20 Classroom Christmas Games (Teacher-Tested & Super Easy!)
December is always magical in the classroom, but also a little wild. I love having a mix of simple, low-prep Christmas games ready to go. These activities are fun, easy to manage, and work well with students who may or may not have eaten too much chocolate that morning. Here are 20 of my favorite Christmas classroom games.
1. Frosty Freeze Dance
Play Christmas music and let students dance around. When the music suddenly stops, everyone freezes, anyone who moves sits out for a round. I usually let the “out” kids become freeze judges. They take this job very seriously and it keeps everyone engaged.
2. Santa Says
Just like Simon Says, but your leader wears a Santa hat. Students only follow commands that begin with “Santa says.” If they follow a command without the magic words, they’re out. It’s simple, silly, and surprisingly effective for settling excited groups.
3. Winter Word Scramble
Scramble Christmas or winter vocabulary and have students race to unscramble them. Early finishers love creating their own scrambled words for classmates, they get so invested in trying to stump each other.
4. White Elephant
Each student brings a very small wrapped item (or I provide a few extras). Students sit in a circle, taking turns opening new gifts or stealing ones already opened. I set a rule that each gift can only be stolen twice to keep the game fun and not too long.
5. Antlers Up!
Students pair up, with one student forming “antlers” using their hands or by holding a hoop. The partner tosses soft rings or small rolled-up paper loops and tries to land them on the antlers. This game looks ridiculous, but in the best possible way.
6. Christmas Charades
Write holiday-themed actions or characters on slips of paper and let students act them out for their team to guess. I always mix easy ones (snowman) with trickier ones (wrapping presents quietly so you don’t wake anyone…).
7. Blitzen Bingo
Christmas-themed bingo cards work beautifully as a calm game. Call out words, pictures, or clues while students mark their boards. Simple prizes like stickers or pencils make it extra exciting.
8. Twenty Questions
One student secretly chooses a Christmas object—they must write it down and fold the paper so no one can cheat. The class asks yes/no questions to guess the item within 20 questions. It’s great for vocabulary and reasoning.
9. Christmas Cards
Give students coloured paper, markers, and maybe a few templates, and let them create cards for friends, family, or school staff. I keep a strict “no glitter” policy to protect everyone’s sanity.
10. Sit Down, Stand Up
Read a series of holiday facts, and students stand for true statements and sit for false ones. I always throw in silly ones like “Santa has a pet octopus” just to keep them laughing. Students love taking turns leading this game.
11. Pin the Nose on Rudolph
Put a big Rudolph picture on the wall and give each student a red paper nose with their name. Blindfold them gently, spin once, and send them off. One spin is enough. Anything more and the chaos level skyrockets.
12. Christmas Story Round
Students sit in a circle and take turns adding one sentence to a growing Christmas story. The story can be silly, heartfelt, or completely chaotic, depending on your class. I like giving the starting tone (“Make it mysterious!”) to guide them.
13. Oh, Christmas Tree
Give each student a green paper triangle and allow them to decorate it using only what’s already on their desk, like pencils for ornaments, Post-its for stars, etc. The limitation sparks creativity, and the final results make adorable window displays.
14. Merry Musical Chairs
Play upbeat Christmas music while students walk around the chairs. When the music stops, they sit, last student standing is out. I let eliminated students help me control the music or rearrange chairs.
15. Winter Wonderland Word Search
A simple, calming activity when you need a break from noise. Students search for winter-themed vocabulary. To add a challenge, I tell them to find five words and then come show me before continuing.
16. Twinkling Tongue Twisters
Put a few holiday tongue twisters on the board like “Santa swiftly stuffs stockings.” Students try saying them three times fast. This always leads to laughter, especially when I model it and mess up first.
17. Candy Cane Pick-Up
Scatter candy canes on a table or the floor. Students must pick them up using only another candy cane as a hook. No direct hand contact. Using paper candy canes works too and avoids sugar stickiness.
18. Christmas Crosswords
Hand out a Christmas-themed crossword puzzle. I like making my own using vocabulary we learned that month. It’s a quiet game that works well after active activities.
19. Elf, Elf, Santa
Just like Duck, Duck, Goose, except with holiday words. The child who gets tapped with “Santa” must jump up and chase the other around the circle. Even older students secretly love this one.
20. Snowball Toss
Crumple white paper into “snowballs.” Set up a few bins with different point values and have students throw from behind a line. It works great as a station, and students like trying to beat their previous score.