6 Christmas Games for Preschool With Simple Rules

For a quiet table game, start with picture pairs. For a whole-group game, try Christmas picture bingo. For movement without a race, choose roll a snowball. These games give preschoolers ages three to five a clear goal and a repeatable turn—not a craft to finish or a worksheet to complete.

Model one turn before inviting children to play. Keep everyone in the game, help when a rule is forgotten, and offer the simpler version whenever the challenge gets in the way of the fun.

A small set of supplies

For the picture games, draw simple Christmas images on large, same-size cards: a tree, stocking, bell, star, wrapped present and reindeer. Make two identical copies of each, with blank backs that do not reveal the pictures. Adult-drawn sketches are enough; no printer is needed.

Use pictures rather than real ornaments, loose bells or miniature decorations. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises keeping sharp, breakable decorations and trimmings with small removable parts away from young children. See its holiday decoration safety guidance.

In a classroom, check family preferences and program policy before choosing a shared Christmas theme. Do not assume every child celebrates Christmas. All four picture games can use familiar animals or classroom objects instead; “Santa says” can become “Leader says.”

1. Christmas picture pairs

Practice: Matching pictures, remembering locations and taking turns.

Materials and setup: Start with three pairs of picture cards. Shuffle them and place them face down in two rows on a table. Play with one child or a small group.

How to play: 1. Turn over two cards and name or point to the pictures. 2. If they match, move the pair to a shared collection. 3. If they do not match, let everyone look, then turn them back over in the same places. 4. Pass the turn. Work together until all pairs are found.

Keep the turn order the same whether a child finds a match or not. This version has no individual score.

• Simplify: Leave all cards face up and find identical pairs.
• Extend: Add another pair, keeping the layout orderly.

NAEYC describes small-group memory card games as opportunities to practice working memory and collaboration; this Christmas version changes the pictures and uses a shared goal. Read its guidance on games and playful learning.

2. Which Christmas picture is missing?

Practice: Looking closely and recalling what was there.

Materials and setup: Put three different picture cards on a table. Have a small towel ready.

How to play: Name the pictures together. Cover them with the towel and remove one underneath it. Uncover the remaining cards and ask, “Which picture went away?” Reveal the missing card after the child responds, then replace it for another round. Children can take turns hiding a card for the adult to guess.

• Simplify: Use two cards. Offer their duplicate pictures as choices so the child can point rather than name the missing one.
• Extend: Use four or five pictures before trying to hide two.

This is a picture-based adaptation of the missing-item option in Raising Children Network’s memory game for ages 3–6. Its guidance recommends fewer items for a simpler game.

3. Christmas picture bingo

Practice: Connecting a spoken word with a picture and scanning a small grid.

Materials and setup: Draw a two-by-two grid for each child. Choose four different pictures from your six-picture set and draw one in each square. Change the selections or positions between boards. Use one card for each of the six pictures as the calling deck, plus crayons for marking boards.

How to play: Draw a calling card, show it and say its name. Children look for the picture on their boards and mark it with a crayon. Call each picture once, keeping called cards visible. When a child marks all four pictures, they can say “Bingo!” or raise their board. Keep calling until everyone finishes. For another round, draw fresh boards.

• Simplify: Give children identical boards and find each picture together.
• Extend: Give a short clue before showing the card: “This has antlers.” Reveal it afterward so everyone can check.

Skip small bingo counters. A child who does not want to mark the board can point while an adult marks it.

4. Santa says

Practice: Listening for a phrase before choosing an action.

Materials and setup: No supplies needed. Leave enough space for each child to stretch without touching another person. Seated gestures work too.

How to play: Begin with commands that all include the cue: “Santa says touch your shoulders,” or “Santa says make antlers with your hands.” Once children understand, explain the second rule: if the instruction does not start with “Santa says,” wait without doing it.

Model a few rounds. If someone acts without the cue, simply reset together—nobody is out.

• Simplify: Keep the cue in every command and model each action.
• Extend: Invite a child to lead, with adult help remembering the cue.

This adapts Simon Says, one of the games discussed in NAEYC’s playful-learning guidance. Keep the waiting rule optional until children are ready for it.

5. Roll a snowball into the present box

Practice: Aiming, adjusting force and waiting for a turn.

Materials and setup: Use a large, soft, age-appropriate ball as the pretend snowball. Lay a clean cardboard box on its side with the opening facing the player. Draw a bow on it to suggest a present. Clear a flat rolling lane away from furniture and foot traffic; remove staples or sharp packaging from the box.

How to play: The child sits or stands close to the box and rolls the ball toward its opening. An adult returns the ball after it stops. Give each child two rolls, then pass the turn. Ask, “Would a gentler roll help, or a stronger one?”

• Simplify: Move the box closer or use a wider opening.
• Extend: Let the child choose a farther starting point.

Keep other children outside the rolling lane. Do not turn retrieval into a scramble.

6. Guess my Christmas picture

Practice: Listening to descriptions and choosing relevant details.

Materials and setup: Place three picture cards face up. Keep their duplicates in your hand.

How to play: Secretly select a duplicate and describe it without saying its name: “My picture has a ribbon. It is wrapped in paper.” Children point to or name their choice. Show the selected card so they can check. Take turns being the clue-giver; offer help rather than requiring a complete sentence.

• Simplify: Use two clearly different pictures and give a gesture with the clue.
• Extend: Add more choices or invite children to ask a question before guessing.

Accept pointing, gestures and home-language responses. Name unfamiliar pictures together before playing so the game is about using clues, not guessing vocabulary.

For a short session, choose one picture game and one movement game. Put the remaining supplies away rather than introducing all six at once. For everyday circle-time choices beyond Christmas, see our low-prep morning meeting games.