1. Christmas charades
One person mimes a holiday film, song or object; their team has 60 seconds to guess. Let shy players pick ‘easy’ cards or play in pairs.
Christmas charades ideas: 50 words to act out
Updated: 2026-10-24
Christmas charades works best with a ready list of words in different levels, so kids, colleagues and grandparents all get something they can act out. Below you find 50 ideas in five lists: easy words, Christmas films, songs, words for the office party and hard ones for adults.
Print the page or copy the words onto small slips of paper, fold them and put each list in its own bowl. Players choose the level they feel comfortable with. Rules, scoring and a few variations are underneath the lists.
How to play
- Split into two or more teams. Each team plays in turn.
- The player draws a slip and has 60 seconds to act it out without speaking. Their own team guesses.
- Agree on three signs before you start: number of words, film (crank an old camera) and song (hand on the heart, mouth open).
- Easy words give 1 point, films and songs 2, hard words 3.
- After three rounds, the team with the most points wins.
Easy words (good for kids)
- Decorating the tree
- Wrapping a present
- Building a snowman
- Baking cookies
- Ice skating
- Snowball fight
- Reindeer
- Santa Claus
- Blowing out a candle
- Sledding
Christmas films
- Home Alone
- Elf
- The Grinch
- Love Actually
- The Polar Express
- Die Hard
- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
- Miracle on 34th Street
- It's a Wonderful Life
- The Santa Clause
Christmas songs
- Jingle Bells
- Last Christmas
- All I Want for Christmas Is You
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Let It Snow
- Silent Night
- Frosty the Snowman
- Deck the Halls
- Feliz Navidad
- Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
For the office Christmas party
- Untangling the fairy lights
- Opening a gift you don't want
- Writing an out-of-office reply
- A video call in a Santa hat
- The boss's speech
- The last day before the holidays
- Fixing a paper jam
- Putting on an ugly sweater
- The Secret Santa draw
- The group photo
Hard words for adults
- Mistletoe
- Nutcracker
- Advent calendar
- Nativity play
- The Three Wise Men
- Gingerbread house
- Eggnog
- Christmas cracker
- Chimney
- Star on top of the tree
Variations
- Pairs: two people act out one word together. Easier for shy players.
- Chain charades: one person watches the word being acted out, then acts it out for the next person, and so on. The last one guesses.
- Quiet version for restaurants: only hands and face, players stay seated.
- Emoji round instead: Christmas films as emoji puzzles, no acting needed.
The games
2. Forbidden words
Describe a holiday term without the three words printed below it (“Santa” without red, beard, presents). Teams of two at the table, 60 seconds per round.
Host tips
- Let shy players choose the easy bowl or act in pairs. Nobody has to perform alone.
- Use a visible timer so the guessing team feels the pressure, not the actor.
- Write your own office words. Inside jokes from your year are the funniest.
- Playing at home on Christmas Eve? More games for the whole family.
FAQ
What are good Christmas charades ideas?
Easy words like building a snowman or wrapping a present, well-known films such as Home Alone or Elf, songs like Jingle Bells or Last Christmas, and harder ones like mistletoe or nutcracker. Mixing levels keeps everyone in the game.
How do you play Christmas charades with adults?
Use the hard list and the office list, give 60 seconds per word and score by level: 1, 2 or 3 points. Teams of four to six work best.
What are the hand signs in charades?
Agree on them before you start. Common ones: fingers for the number of words, cranking an old camera for a film and a hand on the heart with an open mouth for a song.
Can we play charades at a work Christmas party?
Yes, in teams and with a choice of easy or hard words. Office words like untangling the fairy lights or the boss's speech fit well, and a seated version works at a restaurant table.
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