Let’s face it: December brings magic, sugar highs, and the sudden urge to lock yourself in the bathroom. Between sibling showdowns over who touched whose LEGO creation, endless car rides to grandma’s house, and that weird week after Santa leaves when everyone’s tired of their new toys, you need backup. This list of 33 Christmas activities fits in your back pocket (or phone) and turns meltdowns into giggles.
1. The Quiet Reindeer Game
Pick one kid to be the “reindeer” who closes their eyes. The other kids quietly move an object (like a candy cane) to a new hiding spot while you count to ten. Then the reindeer opens their eyes and has three guesses to find it.
This works like magic during sibling showdowns because it forces cooperation without talking. The kids have to silently agree on where to hide the object, which means no yelling for at least two minutes. Try using a red ornament for extra Christmas flair.
If someone peeks, they lose a turn. Make it a rule that the winner gets to choose the next hiding spot. You’ll be amazed how quickly a fight turns into a conspiracy of silence.
Keep a small stash of “reindeer prizes” like stickers or candy canes for when the game gets stale. After three rounds, switch who gets to be the reindeer. Suddenly the car ride doesn’t feel so long anymore.
2. License Plate Christmas Carols
Spot a license plate and have everyone make up a Christmas carol using those letters. For example, “XYZ” becomes “Xylophone Yodeling Zebras” sung to Jingle Bells. The first person to sing a full line wins a point.
This kills time on long drives and makes everyone laugh at how ridiculous the songs get. My kids once turned “ABC” into “Angry Baby Christmas” and I almost drove off the road laughing.
3. The Mitten Match Race
Dump one pair of mittens (or socks) per kid into a pile. On “go,” each child has to find and put on their own matching pair while wearing another pair on their hands. Yes, it’s as clumsy and hilarious as it sounds.
This activity is perfect for the week after Christmas when boredom hits. The struggle to grab mittens while already wearing mittens creates pure chaos laughter. Time each kid and award a candy cane to the fastest.
If you have gloves instead of mittens, even better. The finger confusion will buy you at least fifteen minutes of peace.
4. Santa’s Silent Statues
Say “Santa’s coming!” and everyone freezes like a statue. Anyone who moves or laughs before you say “Ho ho ho” is out. The last frozen kid gets to be the next caller.
You can play this anywhere – in a waiting room, on a rug after present chaos, or even while stuck in traffic. No supplies needed and it instantly resets a whining spiral.
5. The Candy Cane Pass
Give each kid a candy cane to hold between their teeth by the curved end. They have to pass a second candy cane (the hook end) to the next person without using hands. Drop it and start over from the beginning.
This is a sneaky team-building exercise disguised as a game. Siblings have to breathe slowly and coordinate their faces, which is impossible to do while arguing. For car rides, use the space between seats as the “passing zone” and watch the concentration faces appear.
If you’re at home, make it a relay across the living room. The first team to complete three passes wins first pick of the leftover cookies. Just don’t use actual candy if you don’t want sticky fingers – pretzel rods work fine too.
6. One-Sentence Story Chain
Start a Christmas story with one sentence like “The elf got stuck in the blender.” The next kid adds one sentence, then the next, and so on. No planning allowed, just pure improv.
Car rides become tolerable again when everyone’s trying to out-weird each other. Keep the story going until someone laughs so hard they can’t speak. Then start a new one with a different ridiculous premise.
7. Wrapping Paper Scavenger Hunt
Gather five small Christmas items (a bow, a bell, a red crayon, a candy, a pinecone) and hide them around one room. Give each kid a piece of leftover wrapping paper as their “treasure map” – they fold it to mark where they found each item.
This kills a solid thirty minutes of the post-Christmas afternoon when everyone’s cranky from sugar crashes. The wrapping paper map adds a silly challenge because they can’t just point – they have to describe locations like “near the lamp’s left foot.” First one to find all five gets to unwrap the next leftover present (if any exist).
If you’re in a car, hide things in the cup holders, seat pockets, and floor mats. Kids will crawl all over each other to find that hidden candy cane, and honestly? That’s their problem now.
8. The Grinch’s Whisper Challenge
One kid puts on headphones or covers their ears while you whisper a Christmas word (like “reindeer” or “cookies”). They have to read your lips and guess the word. Switch roles every round.
No headphones? Just have them face away and cover their ears with their hands. This is secretly a listening and patience drill but don’t tell them that. The shrieks of “WHAT? SNOWMAN? NO, MOON PIE?” will make you forget you’re trapped inside for the fourth straight day.
9. Ornament Sorting Race
Dump a box of unbreakable Christmas ornaments on the floor. Call out a category like “all the red ones” or “all the snowflakes” and race to see who can grab and pile them fastest. First to finish wins a hot chocolate topping (whipped cream or sprinkles).
This works when sibling energy has turned destructive and you need to redirect it into something productive. The sorting doubles as cleanup – by the end, the ornaments are back in their box. For car rides, use different colored candy wrappers or snack pouches instead.
Time each round with a phone stopwatch. Kids will beg for “just one more race” while you sip your coffee and pretend to supervise.
10. Santa’s Magic Yes/No Game
One kid thinks of a Christmas object (Santa, tree, candy cane, etc.). Everyone else takes turns asking yes/no questions to guess it. The thinker can only answer “Ho” for yes and “No” for no – no other words allowed.
The first person to guess correctly gets to be the next thinker. This is a verbal game that needs zero props and works in the dark, in traffic, or during a power outage. My kids once spent twenty minutes trying to guess “the buckle on Santa’s belt” because they refused to ask obvious questions.
11. Frozen Fingers Drawing
Hand each kid a piece of paper and a crayon. Tell them to hold the crayon with only their pinky and thumb – no other fingers allowed. Then give a drawing prompt like “Santa stuck in a chimney” or “a reindeer riding a bike.”
The drawings come out terrible and that’s the whole point. Kids will laugh at each other’s scribbles instead of fighting over who took whose seat. For car rides, use a clipboard or a hardcover book as a drawing surface. Award a “Best Abstract Art” prize to keep the mood light.
If you don’t have paper, use napkins or the back of a receipt. The worse the drawing surface, the funnier the results.
12. The Sleigh Bell Freeze Dance
Play any Christmas song (or hum one yourself) and have kids dance like crazy reindeer. When the music stops, they freeze. Anyone who moves is out until the next round. Last one dancing wins a candy cane.
No music? Just clap a rhythm and stop randomly. This burns off the “I need to hit my brother” energy without anyone actually getting hit. The week after Christmas is prime time for this because the novelty of new toys has already worn off.
13. Present Guessing Game
Take one unopened present (or a wrapped empty box) and pass it around. Each kid gets ten seconds to shake it, smell it, and make one guess about what’s inside. After everyone has guessed, open it together. The closest guess wins first turn with the toy.
This stretches the gift-opening joy when you need to slow down a present tornado. If you’re doing it post-Christmas, rewrap an old toy or a box of cookies. Kids will argue over whether it’s “something rectangular” or “something that rattles” for a solid ten minutes.
Pro tip: use a gift bag so you can peek and guide the guesses toward chaos. “Is it a live hamster?” “No, but keep guessing!”
14. Stocking Shadow Puppets
Put a flashlight behind a white sheet or a blank wall. Have kids use their hands to make Christmas shadow puppets – a reindeer (thumb and pinky antlers), Santa (round belly made with both hands), or a Christmas tree (fingers spread like branches).
This is a quiet, low-light activity perfect for the car ride home after dark or the hour before bed when everyone’s fried. Take turns calling out a puppet to make. The kid who makes the best one gets to pick the next song on the radio.
15. The Anti-Sibling Handshake
Each pair of siblings has to invent a secret handshake that includes three Christmas moves: a bump (like bumping elbows), a slide (sliding palms together), and a jingle (wiggling fingers by their ears). Practice until they can do it without laughing.
Forcing siblings to touch each other on purpose actually reduces the random hitting. I know, it sounds backward, but it works. Time them to see how fast they can complete the handshake. The winning pair gets to choose the family movie that night.
If you have three or more kids, have them form a chain handshake. Left hand with one sibling, right hand with another. Chaos ensues, but it’s the good kind.
16. Christmas I Spy With a Twist
Instead of “I spy something red,” say “I spy something that starts with the letter C” (candy cane, cookie, car, chimney). Kids have to scan the room or the car window and shout out guesses. First correct guess gets to be the next spy.
This version works better than colors because it makes kids think harder. A car ride flies by when everyone’s shouting “CUP!” “CRAYON!” “CHRISTMAS TREE!” For sibling showdowns, make it competitive – three points for a correct guess, and the loser has to fetch the winner a drink.
17. The Melted Snowman Relay
Give each kid three white socks or paper towels. They have to stack them into a snowman shape on the floor. Then you call “The sun is coming!” and they have to “melt” the snowman by unstacking it and laying the pieces flat as fast as possible. Repeat three times.
This is a physical game for the week after Christmas when you’re all trapped inside and everyone’s climbing the walls. The frantic stacking and unstacking will leave them panting and laughing. For extra chaos, time each kid and post a “leaderboard” on the fridge.
If you have a stopwatch on your phone, let them race against their own best time. My kids once did this for forty-five minutes while I finished a whole cup of hot coffee. Hot coffee, people.
18. Santa’s Listening Ears
Whisper a simple instruction to one kid like “hop on one foot and touch your nose.” That kid has to act it out silently while the others guess what the instruction was. No talking allowed from the actor – just movements.
This kills time in waiting rooms, car lines, and during post-present cleanup. The silent acting forces kids to watch each other instead of poking each other. First person to guess correctly gets to be the next actor. Keep instructions Christmas-themed for extra fun: “pretend to pull Santa’s sleigh” or “shake like a bowl full of jelly.”
19. Wrapping Tube Telescope
Save a wrapping paper tube from Christmas morning. Hand it to a kid and tell them they can only speak when looking through the tube like a telescope. Whatever they see through the tube becomes the only topic they can discuss.
This ridiculous rule will stop a whining fit in its tracks because the kid will be too busy giggling at the absurdity. For sibling showdowns, give each kid a tube and have them “spy” on each other without touching. The tube becomes a peacekeeping barrier. When they get bored, cut the tube into smaller rings and have a ring-toss game over a water bottle.
20. The Cookie Decoder
Write a secret message on a piece of paper using only cookie shapes as letters (circle for O, square for S, triangle for A, etc.). Give each kid a copy and a plain cookie. They have to decode the message by eating the cookie? No – they have to draw the shapes on a napkin. First to decode wins a real cookie.
This is a quiet, seated activity perfect for the car ride to a relative’s house where you need everyone calm upon arrival. Make the message something silly like “DAD SMELLS LIKE TOAST” and watch them crack up. No cookies? Use crackers or even torn pieces of bread.
21. The Button Nose Challenge
Draw a simple snowman face on a paper plate (or on a napkin if you’re desperate). Blindfold one kid, spin them around twice, and have them try to stick a round sticker or a dab of whipped cream onto the snowman’s nose spot. Closest wins.
This is a classic party game with a Christmas twist that works during any meltdown emergency. The blindfold makes everyone laugh because noses end up on cheeks or foreheads. For car rides, use the back of a seat as your drawing surface and a piece of tape as the “sticker.”
If you don’t have stickers, wet a small piece of napkin and throw it. The splat is half the fun.
22. Santa’s Workshop Sound Effects
One kid makes a Christmas-related sound (jingle bells, a “ho ho ho,” wrapping paper crinkling, a reindeer snort). The others have to guess what it is. No words allowed – only sound effects. The guesser then has to make a new sound for the next person.
This game gets increasingly unhinged as kids start making up sounds like “the noise an elf makes when he drops a hammer.” That’s fine – let them. The car ride becomes a symphony of weird grunts and bell noises. Set a rule that you can’t repeat a sound, and suddenly they’re inventing “the sound of a candy cane breaking in slow motion.”
23. The Present Tower
Stack leftover small presents (or empty boxes wrapped in scrap paper) into a tower. Each kid takes turns removing one box from the bottom and placing it on top without collapsing the tower. Last one to successfully move a box without a crash wins.
This is a steady-hand game that forces patience – the exact opposite of sibling showdown energy. The tower will fall eventually, and that’s when the real laughter starts. For car rides, use stacked cookies or crackers instead. The stakes are edible, which makes it even more intense.
My kids once played this for twenty minutes using granola bars. The loser had to eat the crumbled remains. Everyone won.
24. The Silent Carol
Pick a Christmas carol like “Jingle Bells.” Everyone has to sing it in their heads – out loud, but silent. Mouth the words without making a sound. The first person to accidentally make a noise (a hum, a breath, a giggle) is out.
This is the quietest game you will ever play with children. It’s perfect for the five minutes before bed when you need them to calm down but they’re still wired on candy canes. The concentration faces alone are worth it. Last person silent gets to stay up ten minutes later (or so they think – you can always renege).
25. Reindeer Nose Balance
Give each kid a red pom-pom, a cherry tomato, or even a crumpled red napkin. They have to balance it on the tip of their nose while walking from one spot to another. If it falls, they start over. First one to cross the finish line wins.
This looks ridiculous and that’s exactly why kids love it. The week after Christmas, when everyone’s bored, this will generate at least twenty minutes of wobbling and giggling. For car rides, balance on the back of the hand instead – same concept, less floor searching.
Use a candy if you want a high-stakes version. The winner gets to eat all the fallen candies. Just wipe them off first. Or don’t. Five-second rule applies during the holidays.
26. Christmas Memory Match
Take five pairs of Christmas items (two candy canes, two bows, two ornaments, two cookies, two red socks). Mix them up face down. Kids take turns flipping two at a time to find matches. Standard memory game, but the items are all within reach.
You can set this up in thirty seconds using whatever’s in the room. The sibling who whines “there’s nothing to do” suddenly becomes a competitive memory champion. For car rides, use pairs of snack wrappers or drink lids. The tactile element keeps little hands busy.
Winner gets to choose the next activity. That threat alone will keep them focused.
27. The Grinch’s Footprints
Cut out green paper footprints (or just draw them on scrap paper) and tape them in a trail leading to a small prize – a candy cane, a sticker, or a “skip one chore” coupon. Tell the kids the Grinch left them and they have to follow the trail without stepping off the footprints.
This turns a boring afternoon into a mini adventure. The post-Christmas week is perfect for this because you’re all stir-crazy anyway. If you have multiple kids, have them take turns leading the trail while blindfolded and guided by the others’ voices. The teamwork will shock you.
No green paper? Use torn pieces of wrapping paper. The Grinch is messy anyway.
28. Sock Snowball Fight
Ball up five pairs of socks per kid. Set a timer for two minutes. Kids throw the sock “snowballs” at each other from across the room. When the timer stops, everyone freezes. The one with the fewest socks near them wins.
This is controlled chaos that burns off aggression fast. The key is the timer – it keeps the fight from escalating into real tears. For car rides, use crumpled napkins and have them throw into a cup holder. The confined space makes it harder, which makes it funnier.
After the timer ends, everyone has to help pick up. That’s the rule. They’ll be too tired to argue.
29. Santa’s List Rap
Each kid has to rap their Christmas wish list from memory – but they have to use a silly voice (cowboy, baby, robot, opera singer). The rest of the family votes on the best performance. Winner gets first pick of the next snack.
This turns the annoying “I want I want I want” into a performance. My son once rapped “a drone and a skateboard and a pet dinosaur” in a pirate voice, and we all forgot we were stuck in traffic. For post-Christmas, have them rap about what they actually got. “A LEGO set, a sweater, and a half-eaten cookie” works fine.
No judgment on rhyming skills. Bad rhymes are funnier anyway.
30. The Quietest Elf Competition
Announce that you’re Santa’s helper and you’re listening for the quietest elf. The child who makes the least noise for three minutes wins a small prize. No speaking, no tapping, no crinkling. Just silence.
This is a bribe disguised as a game, and it works every time. Set a timer on your phone and hold it up so they can see the seconds counting down. The visual focus keeps them still. After three minutes of blessed silence, award a single chocolate chip. They’ll beg to play again.
Use this during sibling showdowns when you’re about to lose your mind. Three minutes of quiet can reset an entire afternoon.
31. Wrapping Paper Skates
Tape two pieces of wrapping paper (shiny side down) to each kid’s feet. Have them “skate” across a smooth floor (tile, wood, or linoleum) while pretending to be ice skaters. Add Christmas music for the full effect.
This is a physical activity for the week after Christmas when the new toys have lost their shine. The paper slides just enough to feel like ice but not enough to cause real falls. For sibling showdowns, turn it into a race – first to skate to the couch and back without ripping their paper wins.
Keep a roll of tape nearby for repairs. The ripping sound is half the fun.
32. The Candy Cane Balance Beam
Lay a candy cane (or a ruler) on the floor. Kids have to walk across it heel-to-toe without falling off. For a harder version, have them balance a second candy cane on their head while walking. For car rides, use the edge of a floor mat or a seatbelt line.
This tests focus and coordination without requiring any setup. My kids spent twenty minutes trying to balance a candy cane on their heads while I folded laundry. The concentration faces were priceless. The kid who falls off has to do a “reindeer jump” (three hops) before trying again.
Winner gets to eat the candy cane. That’s motivation enough.
33. The Thankful Meltdown Reset
Pause whatever chaos is happening. Have each kid name one thing they’re thankful for from the past hour – even if that thing is “that Mom didn’t yell when I spilled the hot chocolate.” Then name one thing they’re excited to do tomorrow. No repeating answers.
This sounds cheesy, but it actually stops a tantrum in its tracks. The shift from fighting to gratitude forces their brains to reset. For car rides, do it in a round – each kid answers while the others have to listen without interrupting. The first one to roll their eyes loses a cookie.
Finish by saying “Okay, now let’s go be annoying somewhere else.” They’ll laugh, and the tension will break. You just bought yourself another ten minutes of peace.
You Made It (and So Did Your Sanity)
Thirty-three activities means you’ve got at least one for every hour of chaos between now and New Year’s. Print this list, stick it on the fridge, or just keep it open on your phone for those moments when someone yells “He looked at me!” for the fourteenth time.
Your job isn’t to be a Pinterest parent – it’s to survive with your sense of humor intact. Pick three activities from this list to try today. Then text me (okay, fine, text your actual mom friend) and tell me which one made everyone laugh the hardest. Mine was the Sock Snowball Fight, for the record. My living room still smells like feet, but nobody cried. That’s a Christmas miracle.