Charades started as a written word puzzle in 18th-century France, became a Victorian parlour game (Thackeray wrote a whole charade scene into Vanity Fair), and somehow still beats most board games at a family Christmas. All you need is a bowl, some slips of paper and people willing to look a little silly.
Below you will find 150 Christmas charades ideas split into easy words for kids, movies, songs, actions and harder phrases for adults, plus the standard hand signals and scoring rules so nobody argues halfway through the game.
Quick picks
- Young kids (4 to 7): Easy words and Christmas actions
- Mixed family group: Movies and songs
- Adults and teens: Hard phrases and holiday traditions
- Time needed: 30 to 60 minutes for a full game
- Supplies: Paper slips, a bowl or Santa hat, a phone timer
How to Play Christmas Charades
- Prep the slips. Write one word or title on each slip, fold it and drop it in a bowl or Santa hat. Keep a separate bowl for each difficulty if you have young kids playing.
- Make two teams. Mix ages on each side so every team has a strong guesser.
- Act it out. One player draws a slip and has 60 seconds to act it out silently. No talking, no mouthing words, no pointing at objects in the room.
- Score. The team earns one point if it guesses correctly before the timer runs out. Play until everyone has had at least two turns, or first to 10 points.
Standard Charades Hand Signals
Teach these before the first round. They save a lot of frantic waving.
- Movie: Crank an old-fashioned film camera beside your ear.
- Song: Open your mouth wide and spread your arms like an opera singer.
- Book: Hold your palms together, then open them like a book.
- TV show: Draw a rectangle in the air.
- Number of words: Hold up that many fingers.
- Which word: Hold up fingers again to show which word you are acting.
- Syllables: Lay fingers on your forearm.
- Sounds like: Tug your earlobe.
- Short word (a, the, of): Hold thumb and finger close together.
- Whole thing: Sweep your arms in a big circle.
Easy Christmas Charades for Kids
Single words with one obvious action. Kids who cannot read yet can draw a picture card instead of a word slip.
- Snowman
- Reindeer
- Santa
- Elf
- Present
- Christmas tree
- Snowball
- Candy cane
- Stocking
- Sleigh
- Penguin
- Polar bear
- Angel
- Bell
- Star
- Cookie
- Hot chocolate
- Mittens
- Scarf
- Gingerbread man
- Chimney
- Snow angel
- Ice skates
- Sled
- Toy soldier
- Teddy bear
- Wreath
- Ornament
- Icicle
- Drum
Christmas Actions Charades
Actions are easier to act than nouns, which makes this the best category for warm-up rounds.
- Wrapping a present
- Decorating the tree
- Building a snowman
- Having a snowball fight
- Hanging a stocking
- Baking cookies
- Opening a present you don’t like
- Untangling Christmas lights
- Kissing under the mistletoe
- Singing carols door to door
- Sledding down a hill
- Ice skating
- Writing a letter to Santa
- Sneaking downstairs on Christmas morning
- Pulling a Christmas cracker
- Carving the turkey
- Falling asleep on the couch after dinner
- Shoveling snow
- Catching snowflakes on your tongue
- Putting the star on top of the tree
Christmas Movie Charades
Use the movie signal, then the number of words. Family films are the easiest to guess because everyone has seen them a dozen times.
- Home Alone
- Elf
- The Polar Express
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- Miracle on 34th Street
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- A Christmas Story
- The Santa Clause
- Jingle All the Way
- Love Actually
- National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
- Frosty the Snowman
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- A Christmas Carol
- Arthur Christmas
- Klaus
- The Holiday
- Die Hard
- Four Christmases
- Deck the Halls
- Fred Claus
- The Muppet Christmas Carol
- White Christmas
- Last Christmas
Want more movie fun? Our Christmas movie trivia has 60 questions, and our guide to the best Christmas movies can settle what to watch afterwards.
Christmas Song Charades
Songs are tricky because you cannot hum. Act out key words instead, and use the “sounds like” ear tug a lot.
- Jingle Bells
- Silent Night
- Deck the Halls
- Frosty the Snowman
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Let It Snow
- White Christmas
- All I Want for Christmas Is You
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
- Jingle Bell Rock
- Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
- The Twelve Days of Christmas
- Here Comes Santa Claus
- Feliz Navidad
- Last Christmas
- Little Drummer Boy
- Winter Wonderland
- Baby It’s Cold Outside
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
- Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- O Christmas Tree
- Up on the Housetop
- Sleigh Ride
- Run Rudolph Run
Hard Christmas Charades for Adults
These need more creativity. Phrases and traditions force the actor to break things into syllables and “sounds like” clues, which is where the real laughs come from.
- Ugly Christmas sweater
- Naughty or nice list
- Elf on the Shelf
- Black Friday shopping
- Secret Santa
- White elephant gift exchange
- Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
- Twas the night before Christmas
- Boxing Day
- Regifting
- Christmas Eve
- Yule log
- Eggnog hangover
- Midnight Mass
- The Nutcracker ballet
- Rockefeller Center tree
- Mall Santa
- Post-holiday diet
- Advent calendar
- Santa stuck in the chimney
- Ebenezer Scrooge
- Gift card
- Christmas office party
- Last-minute shopping
- Returning a gift
Christmas Characters and Traditions Charades
- Mrs. Claus
- Jack Frost
- The Nutcracker
- Tiny Tim
- Krampus
- Saint Nicholas
- Three wise men
- Shepherd
- Nativity scene
- Christmas carolers
- Sugar plum fairy
- Abominable snowman
- Toy maker
- Reindeer games
- Gingerbread house
- Christmas pudding
- Candlelight service
- Hanging mistletoe
- Snow globe
- Christmas cracker
- Ice sculpture
- Hot toddy
- Christmas jumper
- Stocking stuffers
- Christmas morning
Fun Twists on Christmas Charades
Reverse Charades
The whole team acts while one person guesses. It is louder, faster and great for shy players because nobody performs alone.
Charades Pictionary Mash-Up
Flip a coin before each turn. Heads you act, tails you draw on a whiteboard. Our Christmas minute to win it games pair well with this if you want a full party night.
Phone App Charades
The Heads Up! app, popularized by Ellen DeGeneres, has holiday decks. The player holds the phone to their forehead while the team acts out the word. Tilt down for correct, up to pass.
Silent Night Round
For the final round, play with the lights dimmed and only a flashlight on the actor. It adds drama and usually ends in laughter.
Tips for a Smooth Game
- Pre-sort by age. Use colored paper: green for kids, red for everyone, gold for adults only.
- Set a strict timer. 60 seconds works for most groups. Give kids 90.
- Allow one pass per turn. It stops people from freezing on a word they have never heard of.
- Keep prizes small. A candy cane or first pick of dessert is plenty.
- Write extra slips. Plan for at least five slips per player so you don’t run out mid-game.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good Christmas charades words?
Good starter words have a clear physical action: snowman, reindeer, wrapping a present, sledding and decorating the tree. Movie and song titles work for older players who know the “number of words” signal.
How many people do you need for charades?
Four is the minimum for two teams of two. The game works best with 6 to 12 people. For bigger groups, split into three teams and rotate.
Can you talk in charades?
No. The actor cannot speak, mouth words or make sound effects. Some families allow sound effects for young kids, but agree on that before you start.
How long should each charades turn be?
One minute is standard. Kids and first-time players may need 90 seconds, while competitive adult groups often play 45-second rounds to speed things up.
What is the difference between charades and Pictionary?
In charades you act out the word silently. In Pictionary, a board game first published in 1985, you draw it. Both work with the same Christmas word lists.
Final Thoughts
Christmas charades is one of the rare games that works for a 5-year-old and a grandparent in the same round. Print or copy the lists above, cut them into slips, and let the silliness take over. Mix easy words with hard phrases so everyone gets a turn they can win.
