20 Christmas Party Games for Kids That Need No Supplies
Need a few Christmas party games for kids that require absolutely no supplies? These 20 no-prep Christmas games work for classroom parties, family gatherings, Christmas Eve, and those long afternoons when everyone needs something fun to do. No printing, shopping, prizes, or special equipment required!
December is already busy enough without adding another shopping list to it. Whether you’re a teacher trying to fill the last ten minutes before winter break or a parent looking for something fun to do while dinner finishes cooking, these easy Christmas party games for kids are ready whenever you are.
Every game below uses zero supplies—not even a piece of paper. You can play them at home, in a classroom, or with a large group of cousins. Most are easy to adapt for preschoolers through elementary school kids, and I included a few that older kids and adults will love, too.
Want a quick pick? For preschoolers, start with Santa Says. For a classroom party, try Christmas Four Corners. For the whole family, try Holiday Twenty Questions.
More Christmas Games and Activities Worth Saving
If you have a few minutes to print something, I also have free Christmas Pictionary, Christmas Mad Libs for kids, and printable Christmas left-right stories for a gift exchange. And if your crowd loves movie nights, save my 80 Christmas movie trivia questions for later.
Note: Some links may be affiliate links. That means I may make a commission if you use my links to purchase, at no extra added cost to you! I only recommend products that I personally love and believe in. Full disclaimer here.
At a Glance: Which No-Supplies Christmas Game Should You Play?
- Preschool and kindergarten: Santa Says, Reindeer Leader, Snowman Freeze, Christmas I Spy, and Copy the Elf.
- Elementary classroom parties: Christmas Four Corners, Reindeer Relay (in place), Elf or Santa, Guess the Holiday Sound, and Christmas Categories.
- Family Christmas gatherings: Holiday Twenty Questions, North Pole Story Chain, Christmas Would You Rather, Christmas Memory Chain, and Guess Who?
- Older kids or mixed ages: Christmas Charades, One-Word Christmas Story, Christmas Alphabet Race, Reverse Christmas Charades, and Name That Christmas Movie.
5 No-Prep Christmas Games for Preschoolers and Younger Kids
1. Santa Says
How to play: Play just like Simon Says, but with Santa giving directions: “Santa says touch your nose,” “Santa says tiptoe like an elf,” or “Santa says freeze like a snowman.” If you skip “Santa says,” kids stay still. Skip elimination and keep everyone playing.
Best for: Preschool, kindergarten, and mixed-age family groups. Ages: 3+. Make it easier or harder: For younger children, use only actions with “Santa says.” For older kids, speed up the directions.
2. Reindeer Leader
How to play: Choose one reindeer to lead the group in gentle movements, such as walking in place, waving antlers made from hands, or stomping hooves. Everyone copies the leader until the next reindeer takes a turn.
Best for: Small groups and movement breaks. Ages: 3+. Make it easier or harder: Let little kids choose one motion; challenge bigger kids to remember three moves in a row.
3. Snowman Freeze
How to play: One child is the snowman maker. Everyone quietly moves like falling snow until the leader calls “Freeze!” and everyone holds a snowman pose. No music needed.
Best for: Indoor classroom parties and living rooms. Ages: 3+. Make it easier or harder: Try funny poses such as melting snowman, giant snowman, or tiny snowflake.
4. Christmas I Spy
How to play: Take turns spotting holiday items already visible in the room. Say, “I spy with my little eye something red,” and let others guess. If the room has no Christmas decor, use colors, shapes, or clothing.
Best for: Waiting rooms, classrooms, and family gatherings. Ages: 3+. Make it easier or harder: Young kids can name a color; older kids can give tricky clues without revealing the answer.
5. Copy the Elf
How to play: Pick an elf to act out a holiday job—wrapping an imaginary present, loading a sleigh, stirring cookie dough, or hanging a stocking. The other children copy the action before everyone guesses the job.
Best for: Preschool through early elementary. Ages: 3+. Make it easier or harder: Have older kids take turns inventing new elf jobs.
5 Classroom Christmas Party Games With No Supplies
6. Christmas Four Corners
How to play: Assign four corners of the room as Santa, Snowman, Reindeer, and Elf. A caller turns away while players quietly walk to a corner. The caller names one character, and everyone in that corner does a quick silly holiday action before choosing again. No one is out.
Best for: Classroom parties with room to move. Ages: 5+. Make it easier or harder: For smaller spaces, have children point toward one of four imaginary corners instead of walking.
7. Reindeer Relay (In Place)
How to play: Split the class into two or more groups. Instead of racing across the room, each group completes a sequence of movements in place: five antler poses, five gentle hoof stomps, and five sleigh-pulling motions. Teams finish together; there is no running required.
Best for: Elementary classrooms and larger groups. Ages: 5+. Make it easier or harder: Let students invent the next safe movement sequence.
8. Elf or Santa?
How to play: Call out a holiday task such as “delivers presents,” “builds toys,” “checks the list,” or “feeds the reindeer.” Kids answer “Elf,” “Santa,” or “Both!” and explain their choices. There are no wrong answers when kids have a good reason.
Best for: Small classrooms or circle time. Ages: 4+. Make it easier or harder: Older students can create increasingly unusual jobs and debate the answer.
9. Guess the Holiday Sound
How to play: One player makes a holiday sound using only their voice: jingling bells, wind blowing, sleigh hooves, Santa laughing, or wrapping paper crinkling. Everyone else guesses what they are pretending to hear.
Best for: Classrooms and indoor parties. Ages: 4+. Make it easier or harder: For older kids, allow only three sound effects or add a ten-second guessing limit.
10. Christmas Categories
How to play: Pick a category such as Christmas foods, things on a tree, holiday characters, or winter activities. Go around the group naming something that fits. Repeats are allowed for younger kids; older groups can avoid repeats.
Best for: Elementary classroom parties. Ages: 6+. Make it easier or harder: Give each answer a five-second limit for older kids, or let children work as a team.
Need a backup activity for your school party? My free Christmas activity sheets are helpful for quieter moments, and these Christmas scavenger hunt clues work when you have time for a little setup.
5 Easy Christmas Games for the Whole Family
11. Holiday Twenty Questions
How to play: One player secretly thinks of a Christmas-related person, object, or tradition. Everyone else asks up to 20 yes-or-no questions to guess it. Choose familiar ideas such as a stocking, Christmas tree, snowman, or gingerbread house.
Best for: Families, car rides, and dinner-table conversation. Ages: 6+. Make it easier or harder: Help young children by offering one of two possible answers.
12. North Pole Story Chain
How to play: Start with “One morning at the North Pole…” and go around the group with each person adding a sentence. The sillier the plot, the better. Wrap it up when Santa finally makes it home.
Best for: Family Christmas gatherings. Ages: 4+. Make it easier or harder: Make it a three-round story for younger kids or add a surprise plot twist for older kids.
13. Christmas Would You Rather
How to play: Ask questions such as “Would you rather build a snowman or decorate a gingerbread house?” Everyone picks an answer and shares why. Keep going until the group runs out of ridiculous possibilities.
Best for: Family gatherings and small groups. Ages: 4+. Make it easier or harder: Invite bigger kids to come up with funny or challenging questions.
14. Christmas Memory Chain
How to play: The first person says, “I’m bringing a ___ to the North Pole.” The next repeats the first item and adds one more. Keep going around the circle, remembering the list in order. Work together if someone forgets.
Best for: Families with school-age kids. Ages: 6+. Make it easier or harder: Use only five items for younger kids; older kids can try to reach the whole alphabet.
15. Guess Who? Holiday Edition
How to play: A player silently chooses a familiar holiday character. Others ask yes-or-no questions such as “Do you wear a hat?” or “Are you in a Christmas movie?” until they guess.
Best for: Mixed-age groups. Ages: 5+. Make it easier or harder: For younger children, offer a short list of four character choices first.
5 Funny Christmas Party Games for Older Kids and Mixed Ages
16. Christmas Charades
How to play: Take turns silently acting out a Christmas activity, such as decorating a tree, building a snowman, opening a giant present, or drinking imaginary cocoa. The group guesses the answer.
Best for: Elementary kids, teens, and adults. Ages: 5+. Make it easier or harder: For a harder version, act out a holiday movie title without speaking.
17. One-Word Christmas Story
How to play: Go around the group, with each person contributing exactly one word to create a holiday story together. The result is usually nonsense, which is half the fun.
Best for: Small groups of older kids. Ages: 7+. Make it easier or harder: Set a theme, like “Santa’s worst delivery day,” or limit each player to three seconds.
18. Christmas Alphabet Race
How to play: Choose a holiday category and take turns naming Christmas-related words in alphabetical order: A for angel, B for bells, C for cookies, and so on. See how far the group gets together.
Best for: Older elementary kids, teens, and family gatherings. Ages: 7+. Make it easier or harder: Make it cooperative for kids, or split into two teams to see who finishes first.
19. Reverse Christmas Charades
How to play: Instead of one person acting and everyone guessing, the entire group silently acts out a Christmas activity while one player guesses. It works best with small groups so everyone can participate.
Best for: Older kids and family parties. Ages: 7+. Make it easier or harder: Try prompts such as decorating a tree, building a gingerbread house, or making a snow angel.
20. Name That Christmas Movie
How to play: One player describes the plot of a familiar Christmas movie in their own words without saying the title or character names. Everyone else guesses. Use films the group has actually seen.
Best for: Older kids, teens, and adults. Ages: 7+. Make it easier or harder: Add a second round where players can give just three clues.
If your kids love this last game, you can keep the fun going with my Christmas movie trivia questions and answers and list of G-rated Christmas movies for kids.
How to Plan a Christmas Party With These No-Supplies Games
You do not need all 20 games for one party. Pick three to five that fit the age group and energy level. For a 20-minute elementary classroom party, here’s a simple no-prep lineup:
- 5 minutes: Santa Says to get everyone moving.
- 5 minutes: Christmas Categories for a calmer group challenge.
- 5 minutes: Reverse Christmas Charades for big laughs.
- 5 minutes: Christmas Would You Rather to wind things down.
For preschool, swap in Christmas I Spy and Copy the Elf. For a family Christmas party, add Holiday Twenty Questions or the North Pole Story Chain. And if a game starts to lose its magic, move on—there is no prize for powering through.
Frequently Asked Questions About Christmas Party Games for Kids
What Christmas games can you play without supplies?
Santa Says, Snowman Freeze, Christmas I Spy, Christmas Charades, Holiday Twenty Questions, and Christmas Would You Rather all need no supplies. They can be played without printing, music, or special props.
What are good Christmas games for a classroom party?
Choose easy games with clear directions and plenty of opportunities for everyone to join in. Christmas Four Corners, Christmas Categories, Copy the Elf, and Reverse Christmas Charades work well. Adjust movement games to match classroom space and school rules.
What Christmas party games are best for preschoolers?
Santa Says, Snowman Freeze, Christmas I Spy, and Reindeer Leader are good places to start. Keep the directions short, allow lots of repetition, and avoid games where children are eliminated.
Can these games work for a family Christmas Eve gathering?
Absolutely. Holiday Twenty Questions, Christmas Would You Rather, North Pole Story Chain, and Christmas Memory Chain work well around a table or while everyone waits for dinner. You can also find more Christmas Eve ideas for families if you’re planning traditions for the evening.
More Easy Family Christmas Activities
The best part of these no-supplies Christmas games is that you can pull one out whenever the kids need something to do. No rushing to a craft store, no complicated setup, and definitely no elaborate party-planning spreadsheet.
If you want to keep the holiday fun going, explore my family Christmas activities at home or make an afternoon of it with easy Christmas crafts for toddlers. Whatever you choose, remember that making memories matters a whole lot more than pulling off the perfect party.
The holidays will be over in the blink of an eye, so use the image below to PIN this post to easily find it when you need it!
