25 Christmas Games for Kids and Families That Everyone Will Want to Play

Need a Christmas game that gets the whole family laughing? Start with a bag of gift bows. Our Christmas bow gameturns an ordinary T-shirt into a hilarious one-minute challenge, and the same inexpensive bows can become a toss game, a treasure hunt, and more.

Whether you’re planning a Christmas Eve get-together, a classroom party, or an afternoon with the cousins, these Christmas games for kids give you plenty of choices. Some take less than five minutes to set up. Others make great outdoor activities when everyone needs room to run.

Want to choose quickly?

If you need…	Play this
The biggest laughs	Christmas Bow Back Challenge
Almost no setup	Pass the Santa
A game for preschoolers	Find the Golden Bow
An energetic outdoor game	Cardboard Christmas Tree Knockdown
A seated family game	Christmas Would You Rather
A full party activity	Run the Christmas Game Circuit

Keep a few small prizes handy if your group enjoys them, but you can also play for applause, silly titles, or the chance to choose the next game. Here are more Christmas prize ideas if you want to make a prize basket.

Christmas Bow Games: Start With the Family Favorite

A bag of self-adhesive gift bows goes a surprisingly long way. Buy several colors so teams can tell their bows apart, and save the backing paper for easier cleanup.

1. Christmas Bow Back Challenge

This is the game to play when you want everyone watching and laughing.

You’ll need: Gift bows, a T-shirt for each “bow model,” and a one-minute timer.

How to play:

1. Divide into pairs. One person wears the T-shirt; the other holds the bows.
2. At “go,” each player sticks as many bows as possible to their teammate’s back.
3. When the minute ends, count only the bows that are still attached.
4. Switch roles and play again.

The team with the most bows wins. Kids can compete against kids, adults against adults, or everyone can join in. For younger children, skip the timer and let them decorate their grown-up until the bow bag is empty.

Make it funnier: Give each team a color and award a bonus point for the most creative design. If the adhesive will not stick well to the shirt, use small loops of painter’s tape on the bows.

2. Christmas Bow Toss

Here’s an easy minute to win it Christmas game you can set up against a wall or between two chairs.

You’ll need: Gift bows, painter’s tape, and a timer.

Stretch a strip of tape with the sticky side facing the players. Mark a throwing line, then give each person one minute to toss bows at the tape. The player with the most bows stuck to it wins. Start preschoolers about three feet away and move older kids farther back.

For more setup ideas, see our dedicated Bow Toss Party Game.

3. Find the Golden Bow

Hide gift bows around one room or throughout the backyard. Everyone collects bows, but one golden bow is worth an extra point or a small prize.

For preschoolers, leave bows partly visible. For older kids, add clues such as “Look where we keep our shoes.” You can also ask children to find one bow of each color so the quickest runner cannot collect them all.

The search feels a little like an Easter egg hunt, which makes it especially easy to adapt if your family already has a favorite hunting tradition.

4. Pass the Bow

Sit in a circle and pass one oversized bow while Christmas music plays. When the music stops, the person holding the bow completes a cheerful challenge: sing one line of a carol, name three Christmas treats, or give someone a compliment. Then restart the music.

Nobody needs to sit out, so this works well with mixed ages. See our full Pass the Bow party game for another way to play.

5. Build a Giant Bow

Give each team wrapping paper, tape, ribbon, and a few gift bows. Set a five-minute timer and challenge them to make the biggest wearable Christmas bow they can. One teammate models the finished creation.

This is a good slower-paced activity between races. For a separate project using extra supplies, try the Big Christmas Bow Craft.

Active Christmas Party Games for Kids

Clear some floor space, move breakables out of the way, and let the games begin. Short rounds keep the energy high without making younger players wait too long.

6. Cardboard Christmas Tree Knockdown

Stack empty cardboard boxes into a Christmas tree shape. Wrap them in green paper, add a paper star, and set the tree at the end of a play area. Each player gets three throws with a soft ball. Count how many boxes fall.

Use a shorter tree and a closer throwing line for little kids. Outdoors, an inflatable ball and a larger stack make it a great family challenge.

7. Snowman and Candy Cane Feet Race

Cut two oversized snowman shapes and two oversized candy cane shapes from sturdy cardboard. Secure one shape beneath each foot with wide straps or tape that can be removed easily. Players walk—not sprint—to a finish line.

The wobbly steps are the entertainment. Set a short course on dry, level ground and have a grown-up help children put on and remove the cardboard feet. Our Bigfoot game tutorial offers more inspiration for making oversized game footwear.

8. Bow-Foot Balance Walk

Place cardboard pads beneath a player’s feet and put several gift bows on each pad. The challenge is to reach the finish line while keeping as many bows on the pads as possible. Walking slowly may beat rushing!

For an easier version, place bows on top of ordinary shoes instead. Have players take turns so there is plenty of space to move.

9. Reindeer Delivery Relay

Put lightweight “presents” in a basket at one end of the room. Teams carry one present at a time to a pretend sleigh at the other end. The first team to deliver its stack wins.

Use empty wrapped boxes so dropped packages are no problem. For a cooperative version, challenge everyone to deliver all the presents before a Christmas song ends.

10. Santa Beard Growing Contest

Give each player a paper face or beard outline, cotton balls, and a little removable adhesive. Players race to fill the beard before the timer sounds. You can score by coverage, speed, or sheer silliness.

For the full version, visit the Santa Beard Growing Contest.

11. Christmas Song Relay

Divide players into two teams. Call out a word such as snow, bells, or Santa. One player from each team must sing a line from a Christmas song containing that word. A correct answer earns a point, then the next players take a turn.

Keep a short list of acceptable songs nearby so the host can settle close calls quickly. Younger children may hum a tune or name a song instead of singing.

12. Santa Says

Play like “Simon Says,” using commands such as “Santa says pretend to wrap a present” or “Santa says tiptoe like an elf.” If the leader leaves off “Santa says,” players should stay still.

For a family party, let anyone who moves keep playing and simply award a point to those who got the command right. That way, nobody has to watch from the sidelines.

13. Christmas Train Adventure Race

Make a winding route through the room with painter’s tape. Players line up as a train, with hands on their own hips or shoulders only if everyone is comfortable. The train must travel the route without stepping off the “tracks.”

Add stations: deliver a gift, ring a bell, or name a Christmas movie before leaving. For smaller spaces, have one player travel the route at a time.

Easy Indoor Christmas Games for the Whole Family

These games work well after dinner, during a classroom celebration, or while everyone waits for the cookies to finish baking.

14. Pass the Santa

Pass a Santa plush around the circle while music plays. In this version, the person holding Santa when the music stops wins a point, a small prize, or the chance to choose the next song. It is a happy surprise for kids who expect to be “out.”

Read the full Pass the Santa game for more ways to run it.

15. Christmas Charades

Write simple prompts on slips of paper: building a snowman, wrapping a gift, reindeer flying, decorating a tree, and Santa stuck in a chimney. Players act them out without speaking while their team guesses.

Use picture prompts for children who are not reading yet. Set a one-minute timer for older groups, or leave the clock off for a relaxed family round.

16. Christmas Would You Rather

Ask playful questions such as, “Would you rather wear jingle bells on your shoes for a week or have a glowing red nose for a day?” Let each person explain their choice. There is no winner, which makes this a welcome break between competitive games.

Need more prompts? Use our kid-friendly Christmas Would You Rather questions.

17. Tree Rex Dice Game

Bring out Tree Rex when the group is ready to sit down. Players roll a die and add the matching pieces to build a Christmas dinosaur. This works especially well as a game station while other children are taking turns on an active challenge. You can find the Tree Rex printable here.

18. Make a Christmas Tree

Give each player green play dough and a few large, age-appropriate decorations. Set a five-minute timer to build a tiny tree. Display the trees together and let everyone choose a favorite detail from each one.

Skip small loose decorations for children who still put objects in their mouths. Older kids can compete for “tallest tree,” “funniest tree,” or “best star.”

19. Guess the Christmas Sound

Behind a screen or under a table, make a sound: jingle bells, crinkling wrapping paper, tape pulling from a dispenser, a spoon tapping a mug, or a gift box shaking. Players guess what made it.

For a second round, let the kids create sounds for the adults to guess. Keep the answers specific enough to be fun but familiar enough to solve.

20. Christmas Memory Tray

Arrange 10 holiday objects on a tray: a bow, ornament, candy cane, mitten, ribbon, bell, and other small items. Let players study the tray for 30 seconds. Cover it, remove one object, and reveal it again. Who can name what disappeared?

Start with five objects for preschoolers. Add more for older children and adults.

21. Mystery Stocking

Put a safe, familiar object inside a stocking. Players feel the outside without looking and make one guess. Try a toy car, pinecone, cookie cutter, large ornament, or roll of ribbon.

Make several stockings for a party station, and number them so guests can write down their guesses before the big reveal.

Outdoor Christmas Games for Kids

These ideas give energetic kids space to move. Choose a dry, level area, and bring the games indoors if the weather turns.

22. North Pole Obstacle Course

Set up a path using what you already have: step over “snowdrifts” made from pillows, weave around wrapped boxes, carry a present to Santa’s basket, and ring a bell at the finish. Let each child try to beat their own time.

Use the cardboard tree, oversized feet, or bow toss from earlier in this post as additional stations.

23. Snowman Target Toss

Draw a large snowman on cardboard and cut a hole in its belly. Toss soft “snowballs” made from rolled white socks through the opening. Give players three throws per turn.

Move the throwing line to suit each age group. For a cooperative game, see how many snowballs the whole family can land in two minutes. Find more inspiration in our snowman games.

24. Christmas Present Hunt

Hide a few empty wrapped boxes outdoors and give each child a clue to the first one. Place the next clue inside each box until the final box leads to a shared treat or activity.

For younger kids, use picture clues or arrows. For older kids, try rhymes. The ending can be as simple as hot cocoa and a choice of the next family game.

25. Jingle Bell Freeze Dance

Play a Christmas song and let everyone dance. When the music stops, they freeze in a holiday pose: a reindeer, a snowflake, a Christmas tree, or Santa carrying a sack. Choose a different pose each round.

This is an easy final game because everyone can join in, and there is no equipment to put away.

How to Turn These Games Into a Christmas Party

You do not need to play all 25. For an hour of family fun, choose one game from each type:

1. Start with a laugh: Christmas Bow Back Challenge.
2. Get moving: Cardboard Christmas Tree Knockdown or Reindeer Delivery Relay.
3. Slow things down: Christmas Memory Tray or Christmas Would You Rather.
4. Finish together: Jingle Bell Freeze Dance or Pass the Santa.

Set out a basket with gift bows, painter’s tape, soft balls, a timer, and a few empty boxes before guests arrive. If you’re serving a treat afterward, browse these Christmas cookie recipes or make Strawberry Banana Santas.

For another themed party, try our Grinch party game ideas and funny Christmas party games. You can also make a favorite game part of your family’s Christmas traditions for kids.

Christmas Games for Kids: Quick Questions

What is an easy Christmas game for a large family?

The Christmas Bow Back Challenge is easy to scale: form pairs, give every team the same number of bows, and run one-minute rounds. Pass the Santa and Christmas charades also work well because the whole group can watch and join in.

What Christmas games can preschoolers play?

Try Find the Golden Bow, Santa Says, Snowman Target Toss, or Jingle Bell Freeze Dance. Keep instructions short, bring the target closer, and let children play without elimination.

What can I use instead of prizes?

Let winners pick the next song, wear a paper “Christmas champion” crown, or choose the next game. A shared goal—such as knocking down the tree together—can be just as exciting.

Can these Christmas party games work in a classroom?

Yes. Bow Toss, Christmas Memory Tray, Guess the Christmas Sound, and Make a Christmas Tree work as small-group stations. Check your classroom rules before bringing food, balloons, or small objects.

Which one would your family play first? If you try the bow game, save a few extra bows for the toss and treasure hunt. One little bag can carry the party through the afternoon.