Holiday Party Games for Kids’ Winter Break

Need a few indoor games for winter break? These ideas use simple supplies and can be led by one adult at a classroom party, a gathering at home, or family night. Choose games that fit your room, noise level, and the children joining in; you can shorten or repeat rounds to suit the group.

Jump to a section Choose games for your room See the game ideas Follow a 90-minute example

Which games fit your room?

Start with the space and the group. A classroom may need quieter, mostly seated choices. A living room can fit a short relay if you can clear a path. For family night, an adult can join in rather than referee every round.

Setting	Games to try	What to consider
Classroom	Guess the Gift, winter bingo, or seated charades	Use the room’s noise rules and available table space.
House party	Paper Snowball Fight, Gift-Wrap Relay, or Snowball Toss	Clear a play area and keep bags and furniture out of the route.
Family night	Holiday Charades, Memory Tray, or Freeze Dance	Let the adult join a round or help keep turns moving.

If you are unsure whether a game will hold attention, try one short round first. Notice whether children want another turn, then repeat it or move on. Prizes are optional; a funny title or team bragging rights can make a round feel special without setting a spending target.

For short timed challenges and turn-taking ideas, see Minute To Win It Games. If the room is too small for a relay, choose a seated game instead.

Games to play

Pick a few options below and keep the supplies together. Use the age notes as a starting point, then adjust the rules to the children in your group.

Paper Snowball Fight

Ages: 4 and up, any room. Have ready: scrap paper and tape.

Crumple paper into snowballs and mark two boundary lines with tape. Divide players into two teams of equal size, one behind each line, and give each team the same number of snowballs. Toss toward the other team’s side for one minute, keeping throws below faces. When the timer ends, everyone stops. Count the balls behind each team’s line; leave balls between the lines out of the count. The team with fewer balls on its own side wins. Equal counts are a tie. Play one round, or agree on a fixed number of rounds before starting and reset with equal supplies each time.

For more quick-round formats, browse Minute To Win It Games.

Gift-Wrap Relay

Ages: 5 and up, with floor space. Have ready: one box, leftover wrapping paper, and tape for each team.

Split into teams and give each team its own box and wrapping supplies. One player wraps the box, then the next unwraps it; pass the box down the line, alternating these jobs. Give everyone one wrap-or-unwrap turn. Each team finishes when its last player completes that turn, whether the box ends wrapped or unwrapped. This version is cooperative: all teams finish, with no race winner or tie to break. For one small group, pass a single box around instead. Let younger children handle easy steps while an older teammate tears tape or steadies the box. For other ways to run a relay, see Relay Race Games.

Holiday Charades

Ages: 5 and up, seated or standing. Have ready: prompt slips and a timer.

Write winter words, movie titles, or familiar activities on slips of paper. A player picks a slip and acts it out while the group guesses for up to one minute. End the turn when someone guesses correctly or time runs out, then reveal the answer. Go around the group once so everyone has one turn; keep it unscored. Pair a reader with a child who needs help reading the slip, or let anyone pass on a turn. Find more prompt ideas in Charades Ideas.

Snowball Toss

Ages: 4 and up, any room. Have ready: paper snowballs and a bucket.

Mark three distances from the bucket. Give each player three throws from the closest line, then end the round after everyone has had a turn. Count one point for each ball in the bucket; equal scores share the win. For a second round, let players try a farther line if they want a challenge. Keep that round unscored if players choose different distances, and give everyone three throws again.

Guess the Gift

Ages: 4 and up, seated. Have ready: a few wrapped household objects.

Choose three household objects that are safe to hold and easy to recognize by shape or weight, and wrap them separately. Pass one object around so each child can hold or gently shake it and offer one guess before you reveal it. Repeat with the other two objects, then finish. Keep guesses unscored. This is a quieter option for a classroom or a break between active games.

Freeze Dance, Winter Edition

Ages: 3 and up, with room to move. Have ready: a speaker or phone and music.

Play music while the children dance or move in place. Pause it now and then and have everyone freeze like a snowman. Repeat for five music-and-freeze rounds, then finish with everyone still in the game; nobody is eliminated or scored. A child who wants to sit out can help pause the music.

Winter Bingo

Ages: 5 and up, at a table. Have ready: winter bingo cards and small paper markers.

Give each player a card and use paper squares as markers. Agree that a complete row wins before you start. Call the pictures or words one at a time, giving everyone time to mark each call. Stop after the first winning call and check all cards; anyone who completed a row on that call shares the win. If every picture or word has been called and nobody has a row, finish without a winner. If children want to call, take turns in order. If you need ready-to-print activities, browse Printable Party Games.

Memory Tray

Ages: 5 and up, seated. Have ready: a tray and household objects.

Place ten holiday or winter objects on a tray and give everyone about 30 seconds to look. Cover the tray, remove one object, then uncover it. Let each child offer one guess before revealing what is missing. Replace the object and repeat twice, then finish after three rounds. Keep it unscored, and use fewer objects for an easier round.

A 90-minute game schedule

Here is one example that totals 90 minutes. The last block includes a short toss game and quieter choices; adjust the pace or take a break if your group needs one.

0–15 minutes — Paper Snowball Fight. Explain the two boundary lines, play a one-minute round, then offer another turn.
15–35 minutes — Gift-Wrap Relay. Show how to wrap and unwrap the box, then rotate turns. See Relay Race Games for more relay ideas.
35–55 minutes — Holiday Charades. Keep the prompts familiar and let players pass. Use Charades Ideas if you want more prompts.
55–90 minutes — Snowball Toss and a quieter finish. Spend about 10 minutes on Snowball Toss, 10 minutes on Guess the Gift, 10 minutes on Winter Bingo or Memory Tray, and leave 5 minutes to gather supplies and transition. For a movie after the games, Movie Night Games has ideas for the next part of the evening.

The blocks add up to 90 minutes (15 + 20 + 20 + 35). They are a sample order, not a required pace; shorten a round or repeat a favorite if that works better for the children.

Get ready for the party

Use this list to stage the games you want to play. Cross off anything that does not fit your setting.

Choose games that fit the room and the group’s noise limits.
Set out the supplies for the first game before guests arrive.
Keep a quieter seated choice ready, such as Guess the Gift, bingo, or Memory Tray.
For mixed ages, pair children for a turn or give them different jobs within the same game.
Decide whether you want optional prizes; Party Game Prizes has more ideas.
Set aside a few minutes at the end to gather supplies and move into the next activity.

For other seasonal gathering ideas, see Seasonal Party Ideas. If teens will join, Teen Holiday Party covers activities for an older group.

Questions about kids’ winter-break games

Do these games work for mixed ages?

They can, with a few adjustments. Pair a younger child with an older one for a relay or charades turn, simplify prompts, or let children take different jobs. The right changes depend on the children and the game; nobody has to perform if they would rather pass.

What if my classroom does not allow food prizes?

Skip food prizes. You can use a paper certificate, a sticker, or a team title if those fit your classroom rules, or play without prizes. Check school or classroom policies before bringing anything for children.

How many games do I need for an hour?

There is no fixed number. Choose a few activities and allow time for explaining rules, taking turns, and switching games. The schedule above is a 90-minute example; for an hour, shorten it and keep one quieter option ready in case the group wants a break.

Can I keep the games winter-themed without religious references?

Yes. Use winter words, paper snowballs, snowman poses, or gift-wrap props. You can leave out any holiday references that do not fit your group.