The Holiday Season is a time for joy, peace, and treasuring time with your family and friends – but it is, also, the perfect time for kids to learn through play with some fun Christmas games. Educational games are an ideal way to help children (of all ages) build and practise skills while having so much fun, they won’t realise they’re learning! Here are some fun Christmas game ideas to enjoy with kids:
- Snowball Fight (with Words): You can write some Christmas-related words on paper “snowballs” and then get the kids toss them around for a minute. When time’s up, they grab one, read the word aloud, and use it in a sentence.
- Pin the Nose on Rudolph: A holiday twist on the classic “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” Blindfold the kids and have them try to pin a red nose on a picture of Rudolph. Add an English twist by asking a holiday question before their turn.
- Pass the Present (with Questions): Wrap a small gift in multiple layers of paper. Between each layer, include a simple English question or task (e.g., “Name 3 Christmas songs” or “Spell ‘stocking’”). Kids unwrap a layer and complete the task before passing it on.
- Christmas Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of Christmas-themed items for kids to find around the house or yard, if the weather conditions allow it. Include things like a candy cane, a red ornament, a Santa hat, etc.
- Holiday Pictionary: Write Christmas-related words or phrases on cards (e.g., “Santa’s sleigh,” “snowman,” “Christmas tree”). Let the kids take turns drawing the word while others guess. This is a great game for building vocabulary and demonstrating creativity!
- Christmas Charades: This game is similar to Holiday Pictionary, but it is acted out instead of drawn. Use words and phrases like “wrapping gifts,” “decorating the tree,” or “singing carols.”. It is a great activity that encourages speaking and imaginative play.
- Christmas Carol Karaoke: Have a karaoke session with popular Christmas carols. Kids can sing along to their favorite holiday tunes and perform for the group.
- Christmas Bingo: Create bingo cards with Christmas-themed vocabulary (e.g., “stocking,” “star,” “elf”, “sleigh”, “reindeer”, etc). Call out words, and kids mark them on their cards. The first to get a line wins!
- Santa Says (Like Simon Says): Play a holiday version of “Simon Says,” where “Santa” instructs kids to perform actions (e.g., “Santa says jump like a reindeer,” “Santa says sing ‘Jingle Bells'”).
- Toilet Paper Snowman: Divide players into teams of two. When the host of the game yells “Go!”, one team member has to “build” a snowman by wrapping the other entirely in toilet paper, finishing off the “snowy” friend by sticking on snowman buttons and a nose as well as a scarf and hat. First one to finish wins!
