Hosting a classroom Christmas party is no easy feat, but with a few Christmas crafts, festive snacks, and these 10 DIY Christmas party games for kids, you’re sure to create a memorable day in your classroom! I like to keep our classroom Christmas party simple by having students rotate through five different stations in small groups of 4–5 students. Over the course of the morning or afternoon, students can make a Christmas craft, decorate a festive treat, and play a variety of fun Christmas games with their classmates. These easy-to-prep, budget-friendly DIY Christmas party games are perfect for keeping little learners engaged and entertained during your classroom celebration!

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience. Any purchases made through one of our links earns us a small commission, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All creative ideas and opinions expressed are purely our own. Read our full privacy policy and disclosure for more information.

How to Set Up Your Christmas Party Stations

During out classroom Christmas party, I typically set up 5 stations, with students spending about 15–20 minutes at each station. With a little transition time between stations, this gives us a fun Christmas party that lasts about an hour and a half.

Here’s how I set up my stations:

Station 1: Christmas Craft

Students complete a simple Christmas craft they can take home. A beaded ornament or beaded wreath makes a great option!

Station 2: Food Decorating

At this station, students get to decorate a festive treat. You can use Christmas cookies, cupcakes, or even ice cream cones decorated to look like Christmas trees. Keep the decorating supplies simple with frosting and a variety of sprinkles!

Stations 3–5: Christmas Games

The remaining three stations are game stations. Since many of these games are quick to play, I combine 2–3 games at each station instead of having students spend 15 minutes playing the same game.

For example, one station might have Snowman Bowling and Snowball Toss, while another could combine the Snowball Relay and Christmas Tree Relay. This gives students plenty of variety and keeps the party feeling fast-paced and fun.

I also like to set up some of the games in the hallway or a larger open space when possible, especially the relay-style games. There’s no need to create 10 separate stations—combine the quick games to create three fun game stations that work for your classroom and your space!

10 DIY Christmas Party Games

Now that you have your stations planned, it’s time to add the fun! These DIY Christmas party games are simple to set up, easy to explain, and use inexpensive supplies you can find around the classroom or at your local dollar store. I like to mix and match the games to create my three game stations, choosing a few games for each station based on the space I have available.

Most all of the supplies featured below were purchased at my local dollar store or craft store, but I’ve linked similar items here to make shopping for your classroom Christmas party even easier!

Jingle Bell Drop

This jingle bell drop classroom Christmas party game is simple to set up but surprisingly challenging! Place an empty bottle or jar on the floor and give each student a handful of mini jingle bells. Students can stand or kneel above the container and try to drop as many bells inside as possible. Play individually or in teams, and the player or team who lands the most bells in the container wins!

Blow the Coal

Give each player the same number of small “coal” balls (lightweight Styrofoam balls spray-painted black) and a straw. Players can only use the air from their straw to blow the coal across the table and into a bucket or stocking held by a teammate. The first team to move all of their coal pieces to the other side wins, or the team with the most coal pieces in their bucket/stocking wins! A simple setup makes this a fun and silly Christmas party challenge.

Pass the Snowman

This Christmas twist on hot potato is easy to play and always gets kids giggling! Have students sit or stand in a circle and pass a festive stuffed animal, such as a snowman, around the circle while music plays. When the music stops, the student holding the snowman is out and sits outside of the circle. Start the music again and continue playing until only one student remains! This is one of those DIY Christmas party games that is a must.

Bow Relay

For this festive relay, divide students into teams and give each team a pile of gift bows. Players place a bow on top of their head and race to the other side of the room without using their hands. If the bow falls off, they must pick it up, return to the starting line, and try again. The first team to successfully move all of their bows to the other side wins!

Snowball Toss

One of our favorite DIY Christmas party games is this snowball toss! To set it up, use a tri-fold display board and draw a snowman on the center panel. Cut a circular hole in the middle of the snowman’s body (trace a plate to make the perfect circle!). Add a little winter scenery to the side panels if you’d like. Students stand back and toss Styrofoam balls through the opening to “snowball” the snowman!

Santa Bucket Snowball Toss

For this DIY Christmas party game, set out Santa or Snowman themed buckets in a line or triangle formation. Students take turns tossing soft “snowballs” into the buckets, earning a point for each successful throw. You can use plush snowballs, pom-poms, or even rolled-up socks—anything soft, lightweight, and easy to toss!

These exact Santa buckets were purchased at the Dollar Tree.

Snowman Bowling

DIY Christmas party games don’t get much more fun than this snowman bowling activity! Turn empty 2-liter bottles into adorable snowmen by wrapping them in white paper and adding paper circles for the eyes and mouth, plus a carrot-shaped nose. Students then roll a soft ball, such as a mini kickball or plush snowball, to knock down the snowmen—just like traditional bowling with a festive winter twist!

Snowball Relay

For this fast-paced relay, students use a spoon to scoop a “snowball” (cotton ball or pom-pom) from one bowl, race across the room, and drop it into a second bowl before running back to tag the next player. The goal is to transfer all the snowballs to the other bowl before the opposing team does.

Christmas Tree Relay

Turn a simple relay into a festive word-building challenge! Create several paper Christmas trees and place one letter on each tree to spell a word, such as CHRISTMAS. Divide students into teams and have them race to the other side of the room to collect one tree at a time. Teams work together to arrange the trees in the correct order, and the first team to spell the word correctly wins! You can change the word to GINGERBREAD, SNOWMAN, or any other word that fits your group.

Pin the Nose on Rudolph

Put a festive spin on the classic party game with Pin the Nose on Rudolph! Create or purchase a large Rudolph and give each student a red paper nose with their name or number on it. Blindfold one student at a time, gently spin them around, and let them try to place Rudolph’s nose in the correct spot. The student who gets closest to the correct location wins! For a winter-themed alternative, you can easily turn this into Pin the Nose on the Snowman.

More Classroom Christmas Party Ideas

Looking for even more classroom Christmas party games and ideas? Head to this post for 25+ Christmas party stations!

Instead of a classroom Christmas party, host a hot chocolate party where students spend the day completing math and literacy challenges, as they try to solve “The Case of the Cocoa Caper” winter escape room!

Or have some fun with this Gingerbread Man escape room where students eliminate suspects and discover the cookie snatching culprit!

Throw the ultimate classroom holiday party with this pack of Christmas/Holiday party games, crafts, and science experiments.

Follow our Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook page for fresh ideas, teaching tips, and the latest resources to keep your little learners SHARP all year long!

DON’T FORGET IT… PIN IT!