This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Read our disclosure.
Safety first: Always supervise little ones, and skip small parts for kids who still put things in their mouths. Please read our play safety notes before you start.
Key takeaways
- Pick by the time slot: 10-minute games for school nights, whole-evening ideas for winter break.
- Give the oldest child a real job (caller, host, map maker) and mixed ages get much easier.
- One bin of 12 supplies covers almost every idea on this list.
- Pom-poms, bells, bottle caps and game pieces stay with kids 4 and up and get counted back in if a toddler lives with you.
In this post44 sections
- Before You Start: The Low-Prep Rules (Under 10 Minutes, Nothing to Buy)
- 10-Minute Christmas Games for Kids (Bow Hunt, Charades, Would You Rather)
- 1. Gift bow hunt
- 2. Christmas would you rather
- 3. Christmas charades
- 4. Hum that carol
- 5. Santa's mystery sock
- 6. Paper plate Christmas drawing game
- Easy Christmas Activities for Kids at Home on a Weeknight Evening
- 7. Pass-the-paper Christmas tree
- 8. Christmas story chain
- 9. Homemade Christmas cards assembly line
- 10. Paper airplane sleigh contest
- Christmas STEM Activities for Kids (Cup Stacking, Card Bridges, Candy Cane Tests)
- 11. Cup stacking Christmas tree challenge
- 12. Index card bridge test
- 13. Candy cane melt test
- 14. Sleigh ramp race
- 15. Craft stick pom-pom catapult
- Simple Christmas Crafts Kids 4 to 10 Can Do While Dinner Cooks
- 16. Old Christmas card puzzles
- 17. Giant Christmas table mural
- 18. Four-panel Christmas comic
- Printable Christmas Activities for Kids (Bingo, I Spy, Word Search)
- 19. Big-kid caller Christmas bingo
- 20. Word search race (easy and hard)
- 21. Make-your-own I spy page
- Christmas Activities for Families With a 4-Year-Old and a 10-Year-Old
- 22. Big-kid treasure map
- 23. Christmas card game night
- 24. Christmas talent show
- Christmas Kindness Activities for Kids (Cards, Donate Box, Neighbor Notes)
- 25. Thank-you notes for helpers
- 26. Secret Santa siblings
- 27. Warm-hands donate box
- Whole-Evening Christmas Activities for Winter Break
- 28. Christmas movie night with homemade tickets
- 29. Family Christmas quiz show
- 30. Christmas mystery clue trail
- Christmas Party Activities for Kids at Home (Playdates and Cousins)
- 31. Toilet paper snowman race
- A Christmas Activity Box: 12 Supplies to Keep in One Bin
- Safety Notes: Scissors, Hot Glue, Candles and Small Parts Around Younger Siblings
- FAQ
Before You Start: The Low-Prep Rules (Under 10 Minutes, Nothing to Buy)
Every idea here passed three rules. Setup takes under 10 minutes, the supplies are already in most homes, and it works for kids aged 4 to 10. Each one is tagged with the time it fills, the mess level and who it suits: the whole family, a big kid leading a little kid, or kids playing on their own while you cook.
Sort by the slot you have tonight. Ten minutes before bath? Pick a game. A free Friday on winter break? Jump to the whole-evening ideas. If you have a toddler too, our Christmas activities for toddlers at home are built for ages 1 to 3.
10-Minute Christmas Games for Kids (Bow Hunt, Charades, Would You Rather)
These easy Christmas activities for kids need no table space and almost no cleanup. They're good for the gap between dinner and pajamas.
1Gift bow hunt
Hide 20 stick-on gift bows around one room while the kids wait in the hall. Give each child a color to find, or race to find all of them. Big kids can hide them for the little ones next round.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 3 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a bag of stick-on gift bows.
Best for: whole family.
- Safety: keep the hunt to one room and off high shelves, so nobody climbs.
Reusable for the hunt every night, then they go on the presents.
2Christmas would you rather
Take turns asking silly questions: would you rather ride a reindeer or a polar bear? Would you rather eat only candy canes or only sprouts on Christmas? Everyone answers and says why. Older kids love writing new questions for the next night.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: none.
Mess: none.
Supplies: nothing, or paper to write questions on.
Best for: whole family, car rides too.
- Safety: nothing to watch for here, which makes it a good one for a tired evening.
3Christmas charades
Write easy prompts on scraps of paper: snowman melting, wrapping a gift, Santa stuck in a chimney, a reindeer learning to fly. Kids pull one from a hat and act it out with no words. Pair a 4 year old with a reader who whispers the prompt.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: paper scraps, a hat or bowl.
Best for: whole family, big kid plus little kid.
- Safety: clear a space away from the tree and any glass ornaments before the acting starts.
4Hum that carol
One person hums a Christmas song with no words, and everyone else guesses. The winner hums the next one. It's quiet enough for a sleepy evening and surprisingly funny.
Ages: 5 to 10.
Prep: none.
Mess: none.
Supplies: nothing.
Best for: whole family.
- Safety: none needed. This is a good wind-down game before bed.
5Santa's mystery sock
Drop a small Christmas object into a long sock: a pinecone, a jingle bell, a cookie cutter, a candy cane. Kids reach in without looking and guess by touch. Swap roles so the kids get to stump you.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 3 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a long sock, small household items.
Best for: big kid plus little kid.
- Safety: jingle bells and small ornaments are choking hazards, so keep them away from any baby or toddler in the house and count them back in.
6Paper plate Christmas drawing game
Everyone holds a paper plate on top of their head and draws a snowman while you read out the steps: body, hat, carrot nose, buttons. Then everyone flips their plate over to see. The wobbly results are the whole point.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: paper plates, crayons or markers.
Best for: whole family.
- Safety: use washable markers, and cap them between turns for younger kids.
Washable ink comes off small hands and the table.
Got a younger sibling at home too? Our free pack has 50 low-prep activity cards for ages 2 to 6, sorted by setup time, so the little one has something while the big kids play.
Easy Christmas Activities for Kids at Home on a Weeknight Evening
These fill about 20 minutes. They're calm enough for a school night and need only paper, crayons and things from the junk drawer.
7Pass-the-paper Christmas tree
Tape a big sheet of paper to the table and draw a plain tree outline. Each person adds one thing on their turn (a star, a bird, a present, a cat climbing it) until the tree is full. Nobody can erase anyone else's part.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: big paper or the back of wrapping paper, markers, tape.
Best for: whole family.
- Safety: washable markers only for the youngest.
8Christmas story chain
One person starts a story: "On Christmas Eve, the smallest reindeer got lost in..." The next person adds one sentence. Keep going around the table until someone finds an ending. Big kids can write it down and read it back at bedtime.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: none.
Mess: none.
Supplies: nothing, or paper and a pencil.
Best for: whole family, car rides too.
- Safety: none needed.
9Homemade Christmas cards assembly line
Set out folded cardstock, crayons, stickers and scraps of old wrapping paper. One child draws, one glues, one writes the names. Send them to grandparents, teachers or a neighbor who lives alone.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: medium.
Supplies: cardstock, glue stick, stickers, wrapping paper scraps.
Best for: big kid plus little kid.
- Safety: child-safe scissors for kids 4 to 6 with an adult nearby, and keep stickers and scraps off the floor if a toddler is around.
Sturdy enough for cards, bingo boards and the paper sleigh test below.
10Paper airplane sleigh contest
Everyone folds a paper airplane, names it after a reindeer and decorates it. Fly them down the hall and mark landings with tape. Older kids can try new folds to beat their own best distance.
Ages: 5 to 10.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: printer paper, crayons, painter's tape.
Best for: whole family.
- Safety: fly away from faces and the tree. Point planes down the hallway, not at people.
Christmas STEM Activities for Kids (Cup Stacking, Card Bridges, Candy Cane Tests)
Christmas STEM activities for kids turn ordinary cups and cards into a challenge. Kids aged 7 to 10 can run these almost on their own, and 4 year olds love knocking the results down.
11Cup stacking Christmas tree challenge
Give each child 20 to 30 plastic cups and one minute to build the tallest tree. Add rules as they get better: one hand only, or a paper star must balance on top. Time each round on a kitchen timer.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 1 minute.
Mess: none.
Supplies: plastic cups, a paper star, a timer.
Best for: whole family.
- Safety: use sturdy plastic cups, not thin ones that crack into sharp edges.
Thicker reusable cups last all of winter break.
12Index card bridge test
Give kids 10 index cards and some tape. Can they build a bridge between two books that holds a candy cane? Then two? Then a toy car? They'll quickly learn that folding a card makes it stronger.
Ages: 6 to 10.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: index cards, tape, two stacks of books, candy canes or small toys.
Best for: kids on their own while dinner cooks.
- Safety: small toys and wrapped candy canes stay out of reach of babies and toddlers.
13Candy cane melt test
Put a candy cane in three cups: cold water, warm tap water and plain air. Kids guess which changes first, then check every five minutes and draw what they see. It's a science test, not a snack.
Ages: 5 to 10.
Prep: 3 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: 3 clear cups, 3 candy canes, water.
Best for: big kid plus little kid.
- Safety: use warm tap water only, never boiling water, and pour it yourself for younger kids.
14Sleigh ramp race
Lean a baking sheet or a big book against the couch to make a hill. Kids build sleighs from a box lid, a paper plate or a cardboard tube and test which one slides farthest. Mark each finish line with tape.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: a tray or board, cardboard bits, tape, small toy riders.
Best for: whole family.
- Safety: tape the ramp down so it doesn't slip, and keep small toy riders away from toddlers.
15Craft stick pom-pom catapult
Stack seven craft sticks and wrap rubber bands around each end. Slide one more stick in, add a bottle cap on top with glue, and launch pom-pom snowballs into a bowl. Big kids can measure who gets the most in.
Ages: 6 to 10 (4 and 5 with help).
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: craft sticks, rubber bands, a bottle cap, glue, pom-poms, a bowl.
Best for: big kid plus little kid.
- Safety: pom-poms, bottle caps and rubber bands are choking hazards for under 3s. Aim away from faces and pack the pieces away after.
Covers this catapult plus lots of winter crafts.
Simple Christmas Crafts Kids 4 to 10 Can Do While Dinner Cooks
These Christmas crafts need very little help, so you can stir the pot while they work. For a full list sorted by age, see our kids Christmas crafts by age.
16Old Christmas card puzzles
Cut last year's Christmas cards into 4 to 12 pieces, depending on age. Kids put them back together, then swap with a sibling. Older kids can cut their own puzzles for younger ones.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: old Christmas cards, scissors, envelopes to store sets.
Best for: kids on their own while dinner cooks.
- Safety: child-safe scissors for kids under 7, and adult-only sharp scissors.
17Giant Christmas table mural
Tape a long strip of kraft paper over the whole table. Draw a few road lines, a house and a hill, then let the kids fill in a whole Christmas town: shops, sledding kids, a Santa parade. It can stay up all week.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 3 minutes.
Mess: medium.
Supplies: kraft paper roll, tape, crayons and markers.
Best for: kids on their own while dinner cooks.
- Safety: washable markers for the youngest, and keep caps away from toddlers.
One roll covers murals, gift wrap and the treasure map below.
18Four-panel Christmas comic
Fold a sheet of paper into four boxes. Kids draw a short comic: Santa's sleigh gets a flat tire, or a snowman goes on vacation. Readers can add speech bubbles, and 4 year olds can tell you the words to write.
Ages: 5 to 10.
Prep: 1 minute.
Mess: low.
Supplies: paper, pencils, crayons.
Best for: kids on their own while dinner cooks.
- Safety: nothing special to watch for.
Printable Christmas Activities for Kids (Bingo, I Spy, Word Search)
Printable Christmas activities for kids are the easiest grab-and-go option. Print once, slide pages into a sheet protector, and they work all month with a dry-erase marker.
19Big-kid caller Christmas bingo
Print picture bingo boards and let the oldest child be the caller. Calling gives a 9 or 10 year old a real job, and the little ones love being told to find the snowman. Use torn paper squares as markers.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: printable bingo boards, caller cards, paper squares.
Best for: big kid plus little kid.
- Safety: skip dried beans and small candy as markers if anyone under 3 is at the table.
20Word search race (easy and hard)
Give the younger child an easy word search with picture clues and the older child a harder one with diagonal words. Start at the same time and see who finishes first. It's fair, because each puzzle fits the age.
Ages: 5 to 10.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: two printed word searches, pencils.
Best for: kids on their own while dinner cooks.
- Safety: nothing special to watch for.
21Make-your-own I spy page
After doing a printed I spy page, older kids draw their own: a page packed with tiny ornaments, stars and presents, plus a list of what to count. Younger siblings then hunt for the answers.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: an I spy printable, paper, colored pencils.
Best for: big kid plus little kid.
- Safety: nothing special to watch for.
Our Christmas Activity Pack has these ready to print: 6 different picture bingo boards with caller cards, an easy and a harder word search, an I spy counting page, an indoor scavenger hunt, 12 kindness cards and coloring pages, written for ages 3 to 8.
Christmas Activities for Families With a 4-Year-Old and a 10-Year-Old
Mixed ages are the hard part of family Christmas activities. These work because the older child gets a real job, not a babysitting chore, and the younger child gets to win sometimes.
22Big-kid treasure map
The older child draws a map of the house with a red X and hides a small surprise there (a candy cane, a sticker, a note). The younger child follows the map. Then swap: little ones can "draw" a map, and the big kid has to decode it.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 10 minutes (done by the big kid).
Mess: low.
Supplies: paper, crayons, one small surprise.
Best for: big kid plus little kid.
- Safety: agree on off-limits rooms first, and no hiding spots up high or near the stove.
23Christmas card game night
Teach a simple card game that both ages can play, like Crazy Eights or Go Fish, using a normal deck. Make Christmas rules: a red 8 means everyone says "ho ho ho." A cooperative family game works too, since nobody loses alone.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: none.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a deck of cards or a family card game.
Best for: whole family.
- Safety: game boxes with small pieces go up high after play if a toddler lives with you.
Everyone plays together against the game, so mixed ages don't end in tears.
24Christmas talent show
The 10 year old is the host: they write a program, introduce each act and hand out paper medals. Acts can be a joke, a song, a cartwheel on the rug or a stuffed-animal puppet show.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: paper for a program and medals, a flashlight spotlight.
Best for: big kid plus little kid.
- Safety: clear the floor and keep tumbling on a rug, away from the tree and table corners.
A spotlight for the show and the treasure hunt. Choose a screw-shut battery door.
Christmas Kindness Activities for Kids (Cards, Donate Box, Neighbor Notes)
Christmas kindness activities give kids a way to give that doesn't need money. If you want a whole month of kind ideas, our Christmas countdown ideas include a kindness day and a toy donation day.
25Thank-you notes for helpers
Kids draw thank-you notes for the mail carrier, the delivery driver or the garbage crew. Tape one to the mailbox or the recycling bin. It takes five minutes and gets real smiles.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: paper, crayons, tape.
Best for: whole family.
- Safety: an adult tapes notes outside, and kids stay off the street side of the mailbox.
26Secret Santa siblings
Each child draws a sibling's name and does one small, secret kind thing for them each day: makes their bed, leaves a drawing on their pillow, lets them pick the song. On Christmas Eve, everyone guesses who their Secret Santa was.
Ages: 5 to 10.
Prep: 2 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: names on paper scraps.
Best for: kids on their own.
- Safety: nothing special to watch for.
27Warm-hands donate box
Kids go through the coat closet and pull out outgrown hats, gloves and scarves. They sort, fold and decorate a box, then you drop it at a local coat drive. Call the drive first to check what they take.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 5 minutes.
Mess: none.
Supplies: a cardboard box, markers, outgrown winter gear.
Best for: whole family.
- Safety: keep scarves and drawstrings away from babies and toddlers while sorting.
Whole-Evening Christmas Activities for Winter Break
For a slow night on winter break, these fill an hour or more. Our countdown list already covers the blanket fort story night and the lights walk, so here are three new ones.
28Christmas movie night with homemade tickets
Kids make tickets, a menu board and a sign for the living room "theater." One child is the usher, one runs the snack table with whatever is already in the pantry. Pick one Christmas movie and dim the lights. It's the one screen on this list, and the kids run the whole show around it.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 10 minutes.
Mess: low.
Supplies: paper, markers, tape, blankets, a family movie.
Best for: whole family.
- Safety: snacks follow your own family's allergy and choking rules for younger kids, like cutting grapes and skipping popcorn for little ones.
29Family Christmas quiz show
Older kids write 10 to 20 questions: how many reindeer does Santa have, what color is the Grinch, which family member hates sprouts. Split into two teams and keep score on paper. Younger kids can answer the picture questions.
Ages: 5 to 10.
Prep: 20 minutes (done by the kids).
Mess: none.
Supplies: paper, pencils, a bell or pot to ring.
Best for: whole family.
- Safety: none needed.
30Christmas mystery clue trail
Kids set up a mystery: "Who took Santa's cookie?" They write five clues and hide them in order around the house, each one pointing to the next. The last clue reveals the culprit (usually the dog). Grown-ups solve it.
Ages: 6 to 10 (4 and 5 can help hide).
Prep: 30 minutes (done by the kids).
Mess: low.
Supplies: paper, pencils, tape.
Best for: kids on their own, then whole family.
- Safety: no clues on high shelves, in the garage or near the stove.
If your family has a Christmas elf who visits in December, our Christmas Elf Visit Planner lays out 24 nights of ideas so the evening routine stays easy.
Christmas Party Activities for Kids at Home (Playdates and Cousins)
Christmas party activities for kids should be easy to explain to a crowd and fun to watch. Bingo from the printables section works well for up to 6 players.
31Toilet paper snowman race
Split kids into teams of two or three. One teammate stands still while the others wrap them in toilet paper like a snowman, with paper scraps for buttons. The first team to finish and pose wins. Save the paper for the mural.
Ages: 4 to 10.
Prep: 1 minute.
Mess: medium.
Supplies: a few rolls of toilet paper per team, paper scraps.
Best for: party, cousins, playdates.
- Safety: never wrap faces, necks or mouths. Wrap from the shoulders down only.
You'll use it anyway, so the game costs nothing extra.
A Christmas Activity Box: 12 Supplies to Keep in One Bin
Most of these ideas use the same small set of supplies. Fill one bin on the first of December and you'll have a game ready in under a minute all month.
Christmas activity box
Stock the box
- Budget pick
1. Stick-on gift bows, bulk bag
Typically $6 to $12
For the bow hunt every night, then they go on the gifts.
Check price on Amazon for 1. Stick-on gift bows, bulk bag -
2. Washable markers, classroom pack
Typically $8 to $15
Cards, comics, the mural and the paper plate game.
Check price on Amazon for 2. Washable markers, classroom pack -
3. Cardstock multipack
Typically $8 to $15
Sturdy cards and bingo boards that last the month.
Check price on Amazon for 3. Cardstock multipack -
4. Kids flashlights, 2-pack
Typically $10 to $18
Talent show spotlights and dark-room hunts. Pick a screw-shut battery door.
Check price on Amazon for 4. Kids flashlights, 2-pack -
5. Cooperative family card game, ages 4+
Typically $10 to $25
Mixed-age game nights where everyone wins or loses together.
Check price on Amazon for 5. Cooperative family card game, ages 4+ -
6. Kraft paper roll
Price varies
Table murals, maps and homemade gift wrap.
Check price on Amazon for 6. Kraft paper roll -
7. Christmas picture book
Typically $5 to $12
Pairs with the story chain and a quiet bedtime.
Check price on Amazon for 7. Christmas picture book
Safety Notes: Scissors, Hot Glue, Candles and Small Parts Around Younger Siblings
Most of these activities are low risk, but mixed-age homes need a few house rules. Toys and supplies for older kids often have small parts, and the CPSC small parts rule exists because those pieces are a choking risk for children under 3.
Pom-poms, jingle bells, bottle caps, rubber bands, small candy and game pieces stay with the big kids and get counted back into the bin. Child-safe scissors are fine for most kids 4 to 6 with an adult nearby, and hot glue is adult-only.
Skip real candles for these activities, and keep glass ornaments and light cords out of play areas. The American Academy of Pediatrics also warns about button batteries and small magnets in toys and gadgets. If a child swallows one, go to the emergency room right away and call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
| Time | Try | Idea numbers |
|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes | Bow hunt, would you rather, charades, hum that carol | 1 to 4 |
| 20 minutes | Pass-the-paper tree, card assembly line, cup stacking | 7, 9, 11 |
| Kids alone while you cook | Card puzzles, table mural, comic strip, word search race | 16 to 18, 20 |
| Whole evening | Movie night with tickets, quiz show, mystery clue trail | 28 to 30 |
| Party or cousins | Toilet paper snowman race, big-kid caller bingo | 31, 19 |
Want more for the youngest kids? Try our Christmas activities for preschoolers for ages 3 to 5.
Frequently asked questions
What are some fun Christmas activities to do at home with kids?
Try a gift bow hunt, Christmas charades, a cup stacking tree challenge, a family quiz show or a movie night where the kids make the tickets. All of them use things you already have.
What are easy Christmas activities for kids that need no prep?
Would you rather, hum that carol and a Christmas story chain need nothing at all. A bow hunt or charades takes about three minutes to set up.
What Christmas activities work for a 4 year old and a 10 year old at the same time?
Give the older child a job: bingo caller, treasure map maker or talent show host. Cooperative card games and the cup stacking challenge also work, since each child can play at their own level.
What are Christmas STEM activities for kids?
Build a cup stacking tree, an index card bridge that holds candy canes, a sleigh ramp race, a craft stick catapult, or test how candy canes change in cold and warm water.
What can kids do on winter break evenings that isn't a screen?
Set up a family quiz show, a mystery clue trail the kids write, a giant table mural or a talent show. Each one can fill an hour or more.
Save it for later
Pin this to your Holiday Crafts board so it's there when you need it.
Save to Pinterest
