Christmas charades.
62 Christmas words already loaded — Santa, the tree, the food, the songs, the films. Nothing to print, no app. Works with a four-year-old and a grandparent on the same team.
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Christmas charades — 62 words, nothing to print
The game for the hour after Christmas dinner, when the room is full, the ages range from four to eighty and nobody wants to learn rules. Charades needs no shared vocabulary and no reading, which is why it survives that room when card games do not. 62 Christmas words are loaded above, with a timer and team scoring, free in your browser.
How to play it with the whole family
Two teams. One player takes a word and mimes it in silence while their own team guesses; every correct answer scores and they keep going until the 60 seconds run out. Then the other team takes over. Highest total wins.
Two adjustments that make it work with a wide age range. First, let the youngest players guess out of turn - the rule that only your own team may answer is the one that makes children give up. Second, pair a child with an adult for their turn; one mimes, one directs, and the child gets to be in it without standing alone in front of the family.
The 62 words, in seven groups
Pick a group rather than shuffling everything, so you can match the difficulty to who is playing. Santa, Snow and Food are the easy end. Films, Songs and "the day itself" are the hard end, and the hard end is where the game gets good.
Santa and the North Pole (11)
Santa Claus, Reindeer, Rudolph, Elf, Sleigh, Chimney, Stocking, North Pole, Santa's workshop, Naughty list, Nice list
The tree and decorations (8)
Christmas tree, Tinsel, Fairy lights, Star on top, Baubles, Wreath, Mistletoe, Advent calendar
Food and drink (11)
Candy cane, Gingerbread man, Gingerbread house, Hot chocolate, Eggnog, Mulled wine, Roast turkey, Christmas pudding, Mince pie, Yule log, Leftovers
Presents and the day itself (9)
Wrapping paper, Christmas cracker, Secret Santa, Unwrapping presents, Ugly Christmas jumper, Queue at the shops, Family photo, Christmas Eve, Boxing Day
Snow and winter (7)
Snowman, Snowball fight, Snow angel, Icicle, Sledding, Ice skating, Frosty the Snowman
Songs and carols (6)
Carol singers, Jingle Bells, Silent Night, Last Christmas, All I Want for Christmas Is You, White Christmas
Films and stories (10)
The Nutcracker, Scrooge, The Grinch, Home Alone, Love Actually, A Christmas Carol, The Polar Express, Nativity scene, Three Wise Men, Angel
Which groups for which players
- Age four to seven — Santa, Snow, Food. All physical, all mimeable, no references required.
- Mixed family — add The tree and Presents. "Unwrapping presents" and "ugly Christmas jumper" work across every generation at the table.
- Adults — Songs and Films, plus the three in Presents that are really about feelings: "queue at the shops", "family photo", "leftovers". These produce the best rounds of the night.
Three variants for a full house
Forehead version. Nobody stands up. The guesser holds the phone to their forehead and the room shouts clues — rules here. This is the one to use when everybody has eaten too much.
Reverse charades. The whole team mimes at once and one person guesses. Louder, sillier, and much easier for anyone who hates performing alone.
Song round. House rule for the Songs group only: humming is allowed. It breaks the silence rule and it is worth it, because six people trying to hum "Last Christmas" at different speeds is the best thing that will happen all afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
What are good Christmas charades words?
Mix the obvious with the awkward. "Snowman", "reindeer" and "Christmas tree" land in two seconds and get everyone confident; "queue at the shops", "family photo" and "All I Want for Christmas Is You" are the ones that win rounds, because somebody has to act out a feeling rather than an object. There are 62 words on this page in seven themed groups.
How do you play Christmas charades with the family?
Two teams, 60 seconds a turn, one person mimes in silence while their own team guesses. It is the best game for a room with a thirty-year age range in it, because miming needs no shared vocabulary - a seven-year-old and a grandparent can both act out a snowman. Use the Snow and Food groups for the youngest players.
Is it suitable for young children?
Yes, from about four. Skip the Films and Songs groups, which assume references they do not have yet, and use Snow, Food and Santa. Let them guess out of turn too - the rule that only your own team may answer is the first one to drop with young children.
Do I need to print the words?
No. This page is the game: open it on a phone, tap the Christmas deck and play. The phone deals the words, runs the timer and keeps the score, and no word repeats in the same session.
What about a version where nobody has to stand up?
Play it as the forehead game instead. The guesser holds the phone to their head and the room shouts clues - everybody stays in their chair, which after Christmas dinner is the deciding factor.
How long does a game last?
About twenty minutes for six people, which covers roughly half the deck. There is enough here for an hour, and for a big family group teams mode keeps the waiting down.
Can we play it on Christmas Day with no internet?
Load the page once before you need it and it will keep working in the browser tab. It is worth opening it in the morning if the house is going to be full and the signal is going to be bad.
More games for the holidays
Standard charades with 1,800+ words, Halloween charades for October, the forehead game, Who Am I?, family game night games, party games for large groups and every word list on the site.