Get in the holiday spirit with these themed Christmas party ideas to throw with your kids! From building snowmen, to writing letters to Santa, to building your own Nativities, we've got Christmas party ideas to appeal to kids (of every age).
Christmas is such a special time of year! We love to celebrate from the time Thanksgiving is over all the way until Christmas Day. There are just so many fun Christmas party ideas, holiday traditions, activities, and ways to spread holiday cheer.
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Throwing themed Christmas parties for kids is a special way to connect and enjoy the season. There are so many Christmas party ideas out there that make December extra magical, and today we're sharing six fun themes you've gotta try!
Each of these Christmas party ideas includes a themed food, activity, books you can read, and movies to watch. So choose a theme, carve out a couple of hours, and create some memories with your family today!
This post was originally contributed by Britney from Color My Happy! It's since been updated with even more family fun ideas.
SANTA CHRISTMAS PARTY IDEAS
Seriously, who doesn’t love Santa? He’s a cute old man, loves cookies, and brings presents. He’s basically the best! This theme is sure to be a hit with your kids.
DONUT SANTA HATS
Powdered donuts are a childhood favorite, and this yummy treat can easily be turned into a cute Santa hat. Simply layer a donut, an upside down strawberry (slice the very top off so it lays flat), and a mini marshmallow!
Break a toothpick in half to attach the marshmallow to the strawberry to keep it secure. The whole family will devour these! Just be sure to remove the toothpicks before eating.
WRITE LETTERS TO SANTA
Writing letters to Santa Claus is one of our favorite holiday traditions! Here are a few tips to make it a success:
- Print out our free Letter to Santa printable!
- Pull out markers (one color for each kiddo) and toy brochures (Amazon and Target usually send them out). Let the kids browse and circle things they want.
- Have the kids narrow down their top one or two picks, so Santa knows what they want the most. (You can always go back through the brochures to see what else they circled if you need more ideas.)
- Play Christmas music while you work and serve some hot cocoa (complete with marshmallows and a candy cane, of course!) to sip while you browse the brochures and make your lists.
SANTA-THEMED BOOKS
Read these books to get your Christmas spirit on:
- Santa Claus: The World’s Number One Toy Expert by Marla Frazee
- Samurai Santa: A Very Ninja Christmas by Rubin Pingk
- When Santa Was a Baby by Linda Bailey and Genevieve Godbout
- Santa’s Favorite Story: Santa Tells the Story of the First Christmas by Hisako Aoki and Ivan Gantschev
MOVIES ABOUT SANTA
Cuddle up with the fam for a movie about everyone's fave holiday celebrity!
- Animated Option: Arthur Christmas
- Live Action Option: The Santa Clause series or the Disney+ movie Noelle
It's so simple to throw a Santa themed Christmas party and it's really perfect for all ages!
JESUS CHRIST CHRISTMAS PARTY IDEAS
Sometimes in the busyness of December, when we’re surrounded by the fun, commercial side of the things, we can forget the real reason for the holiday — Christ. Using this as a party theme is a great way to teach your kids the true meaning of Christmas and help bring the focus back to the Savior.
BUILD YOUR OWN EDIBLE NATIVITY
This is both a snack and an activity… Double win. Grab some graham crackers, frosting (or peanut butter), candy, and animal crackers and follow these easy peasy steps:
- Use graham crackers to create a stable: one for the back wall, one for the roof, and a half for each sidewall. Leave the front open. Attach using frosting or peanut butter.
- Two-fourths of a graham cracker can be glued together, angled upward, to create a manger. Then stack two Dots candies, wrap them in a piece of Fruit by the Foot, and lay it in the manger as baby Jesus.
- Three Dots stacked on top of one another can create people — Mary and Joseph, shepherds, wise men, an angel — with a piece of Fruit by the Foot used for head coverings. Mini candy canes make great shepherd’s canes.
- Animal crackers are perfect for animals, or use marshmallows for sheep bodies and pretzel sticks for legs.
CHRIST STOCKING
Every Christmas season, it's fun to have a stocking for Jesus. Sit down as a family and think of a gift you can give to Christ for the following year. Write it on an index card, stick it in the stocking, and read what you wrote last year to see how you did! Hello, new favorite family tradition!
Here are a few ideas for you:
- Kneeling for prayer every night before bed
- Working on something you’re struggling with, like lying, or being unkind, or watching too much television
- Doing an act of kindness weekly
- Donating to a food shelter
- Reading scriptures daily
- Completing a big service project
CHRISTMAS BOOKS ABOUT CHRIST
- Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell and Jason Cockcroft
- We Believe in Christmas: How the Symbols of Christmas Remind Us of Christ by M. Weber Longoria, Mark Missman, and Dona Gelsinger
- Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story by Sally Lloyd Jones and Alison Jay
- Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo and Bagram Ibatoulline
MOVIES ABOUT THE BIRTH OF CHRIST
- Animated Option: The Star
- Live Action: The Christ Child
This is definitely one of our most meaningful Christmas party ideas and we love how it keeps you in tune and focused on the true meaning of Christmas, versus just the presents.
REINDEER CHRISTMAS PARTY IDEAS
Reindeer are so fun! Did you get super excited to leave some carrots for the reindeer along with your cookies and milk for Santa when you were a kid? We most definitely did, especially when Rudolph would leave a partly nibbled carrot behind. There’s just something about reindeer that’s extra magical!
REINDEER COOKIES
Oh hey, easy reindeer cookie idea! These are so fun and so stinkin' easy. Simply bake some cookies, pre-made or homemade dough (sugar or peanut butter works best), then add some edible eyes, M&Ms for the nose, and broken pretzels for antlers.
Ta-da! The cutest, yummiest reindeer around! They're crazy easy to make and they make hardly any mess at all. They're the perfect, easy cookies to make and leave for Santa, too. 😉
MAGIC REINDEER DUST CRAFT IDEA
Don’t let Santa miss your house! Create some Magic Reindeer Dust to be sure the reindeer can find your house. Simply mix together dry oats and glitter in the color of your choice. Then on Christmas Eve, don’t forget to sprinkle some around your yard for the reindeer to spot!
This is a fun activity for the whole family to do together and a great way to get your older kids involved! Let them be in charge of helping the younger ones and have some sibling bonding time that's oh so important.
REINDEER BOOKS
- Olive, The Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh and J. Otto Seibold
- The Little Reindeer by Nicola Killen
- Reindeer Christmas by Mark Kimball Moulton and Karen Hillard Good
- Dasher: How a Brave Little Doe Changed Christmas Forever by Matt Tavares
REINDEER MOVIES
- Animated: Elliott the Littlest Reindeer
- Live Action: Blizzard
Who wants to go ride a reindeer now?! Yep, us too…
SNOWMAN CHRISTMAS PARTY IDEAS
Frosty the Snowman is a childhood classic, and snowmen are a Christmas staple! Whether you live in an area where you get lots of snow and can enjoy them anytime you want or you don't usually get snow, the whole family will love these ideas!
MINI SNOWMAN PIZZAS
Pizza is THE BEST! But pizza shaped like a snowman is even better!
- Cut pizza dough into individual-sized circles. Pre-made Pillsbury dough or homemade dough both work perfectly. Just use a cookie cutter to make the perfect circles once you roll it out!
- Pre-bake the dough according to the package recipe instructions.
- Add pizza sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, two sliced olives for eyes, mini pepperonis lined up for a smile, and a shaved carrot nose.
- Place back in the oven to finish cooking for a few minutes until the cheese melts.
- Serve and have fun eating!
BUILD A SNOWMAN
If you live where it snows, go outside and build a real snowman! If snow isn’t available, use white Play-Doh or make our Kool-Aid playdough recipe and leave out the Kool-Aid. Grab random household items for eyes, a nose, a hat, etc. to create one inside. Get creative with this and see what you can come up with! You can even have a race to see who can build one the quickest. That makes it fun for all ages because who doesn't like a challenge?!
SNOWMAN BOOKS
- Snowmen at Night and Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn and Mark Buehner
- Snow What Fun! When Snowmen Come to Life on Christmas Eve by Cheryl Hawkinson and Mike Esberg
- The Snowman’s Song: A Christmas Story by Tracy La Rue Hohn and Marilee Joy Mayfield
SNOWMAN MOVIES
- Animated: Frosty the Snowman
- Live Action: Jack Frost
So fun, right? You can even make this a fun winter party and have variations of it all winter long!
ELF CHRISTMAS PARTY IDEAS
Did you ever want to be an elf? They're kind, hard workers, and very silly! What’s more to love? Christmas definitely couldn't happen without them.
ELF PANCAKES
Elf pancakes will take breakfast from blah to yay! Your whole family will be so excited when you serve these up!
Whip up your favorite pancake recipe, then decorate as follows:
- Mini M&Ms for eyes
- A mini chocolate chip nose
- A tiny piece of Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel for a smile
- Tiny raspberry or strawberry slices on the forehead for the rim of the hat
- Slices of green grapes bunched and shaped to make the top of the hat
- A mini marshmallow or tiny squirt of whipped cream for the pom pom at the end of the hat
- The points of apple slices diced to make elf ears
ELF ACTIVITY
If you do the Elf on the Shelf, this is a great time to introduce your elf for the year. Have your elf bring the party supplies when they show up!
Another option is to do some service. Act like kindness elves and perform a random act of kindness in your neighborhood or city! These service ideas are a great way to start:
- Leave baked goods on your neighbor’s doorsteps — ring and run!
- Shovel snow from neighbors’ driveways
- Drop off some food at a homeless shelter or volunteer at one
- Sing carols at a nursing home
- Leave some cash on a Redbox, vending machine, the dollar spot at Target, etc.
- Pay for the person behind you in line
- Hand out blessing kits and hot chocolate to the homeless
ELF BOOKS
- How to Catch an Elf by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton
- The Littlest Elf by Brandi Dougherty and Kirsten Richards
- The Story of the Kindness Elves by Anna Ranson, Benjamin Byrne, and Naomi Berry
ELF MOVIES
- Animated: Prep and Landing
- Live Action: Elf
Make your elf party extra fun by dressing up as an elf while you're having your party!
THE GRINCH CHRISTMAS PARTY IDEAS
The Grinch is just the sweetest story and a great reminder about the spirit of Christmas! Max, Cindy Lou, all the Whos down in Whoville… How can you go wrong?! The hardest part is choosing which movie version is our favorite!
GRINCH SKEWERS
These are so cute, healthy, and easy to put together. That’s most definitely out kind of themed food!
- Grab a skewer.
- Slide a green grape on the skewer.
- Add a banana slice.
- Place an upside down strawberry on top of that (slice off the top so it’s flat first).
- Finish with a mini marshmallow on top.
- Repeat for as many skewers as you wish to make.
GRINCH KINDNESS ACTIVITY
Discuss as a family some ways you think you can grow your hearts. Then, after the discussion, go around the house and find some items to donate to those in need. Clothes, toys, household items — anything in good condition that someone else needs more than you do. Take it to a donation center or give to a family in need.
GRINCH BOOK
Obviously there’s only one: How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. But it’s a classic for all ages!
GRINCH MOVIES
- Animated: The Grinch or the original Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
- Live Action: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Fix your hair crazy like the Whos to make it extra fun and feel like you're there in Whoville!
CHRISTMAS PARTY IDEAS
With these six Christmas party ideas, you can celebrate Christmas all month long! Pick your favorite, choose one a week until Christmas, or have a Christmas marathon day where you do them all.
Which idea is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
Looking for more Christmas ideas?
- Check out the ultimate holiday bucket list!
- Get some great tips on how much to spend on your kids for Christmas.
- These are some great ideas for how to make your own family Christmas traditions!
Let it snow, yo!
I really like your idea to combine some activities and snack time together for the kids. My partner and I are going to be hosting our family next year for the holidays and so we want to start planning ahead. I’ll share your article with my wife so that we can get on the same page and plan this together.
Yes, it’s such a fun way to celebrate the holidays!