Christmas Charades Printable: 60 Cards & Rules for Family Night

Charades is the game that turns quiet relatives into dramatic performers. No board, no pieces, no reading level required — just a stack of cards, a timer, and someone brave enough to act out a snowman in front of the whole family. At Christmas, it is practically a tradition of its own.

Below you will find 60 free printable-style Christmas charades prompts, organized by difficulty, plus the rules, scoring ideas, and variations that keep the game fun for everyone from small children to competitive adults.

How to Play Christmas Charades

Split into two teams. One player from a team draws a card and acts out the word or phrase without speaking — no words, no sounds, no spelling letters in the air. Their team has 60 seconds to guess. A correct guess earns one point; if time runs out, the other team gets one chance to steal the point.

Classic hand signals help: hold up fingers for the number of words, tug your ear for “sounds like,” and point at your nose for “on the nose.” For kids, drop the timer and let them act until someone guesses — the goal is laughter, not pressure.

Easy Charades (Perfect for Kids)

Santa Claus
Snowman
Reindeer
Christmas tree
Candy cane
Elf
Snowball fight
Ice skating
Wrapping a gift
Drinking hot cocoa
Building a snowman
Singing a carol
Hanging stockings
Riding a sleigh
Decorating the tree

Medium Charades (Family Favorites)

Home Alone
The Grinch
Frosty the Snowman
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Jingle Bells
Deck the Halls
Elf on the Shelf
Gingerbread house
Christmas lights
Mistletoe kiss
Ugly Christmas sweater
Snow angel
Christmas cookie baking
Caroling door to door
Opening presents on Christmas morning

Hard Charades (For Teens and Adults)

It’s a Wonderful Life
The Polar Express
A Christmas Carol
Walking in a Winter Wonderland
Twelve Days of Christmas
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
The Nutcracker
Silent Night
White Christmas
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire
Last Christmas
All I Want for Christmas Is You
Miracle on 34th Street
The Night Before Christmas
Trimming the tree while the dog steals ornaments

Bonus: Actions and Phrases

Untangling Christmas lights
Burning the Christmas cookies
Forgetting to buy batteries
Running out of wrapping paper
Trying to fit the star on top of the tree
Singing the wrong words to a carol
Slipping on ice
Drinking cocoa with too many marshmallows
Finding a gift you hid from yourself last year
Posing for the family Christmas photo
Building a snowman that keeps falling over
Chasing the dog who stole the turkey
Writing a letter to Santa
Counting down to midnight on New Year’s Eve
Making a wish on the first snowflake

Scoring and Team Ideas

Keep it simple: one point per correct guess, first team to 20 wins. For a longer evening, play to 30 and rotate the actor every round so everyone performs. A fun twist is “reverse charades,” where the whole team acts out the prompt together while one person guesses — chaotic, loud, and wonderful with a big group.

For office parties, add a rule: the actor must stay in character for the whole 60 seconds, even after the guess. For classrooms, let the teacher act first to show kids it is safe to be silly.

Hosting Tips

Print the prompts, cut them into cards, and sort them into easy, medium, and hard piles. Let the youngest player pick first. Keep a phone timer visible to everyone, and keep snacks far from the acting space — enthusiastic snowman impressions and bowls of punch do not mix well. Most importantly, applaud every performance. Charades is only fun when being silly feels safe.

Want a Ready-to-Print Charades Deck?

If you want these prompts as a beautifully designed printable card deck with bonus games included, visit the Fukroo shop on Etsy. The Black Friday Mega Sale is on now with 50% off storewide — grab the full Christmas party games bundle before your next gathering.