Christmas games for preschoolers are the perfect way to bring joy, movement, and connection into your holiday season. These playful, low-pressure ideas help little ones learn through doing — not by sitting still, but by moving, laughing, and exploring together.
Whether you’re hosting a holiday playdate, planning a preschool co-op, or just looking for simple Christmas preschool activities to try at home, this list is filled with flexible ideas that focus on fun first.
Printables are optional. The real goal? Helping preschoolers feel the magic of the season while building coordination, confidence, and social-emotional skills through play.
Quick Tips for Success
• Focus on fun, not perfection • Use what you have • Include younger siblings with simple roles • Mix active and calm games • Celebrate effort, not just results
Preschool Christmas Games
These preschool Christmas party games are easy to set up and full of holiday cheer. From movement games to simple toss-and-play ideas, each one is designed with preschool energy, attention spans, and joy in mind. Let the fun (and learning) begin!
Christmas Memory Game
This simple printable memory game features festive icons like gifts, gingerbread, snowflakes, and stockings. Preschoolers take turns flipping over two cards at a time to find a match, building focus and visual memory as they play.Why it fits preschoolers: The colorful pictures are easy to recognize, and the number of pairs can be adjusted to suit shorter attention spans.Why it works: It supports concentration, visual discrimination, and taking turns—making it a perfect quiet-time game for the holiday season.
This silly inflatable game comes with reindeer antler hats and lightweight rings for tossing. Preschoolers take turns throwing the rings onto the antlers—either worn by a grown-up or balanced on a chair for a calmer version.Why it fits preschoolers: It’s simple, active, and full of giggles. The rings are soft and easy to handle, and kids love cheering each other on.Why it works: This game supports hand-eye coordination, turn-taking, and gross motor skills while maintaining a light and fun holiday energy.
In this printable activity, preschoolers match uppercase and lowercase letters on ornament-themed cards. They can play memory-style, sort the letters, or use them in hands-on alphabet games throughout the season.Why it fits preschoolers: The holiday theme keeps letter learning playful, and the game is easy to adapt for different ability levels.Why it works: It builds letter recognition and matching skills while keeping the focus on fun, rather than formal instruction. Perfect for literacy centers or festive learning at home.
This festive deck puts a Christmas spin on the classic Go Fish game, with cheerful images of Santa, sleighs, elves, and more. Players ask each other for matching cards, collect pairs, and practice turn-taking.Why it fits preschoolers: Preschoolers love matching games, and with help from an adult, even younger players can join in by identifying pictures instead of reading.Why it works: The simple rules, colorful illustrations, and familiar gameplay make it a great introduction to card games. It supports visual memory, vocabulary, and early social skills.
Preschoolers decorate balloons to look like Rudolph, complete with antlers, googly eyes, and a red pom-pom nose. After threading a straw onto a string and attaching it to the balloon, they release it and watch Rudolph race along the “track” powered by air.Why it fits preschoolers: Little ones love watching their balloon reindeer zoom across the room, and decorating the balloon adds a creative, hands-on element.Adaptation: Use shorter string tracks or let younger kids help decorate while older siblings race.
This festive bowling set includes Christmas tree pins and lightweight red balls that are just the right size for little hands. Set up the trees, take a few steps back, and let preschoolers roll and knock them down.Why it fits preschoolers: No setup stress or complicated rules — just fun movement, turn-taking, and excitement every time the trees tumble.Why it works: Bowling builds gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and number sense as kids count how many pins fall.
These printable cards feature fun, holiday-themed prompts, such as “build a snowman with blocks” or “draw Santa’s sleigh.” Preschoolers choose a card with help and complete the activity using simple materials, such as crayons, playdough, or blocks.Why it fits preschoolers: Kids love surprises and hands-on tasks, and an adult can read each prompt aloud to guide the fun.Why it works: The variety keeps things fresh, and the mix of drawing, building, and pretend play supports creativity, language, and motor skills development.Adaptation: Let kids choose from a smaller set of 3–4 cards or turn it into a group challenge.
Print the large‑card penguin matching game from the site, then cut out the six pairs of cute penguins dressed in holiday gear and lay them face‑down (or all face‑up for younger children) so preschoolers can flip and match pairs. This keeps setup minimal and invites kids to use concentration and memory while engaging in holiday fun. Why it fits preschoolers: The cards are large, the number of pairs is small, and the friendly penguin theme makes it inviting and age‑appropriate for ages 3‑5.Why it works: Matching games support visual discrimination, memory recall, and turn‑taking — all wrapped in a festive, no‑stress activity that taps into holiday excitement without heavy prep.
This printable game includes both indoor and outdoor versions—each with four different hunt cards—so preschoolers can roam through the house or yard spotting holiday items like ornaments, reindeer images, or twinkling lights. An adult reads the prompts aloud and helps guide the excitement as children check off or photograph their finds.Why it fits preschoolers: Young children love moving around and discovering things, and the clear visuals plus adult guidance make it easy for ages 3‑5 to join in with confidence.Why it works: It builds observation skills, vocabulary, and physical movement in a festive setting, while providing a printable setup that keeps preparation minimal and joy high.
This printable bingo game features fun holiday icons like gifts, snow globes, reindeer, stockings, and more. An adult reads each calling card, and preschoolers match them on their boards. It’s simple, engaging, and perfect for little learners.Why it fits preschoolers: Young children love watching and matching icons that they recognize, and the game’s structure supports turn-taking and focused attention.Why it works: It builds early vocabulary, visual matching skills, and social fun — all with minimal preparation and maximum joy in a festive context.
Invite preschoolers to play a fun twist on “Pin the Tail on the Donkey”—you’ll hang a large reindeer face on the wall and blindfold the children (or gently guide their eyes closed) as they try to place the red nose as close as possible to the marked spot.Why it fits preschoolers: Young children love tactile, silly games like this, where they can laugh, move, and take turns.Why it works: It builds hand‑eye coordination, body awareness, and social‑emotion skills (cheering each other on) while requiring very little prep and using simple materials.
Preschoolers decorate a Christmas tree outline on cardboard or a paper plate, then use a magnet underneath to guide a metal ball along the tree’s shape. It’s a playful way to mix holiday fun with simple science.Why it fits preschoolers: The magnetic movement feels like magic, and the activity is easy to adapt for little hands with the help of an adult.Why it works: It builds fine motor control, introduces early STEM concepts like magnetism, and encourages problem-solving in a fun and hands-on way.
In this festive game, preschoolers match letters on their bingo boards while enjoying a holiday theme featuring reindeer and Christmas icons. An adult calls out a letter (or the sound it makes), and children cover the corresponding spot until someone shouts “REINDEER!” to win.Why it fits preschoolers: It uses large, colorful boards and simple rules that are easy to follow, making it perfect for ages 3–5 as they learn letters and take turns.Why it works: This game reinforces letter recognition and early phonics through playful repetition, and the holiday theme helps keep preschoolers engaged and excited.
Each kid gets a tree game board and a die. On each turn, they roll the die and add a decoration piece corresponding to the number they rolled until their tree is fully decorated.Why it fits preschoolers: The rules are simple enough for ages 3‑5 with adult help, and the visual game board keeps them engaged and excited to see their tree fill up.Why it works: It builds counting and number recognition, takes only minutes to set up, and offers a festive hands‑on activity that feels like play rather than “school.”
This printable matching game features festive icons, such as wreaths, Santa faces, stockings, and ornaments, that preschoolers can flip over and match in pairs. With adult guidance to read the pictures and support turn‑taking, little learners can enjoy the memory challenge and build confidence.Why it fits preschoolers: The images are bold and familiar, the number of pairs can be reduced for younger children, and the rules are simple to grasp with a helper nearby.Why it works: This game strengthens memory skills, visual discrimination, and social‑emotional skills like waiting a turn — while staying light, playful, and holiday‑themed.
This printable game uses a festive “wonderland” board and a ten‑sided die. Preschoolers roll the die, read or hear the number, and cover the corresponding number on the game board using counters or small manipulatives. Why it fits preschoolers: The numbers are limited to 0–9, making it accessible for young children. They enjoy the tactile act of covering spots, which helps keep them engaged.Why it works: This game supports number recognition, one‑to‑one correspondence, and fine motor skills in a low‑stress, holiday‑themed way.
Looking for some quiet holiday fun? These Christmas activity books make great screen-free options for car rides, waiting rooms, or cozy afternoons at home. Preschoolers may need a little help, but they’ll love the stickers, coloring, and games.
Christmas Puzzles – With puzzles themed around Christmas presents, snowflakes, reindeer, elves, and more, this book will be the perfect Christmas gift to keep kids busy during the holidays.
Christmas Connect the Dots Book for Kids – Entertaining and educational Christmas dot-to-dot puzzle book. Enhance your number skills and hand-eye coordination while uncovering hidden pictures with holiday and winter themes.
More Christmas Fun
Looking for even more easy, low-prep ways to celebrate the season? These activities pair perfectly with the Christmas games above — and they’re all designed with preschoolers in mind.
Try these next:
Christmas Tracing Worksheets Support early writing skills with festive lines, loops, and shapes that feel more like drawing than “work.”
Preschool Christmas Crafts Simple, mess-friendly projects using everyday supplies — perfect for little hands and big imaginations.
Gingerbread Man Activities Explore math, storytelling, and pretend play with one of preschool’s most beloved holiday themes.
With just a few simple supplies and a playful spirit, these Christmas games for preschoolers can turn everyday moments into magical memories. Whether you’re looking for active games, quiet table play, or something in between, the goal is connection — not perfection.
Let curiosity lead the way, and remember: play is learning. Happy holidays from our preschool to yours!
Tara is the brains behind Homeschool Preschool, where her journey from preschool and public school teacher to homeschooling mom of three fuels her passion for early childhood education. With a blend of expertise and firsthand experience, Tara’s writings offer practical tips and engaging resources to support families in creating meaningful learning adventures at home.
