Christmas games in English that little ones will love

Christmas is a magical time for children… and also the perfect opportunity to learn English in a fun and engaging way. Through games, kids loosen up, laugh, dare to speak and, almost without realising it, expand their vocabulary.

If you're looking for Christmas games in English to enjoy at home, in class or during a winter camp, here you’ll find simple, entertaining ideas suitable for different ages. From vocabulary games to group activities, all with an educational and festive twist.

Why use games to learn English at Christmas

During this season, children are especially receptive: everything is new, colourful and full of excitement. Christmas sparks their curiosity and turns any activity into a magical experience. Taking advantage of that energy to introduce Christmas vocabulary in English is a natural way to reinforce what they’ve learned during the school year and maintain exposure to the language over the holidays.

Christmas games in English for kids not only stimulate memory and creativity—they also encourage teamwork, active listening and speaking skills. Through play, children lose their fear of speaking, dare to try new phrases and absorb vocabulary almost effortlessly.

Those of us who teach English through playful activities see it every day: when learning becomes a fun and shared experience, the results are much more meaningful and long-lasting.

Christmas games in English for kids according to age

Each stage of a child’s development requires a different approach. Teaching Christmas vocabulary to a child who is just starting to speak English is not the same as working with one who can already hold short conversations. For this reason, we’ve divided these Christmas games in English by age, adapting difficulty, activity type and learning objectives. This way, each group can enjoy, participate and learn at their own pace.

For children ages 4 to 6: first words and songs

At this age, the key is to associate words with objects and sounds. Some ideal Christmas games in English include:

• Christmas Vocabulary Hunt
  Hide pictures or flashcards with words like tree, star, bell or snowman. When children find one, they must say the word in English and make a related gesture (for example, moving their arms as if building a snowman).


• Sing and Point!
  Use popular songs like Jingle Bells or We Wish You a Merry Christmas and encourage children to point at the words they recognise: bell, Santa, gift… A perfect game to link sounds and meaning.

For children ages 7 to 10: vocabulary and comprehension

At this age, kids can start forming simple sentences and describing situations. Some great games include:

• Christmas Bingo
  Create bingo cards with Christmas vocabulary (reindeer, presents, snowflake, candle…). When someone shouts “Bingo!”, they must read the winning words aloud. A classic Christmas vocabulary game that never fails.


• Guess the Word – Christmas Edition
  Write words on cards and stick them to each player’s forehead. The rest must give clues in English: It’s red, You can eat it, It’s sweet! (answer: candy cane). This type of game boosts comprehension and pronunciation.

For children over 10: creativity and conversation

Pre-teens enjoy group dynamics and speaking challenges. Some ideas we use in our camps:

• Christmas Role Play
  Divide the group into teams and ask them to act out a typical Christmas scene in English: writing a letter to Santa, decorating the tree or opening presents. It’s a fun way to practise structures like I wish…, Let’s decorate… or Can I have…?


• Who Am I? Christmas Edition
  One player thinks of a Christmas character (Rudolph, Santa Claus, Mrs Claus, an elf…) and the others ask yes/no questions in English: Do you live in the North Pole? or Do you deliver gifts? The first to guess wins.

Christmas vocabulary games in English for class or family

You don’t need much material to put them into practice. Here are some Christmas vocabulary games in English that you can easily adapt:

Christmas Memory Game

Place cards with drawings and English words face down. Kids must match each picture with the correct word (for example, snowflake – copo de nieve). This improves visual and auditory memory.

Decorate the Christmas Tree

A very visual game: draw a large Christmas tree and give each child paper ornaments with English words. They can only stick them on the tree after saying the word correctly or using it in a sentence (This is a red ball). Perfect for practising basic structures.

Word Snowball Fight

Make paper balls with English words written inside. Kids throw them around for a few seconds and, when the music stops, each child opens one and must say the word or use it in a sentence. Guaranteed laughter—and vocabulary too.

How to enhance learning with English games

Games do more than entertain—they help children learn in a meaningful and experiential way. When children have fun, learning flows naturally and motivation increases. Combining Christmas activities with English games allows them to associate the language with positive experiences, reinforce vocabulary and improve comprehension almost without noticing.

Some tips if you want to apply these games at home or in class:

• Speak in English as much as possible, even if children answer in Spanish at first.


• Use gestures and real objects: seeing, touching and listening speeds up understanding.


• Celebrate successes and avoid harsh corrections. Motivation is essential.

Little by little, children will feel more confident and start using English naturally, even outside of the game.

Benefits of Christmas games in English

In addition to reinforcing the language, Christmas games in English help children develop essential personal and social skills. Through play, they not only learn vocabulary or grammar structures, but also acquire competencies that will accompany them far beyond the classroom:

• Teamwork: they share goals, collaborate with peers and learn to listen and take turns, reinforcing their sense of cooperation.


• Creativity: they invent stories, improvise dialogues and seek original solutions, stimulating imagination and flexible thinking.


• Speaking skills: they lose their fear of speaking another language, improve their pronunciation and gain confidence to communicate naturally.


• Cultural awareness: they discover how Christmas is celebrated in English-speaking countries, broadening their world view and fostering empathy toward other cultures.

These games are highly valuable educational tools, especially when used with a communicative, participatory and positive approach. By turning learning into a fun experience, children don’t just learn English—they develop life skills.

Learning English through play, even at Christmas

At English Summer, games and activities are at the core of our learning philosophy. During our summer camps, children practise English while enjoying sports, workshops, excursions and group dynamics designed to help them learn naturally and enjoyably. And if you’re looking for a different experience where kids can learn English almost effortlessly, we also offer our Day Camps, where children can enjoy activities, games and English lessons throughout the day before returning home with new vocabulary and big smiles.

And although Christmas is a different time of year, it can also be a great opportunity to maintain contact with English from home. Christmas games in English are an enjoyable and effective way to reinforce what was learned in summer, keep listening skills active and build new vocabulary without effort. You can also discover the tradition of The Elf on the Shelf or explore the best Christmas crafts in English.