30 Christmas Eve Activities Too Fun to Pass Up This Season

By mid-afternoon on December 24, my house hums like a beehive. The kids check the window for reindeer, and I hunt for the tape.

I pulled together 30 Christmas Eve activities for the living room, sorted by time of day. Each idea lists the ages it suits and what to grab.

Pick the part of the day that needs the most help. The magic keeps going after tonight with other fun family holiday activities for the rest of the season.

Quick list

• Daytime: Cookie decorating, gingerbread houses, paper snowflakes, an elf-note hunt, gift-wrapping teams, salt dough ornaments, handwritten cards
• Dinner & evening: Cooking together, a Christmas Eve box, Jeopardy!, Song Quiz, Karaoke, a thankful round
• Christmas Eve party: Wheel of Fortune, Guess the Emoji, an ugly sweater contest, Christmas charades, a cookie swap
• Bedtime: Santa tracking, a poem by the tree, cookies for the reindeer, CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ, a living-room campout, stocking hanging
• Teens & adults: Spot On, Sketchy AF, a movie double feature, a cocoa bar
• Small households: A video call, a favorite recipe and film

{{cta-jeopardy}}

Daytime Christmas Eve activities

Mornings work best with hands-on projects that burn off wiggles. Start early, and the house smells like cookies by lunch.

1. Bake & decorate cookies (ages 4+): Roll out sugar cookie dough, then set up icing bowls for a decorating contest. Let each person invent one wild design for a family vote. You'll need dough and icing.
2. Build a gingerbread house (ages 5+): A kit saves time, and candy windows spark big design opinions. Hold a quick judging round once the icing dries. You'll need a kit and some patience.
3. Make paper snowflakes (ages 3+): Fold and snip paper, then tape the results to the windows for indoor snowfall. Every snowflake looks different, which makes the display feel special. You'll need paper and safety scissors.
4. Hunt for elf notes (ages 4+): Hide 8 short clues around the house, and let the last one lead to a small treat. Rhymes make the clues more fun to read aloud. You'll need paper and a pen.
5. Wrap gifts as a team (ages 6+): Set up a wrapping station where older kids wrap, and little ones add the bows. Play carols in the background, and the pile shrinks fast. You'll need paper and tape.
6. Paint salt dough ornaments (ages 4+): Mix flour, salt, and water, cut out shapes, and bake them hard. Paint each one the next morning, or tonight if the dough dries in time. You'll need dough supplies and paint.
7. Write Christmas cards (ages 5+): Kids draw a picture and add a short note for grandparents or neighbors. A handwritten card feels like a gift on its own. You'll need cards and markers.

Cookies and crafts top most lists of Christmas activities for families, and my kitchen proves why.

Dinner & evening traditions

Dinner sets the tone, so I give the evening a few anchor moments. Pick two or three and let the rest happen naturally.

8. Cook dinner together (all ages): Give each person one job, like stirring gravy or setting the table. Shared kitchen time ranks high among family bonding activities at home.
9. Open a Christmas Eve box (ages 3+): Fill one box with new pajamas and a Christmas book, then open it together after dinner. You'll need a box.
10. Play Jeopardy! (ages 6+): Jeopardy! brings the official TV game to your screen. Pick a difficulty level for the room and shout your answer. You'll need a smart TV.
11. Run a Song Quiz (ages 6+): Song Quiz plays a short clip from any decade, and you shout the song and artist for half points each. Grandparents often win the oldies. You'll need a smart TV.

{{cta-songquiz}}

12. Hold a Karaoke contest (ages 5+): Karaoke on Roku scores pitch along with lyrics, so the best voice wins. Even shy singers join once the first duet starts. You'll need a Roku TV.
13. Share a thankful round (all ages): Go around the table and let each person name the best moment of the year. Little ones give the funniest answers. You'll need a full table.

Christmas Eve party ideas

A few friends or cousins turn dinner into a party. These five ideas keep the room loud and happy.

14. Team up on Wheel of Fortune (ages 8+): Wheel of Fortune is the best fit for word puzzle solvers who race to crack the board. Mix generations on each team for extra laughs. You'll need a smart TV.

{{cta-fortune}}

15. Decode Guess the Emoji (ages 6+): Guess the Emoji is built for fast, fun visual puzzle lovers. Rounds move quickly, so the pace never drags. You'll need a smart TV.
16. Hold an ugly sweater contest (all ages): Guests vote for the loudest knit with a show of hands. Hand the winner a silly paper crown. You'll need sweaters.
17. Play Christmas charades (ages 6+): Write carols and movie titles on slips, then act them out. Teams can pick their own silly category. You'll need paper and a bowl.
18. Host a cookie swap (ages 8+): Each guest brings a dozen cookies and leaves with a mixed box. The table looks like a bakery. You'll need containers.

Save the bigger lineup of Christmas Day family games for tomorrow, and keep tonight loose and silly.

Bedtime wind-down

The last hour should slow the pace and keep the wonder. Dim the lights and let the tree glow.

19. Track Santa with NORAD (all ages): NORAD has followed Santa on December 24 since 1955, and you can watch his flight on a live map. You'll need a screen with internet.
20. Read ’Twas the Night Before Christmas (ages 3+): The poem first appeared in 1823, and a dad's voice makes the reindeer names pop. You'll need a copy.
21. Set out cookies for Santa (ages 2+): Add a carrot for the reindeer, and let the youngest place the plate. Kids love checking the crumbs in the morning. You'll need a plate and a carrot.
22. Wind down with CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ (ages 2 to 4): CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ includes a "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" lullaby that helps preschoolers settle. You'll need a smart TV.

{{cta-cocomelon}}

23. Camp out by the tree (ages 4+): Spread blankets and pillows under the lights and whisper stories until sleepy. Little ones feel like explorers. You'll need blankets and pillows.
24. Hang the stockings (all ages): Make a wish round as each stocking goes up. Everyone shares one hope for the new year. You'll need stockings.

Teens & adults

Older players want a challenge and a bit of control. Two games, one movie night, and a cocoa bar cover it.

25. Race around the globe in Spot On: Up to 4 players drop pins on a 3D globe, and closer pins earn more points. You’ll need a smart TV.
26. Face off in Sketchy AF: Sketchy AF reveals a drawing one stroke at a time, so early guesses score higher. Bold guessers take big risks. You'll need a smart TV.
27. Screen a movie double feature (ages 8+): Pair Elf with Home Alone, then vote on a winner. Pajamas are the dress code. You'll need popcorn.
28. Build a cocoa bar (all ages): Set out marshmallows, whipped cream, and crushed candy canes. Teens love designing a signature mug. You'll need cocoa and toppings.

{{cta-spoton}}

Small households

Quiet homes can still feel festive. These two ideas keep the evening warm.

29. Video chat with loved ones (all ages): Swap holiday stories, then play a quick round of charades over the call. You'll need a phone, tablet, or laptop.
30. Cook a favorite recipe and watch a favorite film (all ages): Pick a dish with real memories behind it and a classic you love. Treat the night as your own tradition. You'll need ingredients and a TV.

Free and low-cost ideas

Activities 3, 4, 13, 17, 19, 20, and 29 use items you already own. Add a mug of cocoa, and the evening feels special. Household supplies make the night one of the best things to do at home with family.

{{cta-witsend}}

Give your family a Christmas Eve to remember

Years from now, the wrapping paper will fade, but Grandpa's confident wrong answer will live on at every holiday table. The best Christmas Eve activities build memories like that, and a little friendly rivalry makes them glow.

Weekend brings that spark to your living room with party and trivia favorites on Roku, Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, and LG Smart TV. Teams huddle on the couch while the whole family cheers for the final round.

Here's some of what’s on Weekend’s lineup:

• Jeopardy! brings the official TV game to your screen with familiar clues, atmosphere, rules, and pacing.
• Song Quiz brings music trivia across decades and genres into the room. Hear a short clip and shout the song and artist for points.
• Spot On sends the group around the world from the living room, dropping pins and racing to guess landmarks.
• Wheel of Fortune lets players solve word puzzles, calling letters together and racing to crack the board before the others.
• Guess the Emoji challenges the room to decode movies, phrases, and pop-culture clues from emoji strings.
• Wit’s End turns your TV into a chaotically fun fantasy adventure with an AI game master that builds entire stories around your choices. 
• Karaoke (on Roku) tracks lyrics and pitch, so the sing-off can carry on once the trivia questions wind down.
• Sketchy AF builds a drawing one stroke at a time, and guessing early earns more points.
• CoComelon: Sing & Play with JJ gives toddlers aged 2 to 4 their own turn with familiar songs and playful, educational activities.

Picture the tree glowing and the room erupting when a long shot lands. Christmas Eve only comes once a year, so give your crew the game night they’ll quote next December.

Start the 7-day free trial, then launch the app and play on your smart TV tonight. Each platform needs its own subscription, so pick the one your TV uses.

FAQs

What are some fun activities for a Christmas Eve party?

Fun activities for a Christmas Eve party include Jeopardy! on Weekend and an ugly sweater contest. In my house, Wheel of Fortune on Roku had the whole table calling letters.

What can I do for Christmas with no money?

You can do plenty for Christmas with no money, like scavenger hunts and charades. I once built a whole Christmas Eve around paper snowflakes and a poem read by candlelight.

Where can I spend Christmas if I'm alone?

If you're alone at Christmas, spend it at home with a video call and a favorite movie. I treat a quiet evening as its own tradition, with cocoa and a cozy blanket.

How can I get the Weekend app on my smart TV?

You can get the Weekend app on your smart TV by searching for “Weekend Games” in your TV's app store on Roku, Fire TV, LG Smart TV, or Samsung Smart TV. Setup felt quick for me, and I started playing right away.