Christmas activity placemats
Give children something to color, solve or read while they wait for Christmas dinner. This page includes an eight-word scramble with a separate answer key, plus twelve jokes and twelve would-you-rather questions in the printable cards above. You can use those text activities straight away. To make a placemat with a reindeer dot-to-dot, a maze and a coloring border, draw those parts using the instructions below; finished puzzle artwork is not included.
What to put on each placemat
Leave a line at the top for the child’s name, then arrange the activities around the page. Try the scramble at the top left, a reindeer at the top right and a maze in the middle. Put a few jokes and a would-you-rather question along the bottom. Keep the remaining cards nearby rather than squeezing all twenty-four onto a small sheet.
Word scramble: Use the eight words below and leave room to write each answer. Keep the answer key on a separate host card.
Reindeer dot-to-dot: Sketch a reindeer and place 26 dots numbered 1–26 along its outline. The original design calls for starting at the nose, finishing at the tail and drawing the antlers near the end. Check that order on your sketch before making copies; the description alone does not provide a tested dot pattern. About three-quarters of an inch between dots is a starting suggestion for a large drawing, not a spacing rule for every sheet size. Adjust the spacing so the numbers remain readable.
Mouse maze: Draw an entrance at the bottom left and cheese behind a Christmas tree at the finish. Mark the cheese corner with a tiny star. Include exactly two dead ends, then trace the correct path on a host copy. The source suggests this simpler design for ages 4–6; choose the size and difficulty for the children attending.
Coloring border: Draw holly leaves, string lights and snowdrifts in outline. A two-inch frame is the original large-sheet suggestion; narrow it on letter paper to leave room for the activities. Younger children can color while someone reads a joke aloud. For more help arranging a shared work surface, see craft party table preparation.
Jokes and questions: Copy favorites from the cards above. If you draw a joke strip, write the punchlines upside down so children can turn the page to read them. Use a small question box for dessert conversation. The cards on this page display answers normally; the print control does not rotate punchlines or add them to a border.
You can reuse this arrangement for another holiday with Thanksgiving activity placemats.
Christmas word scramble
Unscramble each word. Write the answer on the blank line. A reader can help a younger child sound out the letters, or you can give the first letter as a hint.
Name: ______________________________
| Scrambled word | Your answer |
|---|---|
| TASNA | ____________________ |
| FLE | ____________________ |
| HESILG | ____________________ |
| DENIERER | ____________________ |
| YLLHO | ____________________ |
| EDANCL | ____________________ |
| TEANMRON | ____________________ |
| NETTMI | ____________________ |
Host answer card
Copy these answers onto a separate card so they are not on the child’s sheet: SANTA, ELF, SLEIGH, REINDEER, HOLLY, CANDLE, ORNAMENT, MITTEN, in row order. Add the correct path from the maze you draw. Make a quarter-size copy of your host card if the text remains readable.
For children who want more words to solve, the Christmas word-game pack offers other pencil activities. For a picture-based alternative, see Christmas picture bingo.
Print at 11x17 or letter size
Use 11x17 paper if your printer supports it and you want more space for the drawings. For letter paper, start with half-inch margins, narrow the border and use fewer jokes on each mat. Print your homemade layout on card stock in black and white so the outline drawings remain available to color.
Print one test copy first. Check the scramble answer lines, dot numbers, maze route and the space a plate will cover. Then print one mat per guest plus two spares. For eight guests, that means ten mats; prepare sixteen sharpened pencils and three shared crayon cups.
The print buttons on this page open the browser’s print dialog. They print page content, including the host answers; they do not download a finished placemat or separate the answer card. Use the preview to select the pages you need, or copy the scramble and selected cards into your own layout before printing. The printable party games guide can help you keep activity sheets and helper notes together.
Prepare the placemats before dinner
If you want the drawn puzzles, here is one preparation plan to adjust to your week. It is a suggested sequence, not an estimate of how long drawing will take.
- One week before: Sketch the outline border and the 26-dot reindeer. Check how much room remains for the scramble and maze.
- Three days before: Finish the drawings, number the dots and trace the maze. Copy the scramble answers and maze path onto the host card.
- The day before: Print a test sheet, then the full set. Sharpen the pencils and put the crayons into shared cups.
- Before guests sit down: Write names on the mats, put one face down at each place and keep two spares with the favor bags.
Set a placemat at each seat
Use this checklist once you know how many children are coming. Put the answer card under the serving spoon rest at your own seat, or another place where you can reach it without getting up.
- Print one mat per guest plus two spares.
- Write each child’s name on the header line and set the mat face down.
- Put two sharpened pencils at each seat.
- Set out one crayon cup for every three seats, rounding up for the last few children.
- Keep the separate scramble answers and your traced maze path at the host seat.
- Put the spare mats with the favor bags for late arrivals or a fresh coloring sheet.
- Pick a few would-you-rather questions to read at dessert.
Table setup notes
| What to prepare | Your notes |
|---|---|
| Children’s names | ________________________________________ |
| Number of guests | __________ |
| Mats needed, including two spares | __________ |
| Pencils needed, two per seat | __________ |
| Crayon cups, one per three seats rounded up | __________ |
| Paper size | __________ |
| Where the host answer card will be | ________________________________________ |
| Extra notes | ________________________________________ |
| Extra notes | ________________________________________ |
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Use the activities between courses
Let children flip their mats when they sit down and try a puzzle while they wait for food. Put pencils aside when it is time to eat. Between courses, invite someone to read a joke from the cards above. At dessert, read a would-you-rather question and let everyone answer or pass. There are no points to count.
If several children get stuck on the same word, give its first letter and let them solve it together. Someone who finishes early can color the border, read a joke to a neighbor or decorate a spare mat. Adults can join the scramble and questions or help with reading. Finished mats can go into favor bags, with any unfinished coloring saved for home.
Choose activities around when you expect to serve food rather than keeping dinner waiting for a puzzle. The party food ideas guide covers planning food around the gathering’s timing. If your table wants another seated activity, quiet party games includes options with different amounts of talking.
More activities for before and after dinner
Choose an extra activity only if you need one. A placemat does not have to fill every part of the day.
- For a seated pairing game: Try Christmas matching cards before you clear the table for dinner.
- For a craft afterward: The Christmas paper puppet kit gives children characters to make and use in a small show. Prepare its supplies separately from the meal.
- For children ready to get up: Use Christmas acting cards for families for a charades round after dinner.
- For another game at the table: See the roll-and-build Christmas tree game, which uses a die and paper tree pieces.
- For the whole gathering: Christmas family party games helps you compare games by reading ability, room and whether guests want to sit or move.
Christmas placemat questions
What size do I print Christmas activity placemats?
Use 11x17 for a roomier homemade layout, or letter size with half-inch margins and a narrower border and joke strip. Check a test copy before printing one per seat plus two spares. Printing this page does not automatically arrange the activities on one placemat.
How do I keep dinner moving while kids play?
Offer the puzzles while everyone waits for food, put pencils aside to eat, read jokes between courses and save a few would-you-rather questions for dessert. Pause any activity when the food is ready.
What goes at each seat?
Put down one face-down mat with the child’s name and two sharpened pencils. Share one crayon cup among every three seats, and keep the host answer card at your own place.
Can adults join in?
Adults can solve the scramble, read jokes aloud or answer the would-you-rather questions. A reader can help a younger child without turning the meal into a competition.
What happens with fast finishers?
Offer the coloring border, let them read a joke to a neighbor or give them a spare copy to decorate. They can take unfinished coloring home in a favor bag.