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These 150 Christmas charades ideas are sorted into characters, movies, songs, and books, and cards are marked easy, medium, or hard. Your 5-year-old and your grandpa can play the same game.
I've run this game after Christmas dinner for years. I've cut every card that nobody could act out in 2 minutes (sorry, "figgy pudding"). You'll also get quick rules, a kids list, a funny round for adults, and printable cards.
Christmas charades ideas: TL;DR
- 150 ideas across Christmas words and characters, movies, songs and carols, books, a kids action list, and a funny round for adults
- Three difficulty levels scoring 1, 2, or 3 points, so kids and adults compete fairly
- 2-minute timer, no talking, no pointing at the tree
- Free printable cards
- Charades on your TV with Guess the Emoji on the Weekend app, where you decode emojis instead of acting
Download all 150 Christmas charades cards as a free printable PDF, color-coded by group, and ready to cut out.
How to play Christmas charades
Christmas charades works like regular charades. One player acts out a Christmas word or title without speaking, and their team has 2 minutes to guess it. All you need is a phone timer, 3 bowls for the cards (one per difficulty level), and a scrap of paper to keep score.
- Split into 2 teams: With an odd number, one person acts for both sides. With 20 or more guests, split into 4 teams and borrow a few of these large group games for the breaks.
- Set a 2-minute timer on a phone: Give kids under 8 an extra 30 seconds.
- Pull a card and give the category sign: Crank an old movie camera for a movie, open your palms like a book for a book, and lift one arm while miming singing for a song. Then hold up fingers for the number of words.
- Score by difficulty: Easy cards earn 1 point, medium 2, and hard 3. Kids pull easy cards, adults pull hard ones, and the scores stay close.
- Let the other team steal: If the timer goes off first, the other team gets one guess to take the points.
Christmas charades dos and don'ts
If your guests want more rounds once you've used up the Christmas cards, these everyday charades prompts swap straight in.
Christmas charades ideas by category
Each table splits the ideas into 3 levels. Start the first round on easy cards so everyone learns the signs, then let confident players pull from the hard column.
Christmas words and characters
Acting tip: Break "Ebenezer Scrooge" into syllables and act out "sneezer" first. It gets more laughs than miming a grumpy old man.
Christmas movie charades
Die Hard is a hard card: half your guests will argue it isn't a Christmas movie before anyone guesses it. If your family knows these films by heart, follow up with a round of movie trivia.
Christmas songs and carols
"All I Want for Christmas Is You" first hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on December 21, 2019. Everyone at the table knows it, but miming a 7-word title in 2 minutes is why it's on the hard list.
If your family would rather name the songs than act them out, Song Quiz plays a short clip, and you call out the title or artist into your remote or phone. For a paper version, try this music trivia.
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Christmas books
Acting tip: For The Polar Express, pull an imaginary train whistle and sip pretend hot chocolate. Chris Van Allsburg's book won the 1986 Caldecott Medal, so plenty of parents read it as kids.
Christmas charades for kids
Kids under 8 play best with the easy cards and this action list, plus a few rule changes.
- Whisper the card to kids who can't read yet: Step away from the other team so nobody overhears.
- Drop the timer for first-time players: Add it back once they've guessed 3 or 4 cards.
- Let little ones act with a partner: Two 4-year-olds miming "sledding down a hill" together get guessed faster than one.
- Start with the easiest characters: Reindeer, snowman, and Santa Claus.
For toddlers who are too young to act, try these party games for toddlers.
Funny Christmas charades
These cards are everyday holiday disasters, and they get the biggest laughs because everyone at the table has lived through them. Each card scores 3 points, and the actor can use props from the room, like a roll of tape or a gift bag, as a house-rule exception for this round only.
"Wrapping a bike" is my favorite card on this list. Everyone has tried it, and the acting gets chaotic fast. For more grown-up rounds, I pull ideas from these party games for adults.
Too tired to act? Play from the couch
Once everyone's full and nobody wants to stand up, put the guessing game on the TV. You can download the Weekend app on the Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, or LG TV you already have, and everyone plays from the couch.
Guess the Emoji
Guess the Emoji is like charades with emojis on the screen. Each round shows a string of emojis, and you decode it into a movie, song, or saying, like 🏠👦😱 for Home Alone. You call your guess into your remote or phone.
It's made for fast and fun visual puzzle lovers, and the easy and hard modes in each category work for grandparents and grandkids playing together.
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Sketchy AF
Sketchy AF on Fire TV, Samsung, and LG is a guessing game where a drawing appears. Up to 4 players guess through their phones with hold-to-talk, and earlier guesses score more points.
I like it after charades because nobody has to perform or draw. My sister-in-law, who refuses to act, won the first round we played.
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More Weekend games for Christmas night
Once the charades cards are packed away, the Weekend app has a full lineup on one subscription, starting with a 7-day free trial. Search "Weekend Games" in your TV's app store to start playing.
- Jeopardy!: Licensed clues and categories from the show, with Casual mode for the kids at the table.
- Song Quiz: Name the song or artist from a short clip. Choose from a massive library across genres and decades.
- Wheel of Fortune: Call letters and solve the puzzle, with the BANKRUPT tone straight from the broadcast.
- Guess the Emoji: Visual puzzles where a string of emojis spells out a title or saying.
- Sketchy AF: Guess the doodle before the pencil finishes, using hold-to-talk on your phone.
- Spot On: Up to 4 players race to pin a city or landmark on a 3D globe.
- Wit's End: A D&D-style adventure for anyone who loves fantasy, where you describe your hero and choices out loud for a chaotically fun campaign.
- Meme Supreme: The after-bedtime pick for adults, with up to 8 players matching memes to a scenario one player writes, then voting anonymously.
- BFFs: A would-you-rather showdown for 2 to 6 players that scores how often everyone agrees.
- Bingo: The TV calls the numbers, and every player daubs a card on their phone.
- Spot the Gubs: A hidden-object hunt for 1 to 6 players in quick 5-minute rounds.
- Karaoke (Roku): Sing into your Roku remote and get scored on pitch and lyrics.
- CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ: Early childhood learning and entertainment for ages 2 to 4, with mini-games like Peek-A-Boo and Baa Baa Black Sheep.
The same subscription covers the rest of your calendar, from family reunions to a girls' night in. The Weekend app is available on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, and LG, and the games available vary by platform.
FAQs
What are some good Christmas charades ideas?
Good Christmas charades ideas include Santa Claus, snowball fight, Elf, Home Alone, "Jingle Bells," and The Polar Express. Simple nouns suit kids, while titles like It's a Wonderful Life or "Carol of the Bells" give adults a challenge inside 2 minutes.
How do you play Christmas charades?
To play Christmas charades, split into 2 teams, set a 2-minute timer, and have one player act out a card silently while teammates guess. Mouthing, spelling, and pointing at objects are banned. Scoring 1, 2, or 3 points by difficulty lets kids and adults compete.
What are funny Christmas charades for adults?
Funny Christmas charades for adults include untangling Christmas lights, assembling a toy at 2 a.m., and pretending to love a gift. Score them at 3 points each and save them for after the kids are in bed.
Is there a free printable Christmas charades list?
Yes, the free printable above has all 150 Christmas charades ideas as cut-out cards, sorted by category and difficulty. Print on 65 lb cardstock and keep each level in its own bowl.
Can you play charades on your TV?
Yes, Guess the Emoji on the Weekend app plays like charades with emojis on the screen, and you call your guesses into your TV remote or paired smartphone. It's on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, and LG smart TVs, and Weekend offers a 7-day free trial.
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Free for 7 days. Cancel anytime.
