10 Christmas activities and games for kids to do at home

What are the most suitable Christmas activities and games for children to entertain them and to spend creative hours with the family?

The Christmas period is a very special time for children. There are the holidays, the decorations, the gifts, the tree, the lights, the family dinners, the parties, Santa Claus…in short, for a few days a year the routine changes and the magic begins!

In addition to preparing the Christmas tree and unwrapping the presents (which obviously all the children do), the Christmas period is above all an important occasion to be with the family, to rediscover traditions, to do something all together. But what?
What are the most suitable Christmas activities and games for children to entertain them  and to spend creative hours with the family?

Christmas activities and games for children

Since Christmas is just around the corner and the kids will be spending more time at home, it’s best to plan ahead. So bookmark these fun Christmas activities and games for children to do at home and that you can do with your children during the Christmas period.

1. Do Christmas crafts

During the Christmas period, offer the children to do Christmas crafts. It is a creative activity that entertains children and stimulates their imagination and dexterity. I know, maybe you think that what they do in school is enough, but that’s not the case. For children, manual activities are an important thing and even more so if they can do it with mum and dad.

You don’t have to spend money on craft supplies. Sometimes it is enough to use recycled material such as paper rolls, cardboard boxes, used paper. For example you can try to create:

• Christmas decorations to hang on the windows
• tree ornaments
• advent calendars
• paper Christmas tree
• cribs with recycling elements
• crafts to do with natural elements
• Christmas drawings to print, color and cut out

2. Prepare a Christmas recipe with the kids

I’ve always thought that cooking with children is a very nice activity and in which the ability to work in a group is strengthened. Obviously, the Christmas period is excellent for dedicating yourself to this activity. You can offer the children to have fun together preparing traditional recipes, Christmas biscuits, pancakes and everything you can do with a Christmas theme.

Let the children help you mix and knead the ingredients. Sharing such a pleasant moment with you could become a tradition every year, as well as a beautiful memory.

3. Organize fun Christmas games

What’s more fun than enjoying Christmas days playing with the whole family? 

There are so many Christmas games to play with the kids to make this season really special. Some are traditional (bingo, cards, monopoly, the merchant at the fair) others unconventional, but always beautiful and fun. Here some suggestions

• Santa rules color
• Popcorn chain
• Guess the character
• The Befana even or odd
• Mime the Christmas movie
• Pass gift
• Point the stars to the tree
• Section puppet
• Blow out the candles

4. Play Christmas-themed math games

Christmas-themed math games are activities that are mainly done at school in the period leading up to Christmas. But why not offer them at home too? After all, they are fun games and being Christmas activities focused on mathematics, they allow children to train with numbers while having fun.

Then try these games:

• The Christmas count : to play, you get together as a group and you have to count in turn. Everyone will have to say the number that follows in the count. 1…2…3…when you get to the number 7, or any multiple of 7 or any number containing a digit 7, simply say “Santa Claus” instead of saying the number. If a player says the number instead of saying ‘Santa Claus’, he is out of the game. The count then goes like this, ‘1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Santa, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, Santa, 15, 16, Santa…and so on. Whoever stays last wins.
  The aim of the game is to review the numbers, their sequence and their multiples. It can also be played by substituting a word other than Santa Claus but still Christmassy. Also try it with number 5 for an easier version of the game or with 8 or 9 for a more difficult version.
• Santa’s Sleigh
  This is an ideal Christmas activity to practice any math skill of your choice. At the beginning, the children are involved in drawing, coloring and cutting out a Santa Claus sleigh and lots of reindeer images.
  The aim of the game is to be the first to add the 8 reindeer in front of Santa’s sleigh.
  The game is played individually or in teams and you have to answer questions or solve exercises. The first player/team to answer correctly wins a reindeer to add in front of their sleigh. the first player or team with 8 reindeer will be the winner.

These are just some of the Christmas math games you can play but there are many more. Try to invent them or look for them on the teachers’ portals.

5. Play Christmas-themed letter and word games

Among the Christmas games for children, those with letters and words are the most engaging. They can be done both verbally and with pen and paper and are suitable for all ages.

• Search for Christmas words. An adult starts the game and pronounces a letter. Players will have to write on a sheet of paper as many Christmas words as possible that start with that letter of the alphabet. They will have one minute after which another letter will be called and so on. Whoever writes the most Christmas-related words wins
• Match the word. Start a player by saying a word related to the Christmas season in some way. The next player will have to look for another word related to the first one by association of ideas. Example: Christmas tree, ball, red, bow, presents, toys… We continue in this way among all the players in turn until we can no longer find a word to associate with the previous one.
• No vowels! The game is a lot of fun because it is based on mangled words that will make everyone laugh. Indeed, it consists in guessing a word pronounced without vowels. Each player in turn will have to say a word related to Christmas but pronouncing only the consonants. For example Bbb Ntl stands for “Santa Claus” “rnn” (reindeer), “prsp” (Crib), “lbr” (Tree), sltt (sleigh)… and so on. Whoever guesses the word first earns a point. It continues with the next player who will have to propose a new mysterious word. The competitor who scores 10 points wins.

6. Telling Christmas stories to your children

Telling and reading Christmas stories seems to have gone out of fashion, yet I invite you to do it. Reading is an activity that should always be present in our children’s daily lives but at Christmas it is even more so.  In fact, Christmas stories help us explain to children the traditions, the meaning of this special time of the year, the meaning of solidarity, kindness and generosity, values ​​that we must instill in our children.

The magic of Christmas can be found in readings such as:

• Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol ,
• the story of the birth of the baby Jesus
• The Planet of Christmas Trees by Gianni Rodari
• Polar Express di Chris Van Allsburg (versione Kindle)
• the Christmas tales of Beatrix Potter
• Balanchine’s Nutcracker

You can also discuss with them the meaning of these Christmas stories or ask what they have learned from these stories.
If you have books, that’s fine, but if you have your tablet or smartphone in hand, you can use it. Search the net for sites with fairy tales and stories for children to read or listen to or go to Google Play and look for the apps that are right for you.

7. Listen and sing Christmas songs

Make music an important part of your family vacation. Have fun with your children listening to Christmas music and songs. You can also start singing Christmas carols by organizing a karaoke for everyone. It’s not necessary to be in tune, what matters is having fun together.

If you like and find it cute, you can also record your voices while singing and send the file to friends and relatives as a Christmas wish from you and your children.

8. Prepare postcards and greeting cards

Preparing and sending Christmas cards and greeting cards is unfortunately no longer fashionable, but it is a tradition worth cultivating. A Christmas card made by children will be a unique keepsake for the person who receives it.

To prepare a Christmas card , rigid and colored cardboard, Christmas stickers, bows, glitter or crayons are sufficient. It is necessary to fold the A4 cardboard in half and decorate its first page as desired. Finally, just write a little thought or a poem, put the note in envelopes and send it to your loved ones. For once at Christmas you can even do without sending greetings on Whatsapp, don’t you think?

9. Create nice gift packages together

If your children are older and already know that Santa Claus doesn’t prepare packages, involve them in preparing this year’s Christmas packages .

With a few things found at home you can wrap gifts in a truly original way. Your children can use newspaper, fabric, scraps of paper, wrapping paper, buttons, leftover wool, ribbons and trimmings, balloons…everything can be useful for wrapping gifts.

10. Prepare a box of toys to donate

During the Christmas period there are many schools, municipal centers or associations that carry out solidarity campaigns to collect toys for the needy.

Take advantage of these holidays to prepare a box of old toys that you no longer use with your children to give them to less fortunate children . At Christmas there is no more beautiful and more educational activity than this.

Just as your parents helped create your Christmas memories, now it’s your turn to do it for your children!
Happy holiday!