120 Christmas Charades Words and Phrases for All Ages

Christmas charades works because it needs almost no setup, scales from a small family to a large party and can include children, teens and adults. This collection provides 120 ready-to-act words and phrases organised by difficulty and setting, plus rules that prevent long turns and awkward elimination.

Quick answer: For a mixed-age family game, combine prompts 1–40 and 101–120. Give each actor 45 seconds, allow one pass per turn and award one point for every correct guess.

What you need

• Small slips of paper or cards
• A bowl, bag or box
• A 45- or 60-second timer
• Two teams of roughly equal size
• Optional score sheet and pens

Simple Christmas charades rules

1. Copy the chosen prompts onto separate slips and place them in a bowl.
2. Divide the group into two teams. The first actor draws one prompt without showing it.
3. The actor uses movement only—no speaking, mouthing words, writing letters or pointing at objects in the room.
4. The team has 45 seconds to guess. A correct answer earns one point.
5. Allow one pass per turn. Return passed prompts to a separate pile.
6. Alternate teams until every player has acted or the planned time ends.

Useful hand signals

• Number of words: hold up the matching number of fingers.
• Which word: hold up one finger for the first word, two for the second and so on.
• Sounds like: cup a hand behind one ear.
• Small word: pinch a small space between finger and thumb.
• Correct idea: touch a finger to your nose and point to the guesser.

Easy Christmas charades for kids

1. Santa Claus
2. a snowman
3. a candy cane
4. a Christmas tree
5. a wrapped present
6. a stocking
7. a reindeer
8. an elf
9. a sleigh
10. a gingerbread person
11. a snow globe
12. a Christmas bell
13. a wreath
14. a star
15. a fireplace
16. a scarf
17. a mitten
18. an ornament
19. a toy train
20. a cup of cocoa

Christmas actions to act out

21. wrapping a present
22. decorating a tree
23. building a snowman
24. hanging a stocking
25. shovelling snow
26. drinking hot cocoa
27. baking cookies
28. opening a stubborn gift
29. untangling string lights
30. carrying too many presents
31. writing a wish list
32. ringing a bell
33. catching a snowflake
34. sledding down a hill
35. singing at a front door
36. putting a star on the tree
37. making a paper snowflake
38. trying on an itchy sweater
39. tiptoeing past sleeping people
40. waking up on Christmas morning

Family tradition charades

41. taking a family photograph
42. setting the holiday table
43. exchanging homemade gifts
44. leaving a snack for Santa
45. reading a bedtime story
46. watching snow through a window
47. visiting a holiday market
48. choosing the perfect tree
49. packing gifts for travel
50. sending a holiday card
51. making a gingerbread house
52. lighting a candle
53. sharing a family recipe
54. playing a board game
55. calling a distant relative
56. donating a toy
57. wearing matching pyjamas
58. going on a winter walk
59. hiding a surprise gift
60. cleaning up wrapping paper

Funny Christmas charades for teens and adults

61. realising the batteries are missing
62. pretending to like a strange gift
63. taking twenty tries for one group photo
64. searching for hidden presents
65. falling asleep during a holiday movie
66. winning an ugly-sweater contest
67. forgetting who a gift is for
68. trying not to laugh during a serious song
69. assembling a toy without instructions
70. protecting dessert from everyone else
71. carrying luggage through a snowy station
72. making a last-minute gift
73. discovering an empty cookie plate
74. trying to fit a huge box through a doorway
75. secretly shaking a present
76. wearing a jumper that lights up
77. getting caught re-gifting
78. hiding from mistletoe
79. realising the shop is closed
80. acting cheerful before morning coffee

Office-friendly Christmas charades

81. joining a holiday video call
82. passing a Secret Santa gift
83. writing an out-of-office reply
84. decorating a desk
85. carrying coffee to a meeting
86. wearing a festive tie
87. guessing a coworker’s handwriting
88. taking a team photo
89. joining an office quiz
90. finding the meeting room occupied
91. muting at the wrong moment
92. sharing holiday snacks
93. opening a company gift
94. winning a desk-decoration contest
95. packing up before the break
96. searching for a missing stapler
97. reading a holiday announcement
98. fixing a tangled extension cord
99. greeting a new coworker
100. leaving early in a snowstorm

Hard Christmas charades phrases

101. a reindeer learning to fly
102. a snowman on a sunny holiday
103. an elf stuck in a chimney
104. a gift that will not stop rattling
105. a choir singing in the wrong key
106. a sleigh with a flat runner
107. a gingerbread house collapsing
108. a nutcracker coming to life
109. a star searching for the right tree
110. a present delivered to the wrong house
111. a snow globe during an earthquake
112. a toy escaping from its box
113. a wreath caught in the wind
114. a candle refusing to stay lit
115. a cookie judging a baking contest
116. a car buried under snow
117. a holiday card lost in the post
118. a scarf longer than the room
119. a reindeer afraid of heights
120. a family cooking dinner without a recipe

Four better ways to play

1. Three-round memory charades

Use 25 prompts. In round one, describe the prompt without saying its words. In round two, give only one spoken clue. In round three, act it silently. Reusing the same cards rewards memory and creates running jokes.

2. Cooperative countdown

Keep everyone on one team. Set a ten-minute timer and try to solve 20 prompts before time expires. Nobody is eliminated, making this format ideal for classrooms and mixed ages.

3. Reverse charades

One person guesses while the entire team acts. Use action prompts with enough open space and remind players to avoid contact or running.

4. Quiet classroom charades

Use the easy list and family traditions. Teams write guesses on mini whiteboards instead of calling out, which keeps the room manageable and gives every student a chance.

How to choose the right prompts

• Young children: choose visible objects and simple actions from prompts 1–40.
• Mixed-age families: combine easy objects, traditions and five hard phrases.
• Teens: use prompts 61–80 and 101–120 for expressive, less childish acting.
• Workplaces: use prompts 81–100 and remove any company-specific joke that could embarrass someone.
• Large groups: prepare duplicate prompt bowls and run two games in parallel so nobody waits too long.

Fair and inclusive hosting tips

• Offer seated acting, drawing or scorekeeping as alternatives.
• Do not require accents, impersonations or religious performances.
• Give multilingual players a chance to read the prompt privately with the host.
• Use 45-second turns and one pass to reduce pressure.
• Score correct guesses, not acting quality.
• Keep floors clear and ban jumping onto furniture.

Need more crowd-friendly options? Try our Christmas party games for large groups. For a seated gift activity, use these original Left Right Christmas stories.

Frequently asked questions

How many charades prompts do I need?

Plan three to five prompts per player for a full game, or 25–40 total prompts for a 20-minute party round.

Can children and adults play together?

Yes. Mix easy objects with actions, let younger players act with a partner and avoid niche references that only one age group knows.

What happens when nobody guesses?

After time expires, let the actor reveal the answer and place the card in a passed pile. Do not subtract points; difficult prompts should not punish the actor.

How do I play with more than 30 people?

Create two or three circles with identical rules and separate prompt bowls. Bring the leading teams together for a short final round.

Editorial note: This article uses AI-assisted drafting and human editorial review. All 120 prompts and adaptations were developed for Easy Group Games and checked for clarity, variety and group suitability.