Christmas Party Games for Kids: 12 Easy Ideas (UK)

12 ideas

1. Christmas picture bingo

You need: Large paper bingo grids showing familiar pictures, plus chunky crayons.

Call one picture at a time while children mark it; the first to complete a row calls bingo. Check the row together and play again with a different winner.

Suits: Mixed ages, including children still learning to read.

2. Gentle Christmas charades

You need: Large cards naming simple actions, such as wrapping a present or pulling a cracker.

An adult reads a card privately if needed, then the child acts without speaking while others guess. Let children work in pairs if they would rather share the turn.

Suits: Ages five to eleven at home.

3. Paper snowball toss

You need: Large balls of scrunched paper and a washing basket.

Mark a throwing line and give each child three attempts to land a paper ball in the basket; move the line for older children. Collect and reuse the balls after each round.

Suits: An indoor group with a clear space away from breakables.

4. Cracker joke match

You need: Large sheets with child-friendly cracker jokes on one side and answers mixed up on the other.

Children draw lines between each joke and answer, working with a partner if reading is tricky. Read out the matches afterwards, including the groan-worthy ones.

Suits: A seated group after food.

5. Christmas musical statues

You need: Music and safe floor space.

Children move while a Christmas tune plays and freeze when it stops; anyone still moving simply joins the next round. Change the movement each time, from walking to tiptoeing, without making anyone leave the game.

Suits: Children who need a short active break.

6. Nativity picture sequence

You need: Large paper pictures showing a simple nativity story sequence.

Mix the sheets and ask children to arrange them in the order they recognise, with an adult reading brief captions if helpful. Compare the order together without turning it into a memory test.

Suits: Groups already familiar with nativity stories.

7. Panto call-and-response

You need: An adult host and a few friendly, familiar panto-style cues.

Practise a response together, then the host tells a short silly story and pauses for the children to answer. Keep the volume comfortable and give shy children a gesture they can use instead.

Suits: A lively home gathering.

8. Draw a paper Christmas tree

You need: Large tree outlines and crayons or felt-tip pens.

Give children a few minutes to draw decorations, gifts or a scene around their tree, then invite anyone who wants to show their picture. Display the pages together without ranking them.

Suits: Quiet time between energetic games.

9. What's missing from the picture?

You need: A large page showing six Christmas objects and a second version with one removed.

Show the first page briefly, hide it, then show the second and ask what has disappeared. Rotate the missing object for another round.

Suits: Mixed ages and small indoor groups.

10. Reindeer movement trail

You need: Large sheets of paper with simple movement instructions, such as take three steps or turn around.

Lay them flat in a clear route and let children follow one at a time; an adult reads for younger players. Leave plenty of space between children and skip jumping or obstacles.

Suits: A home party needing gentle movement.

11. Christmas drawing categories

You need: Paper, crayons and a list of categories such as things on a tree or things in winter.

Call a category and give children one minute to draw an answer, then let them describe it if they wish. Different drawings can all count.

Suits: Children with different reading levels.

12. Pass the paper parcel

You need: A large paper drawing of a parcel and some music.

Pass the page around a seated circle; when the music stops, its holder adds one big drawing to the imaginary gift inside. Continue until everyone has had a turn, then show the finished picture.

Suits: A group that enjoys taking turns without prizes.

Quick tips for hosts

• Pick one active game, one seated game and a spare for the school holidays.
• Use large paper pieces and pens; avoid small loose parts for younger children.
• Explain each rule with a quick demonstration rather than a long speech.
• Let children sit out a turn and rejoin without penalty.

If you'd rather not prepare it all yourself, our printable Christmas party games bundle is an instant download on Etsy. See what is inside.

Questions

What Christmas party games suit children aged five to eleven?

Picture bingo, charades, musical statues and drawing games adapt well to different reading levels. Use large visual clues and give younger children a partner when needed.

How long should each Christmas game last for kids?

Keep the first round short and see whether the children ask for another. A few quick turns often work better than one game that fills the whole party.

What Christmas games can children play indoors without much space?

Picture bingo, cracker joke matching, the missing-picture game and drawing categories all work around a table. Save movement games for a room with a clear floor and enough adult supervision.

Written with AI tools and checked by us. Product photos: the table backgrounds are AI-generated (Midjourney); every printable page shown is the real file.