100 Christmas Pictionary Words and Ideas for Kids, Teens and Adults

Christmas Pictionary is one of those games where a very bad drawing can make the round more fun. All you need is something to draw on, a timer and a pile of festive prompts that suit the people playing.

These 100 Christmas Pictionary words and ideas are grouped into easy words, family prompts, harder scenes, songs and movies. Pick a few categories for a Christmas Eve game, or turn them into short team rounds at a party.

You can write your chosen prompts on slips of paper, or use our existing Christmas Pictionary and Christmas Song / Movie Pictionary games if you would rather print and cut out ready-made prompts.

What You Need to Play Christmas Pictionary

• Paper and markers, or a whiteboard and dry-erase markers
• Prompt slips and a bowl or basket
• A timer, such as the one on your phone
• Paper and a pen to keep score, if you are playing competitively

Four or more people works well for two teams. With just two or three players, take turns drawing for everyone else and play without team scores. Put the drawing surface where all guessers can see it, and keep the prompts hidden.

How to Play: Simple Team Rules

This is an easy home version of the drawing-and-guessing game. Use the same rules for both teams, and agree any changes before you start.

1. Make two teams. Mix ages so younger children have someone to help with reading or guessing.
2. Prepare your prompts. Write one word, phrase or title on each slip, fold them and put them in a bowl. Keep categories separate if you want themed rounds.
3. Choose the first artist. They draw a slip and read it silently. If it is unfamiliar, let them replace it before the timer starts.
4. Start a 60-second turn. The artist draws while their own team guesses aloud. No talking, mouthing the answer, acting, or writing letters and numbers.
5. Award one point for a correct answer. Each turn uses one prompt. If the team solves it early, end the turn and move to the other team. If time runs out, reveal the answer and move on without a point.
6. Change artists each turn. Alternate teams and give each the same number of turns. The team with the most points after the agreed rounds wins.

For a casual game, recognizable answers are enough: “present” can count for “wrapped present,” for example. Explain that before playing so the host does not have to referee every guess.

Choose Your Christmas Pictionary Prompts

For a mixed-age family game, start with easy words and a few family prompts. Keep the harder scenes, songs and movies for separate rounds so players know what kind of answer they are trying to guess.

These 100 ideas are suggestions to use from this article. The paid printable set contains its own selection of prompts; it is not a download of every word listed below.

20 Easy Christmas Pictionary Words for Kids

Choose these for younger children, first-time players or a warm-up round. Read a child's slip quietly to them if needed.

• Christmas tree
• Snowman
• Santa Claus
• Candy cane
• Reindeer
• Elf
• Wrapped present
• Christmas stocking
• Sleigh
• Christmas lights
• Hot chocolate
• Snowflake
• Mitten
• Scarf
• Snow globe
• Christmas bell
• Gingerbread man
• Star
• Snowball
• Santa hat

20 Christmas Pictionary Ideas for Older Kids and Families

These need a few more details or a small scene. Mix them with easy words for a family game, or let children choose which pile to draw from.

• Gingerbread house
• Christmas wreath
• Mistletoe
• Fireplace
• Christmas cookies
• Carolers
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
• Nativity scene
• Christmas ornament
• The North Pole
• Advent calendar
• Christmas crackers
• Nutcracker
• Christmas village
• Christmas card
• Toy workshop
• Christmas pudding
• Christmas dinner
• Ice skating
• Christmas pajamas

20 Harder Christmas Pictionary Phrases for Teens and Adults

Use these for guests who enjoy figuring out a scene. Difficulty depends on your group, so remove prompts that will not suit them.

• Santa stuck in the chimney
• Wrapping an awkward-shaped gift
• Untangling Christmas lights
• Building a snow fort
• Decorating the top of the tree
• A snowball fight
• Leaving cookies for Santa
• Shopping on Christmas Eve
• Hanging stockings by the fireplace
• An ugly Christmas sweater contest
• Finding a present hidden in a closet
• A reindeer learning to fly
• A cat climbing the Christmas tree
• Burning the Christmas dinner
• Opening an empty gift box
• A snowman melting indoors
• Dropping a tray of Christmas cookies
• Falling asleep during a Christmas movie
• A family Christmas photo
• A dog stealing the Christmas turkey

20 Christmas Songs to Draw

Announce the category before this round. Draw clues to the title without singing, humming, writing lyrics or adding letters. Accept recognizable versions of titles rather than arguing over small wording differences.

• Jingle Bells
• Silent Night
• Deck the Halls
• Winter Wonderland
• All I Want for Christmas Is You
• The Twelve Days of Christmas
• Frosty the Snowman
• Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
• Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
• Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
• Santa Baby
• White Christmas
• Blue Christmas
• Silver Bells
• O Christmas Tree
• We Three Kings
• Joy to the World
• I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
• The Little Drummer Boy
• Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer

20 Christmas Movies to Draw

Choose titles your guests know and announce the category. Some picks suit adults better than children. For more viewing inspiration, browse our Christmas movie bucket list.

• Home Alone
• Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
• Fred Claus
• The Polar Express
• The Santa Clause
• The Santa Clause 2
• The Muppet Christmas Carol
• A Christmas Carol
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• A Boy Called Christmas
• The Nightmare Before Christmas
• A Christmas Story
• National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
• It's a Wonderful Life
• Miracle on 34th Street
• Arthur Christmas
• Klaus
• The Holiday
• Jingle All the Way
• The Christmas Chronicles

Prefer Ready-to-Print Christmas Pictionary Prompts?

If cutting slips and writing prompts is the part you would like to skip, our Christmas Pictionary and Christmas Song / Movie Pictionary set gives you festive prompts to print and cut out. Put them in a jar or basket, gather paper or a whiteboard, and choose the timed or relaxed rules that suit your group.

It is a digital PDF download for US Letter paper. Print using “fit to page,” cut out the prompts and keep them for your next gathering. No physical game is mailed to you.

Shop Christmas Pictionary Games

Make the Game Work for Different Ages

For Younger Children

Use the easy pile, read prompts quietly to children who need help and allow 90 seconds instead of 60. Let a child draw with an adult partner if that helps them join in. You can also forget the timer and see whether the whole family can guess ten drawings together.

For Teens and Adults

Try a song round, a movie round and a harder-scene round. Keep unfamiliar titles out of the pile, and rotate artists so confident drawers do not take every turn. Being quick to spot a clue is just as useful as being good at drawing.

For Larger Groups

Use an All Play round: one artist from each team sees the same prompt while the guessers look away. The artists then draw at the same time on separate surfaces, and the first team to give the correct answer earns a point. If nobody solves it before time runs out, reveal the answer and use a new prompt.

For more activities that work across several tables, see our Christmas games for large groups.

A Simple Three-Round Christmas Pictionary Plan

For a short game, give each team two turns per round:

• Round one: Easy Christmas objects to get everyone comfortable.
• Round two: Family prompts, with artists who have not drawn yet.
• Round three: Choose songs or movies that both teams know.

That makes 12 turns in total with two teams. Allow extra time beyond the drawing timers for reading prompts, changing artists and enjoying the pictures. If the scores are tied, share the win or play one All Play tiebreaker.

Planning a whole evening? Our Christmas Eve activities for families include ideas to pair with a game, and our Saran Wrap Ball Game tutorial gives you a hands-on prize challenge for a change of pace.

More Games for the Same Christmas Gathering

If you want a mix of drawing, quizzes and icebreakers, the Ultimate Christmas Party Games Bundle includes 22 games, including Christmas Pictionary and Christmas Song & Movie Pictionary. Choose the individual Pictionary set if that is the only activity you need; choose the bundle if you want several different games for the gathering.

For another round without drawing, use our Christmas trivia questions and answers. For a broader selection, browse the family Christmas party games or Christmas group games for teens.

Christmas Pictionary Questions

Can You Play Without Printing Anything?

Yes. Write selected prompts on scrap paper and fold them, or ask a non-playing host to show each artist one prompt from a phone. Keep the answer hidden from the guessers.

Do You Need to Be Good at Drawing?

No. Simple shapes, stick figures and arrows are enough. Encourage artists to add another clue if their first picture is not working, and keep the mood light when guesses go off track.

Can You Use Letters or Numbers?

In the home rules above, no. Draw pictures rather than spelling out an answer or writing a number from a title. If you prefer different house rules, agree them before the first turn and use them for everyone.

What if Nobody Knows a Movie or Song?

Let the artist replace an unfamiliar prompt before the timer starts. Better still, have the host sort the titles in advance and choose ones the group will recognize.

Can You Play Without Teams?

Yes. Let one person draw for the whole group, then change artists after each solved prompt. You can play cooperatively without points or a timer.