a wrapped present.

A host reads a festive Christmas story aloud packed with the words ‘left’ and ‘right’ — every time players hear ‘left’ they pass their gift to the left, and every time they hear ‘right’ they pass it right.

When the story ends, each player unwraps whatever gift they are holding. It is a brilliant no-stealing, no-tears alternative to traditional gift exchanges and works from age 5 upward.

How many games do I need for a two-hour Christmas kids party?

For a two-hour party, aim for 6–8 games total.

A good rhythm is: one arrival game (Christmas I-Spy or Christmas Bingo while guests trickle in), two high-energy active games, one relay, one printable activity as a breather, one creative game like the Color Santa Contest, and one finale game like the Santa Beard Cotton Ball Race or the Left Right Gift Pass.

That fills two hours comfortably with natural transitions and snack breaks built in.

Are these Christmas games suitable for a school classroom party?

Yes! Every game in this list has been chosen with classroom-friendly mechanics in mind — no breakable props, no elimination that leaves kids sitting bored, and all easy to explain in under a minute.

The printable games (Christmas Bingo, Christmas Maze, Christmas Riddles, Color Santa Contest, Christmas Shape Match, Christmas I-Spy) are especially classroom-ready because they run quietly and independently.

Active games like Freeze Dance, Pin the Nose on Rudolph, and the Ornament Spoon Relay work perfectly in a cleared classroom space.

There you have it — 22 christmas games for kids ready to carry you all the way through December without repeating yourself once.

Whether you are running a wild classroom party, a cosy family game night, or just trying to survive a rainy Sunday with energetic small people, this lineup has you covered from the 1st to the 25th.

Print the sheets, grab a bag of cotton balls and some candy canes, and you are genuinely set. Save this to Pinterest so you can find it again in a panic at 10pm on December 14th (we have all been there).

And if you need even more inspiration for the full festive season, check out these simple kids party games ideas — because the fun absolutely does not have to stop at Christmas. Happy playing!

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