The Best Games For Learning in December
Get ready to celebrate the holiday season with our favorite December games! Cozy game nights are a wonderful way to slow down and connect as a family this month. This list is filled with festive, family-friendly games that children of all ages can enjoy.
Whether you’re planning a holiday game night or looking to add some seasonal cheer to your December lesson plans, you’ll love this list. You can even take it with you while shopping for holiday gifts and stocking stuffers!
From preschoolers to teens, there’s something for everyone. Whether you’re into snowmen, reindeer, gingerbread, or Santa, you’ll find something on this list of December games for kids of all ages.
Before your next family game night, grab our printable list and choose your favorites. We’ve already tested them, so you can be sure there will be plenty of holiday gameschooling joy.
Discover the Best Games for Every Month This Year
Playing games together is one of our favorite holiday traditions! December feels like the perfect month to add extra game time—cozy nights, twinkly lights, Christmas cookies, cocoa, and plenty of chances to connect.
I’m always looking for fresh games to mix into our rotation. I like to keep things exciting by choosing games that match the holidays and line up with the topics we’re studying in our homeschool lessons.
If you’re interested in adding more games to your homeschool, don’t miss our Guide to Gameschooling. It’s filled with our best ideas for gameplay from preschool to high school and recommendations for every academic subject.
We keep an eye on clearance shelves, thrift shops, and even the local library when we’re searching for new games. Plus, they make great gift suggestions for family and friends. To help you plan with ease, I’ve put together a December list you can take as you shop.
December Game Suggestions for Kids of All Ages
There are tons of exciting and adorable holiday games! It was so hard to choose just a few, but these are our favorites. We can’t wait to share them with you.
12 Games of Christmas
The 12 Games of Christmas from Gutter Games is actually several games in one. You’ll get 12 mini holiday challenges with quick gameplay to keep everyone entertained. These games can be played with just two players or as many as 12, so they’re perfect for the holidays!
Dreidel
Whether you’re celebrating Hanukkah or not, playing Dreidel is an excellent way to expand your child’s learning this holiday season. As they play, kids can learn about probability and practice counting skills. It’s also a great way to explore and learn about Jewish culture and traditions.
Want to learn more about different holidays and traditions around the world? Check out our Holidays & Celebrations Discovery Deck for independent learning about other cultures and holiday traditions that are fascinating for curious kids.
Elf: Journey from the North Pole
In Elf: Journey from the North Pole, the player who reaches the Empire State Building first is the winner. This game from Funko can be paired up with the movie for a fun holiday-themed family celebration. Kids as young as age 7 can practice spatial reasoning and planning strategies as they play this Christmas board game.
Funko Pop Cookie Swap
One of our favorite holiday themed games is Funko Pop’s Cookie Swap. This game features familiar Disney characters and a gingerbread scented board! You’ll have fun racing to make groups of 4 in this fast paced December card game for kids of all ages.
Grinch Grow Your Heart
Another game we like to play each December is the Grinch Grow Your Heart card game from Funko Pop. This game is easy enough for kindergartners to play and still fun for middle school learners, teens, and adults.
In this card game, kids collect hearts to grow the Grinch’s while practicing counting, matching, and exploring kindness. It’s a meaningful game to add to your December rotation if you’re looking for something to help get you in the holiday spirit.
Holiday Fluxx
If you love Fluxx, don’t miss this holiday edition. Holiday Fluxx is a popular game where the rules and the goal are always changing. Playing this card game together will encourage kids to practice flexible thinking, get creative, and develop reading comprehension skills as they guess.
Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman
If you love Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza as much as we do, you won’t want to miss this hilarious holiday version. Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman is a good way for kids to develop memory, focus, and quick reaction time over the holidays. We promise you will laugh out loud as you play this card game together.
Pass the Ugly Sweater
Young children will love the Pass the Ugly Sweater card game from Fun Express. It’s the perfect budget-friendly stocking stuffer for your December game list.
This holiday themed version of Go Fish will amuse even adults. It’s a quick 15-minute game that helps kids build memory and critical thinking skills.
Santa’s Sleigh Ride
Santa’s Sleigh Ride is an educational Christmas board game that kids as young as age 5 can enjoy over the holidays. Players help Santa deliver presents. This game teaches counting, turn-taking, and spatial awareness, all wrapped up in a festive, family-friendly theme.
The Meanie of Chanukah Game
Need another Hanukkah game to play together over the holidays? Enjoy 90’s fun with a Rugrat’s themed game from Funko Pop, The Meanie of Chanukah. Your favorite Rugrats characters come to life in this tile-laying game.
Players use memory to build beautiful Chanukah candles with wacky illustrations from the popular 90’s cartoon and classic Hanukkah imagery. You can make it an extra cozy family game night by watching the show together before you play the game.
The Santa Claus Game
The Santa Claus Game from Zobmondo is so easy that you can play it with preschoolers and still lots of fun for older children too.
In just 15 minutes, this cheerful game teaches colors and shapes while players help deliver presents around the world just like Santa would. It’s easy to set up, so you can add it to your homeschool lesson plans without lots of added stress this December.
Holiday Party Games for Teens
Many Christmas and holiday games are geared toward younger children, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still have gameschooling fun with your tweens and teens this December. Check out some of our favorite holiday party games for teens and older kids below.
Christmas Categories
Christmas Categories from Better Dweller is a holiday twist on a classic categories game where players think of festive words that fit with prompts. This version is intended for kids ages 12 and up and needs at least three players. It’s good for helping teens learn to think on their feet.
Teens can build a stronger vocabulary and get creative with lots of laughter on family game night as they play this game together. Watch out, the answers can get very silly!
Holiday Debatable
Does your family like to argue? Then Holiday Debatable from Brass Monkey is the game for you. This hilarious party game for ages 12 and up asks players to debate their way through holiday-themed cards with questions like Is Amazon Prime faster than Santa? and Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?
Teens will get to practice persuasive speaking, creativity, and quick thinking while competing for the funniest or most convincing arguments. This one is perfect for holiday gatherings with family and friends.
Merry Dissmas
Merry Dissmas from the makers of What Do You Meme? is a snarky holiday game where players answer silly prompts and vote on the funniest or most outrageous responses. Designed with teens in mind, it helps kids develop creativity as they think of absurd comebacks.
Yule Never Guess Christmas Trivia
Some of our favorite games are trivia games. One reason we love them is that they’re so easy to play on the go. We can always pack a trivia game to keep us busy on a road trip. If you’re traveling for the holidays, grab Yule Never Guess Christmas trivia to throw in your bag.
This trivia game will keep the whole family busy for 30 minutes with quirky holiday facts and clever questions. Teens get to show off their holiday knowledge and working memory as they recall the answers for Christmas bragging rights.
More Homeschool Tips and Ideas for December
There are so many ways to make homeschooling less stressful during the holiday season. Gameschooling is one of our favorite ways to get through the holidays with fun, connection, and learning through play. Discover more of our favorite tips and ideas below.
- Games to Play Through the Holidays
- Gameschool Your Way Through the Holidays
- December Homeschool Printables That Are Absolutely Free
- Holiday Fun Around the World Study
- Christmas Homeschool Resources
- Best Christmas Pageant Ever Novel Study
- Celebrate Christmas Discovery Deck
- 30+ Best Kids Books to Read This December
So what’s your favorite way to celebrate the holidays and add learning fun all month long? Share your favorite December games and activities in the comments. We can’t wait to read them and try a few of your favorites in our homeschool too!