Merry Memories: Top Christmas Games to Play with Kids
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Magic of Christmas Through Play: Building Communication Brick by Brick
- Festive Fun for Our Youngest Communicators (Toddlers & Preschoolers)
- Engaging Games for Early Elementary Kids
- Fun for the Whole Family: Games for Mixed Ages & Older Kids
- Outdoor & Active Christmas Games
- Making Every Game a Learning Opportunity with Speech Blubs
- Unlock Your Child’s Potential with Speech Blubs: Our Value and Pricing
- Conclusion
- FAQ
Introduction
The air is crisp, the lights are twinkling, and the scent of gingerbread fills the home – it’s Christmastime! For many of us, this magical season is a cherished time for family, connection, and creating memories that sparkle brighter than any ornament. Yet, in the whirlwind of gift-wrapping, baking, and decorating, it can be easy to lose sight of the simplest, most profound joy: spending quality, engaging time with our children. What if this Christmas, you could not only create unforgettable festive moments but also subtly boost your child’s communication skills and confidence through the power of play?
At Speech Blubs, we believe that every child deserves to find their voice and express themselves freely. Our mission is to empower children to speak their minds and hearts, and we know firsthand the transformative power of a supportive environment. Our company was born from the personal experiences of our founders, who all grew up with speech challenges and created the tool they wished they had. This holiday season, we’re inviting you to discover how playing simple, joyful games can become a powerful pathway to better communication for your little ones. This guide is packed with festive and fun games to play with kids for Christmas, designed to spark laughter, connection, and invaluable developmental growth, ensuring that your celebrations are not just merry, but meaningful too.
The Magic of Christmas Through Play: Building Communication Brick by Brick
The holiday season offers a unique backdrop for fostering essential skills in children. Beyond the excitement of presents and treats, Christmas provides a rich environment for interactive play, which is the cornerstone of language and social development. When children engage in games, they’re not just having fun; they’re actively practicing listening, turn-taking, problem-solving, vocabulary building, and expressing emotions. These are all critical elements of effective communication.
Consider a child who might be a “late talker” or struggling with certain sounds. Traditional drills can feel like a chore, especially amidst the holiday cheer. But when learning is embedded in a game like “Santa Says” or a “Christmas Bingo” activity, the pressure dissipates, and pure enjoyment takes over. This is the essence of what we champion at Speech Blubs: blending scientific principles with play to create truly impactful “smart screen time” experiences. We know that engaging with purpose, whether through an app or a festive family game, provides a far more enriching experience than passive viewing alone. For families seeking to support their child’s communication journey, our tools offer a dynamic alternative that transforms screen time into a powerful catalyst for learning and family connection.
Festive Fun for Our Youngest Communicators (Toddlers & Preschoolers)
For our littlest learners, the world is a wonderland of new sounds, words, and experiences. Christmas games are an excellent way to introduce new vocabulary, practice imitation, and encourage early conversational skills. Keep activities simple, sensory-rich, and repetitive to maximize engagement and learning.
Santa Says
This holiday twist on “Simon Says” is perfect for developing listening skills and following instructions. How to Play: One person acts as Santa and gives commands starting with “Santa Says…” (e.g., “Santa says touch your red nose,” “Santa says march like a toy soldier”). Children only follow commands that begin with “Santa Says.” Communication Boost: Encourages auditory processing, following multi-step directions, and associating actions with words. For a child who is just starting to imitate sounds, “Santa Says make a ‘ho ho ho’ sound” can be a joyful way to practice. Speech Blubs Connection: This game mirrors the foundational concept of imitation, which is central to our video modeling methodology. Children learn by watching and imitating their peers within the app, just as they imitate “Santa Says” in this game. Our app offers numerous categories, like “Animal Kingdom” or “Yummy Time,” where children can practice imitating sounds and simple words in a fun, engaging way. For instance, if a child struggles with animal sounds, the app provides clips of children making those sounds, making it a natural extension of games like this. Ready to see the magic of peer imitation? Download Speech Blubs on the App Store or Google Play today!
Holiday I Spy
A classic observation game with a festive twist. How to Play: Look around your decorated home and say, “I spy with my little eye something red!” or “I spy something that sparkles!” Children then guess what you’ve spotted. Communication Boost: Builds vocabulary (colors, shapes, textures, holiday items), encourages descriptive language, and sharpens observation skills. For a child learning to identify objects, this game offers immediate visual reinforcement. Relatable Scenario: For a parent whose child is learning to string two-word phrases, “I spy a big present” can be prompted, expanding their descriptive language in a playful context.
Sort the Christmas Tree Ornaments
A simple, hands-on activity. How to Play: Provide a variety of plastic or unbreakable Christmas ornaments. Ask children to sort them by color, size, or shape. Communication Boost: Enhances classification skills, reinforces color and shape vocabulary, and encourages children to verbalize their choices (“red ball,” “big star”). Speech Blubs Connection: Our app features activities that help children categorize and label objects, building crucial vocabulary foundations necessary for more complex communication. We’ve seen countless parents rave about how their children light up when they recognize and name objects they’ve learned in the app. See what other parents are saying about their child’s success with Speech Blubs.
Christmas Bingo (Picture Version)
An easy game for early recognition and matching. How to Play: Create bingo cards with pictures of holiday items (Santa, reindeer, tree, present). Call out the items, and children mark them off. Communication Boost: Reinforces recognition of common Christmas vocabulary and helps with matching skills. It also teaches turn-taking and patience.
Engaging Games for Early Elementary Kids
As children grow, their communication skills become more sophisticated. Games for this age group can focus on expanding vocabulary, narrative skills, social reciprocity, and early literacy.
Snowball Race
A fun, active game that requires focus. How to Play: Children use plastic spoons to transfer cotton balls (“snowballs”) from one bowl to another. They can race against a timer or other players. Communication Boost: Encourages giving and following multi-step instructions (“first, pick up the snowball; then, walk to the other bowl; finally, drop it in”). It also naturally leads to describing actions and expressing excitement or frustration, all valuable communication practice.
Pin the Nose on the Reindeer
A holiday take on a party classic. How to Play: Blindfolded players try to place a red pompom nose on a large picture of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Communication Boost: Involves spatial language (“up,” “down,” “left,” “right”), listening to instructions, and expressing directions. Children can verbalize where they think the nose should go or describe their attempt afterward.
Candy Cane Hunt
Like an Easter egg hunt, but with candy canes! How to Play: Hide candy canes around the house or yard. Children search for them, collecting as many as they can. Communication Boost: Excellent for practicing prepositions (“under the couch,” “behind the curtain”), counting, and descriptive language (“I found a big red candy cane!”). It also encourages asking questions (“Where else could they be?”). Relatable Scenario: For a child needing practice with prepositions, the parent can guide them: “Look under the chair,” or “Is it on the table?” turning the hunt into a focused language lesson.
Holiday Mad Libs
A hilarious game that builds literacy and understanding of parts of speech. How to Play: Use pre-made holiday Mad Libs or create your own simple stories with blanks for nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. Ask players for words to fill in the blanks, then read the silly story aloud. Communication Boost: Enhances vocabulary, teaches about different parts of speech, encourages creative storytelling, and provides immense opportunities for laughter and shared joy, which are vital for positive social communication experiences.
Fun for the Whole Family: Games for Mixed Ages & Older Kids
Christmas is all about bringing everyone together, and these games are perfect for engaging a wide range of ages, from elementary schoolers to adults. They promote collaboration, strategic thinking, and rich conversation.
Gingerbread House or Cookie Decorating Contest
A classic creative holiday activity. How to Play: Provide gingerbread house kits or plain sugar cookies with various frostings, candies, and sprinkles. Set a timer and have everyone decorate. Award prizes for different categories (e.g., “Most Festive,” “Most Creative,” “Best Winter Wonderland”). Communication Boost: Encourages descriptive language (“I’m using a swirly blue frosting”), giving and following instructions, collaborative problem-solving if played in teams, and expressing creativity. Children can describe their design choices and explain their artistic vision. Speech Blubs Connection: The confidence gained from successfully expressing ideas in a fun, low-pressure environment like this is exactly what Speech Blubs aims to build. Our “smart screen time” approach helps children develop the foundational communication skills they need to participate fully and confidently in such activities. Our method is backed by science, placing us in the top tier of speech apps worldwide. You can learn more about our research here.
Christmas Charades
A lively game for non-verbal and verbal communication. How to Play: Write down holiday-themed words or phrases (e.g., “decorating the tree,” “singing carols,” “Santa Claus”). Players act them out silently, while others guess. Communication Boost: Develops non-verbal communication skills, creative thinking, vocabulary, and active listening. It’s also fantastic for turn-taking and group interaction.
Christmas Movie Trivia
Test your holiday film knowledge! How to Play: Create multiple-choice or open-ended questions about popular Christmas movies (e.g., “What’s the name of the Grinch’s dog?”). Divide into teams and keep score. Communication Boost: Encourages recalling information, critical thinking, active listening, and verbalizing answers. Team play fosters collaboration and discussion, further enhancing social communication skills.
Tannenbaum Avalanche
A quick and fun building challenge. How to Play: Each player gets a stack of small red plastic cups. On “Go,” players have one minute to build the tallest Christmas tree possible. Communication Boost: Encourages spatial reasoning and describing the building process. Children can talk about their strategy or explain why their tower fell.
Shake the Snowballs Out
A hilarious, active game. How to Play: Players strap a tissue box (filled with ping-pong balls painted white as “snowballs”) around their waist. They must shake the balls out without using their hands. Communication Boost: This game is pure fun and laughter, which reduces communication anxiety. Children naturally express excitement, give encouragement, and cheer each other on, fostering positive social interactions and emotional expression.
Outdoor & Active Christmas Games
Don’t let the chilly weather stop the fun! Taking games outside can add an extra layer of excitement and provide opportunities for different types of communication.
Snow Paint
Get creative on a snowy canvas. How to Play: Mix food coloring with water in spray bottles. Let children “paint” colorful designs in the snow. Communication Boost: Encourages descriptive language (colors, shapes, patterns), imaginative play, and narrating their artistic process (“I’m making a long blue line for a river!”).
Snowman Building Competition
A classic winter activity with a competitive twist. How to Play: If there’s snow, divide into teams and challenge them to build the most original or festive snowman. Provide accessories like scarves, hats, and carrots, but also encourage creative additions. Communication Boost: Promotes teamwork, planning, giving instructions, and collaborative problem-solving. Children must communicate effectively to decide on their snowman’s design, allocate tasks, and describe their creation.
Christmas Obstacle Course
Turn your yard into a festive challenge. How to Play: Design an obstacle course with holiday-themed challenges: crawl through “Santa’s tunnel” (blanket fort), toss “presents” (boxes) into a chimney, weave through candy cane poles. Communication Boost: Great for following multi-step instructions, giving directions, describing actions, and using action verbs. Children can explain the rules, cheer on teammates, and narrate their journey through the course.
Campfire Storytelling
A cozy way to share holiday tales. How to Play: Gather around a (safe) fire pit or even just a warm spot indoors. Share holiday memories, favorite Christmas stories, or create new tales together about North Pole adventures. Serve hot chocolate and marshmallows. Communication Boost: Encourages narrative skills, imaginative storytelling, active listening, turn-taking in conversation, and expressing emotions and memories. This is a profound way to foster deep family connection through shared verbal experiences.
Making Every Game a Learning Opportunity with Speech Blubs
Every interaction, every game, every shared laugh during the holidays is a chance to nurture your child’s communication journey. We understand that some children need a little extra support to find their voice, and that’s precisely why we created Speech Blubs. Our app isn’t just another passive screen time activity; it’s a powerful, engaging tool designed to complement your child’s overall developmental plan and, when applicable, professional therapy.
We are committed to providing an immediate, effective, and joyful solution for the 1 in 4 children who need speech support. Our unique approach of teaching complex communication skills through “video modeling” is what sets us apart. Children learn by watching and imitating their peers, a method scientifically proven to activate mirror neurons in the brain, making learning feel natural and fun. Imagine a child who is shy about speaking, but sees another child their age confidently making a “moo” sound. This peer-to-peer interaction builds confidence and makes imitation feel less intimidating.
For example, a parent whose 3-year-old “late talker” loves animals might find that while playing a “Holiday I Spy” game, their child struggles to name the animals on the ornaments. By incorporating Speech Blubs, the child can then dive into the “Animal Kingdom” section of the app, watch and imitate the sounds and names of various animals with their peers, and then bring that newfound confidence back to the ornament game. This creates a powerful, integrated learning loop. Speech Blubs is a screen-free alternative to passive viewing (like cartoons) because it demands active engagement, turning “screen time” into “smart screen time” that sparks family connection and promotes real progress.
We want every child to experience the joy of clear communication, and we want to equip parents with the best tools to help them on that journey. We invite you to explore the benefits that Speech Blubs can bring to your family.
Unsure if your child could benefit from a little extra speech support? Take our quick 3-minute preliminary screener to get a simple assessment and a free 7-day trial. It involves just 9 simple questions and provides an assessment and next-steps plan tailored to your child.
Unlock Your Child’s Potential with Speech Blubs: Our Value and Pricing
We are dedicated to making effective speech and language support accessible to every family. That’s why we’ve designed our plans to offer flexible options, with clear benefits that grow with your child.
Our Subscription Plans:
- Monthly Plan: For just $14.99 per month, you can access Speech Blubs and begin your child’s communication journey.
- Yearly Plan: Our most popular and highly recommended option, priced at an incredible $59.99 per year. This breaks down to just $4.99/month, offering truly outstanding value.
Why the Yearly Plan is the Best Choice:
The Yearly plan is not just cheaper; it’s a comprehensive package designed to give your child the best chance at success and provide you with unparalleled support. By choosing the Yearly plan, you save 66% compared to the monthly option, making it an incredibly affordable investment in your child’s future.
But the savings are just the beginning. The Yearly plan also includes exclusive, high-value features that are not available with the Monthly plan:
- A 7-day free trial: Experience the full power of Speech Blubs before committing. This trial period allows you to explore all our activities and see the positive impact on your child firsthand.
- The extra Reading Blubs app: Beyond speech, this bonus app supports early literacy and reading skills, providing a holistic approach to your child’s communication development.
- Early access to new updates: Be the first to enjoy our latest features, games, and content as we continuously enhance the app.
- 24-hour support response time: Our dedicated support team is always ready to assist you quickly, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted learning experience.
We believe in transparency and empowering parents with all the information to make the best decision for their family. The Yearly plan offers a richer, more robust experience at an unbeatable price, providing everything you need to foster a love for communication, build confidence, reduce frustration, and create joyful family learning moments, not just for Christmas, but all year round.
Conclusion
This Christmas, let’s embrace the power of play to create truly magical and meaningful memories. From “Santa Says” to a festive “Gingerbread House Contest,” these games to play with kids for Christmas offer more than just fun; they are invaluable opportunities to foster vital communication skills, strengthen family bonds, and build your child’s confidence. Every laugh shared, every word spoken, every new concept learned through these joyful interactions contributes to a child who feels empowered to speak their mind and heart.
At Speech Blubs, we are honored to be a part of your child’s developmental journey. Our app provides scientifically-backed, engaging experiences that transform passive screen time into “smart screen time,” making it a perfect supplement to the wonderful games you’ll play this holiday season. Let’s make this Christmas a celebration of connection, growth, and the joyful discovery of new voices.
Ready to give your child the gift of confident communication? Create your account and begin your 7-day free trial today! Remember to select the Yearly plan to unlock the free trial, the bonus Reading Blubs app, early updates, and dedicated support – it’s the best value for your family!
FAQ
Q1: What age ranges are these Christmas games suitable for?
A1: This guide includes a wide variety of games suitable for different age groups, from toddlers and preschoolers who benefit from simple imitation and vocabulary games like “Santa Says” and “Holiday I Spy,” to early elementary children who enjoy more structured activities like “Holiday Mad Libs” and “Candy Cane Hunt.” We also included family-friendly games like “Christmas Charades” that engage mixed ages, making them perfect for everyone from kids to adults.
Q2: How can I adapt these games for children with different communication needs?
A2: The key is flexibility and focusing on the child’s current communication level. For children with limited verbal skills, focus on non-verbal communication, imitation of sounds, and single words. For example, during “Santa Says,” encourage actions and sounds instead of full sentences. For children practicing longer phrases, prompt them to use descriptive words or explain their actions. Speech Blubs supports this by offering customizable activities and peer video modeling that makes imitation easier and more engaging, helping children progress at their own pace.
Q3: How does Speech Blubs integrate with playing these physical Christmas games?
A3: Speech Blubs acts as a powerful complement to physical play. For instance, if a child learns new animal sounds or action words through an in-app activity, they can then apply those words and sounds during a “Holiday I Spy” game or “Christmas Charades.” The app’s video modeling methodology helps children build confidence and master specific sounds and words, which they can then practice and reinforce in real-world, interactive game settings with family. It transforms abstract learning into joyful, tangible application, extending the learning beyond the screen.
Q4: Are the materials for these games expensive or hard to find?
A4: Not at all! Most of the games suggested in this guide are designed to be simple, frugal, and use everyday household items or inexpensive craft supplies. For example, “Snowball Race” uses cotton balls and spoons, “Pin the Nose on the Reindeer” just needs a printout and a pompom, and “Holiday I Spy” uses your existing Christmas decorations. The emphasis is on creativity and interaction, not costly materials, ensuring that these games are accessible for all families looking to create festive memories.