Christmas is one of the most exciting times of the year for children, but keeping everyone entertained during the school holidays can sometimes feel like a challenge! Between visiting family, preparing Christmas dinner and trying to keep little ones busy, having a few fun festive activities up your sleeve can make all the difference.
The good news? You don't need expensive toys, elaborate plans or hours of preparation to keep the whole family entertained. From classic Christmas board games to silly party challenges and creative games using everyday household items, there are plenty of ways to bring everyone together over the festive season. Whether you're looking for Christmas games for kids, activities for a family Christmas party or easy indoor games for a rainy winter afternoon, we've rounded up our favourite ideas to help make this Christmas extra special.
The Classic Christmas Cardboard Box Game
Looking for a Christmas party game that will have the whole family laughing? The classic Cardboard Box Game, also known as the Cereal Box Game or Box Game, is a silly physical challenge that tests balance, flexibility and coordination. It’s a popular choice for parties and group activities, and you can give it a festive twist for the Christmas holidays!
What you'll need:
- An empty, clean cardboard cereal box or similar lightweight cardboard box
- A clear space with plenty of room to move
How to play:
- Place the cardboard box upright on the floor.
- Players take turns trying to pick up the box using only their teeth, without touching the floor with their hands or knees.
- Once everyone has had a turn, cut a small amount off the top of the box to make it shorter.
- Keep taking turns and lowering the box after each round.
- The challenge gets trickier as the box gets shorter! The last player who can successfully pick it up wins.
Christmas Charades
Looking for a Christmas game that gets everyone laughing? Christmas charades is a fantastic choice because it requires no equipment and can be adapted for almost any age group.
How to play:
Write Christmas-themed words or phrases on small pieces of paper and place them in a bowl. Players take turns picking a card and acting out the word without speaking while everyone else guesses.
Ideas include:
- Building a snowman
- Decorating the Christmas tree
- Riding in Santa's sleigh
- Wrapping a present
- Being a cheeky elf
- Opening a Christmas present
- A reindeer flying through the sky
For younger children, use simple actions that are easy to understand. Older children and adults can try trickier phrases or more complicated characters. It's a brilliant way to get everyone involved without needing screens, batteries or complicated instructions.
Christmas Board Games
Sometimes, nothing beats gathering around the table for a good old-fashioned board game. Board games are a lovely way to slow down during the busy Christmas period, encourage friendly competition and spend quality time together. Here are a few family favourites to consider:
Dobble – A fast-paced matching game that's great for quick rounds and developing observation skills. Check the recommended age on your chosen edition.
Connect 4 – A simple strategy game that's easy to learn and ideal for a quick challenge between siblings, parents or grandparents.
Guess Who? – A classic guessing game that encourages children to ask questions and use deductive reasoning.
Jenga – Take turns removing wooden blocks and placing them on top of the tower without making it fall. For an extra festive twist, write Christmas challenges on some blocks.
Ticket to Ride: First Journey – A family-friendly introduction to route-building board games, suitable for children within the edition's recommended age range.
Rat-a-Tat Cat – A fun, fast-paced card game that combines memory, strategy and a little bit of luck! Players try to finish with the lowest score by remembering their cards and swapping higher-numbered cards for lower ones. It's a brilliant choice for a family game night and a great way to get children thinking while having fun
Keep a few shorter games handy, too. Children don't always want to sit still for an hour, especially when excitement levels are high!
The Christmas Scavenger Hunt
Turn your home into a festive adventure with a Christmas scavenger hunt. This is an easy indoor activity that gets children moving, thinking and working together.
What you'll need:
- A list of Christmas-themed objects
- Paper and pencils, if you'd like players to tick items off
- Optional small prizes or stickers
How to play:
Create a list of things for children to find around the house. For example:
- Something red
- Something sparkly
- A Christmas decoration shaped like a star
- A book with a winter theme
- Something that jingles
- A homemade Christmas card
- Something that reminds you of Father Christmas
Give everyone a set time to find as many items as possible. Alternatively, hide a few safe, child-friendly objects and provide clues to help children discover them.
Parent tip: For younger children, use pictures instead of written clues. For older children, add riddles, word puzzles or a series of clues that lead to a final surprise.
Pin the Nose on Rudolph
Put a festive spin on the classic party game with Pin the Nose on Rudolph! It's simple to organise, works well for groups and is guaranteed to create some giggles.
What you'll need:
- A large picture of Rudolph- you could get your kids to draw/ paint one as a craft afternoon beforehand!
- Red paper circles or reusable sticky noses
- A blindfold
- Sticky tack or another suitable adhesive
How to play:
Display Rudolph's picture on a wall at an appropriate height. Blindfold each player in turn, gently turn them around if appropriate, and ask them to place Rudolph's nose as close to the correct spot as possible. The person who gets closest wins!
Christmas Pictionary
Christmas Pictionary is a great way to encourage creativity and get everyone laughing! How to play:
Write festive words on pieces of paper, then take turns drawing the word while the rest of the team tries to guess what it is. No speaking or writing the answer!
Try words and phrases such as:
- Christmas tree
- Snowman
- Gingerbread man
- Father Christmas
- Christmas pudding
- Stocking
- Snowflakes
- Reindeer
You don't need artistic talent to enjoy this game. In fact, the fun often comes from drawings that look nothing like the intended object!
The Sticky Note Game
Looking for an easy Christmas party game that gets everyone laughing? This festive twist on Guess Who? is perfect for family gatherings, Christmas parties and school holiday fun. All you need are some sticky notes, a pen and a little imagination!
What you'll need:
- Sticky notes or small pieces of paper
- A pen
- A list of famous people, celebrities and Christmas characters
How to play:
- Write the name of a famous person, celebrity or Christmas character on each sticky note.
- Without looking, each player has a sticky note placed on their forehead so everyone else can see it.
- Players take turns asking questions to work out who they are. Questions must have a yes-or-no answer, such as “Am I a real person?”, “Am I in a Christmas film?” or “Do I wear a red suit?”
- The other players can only answer “yes”, “no” or “I don't know”.
- Keep asking questions until you correctly guess your identity!
You can play with a time limit to make things more challenging, or see who can guess their character in the fewest questions. Here are some festive ideas to get you started:
- Father Christmas
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- The Grinch
- Buddy the Elf
- Frosty the Snowman
- Kevin from Home Alone
- Olaf from Frozen
- Mrs Claus
- The Snow Queen
- A Christmas elf
For a non-Christmas version, add famous singers, actors, sports stars and other well-known characters that suit your group's age range.
The Christmas Present Shake
Ready for a game that gets everyone moving? The Christmas Present Shake is a silly challenge that works well at family gatherings and festive parties.
What you'll need:
- Empty tissue boxes
- Lightweight table-tennis balls or scrunched-up paper balls
- String or ribbon to secure the boxes around the waist
How to play:
Place a few lightweight balls inside each tissue box and securely fasten a box around each player's waist, with the opening facing outwards. Players then try to shake the balls out without using their hands. Set a timer and see who can empty their box first! For younger children, use fewer balls and make sure the box is comfortable and secure. Adults can join in too, which often makes the game even funnier.
Build the Tallest Christmas Tree
Bring out the budding engineers in your family with this simple construction challenge.
What you'll need:
- Paper cups, cardboard tubes or lightweight building blocks
- Green paper or decorations, if desired
- A timer
How to play:
Challenge each player or team to build the tallest freestanding Christmas tree they can using the materials provided. They might stack paper cups, arrange cardboard tubes or use building blocks to create a festive tower. Give everyone 10–15 minutes to build their tree, then compare the results.
For older children, introduce extra rules: the tree must stand independently for 10 seconds, hold a lightweight paper star or use only a limited number of materials.
Christmas Bingo
Christmas Bingo is a lovely option when you want something a little calmer, especially after a busy morning or a big family meal.
What you'll need:
- Homemade Christmas Bingo cards
- Pens, counters or small pieces of paper
- A list of festive words or pictures
How to play:
Create Bingo cards featuring Christmas images or words, such as bells, stars, presents, snowmen, stockings and reindeer. Call out the items one at a time and ask players to mark them off. The first person to complete a row, column or full card wins, depending on the rules you've chosen.
Festive Minute-to-Win-It Challenges
If your family loves a bit of friendly competition, create your own Christmas Minute-to-Win-It challenge. These short games are ideal for filling gaps between Christmas dinner, family visits or opening presents.
Here are three easy ideas:
Snowball Toss: Scrunch up white paper into snowballs and take turns throwing them into a bucket from a marked line.
Candy Cane Hook: Use a clean, child-safe hook-shaped prop or a suitable large candy cane to move lightweight objects from one bowl to another. Avoid small edible items for young children.
Christmas Cup Stack: Challenge players to stack and unstack paper cups into a Christmas tree shape before the timer runs out.
Award points for completing each challenge, or simply play for fun. You could even create a family leaderboard and crown your Christmas champion at the end!
Here are a few simple ways to make your festive games more inclusive:
-For ages 4–6: Choose games with simple rules, short rounds and plenty of movement. Musical statues, picture Bingo, scavenger hunts and cardboard box crafts are great options.
-For ages 7–10: Introduce team challenges, creative building games, Pictionary and games that involve memory, problem-solving or friendly competition.
-For ages 11–14: Older children may enjoy strategy-based board games, timed challenges, more complicated scavenger hunts and activities where they can design their own rules.
-For mixed-age groups: Create teams with a mixture of ages, give everyone a role and adapt the rules so younger children can participate meaningfully. Older children might enjoy being team leaders, clue writers or game hosts.
Remember, the aim is to create happy memories rather than make every game a competition. Sometimes, letting children invent their own rules is half the fun!
The best Christmas games for the whole family aren't necessarily the most expensive or elaborate. They're the ones that get everyone involved, encourage a little creativity and leave you with stories to laugh about long after the decorations have come down.
From cardboard box creations and Christmas charades to family board games and festive scavenger hunts, there's something here for children of every age and energy level. Save this list for the school holidays and share your favourite festive activities with other parents!