25+ Fun Christmas Games to Play with Kids
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Creating Unforgettable Christmas Memories Through Play
- Games for Our Youngest Elves (Toddlers & Preschoolers)
- Festive Fun for Elementary School Stars
- Engaging Activities for Middle Schoolers and Teens
- Outdoor Adventures for a White Christmas (or Not!)
- Beyond the Game: Nurturing Communication Skills All Year Round
- Why Choose Speech Blubs for Your Family? Our Commitment to Joyful Learning
- Conclusion
- FAQ
Picture this: twinkling lights, the comforting scent of gingerbread, and the excited chatter of children anticipating the magic of Christmas. The holiday season is a unique time for family connection, creating cherished memories that last a lifetime. While gifts and festive treats are wonderful, some of the most enduring joy comes from shared experiences, especially through play. Engaging in games is a fantastic way to celebrate together, and it offers so much more than just entertainment. It’s an opportunity to strengthen bonds, spark creativity, and subtly nurture vital developmental skills in our little ones.
Introduction
In the heart of every holiday gathering lies the desire for laughter, connection, and moments that bring everyone closer. This blog post is your ultimate guide to a treasure trove of over 25 delightful Christmas games designed to captivate kids of all ages. From lively group activities that get everyone moving to quieter, creative projects that foster imagination, we’ve curated a collection that promises to infuse your celebrations with extra cheer. But these aren’t just any games; many of them naturally encourage communication, listening skills, and social interaction – foundational elements that are crucial for a child’s overall development. We believe that joyful play is a powerful pathway to unlocking a child’s potential, helping them to find their voice and express themselves confidently.
Creating Unforgettable Christmas Memories Through Play
The magic of Christmas isn’t just in the decorations; it’s in the moments we share. Play is the universal language of childhood, and during the holidays, it becomes an even more potent tool for connection. When families play together, they build a sense of belonging, create shared narratives, and most importantly, practice essential communication skills in a natural, low-pressure environment. Whether it’s a toddler imitating sounds during a game of “Santa Says” or an older child articulating strategies during a team challenge, every interaction is a stepping stone in their developmental journey. These games become the backdrop for conversations, laughter, problem-solving, and self-expression, fostering not just holiday cheer, but also a love for communicating.
At Speech Blubs, we understand the profound impact of play on a child’s ability to “speak their minds and hearts.” Our mission stems from the personal experiences of our founders, who faced their own speech challenges as children. They created the tool they wished they had: an immediate, effective, and joyful solution for the 1 in 4 children who need speech support. We blend scientific principles with play to deliver one-of-a-kind “smart screen time” experiences, providing a vibrant alternative to passive viewing and a powerful tool for family connection. Many of the games we’ll explore below naturally align with our unique “video modeling” methodology, where children learn complex communication skills by watching and imitating their peers. This approach can be beautifully complemented by the interactive engagement these holiday games provide.
Games for Our Youngest Elves (Toddlers & Preschoolers)
For our littlest ones, Christmas games should be simple, engaging, and focused on sensory exploration, repetition, and basic skill development. These activities are perfect for sparking early communication.
1. Santa Says (A Festive Twist on Simon Says)
How to Play: This classic game gets a holiday makeover! One person acts as “Santa” and gives commands, but children only follow instructions that begin with “Santa says.” For instance, “Santa says touch your red nose,” or “Santa says march like a toy soldier.” If Santa doesn’t say “Santa says,” and a child performs the action, they’re out (or just get a silly shake of Santa’s finger for younger players!).
Communication Benefits: “Santa Says” is phenomenal for developing listening skills, following multi-step directions, and understanding action verbs. Children also practice imitation, a foundational skill for speech development. For a parent whose 3-year-old is a late talker and struggles with imitating actions, playing this game frequently in short bursts can be incredibly beneficial.
Speech Blubs Connection: This game directly mirrors the early imitation practice found in Speech Blubs. Our app utilizes video modeling, where children watch their peers perform actions or make sounds and then imitate them. This natural, peer-to-peer learning environment is highly effective for encouraging vocalization and action imitation, preparing children for more complex speech.
2. Christmas Bingo
How to Play: Create or print Bingo cards featuring holiday symbols (e.g., Santa, reindeer, presents, snowflakes, candy canes). For toddlers, use cards with simple pictures. For preschoolers, you can include words alongside pictures. Call out the items, and children mark them off. The first to get a row wins! Use small candies or festive stickers as markers.
Communication Benefits: Christmas Bingo boosts vocabulary, picture-word association, and auditory discrimination (identifying spoken words). It also teaches turn-taking and introduces concepts like “row” and “column.”
3. Sort the Christmas Tree Ornaments
How to Play: Gather a variety of unbreakable plastic ornaments. Provide different containers (e.g., bowls, small baskets) and ask children to sort the ornaments by color, size, or shape. You can then use the sorted ornaments to decorate a small child-friendly tree.
Communication Benefits: This activity is excellent for developing categorization skills, which are crucial for language organization. It also encourages the use of descriptive words (“red,” “shiny,” “big,” “star-shaped”) and counting.
4. Holiday I Spy
How to Play: Create a festive scene, either with actual decorations or by drawing one. Then, say “I spy with my little eye something…” and describe an item. For very young children, start with colors (“something red”) or simple object names (“something sparkly”). For preschoolers, you can use more specific attributes or functions.
Communication Benefits: “Holiday I Spy” enhances observation skills, expands vocabulary related to Christmas themes, and encourages descriptive language. It also promotes questioning (“Is it big?”), a key conversational skill.
5. Christmas Cookie Decorating (Sensory & Expressive Play)
How to Play: Provide plain sugar cookies, various colored icings, sprinkles, and edible decorations. Let children create their own edible masterpieces. It’s less about perfection and more about the process and the joy of creation!
Communication Benefits: This activity encourages descriptive language as children talk about colors, shapes, and what they’re adding. It also practices sequencing (“First I put the icing, then the sprinkles”) and following simple instructions. The shared experience also prompts natural conversation.
Speech Blubs Connection: These simple, playful games lay crucial foundations for speech and language. For children who are just beginning to vocalize or form words, the encouragement to imitate, describe, and interact is paramount. Speech Blubs offers hundreds of activities that reinforce these early learning concepts through engaging video content. Our “Animal Kingdom” section, for instance, uses video modeling where children watch and imitate peers making animal sounds like “moo” and “baa,” making it a fun and effective complement to real-world sound games and vocabulary building. If you’re wondering if your child could benefit from targeted speech support, take our quick 3-minute preliminary screener to get a simple assessment and a free 7-day trial.
Festive Fun for Elementary School Stars
As children grow, their games can become more complex, incorporating teamwork, problem-solving, and more nuanced communication.
6. Snowball Race
How to Play: Divide children into teams. Give each child a plastic spoon and a cotton ball (their “snowball”). The goal is to transfer the cotton ball from one designated spot to another using only the spoon, without using hands. Teams can race relay-style.
Communication Benefits: This game encourages teamwork, giving and receiving simple instructions, and positive encouragement among peers. It also builds fine motor skills crucial for pre-writing and overall coordination.
7. Pin the Nose on the Reindeer / Pin the Star on the Tree
How to Play: Draw or print a large reindeer face (without a nose) or a Christmas tree (without a star) and attach it to a wall. Blindfold players, spin them gently a few times, and have them try to pin a red pom-pom (for Rudolph’s nose) or a paper star in the correct spot.
Communication Benefits: This game involves spatial awareness (“up,” “down,” “left,” “right”) and following verbal cues from others. It’s a great opportunity for players to describe their attempts and for others to offer encouragement.
8. Candy Cane Hunt
How to Play: Similar to an Easter egg hunt, hide candy canes around the house or yard. Give each child a small bag or basket to collect their findings. You can add a twist by color-coding: “Find only the red candy canes first!”
Communication Benefits: The Candy Cane Hunt promotes problem-solving, following directions, and descriptive language as children excitedly announce their discoveries. It also encourages counting and comparison (“I found more than you!”).
9. Christmas Carol Freeze Dance
How to Play: Create a playlist of upbeat holiday tunes. Children dance freely while the music plays. When the music stops, they must freeze in place like a snowman. Anyone who moves is gently out. The last one dancing wins!
Communication Benefits: This active game enhances listening skills, body awareness, and the ability to follow rules. It also allows for non-verbal expression and joy through movement, which can often precede verbal expression.
10. Holiday Mad Libs
How to Play: Print out Christmas-themed Mad Libs templates. These fill-in-the-blank stories require players to provide nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc., resulting in hilarious and often nonsensical tales.
Communication Benefits: Holiday Mad Libs are fantastic for teaching parts of speech in a fun, interactive way. They also boost vocabulary and narrative skills, helping children understand how words function together to create meaning and humor.
11. Christmas Movie Bingo
How to Play: Prepare bingo cards with common Christmas movie tropes (e.g., “someone says ‘Merry Christmas'”, “a present is unwrapped”, “snow falls”, “Santa laughs”). As you watch a Christmas movie, players mark off the squares when they see or hear the event.
Communication Benefits: This game sharpens observation skills and encourages discussion about movie elements. It also helps children recognize recurring themes and predict plot points, which are aspects of narrative comprehension.
12. Ornament Hot Potato
How to Play: Use a soft, plastic, unbreakable ornament for this festive take on hot potato. Children sit in a circle and quickly pass the “hot ornament” around while holiday music plays. When the music stops, the child holding the ornament is out.
Communication Benefits: “Ornament Hot Potato” is great for quick reactions, listening to cues, and practicing turn-taking. It also fosters a sense of anticipation and shared excitement.
Speech Blubs Connection: As children grow, their communication needs evolve to include more complex vocabulary, sentence structures, and narrative abilities. Games like Holiday Mad Libs and Christmas Movie Bingo are wonderful for applying and practicing these skills. Speech Blubs supports this progression with activities designed to build expressive language, improve grammar, and encourage storytelling. Our app offers diverse categories that expose children to a wide range of vocabulary and concepts, preparing them for confident interactions. Many parents have seen remarkable progress, and you can read their success stories and testimonials here.
Engaging Activities for Middle Schoolers and Teens
Older children and teens often appreciate games that involve strategy, social interaction, and a touch of competition. These games can be excellent for more advanced communication skills.
13. White Elephant Gift Exchange
How to Play: Set a low price limit for gifts. Participants bring a wrapped gift, place it in a pile, and draw numbers. On their turn, players can either choose an unwrapped gift from the pile or “steal” a gift that’s already been opened. Rules vary, but usually, a gift can only be stolen a limited number of times.
Communication Benefits: This game involves negotiation, strategic thinking, and a lot of humorous banter. It’s a fantastic way to practice persuasive language (“Why you should steal this gift!”) and understanding social dynamics.
14. Holiday Charades
How to Play: Write down holiday-themed words or phrases (e.g., “decorating the tree,” “singing carols,” “Santa Claus,” “opening presents,” “gingerbread man”) on slips of paper. Players take turns acting out the phrases without speaking, while their team tries to guess.
Communication Benefits: Holiday Charades is a powerful tool for non-verbal communication, imaginative thinking, and expressive language. Players need to think creatively about how to convey ideas without words, while guessers practice inferencing and expanding their vocabulary.
15. Christmas Movie Trivia / Finish the Lyric
How to Play: Prepare a list of trivia questions about popular Christmas movies or lines from classic holiday songs. Divide players into teams or play individually. The team or player with the most correct answers wins.
Communication Benefits: These games are excellent for memory recall, verbal fluency, and demonstrating knowledge. They also spark lively discussions and friendly competition, encouraging participants to articulate their answers clearly and quickly.
16. Shake the Snowballs Out
How to Play: Attach an empty tissue box to each player’s waist (like a “tail”), then fill each box with a few ping-pong balls (“snowballs”). Players must shake their bodies to get all the ping-pong balls out of the box without using their hands. The first to empty their box wins.
Communication Benefits: While primarily a gross motor game, the laughter and encouragement that erupt during “Shake the Snowballs Out” create a positive, engaging environment for spontaneous verbalizations and reactions.
17. Christmas Family Feud
How to Play: Create survey questions related to Christmas (e.g., “Name something you might find under a Christmas tree,” “Name a popular Christmas song”). Divide into two teams. One player from each team “faces off” to give the top answer. The team with the winning guess then gets to play the round, trying to name all the survey answers.
Communication Benefits: This game fosters quick thinking, collaboration, and verbal articulation under pressure. Players must communicate effectively within their team and respond clearly when called upon.
Speech Blubs Connection: For older children and teens, fostering confidence in expressing complex thoughts and feelings is key. Games like White Elephant and Holiday Charades build on foundational communication skills by adding layers of strategy and social interaction. At Speech Blubs, we believe in empowering every child to “speak their minds and hearts,” and our app helps build the confidence needed for these kinds of engaging social scenarios. Our methodology is backed by scientific research, consistently ranking high on the Modified App Rating Scale (MARS) for effectiveness, which you can explore in detail on our research page.
Outdoor Adventures for a White Christmas (or Not!)
If you’re lucky enough to have snow, or even just some crisp winter air, taking the fun outside adds an extra dimension to your Christmas games!
18. Snow Paint
How to Play: Fill spray bottles with water mixed with food coloring. Children can then “paint” colorful designs on the snow, turning a white canvas into a vibrant masterpiece.
Communication Benefits: Snow paint encourages creative expression and provides a natural context for using color vocabulary (“red,” “blue,” “green”) and action verbs (“spray,” “draw,” “mix”). Children can describe their creations and intentions.
19. Snowman Building Competition
How to Play: Divide into teams and provide traditional snowman accessories (carrots, scarves, buttons) and some fun, unexpected items (hats, sunglasses, holiday bows). Teams compete to build the most creative, funniest, or tallest snowman.
Communication Benefits: This game is fantastic for teamwork, planning, and descriptive language. Teams must communicate their ideas, negotiate roles, and describe the features of their snowman.
20. Christmas Obstacle Course
How to Play: Design a holiday-themed obstacle course in your yard. Challenges might include crawling through a “Santa’s tunnel” (cardboard boxes), tossing “presents” (beanbags) into a “chimney” (bucket), or weaving through “candy cane poles” (stakes with red and white ribbons).
Communication Benefits: Following multi-step directions, understanding spatial concepts (“over,” “under,” “through”), and using directional words are all key communication skills practiced in an obstacle course. Teams can also strategize and encourage each other verbally.
21. Campfire Storytelling
How to Play: Gather around a fire pit (safely!) with warm blankets and hot chocolate. Encourage everyone to share a favorite holiday memory, a made-up Christmas tale, or a “what if” story about North Pole adventures.
Communication Benefits: Campfire storytelling is a beautiful way to develop narrative skills, imaginative language, and active listening. It creates an intimate setting where children feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and building on each other’s ideas.
Beyond the Game: Nurturing Communication Skills All Year Round
While these festive games provide incredible opportunities for communication during the holidays, nurturing a child’s ability to express themselves is a year-round commitment. Parents play a pivotal role in facilitating this growth by creating environments rich in language, encouraging interaction, and providing tools that support their child’s unique developmental pace. The link between playful engagement and speech development is undeniable; every giggle, every shared instruction, and every creative description contributes to building strong communication foundations.
For families seeking a powerful supplement to their child’s speech and language journey, Speech Blubs offers a unique and engaging solution. Our app was born from a desire to provide children with the tools to “speak their minds and hearts” – a mission we wholeheartedly embrace. We understand the challenges parents face when their child needs speech support, and our innovative approach uses “smart screen time” to transform passive viewing into active learning. Unlike traditional cartoons, Speech Blubs engages children through our scientifically-backed “video modeling” method, where they learn by watching and imitating real kids, their peers. This peer-to-peer interaction activates mirror neurons, making learning natural, effective, and incredibly fun. It’s a powerful tool for family connection, turning screen time into a shared, developmental adventure.
Why Choose Speech Blubs for Your Family? Our Commitment to Joyful Learning
We are committed to providing an immediate, effective, and joyful solution for the 1 in 4 children who need speech support. Our app offers hundreds of engaging activities, from identifying sounds to building sentences, all designed to foster confidence and reduce frustration. When you choose Speech Blubs, you’re not just getting an app; you’re gaining a partner in your child’s communication journey, blending scientific principles with the magic of play.
We believe in transparency and providing exceptional value for families. That’s why we offer two straightforward plans:
- Monthly Plan: For $14.99 per month, you get access to our core features, helping your child progress at their own pace.
- Yearly Plan: Our most popular and recommended option is just $59.99 per year, which breaks down to an incredible value of only $4.99 per month! With the Yearly plan, you save 66% compared to the monthly subscription.
The Yearly Plan isn’t just about significant savings; it’s about unlocking the full Speech Blubs experience with exclusive benefits designed to maximize your child’s learning and your family’s convenience:
- A 7-day free trial: Experience the full power of Speech Blubs before committing.
- The extra Reading Blubs app: Double the fun and learning with our companion reading app.
- Early access to new updates: Be the first to enjoy new features and content.
- 24-hour support response time: Get your questions answered quickly and efficiently.
The Monthly plan, while flexible, does not include these valuable extra features or the free trial. For the best value and the most comprehensive learning experience, we strongly encourage you to choose the Yearly plan.
Ready to embark on a journey of joyful communication with your child? Join thousands of families who are already seeing incredible progress. You can download Speech Blubs on the App Store or Google Play Store today! Alternatively, you can create your account and begin your 7-day free trial on our website. We’re excited to help your child discover the joy of speaking their minds and hearts, not just during Christmas, but every day of the year.
Conclusion
The Christmas season is a precious opportunity to step away from the everyday hustle and immerse ourselves in moments of joy, connection, and shared laughter. The games we’ve explored offer more than just entertainment; they are gateways to stronger family bonds and invaluable opportunities for children to develop crucial communication and social skills. Whether it’s through the active fun of a Snowball Race or the creative expression of cookie decorating, these activities build confidence and foster a love for interacting with others.
Just as these holiday games create a foundation for joyous interaction, Speech Blubs stands as a dedicated partner in your child’s year-round communication development. We invite you to continue the spirit of joyful learning long after the holiday lights come down. Ready to experience the difference? Start your 7-day free trial today by downloading Speech Blubs on the App Store or Google Play, or by signing up on our website. Remember to choose the Yearly plan to unlock your free trial, gain access to the Reading Blubs app, and enjoy all the premium features at the best value. Give your child the gift of a confident voice, and watch them speak their minds and hearts, this Christmas and beyond!
FAQ
Q1: How can I adapt these Christmas games for different age groups?
A1: Many games can be simplified for younger children (e.g., “Santa Says” with fewer rules, picture-based Bingo) and made more complex for older kids (e.g., adding strategic elements to a candy cane hunt, challenging trivia questions). Always focus on participation and fun over strict rules for the youngest players.
Q2: What if my child is shy or hesitant to participate in group games?
A2: Encourage participation without pressure. Start with one-on-one play, or invite them to be your “assistant” in a game. Offer choices and highlight the fun aspects. Games like “Holiday I Spy” or “Cookie Decorating” can be less intimidating and build confidence before joining larger group activities. Remember, every child develops at their own pace, and consistent, gentle encouragement is key.
Q3: How do these games specifically help with communication skills?
A3: These games naturally encourage a wide range of communication skills: listening (e.g., “Santa Says”), vocabulary expansion (e.g., “Holiday I Spy”), turn-taking (e.g., “Christmas Bingo”), following directions (e.g., “Christmas Obstacle Course”), descriptive language (e.g., “Snowman Building Competition”), and imaginative storytelling (e.g., “Campfire Storytelling”). Each interaction strengthens their ability to understand and express themselves.
Q4: How does Speech Blubs fit into our holiday family fun?
A4: Speech Blubs perfectly complements your holiday family fun by providing a structured yet playful environment to reinforce the communication skills naturally practiced during games. Our app’s “video modeling” activities, where children imitate peers, can enhance the very same imitation, vocabulary, and expressive language skills you encourage during family playtime. It’s a “smart screen time” solution that fosters active learning and strengthens the bond between children and their families, ensuring that the focus on communication continues joyfully beyond the festive season.