Gather around the tree for these 10 entertaining Christmas games for kids

‘Tis the season for all things merry and joyful. Well, what’s more joyful than Christmas games for kids that are not only great fun for little ones but the whole family too? Slip on those festive holiday socks, light up that special pine-scented candle you’ve been saving for the holiday season and prepare for a fun and exciting round of holiday games.

Not only can these Christmas games for kids be played all season long but they also require little to no advanced prep! They’re a wonderful way to get everyone excited about the festivities ahead and they’re also pretty perfect for that post-gift unwrapping lull when everyone is tired from all of the excitement. Play one or play all but these are the best Christmas games that everyone is sure to love.

Check out these festive kids Christmas games that will entertain them for hours

1. Christmas movies trivia

Round up the party guests, young and old, for a classic game of trivia. You can base the questions on your family’s favorite Christmas movies. If you need a tie breaker, branch out to other holiday classics.

2. Christmas character charades

First, write the names of the characters on a piece of paper and add them to a bowl. Divide into teams or play as one large group. Then, each player can pick a card when it’s their turn and act out a scene from the character’s movie.

Related: 10 Christmas crafts for kids that’ll keep little hands busy this season

3. Guess who?

If your party guests are wonderfully full from the delicious holiday dinner then opt for this fun sit-down game that everyone can still participate in. Write the names of your family’s favorite movie characters on a piece of paper and add them all to a bowl. One by one, players can pick a paper and without looking at what’s written on there, hold it to their forehead for everyone else to see. Then, that player can have a minute to ask each person rapid-fire “yes” or “no” questions to figure out what’s written on their card. You can keep the characters limited to Christmas movies, stories or shows or include all holiday characters.

4. Christmas tree wrap

Think of the mummy wrap but a Christmas tree instead. You can use any color roll of streamers you already have. in the house or you can grab a few rolls of green ahead of time. Divide into teams then one person from each team is first “wrapped” in green to make the tree then decorated. Players can use mini candy canes for ornaments or spare paper to quickly create their own. Creativity is key but feel free to provide a little basket of arts and crafts to help them out. Similar to minute to win it games, set a timer and see who wins for fastest and most creative!

5. Scents of the season

Fill individual boxes with different seasonal items. For example, you might choose peppermint candies, candy canes, a scented pine cone and maybe cinnamon sticks. Then poke tiny holes in the box for each player to smell. You can place the boxes around the table then give everyone time to smell each one and write down their guesses on a slip of paper. Keep the cheat sheet with yourself and then call out the correct scents and see who gets the most correct. An alternative is to fill the boxes with cotton balls and add a few drops of seasonal essential oils.

6. Candy toss

Arrange six cups at one end of a table. Think: pyramid shape—three, two, one. At the other end place a bowl filled with candy. Then time each player timer for 30 seconds or one minute and see who gets the most in the cups. You can customize this game by making the cups various points. You can also use marshmallows, pretzels or anything else that you have on hand for tossing.

7. Candy cane hunt

Hide candy canes all over the house and let the little ones embark on an epic peppermint adventure to find them all. You can also make this similar to a scavenger hunt by providing a bowl of of handwritten clues.

8. Candy cane hook

Provide each player with an empty bowl and a pile of candy canes. Then, instruct each player to hold one candy cane in their mouth with the hook part hanging out. To play the game they have to use their candy cane hook to hook other candy canes from their pile and transfer them to the empty bowl. Whoever drops the most into their bowl within a minute wins!

Related: 12 delicious Christmas cookies that are super easy to bake with kids

9. Christmas carol sing-along

Fill a bowl with little slips of paper that have the names of different Christmas carols. Divide into teams then, when it’s their turn, each player picks a paper and has to sing just a few lines from the carol. The remaining team members have to fill in the blank with the correct words for rest of the carol (or at least a few more lines.)

10. Snowman draw

Hand a paper plate and a marker to each player. To play, they hold the paper plate (upside down) on top of their head and draw a snowman. Players will have hilarious creations at the end! You can also add an additional guessing aspect to this game by dividing into teams and having one person draw while every one else has to guess what it is.

A version of this post was published November 2, 2022. It has been updated.