Every Christmas Eve, once the plates are cleared and someone has had one too many mince pies, we play charades. It has become the most reliable five minutes of joy in our entire holiday — Grandma acting out “Frosty the Snowman,” a seven-year-old flapping like a very confused reindeer, someone always, always guessing “Home Alone” far too fast. I have hosted this game for years, and I have opinions about what makes it work. This is the list I actually use, plus a version you can play right here without printing a thing.
If you just want to start playing, scroll up and hit the game — pick your categories, set a timer if you like, and pass the phone around. If you want the ideas to read, save or print, they are all below, sorted by category and by how hard they are.
How to play Christmas charades
The rules are gloriously simple, which is exactly why it works with a room full of mixed ages. One person is the actor. They pick a clue (or the game gives them one) and act it out in silence — no talking, no pointing at real objects in the room, no mouthing the word. Everyone else shouts guesses. When someone gets it, it is the next person’s turn.
A few conventions make it smoother. To act a title with several words, hold up fingers for the number of words, then act each word in order. Tug your ear for “sounds like.” Draw a little rectangle in the air for “it’s a movie,” or pretend to sing for “it’s a song.” That is genuinely all the structure you need.
You can keep it relaxed and take turns, or split into teams and keep score — I have found teams get competitive in the best way, and a 60-second timer per turn stops any one person from acting out the entire nativity scene while everyone else falls asleep.
Christmas movie charades
Movies are the crowd favourite because everyone can act a scene even if they cannot act. Remember, you are miming the film, not the title, so “act, do not spell.” These are titles only — perfect fair game for charades.
Easy ones for younger players: Home Alone, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Grinch, Elf, The Polar Express, A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Snowman, Arthur Christmas.
A step trickier: The Santa Clause, Jingle All the Way, The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Klaus, The Christmas Chronicles, Fred Claus, Noelle.
For teens and adults who know their Christmas canon: A Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life, Christmas Vacation, White Christmas, Scrooged, The Holiday, Love Actually, Last Christmas, The Family Stone, Deck the Halls.
Christmas song and carol charades
You cannot sing and you cannot hum — you have to act the song, which is where this gets wonderfully silly. Try miming the key image: sleigh bells, a snowman coming to life, a lonely little drummer.
Carols everyone knows: Jingle Bells, Silent Night, Deck the Halls, Away in a Manger, Joy to the World, O Christmas Tree, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Modern classics and a bit harder: Jingle Bell Rock, Let It Snow, Winter Wonderland, Sleigh Ride, Feliz Navidad, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, Silver Bells, Blue Christmas, Carol of the Bells, The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Christmas character charades
These are great for kids because they are physical and instantly recognisable. Think about the one signature move: Santa’s belly laugh, an elf’s pointy ears, a reindeer’s antlers.
Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, an elf, a reindeer, a snowman, the gingerbread man, Rudolph, Frosty, an angel, Jack Frost, the Nutcracker, a toy soldier, Scrooge, Tiny Tim, a caroler, a wise man, a shepherd, the head elf, a very naughty elf.
Christmas food and treats
Miming food is underrated and hilarious — everyone commits so hard to pretending to eat.
Candy cane, gingerbread house, Christmas cookies, hot chocolate, cookies for Santa, roast turkey, eggnog, Christmas ham, fruitcake, mince pie, roasting chestnuts, candy cane cocoa, marshmallows, Christmas pudding, cranberry sauce, a yule log cake, hot apple cider.
Christmas activities and traditions
This category is my secret weapon for getting the whole room laughing, because everyone recognises the shared chaos of the season.
Decorating the tree, wrapping presents, hanging stockings, building a snowman, having a snowball fight, ice skating, sledding, caroling, making a gingerbread house, writing a letter to Santa, leaving milk and cookies, hanging the Christmas lights, untangling the Christmas lights (a personal nemesis), kissing under the mistletoe, sending Christmas cards, wearing an ugly sweater, sitting on Santa’s lap, feeding the reindeer, a Secret Santa gift swap.
Decorations and objects
One item at a time, and simple enough that even the shyest player can pull it off.
Christmas tree, ornament, wreath, stocking, present, bow, Christmas lights, snowflake, bell, star, mistletoe, tinsel, sleigh, snow globe, advent calendar, nativity scene, fireplace, chimney, candle, garland, tree topper, wrapping paper.
Winter and snow
When you want to stretch beyond strictly-Christmas, the season itself is full of easy, physical clues — ideal for little ones.
Snowman, snowball, snowflake, icicle, mittens, scarf, woolly hat, making a snow angel, sledding, ice skating, building an igloo, shivering, slipping on ice, catching snowflakes, warming by the fire, a penguin, a polar bear, chattering teeth, a cozy blanket.
The Christmas story
If your celebration is a religious one, this gentle nativity category fits right in and is lovely for a family or church gathering.
The star of Bethlehem, the three wise men, the manger, a shepherd, an angel, following the star, a camel, the little donkey, gifts of gold, the stable, sheep in the field, no room at the inn, a long journey, angels singing.
Easy Christmas charades for kids
If you are playing with little ones, keep the clues short, familiar and physical. My go-to starter set: Santa, snowman, Christmas tree, reindeer, present, elf, star, candy cane, bell, angel, decorating the tree, throwing a snowball, and Rudolph. In the game above, just set the audience to “Kids” and it filters to exactly these.
Harder Christmas charades for adults
Want a challenge for a grown-up crowd? Reach for the trickier movies and multi-word phrases: It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, kissing under the mistletoe, untangling the Christmas lights, a Secret Santa gift swap, Carol of the Bells, roasting chestnuts on an open fire. Set the audience to “Adults” in the game and it leans into these automatically.
Tips to make Christmas charades more fun
Split into teams and keep score — it turns a nice activity into a proper family tournament, and the trash talk between rounds is half the fun. Add a 60-second timer so nobody hogs the floor. Let everyone toss a few personal clues into the mix (“Dad’s reaction to the electric bill,” “our dog stealing the ham”) — the game above has a box for exactly this, and homemade clues get the biggest laughs of the night. And if you have a mixed-age crowd, alternate easy and hard clues so the six-year-old and the sixty-year-old both get their moment.
Print your Christmas charades cards
Prefer paper? The game will generate a printable sheet of cut-out cards you can fold and drop in a bowl — no screens required at the table. Tap “Print charades cards” in the game to download them.
FAQ
How do you play Christmas charades?
One player acts out a Christmas word or phrase in complete silence while everyone else guesses. No talking, no pointing at objects and no mouthing the word. When someone guesses correctly, the next player takes a turn. You can play in relaxed turns or split into teams and keep score, and a short timer for each turn keeps things moving.
What are good Christmas charades ideas?
The best ideas fall into a few reliable categories: Christmas movies like Home Alone and Elf, carols like Jingle Bells and Silent Night, characters like Santa and Rudolph, festive food like gingerbread houses and candy canes, and traditions like decorating the tree or wrapping presents. Mixing categories keeps every round fresh.
What are easy Christmas charades for kids?
Stick to short, familiar and physical clues: Santa, snowman, Christmas tree, reindeer, present, elf, star, candy cane and decorating the tree. Setting the audience to Kids in the online game filters the clues down to exactly this kind of easy, recognisable prompt.
Can I play Christmas charades online for free?
Yes. The game on this page is completely free, needs no app or sign-up, and works on a phone, tablet or computer. Choose your categories, turn a timer or team scoring on if you like, and pass the device around your group.
Is Christmas charades good for a large group?
It is one of the best large-group games there is because only one person acts at a time while everyone watches and guesses, so there is no waiting around. For big groups, split into two or more teams and keep score to keep the energy high.
How many words should you use for a game of Christmas charades?
For a single session, twenty to thirty clues is usually plenty for a lively half hour. The list on this page has more than two hundred, and the online game never repeats a clue until it has worked through your chosen categories, so you will not run out.
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