Christmas Drawing Game Words for Kids, Teens and Adults: how it works
These Christmas drawing game words run from Bauble and Candy cane to Tangled lights and Some assembly required. All 170 are clean, none is a film, toy or brand name, and twelve cover Hanukkah and other December days. Use the deck as a holiday drawing game word generator for a Pictionary-style night: press Next card and start sketching.
Deal a Christmas round from one phone
Hand this Christmas drawing game generator to the drawer and press Start round for a one-minute clock, or tap 90 s for a relaxed table. After a correct guess, press Next card and tap +1. When small children draw, tap Easy: that leaves 20 single objects, such as Wreath, Stocking and Gingerbread man.
The grown-up set, and what the list adds
Grown-up Christmas holds the Christmas drawing game words for adults: 31 hard cards about the work behind the day, such as Regifting, January bill and Cookie tin full of sewing things. None is rude. Each just takes some years of hosting to guess. The list under the deck prints a way to draw every word, and some cards carry a checked fact: glass baubles were first made in Lauscha, Germany, in 1847.
Tips
Draw the moment, not the object. For Batteries not included, sketch a parent taking the batteries out of the TV remote.
For a carol card, draw what the words say. Five gold rings is a hand with a ring on every finger, and nobody has to sing.
Play White elephant last. It is a party game as well as a card, and the number picker linked under the card sets the order for the real swap.
Questions and answers
Is the deck only about Christmas?
No. Hanukkah and other December days has twelve cards, among them Menorah, Dreidel, Latkes, Chocolate coins and Jelly doughnut, plus the crown of candles from Saint Lucy's Day, the star piñata of Las Posadas, Boxing Day and Three Kings Day. Most carry a checked fact in the list. Tap that topic's pill to deal only those cards.
Are these official Pictionary Christmas cards?
No. This is an independent deck of 170 original words. It is not the boxed game and is not affiliated with its publisher. It also has no film, television or toy names, so nobody needs to have seen a particular movie to guess a card.
How do I run this at an office or class party?
For an office party, tap Grown-up Christmas and set 2 min rounds, because every card in it is a scene. Add a team takes you up to four teams. For a class, tap Easy or Medium and let pupils draw on the board. Skip puts a word back and deals another.
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BaubleA ball hanging from a branch by a hook, with a little window of shine on it. Glass ones were first made in Lauscha, Germany, in 1847.
BellA bell with a bow on top and a clapper inside, with ring lines either side.
Candle in the windowA single lit candle on a windowsill, seen from outside in the dark.
Candy caneA striped stick with a hook at the top, hung on a branch. Most are white with red stripes and taste of peppermint.
Christmas treeA tall triangle in three tiers on a short trunk. The first recorded trees were put up by German Lutherans in the 1500s.
Fallen needlesA tree with bare patches, a small pile on the floor and a vacuum cleaner beside it.
GarlandA thick rope of greenery looped along a stair rail, with a bow at each peak.
Handmade ornamentA lopsided star with glue drips, hung in the best spot by a proud child.
HollyA sprig of spiky leaves with a cluster of three berries.
House covered in lightsA house outlined in bulbs along the roof, the windows and the path, and a neighbor shielding their eyes.
Lawn inflatableA giant wobbly figure on a front lawn with a fan at its foot, half collapsed.
MistletoeA sprig with paired leaves and pale berries hung in a doorway, and two people looking up at it.
NutcrackerA wooden soldier with a tall hat, a big square jaw and a lever down his back.
Paper chainLoops of paper linked together and hung in a swag across a ceiling.
PoinsettiaA pot plant whose top leaves make one big star. The red parts are leaves, not petals, and the plant comes from Mexico and Central America.
Popcorn garlandPopcorn threaded on a string, with a needle at one end and a bowl at the other.
Snow globeA glass dome on a base with a tiny house inside, and a hand giving it a shake.
Star on topA five-pointed star on the very tip of a tree, with shine lines. It stands for the Star of Bethlehem.
String of lightsA wavy wire with small bulbs along it, wound around a tree.
TinselA long fuzzy strand draped in loops from branch to branch.
Tree farmRows of little trees, a hand saw and a family pointing at the biggest one.
Tree on the car roofA small car with a tree tied to the roof, longer than the car.
Tree skirtA round cloth spread around the foot of the tree with parcels sitting on it.
Tree standA trunk in a bowl held by three screws, and someone lying underneath to tighten them.
WreathA ring of leaves on a front door with a big bow at the bottom.
Santa and the North Pole 19
Boots in the chimneyA brick stack on a roof with two boots sticking out of the top.
Carrot for the reindeerA carrot on a plate by the hearth with one big bite gone.
Christmas EveA child in bed with one eye open, a sock on the bedpost and a moon in the window. The 1823 poem set the visit on the night before.
ElfA small figure with pointed ears, a pointed hat and curly shoes, holding a hammer.
Letter to SantaA child at a table licking an envelope, with a toy catalog open and a list as long as the table.
Lump of coalA black lumpy rock in the toe of a hung sock, and a sorry face. By custom it is what a badly behaved child finds.
Milk and cookiesA glass and a plate with one bitten cookie, left on a table by the hearth.
Naughty or nice listA long scroll with two columns, one headed by a halo and one by a pair of horns, and a quill beside it.
North PoleA striped pole standing on top of a globe, with a little hut beside it.
Photo with SantaA child howling on a bearded figure's knee while a camera flashes.
ReindeerA deer with big branching antlers and a harness of bells. A poem of 1823 gave the sleigh eight of them.
Rooftop landingA sleigh parked on a roof ridge beside a chimney, under a crescent moon.
Sack of toysA bulging bag tied at the neck, with a bear's head and a trumpet poking out.
Santa ClausA round figure with a big beard, a hat with a bobble and a sack over one shoulder.
Santa hatA floppy cone with a fluffy brim and a bobble on the tip.
Santa's workshopA bench with tools and half-built toys, and small figures in pointed hats hard at work.
SleighA sled with a high curved back and long runners, piled with parcels.
Sleigh bellsA leather strap with a row of round bells on a horse's harness. They warned other drivers, because a sleigh on snow makes almost no sound.
StockingA big sock hung from a mantel with a candy cane poking out. In the legend, a bag of gold thrown by Saint Nicholas landed in one.
Treats and the big dinner 20
Box of chocolatesAn open box with a grid of sweets, several gone and one bitten and put back.
Cheese boardA wooden board with wedges, a small knife, grapes and crackers, and a hand sneaking a piece.
Christmas cookiesStar, tree and bell shapes on a baking tray, covered in sprinkles.
Christmas crackerA paper tube twisted at both ends, a hand pulling each side and a snap in the middle. Tradition says a London sweet maker invented it in 1847.
Christmas puddingA dark dome on a plate with a sprig of holly on top. A silver coin hidden inside was said to bring wealth to whoever found it.
Cookie cutterA metal outline of a star pressed into rolled dough, with a star-shaped hole beside it.
Cookie swapGuests around a table, each with a different tin, trading across it.
FruitcakeA heavy brick of cake full of dots, passed quickly from one pair of hands to the next.
Gingerbread houseA little house of flat slabs with icing on the roof and sweets stuck to the walls.
Gingerbread manA flat figure with a round head, an icing smile and three buttons.
Mince pieA small round pie with a star-shaped lid and a dusting of sugar.
Orange in the stockingA round fruit pushed down into the toe of a hung sock. In the Saint Nicholas legend the gold is sometimes told as golden balls, and oranges stand for them.
PanettoneA tall domed loaf in a paper collar, with one slice cut to show dots of fruit.
Paper crownA zigzag tissue hat, slightly too big, slipping over a diner's eyes. It comes out of a cracker with a joke and a small gift.
Peppermint barkA slab in two layers with crushed candy on top, snapped into jagged pieces.
Pigs in blanketsSmall sausages each wrapped in a strip of bacon, lined up on a tray.
Piping bagA cone-shaped bag squeezed in a fist, drawing a line of icing along a little roof.
Roast gooseA long-necked bird on a platter, fatter than a chicken, with apples around it.
Roasting chestnutsRound nuts with a cross cut in each, in a pan with holes held over a fire.
Yule log cakeA rolled cake iced to look like bark, with a fork dragged along it and a holly leaf on top.
Gifts and wrapping 20
Badly disguised presentA bicycle wrapped all over in paper, with a bow on the saddle, fooling nobody.
BowTwo loops and two tails, stuck on the lid of a box.
Christmas cardA folded card standing open on a shelf with a robin on the front. The first one sold to the public was printed in London in 1843.
Curling ribbonA scissor blade dragged along a ribbon so that it springs into a spiral.
Gift bagA bag with rope handles and tissue paper sticking out of the top in points.
Gift cardA huge box full of tissue paper with one small plastic card at the bottom.
Gift tagA small card with a punched hole, tied to a bow by a loop of string.
Hiding the presentsA parent on tiptoe pushing a bag onto the top shelf of a closet while a child peeks round the door.
New bikeA bicycle beside the tree with a big bow on the handlebars.
Parcel on the doorstepA stack of boxes against a front door and a van pulling away.
PresentA box with a ribbon crossed over it and a big bow on top.
Rocking horseA horse on two curved rockers with a mane, a saddle and a bow around its neck.
Shaking the boxA child with one ear pressed against a wrapped parcel, shaking it, with rattle lines.
Socks againAn opened parcel with a pair of socks inside and a very polite smile above it.
Tape dispenserA roll on a heavy holder with a toothed edge, and a strip stuck to someone's fingers.
Thank-you noteA child at a desk with a pen and a stack of envelopes, and a new toy just out of reach.
Toy trainA little engine and three cars on a loop of track circling the foot of the tree.
UnwrappingPaper flying in every direction around a child and a box, and a bow stuck to the dog.
Wish listA sheet that unrolls off the table and across the floor, with a toy catalog open beside it.
Wrapping paperA long roll partly unrolled, covered in a repeating pattern of stars, with a box sitting on it.
The Nativity and church 13
AngelA figure in a long robe with wings and a ring of light above the head, blowing a trumpet.
Candlelight serviceRows of people in a dark church, each holding a small candle with a paper collar.
ChoirRows of singers in robes holding open folders, mouths wide, with a conductor in front.
Church bellsA steeple with two bells swinging in the tower and ring lines coming out.
Gold, frankincense and myrrhThree small chests held out on open hands by three crowned figures.
MangerA wooden feeding trough on crossed legs, filled with straw, with a glow above it.
Nativity playA school stage with children in tea-towel headdresses, and one dressed as a sheep waving at the audience.
Nativity sceneA stable with a baby in a manger, two parents, an ox and a donkey. Francis of Assisi staged the first one, with live actors, in Italy in 1223.
Peace on earthA globe with a dove above it carrying a twig, and a ring of joined hands around it.
ShepherdA figure with a crooked staff and a headcloth, sheep at his feet, looking up at the sky.
StableA rough shed with a sloping roof, straw on the floor and animals looking in over the door.
Star of BethlehemOne huge star with a long tail of light pointing down at a small stable.
Three wise menThree crowned figures on camels in a line, each holding a small box and following a star.
From the old carols 14
Boughs of hollyBranches of spiky leaves being hung along a wall by someone on a ladder.
CarolersA huddle of singers at a front door sharing song sheets, with one holding a lantern on a pole.
Figgy puddingA pudding on a plate, and singers at the door with arms folded who will not leave until they get some.
Five gold ringsFive shining rings, one on each finger of a spread hand.
Joy to the worldA globe with a huge smile and both arms thrown in the air.
One-horse open sleighOne horse pulling a low sleigh with no roof and two laughing riders. A famous sleighing song was published under that name in 1857.
Partridge in a pear treeA plump bird sitting in a small tree hung with pears. It is the first gift in a song first printed in London around 1780.
Seven swans a-swimmingLong-necked birds in a line on a pond, each with a small wake behind it.
Silent nightA sleeping village under stars, every window dark, and one finger held to a pair of lips.
Ten lords a-leapingMen in crowns and tights jumping with their knees high, all in a row.
Three ships sailing inThree sailing ships in a row coming into a harbor, with a sunrise behind them.
Twelve days of ChristmasA strip of twelve boxes with a parcel in each, a tree at one end and a crown at the other. The days run from Christmas Day to the eve of Epiphany in January.
Twelve drummers drummingA line of drummers with sticks raised, each with a drum hung at the waist.
Two turtle dovesTwo small birds beak to beak on a branch, with a heart shape in the gap between them.
Around the house in December 16
Advent calendarA grid of little doors, some open with a treat inside. Most have 24, one for each day of December up to Christmas Eve.
Bedtime story on Christmas EveA parent on the edge of a bed with an open book, and a child under the covers who is wide awake.
Cat in the treeA tree leaning to one side with two eyes and a tail showing between the branches, and baubles on the floor.
Christmas marketRows of little wooden huts with pointed roofs, bulbs strung between them and shoppers holding paper cones.
Christmas morningChildren in pajamas at the top of the stairs at sunrise, and parents with coffee mugs who are barely awake.
Christmas movie marathonA sofa of people under one blanket with a big bowl of popcorn, all facing a screen.
Counting the sleepsA child in bed crossing a moon off a wall chart of moons, with a tree on the last square.
Decorating the treeA family around a half-dressed tree, a box of baubles open and one child lifted up to reach the top.
Dog in antlersA dog wearing a headband of felt antlers and looking unimpressed.
Hanging the stockingsA row of socks of different sizes along a mantel, the smallest one for the pet.
MantelpieceA shelf above a hearth with cards standing along it, a garland and a clock.
School holiday concertRows of children on risers, one waving, facing a wall of parents holding up phones.
Shop window displayA shop window with a model train running inside and noses pressed to the glass outside.
Switching on the lightsA town square, a crowd counting down on their fingers and a giant tree bursting into light.
Toy driveA big box by a door filling up with new toys, and a child adding a bear.
Video call with familyA laptop on the dinner table showing faces in paper crowns, all waving.
Hanukkah and other December days 12
Boxing DayA wrapped box handed to a worker at the door the morning after the feast. It is 26 December, a holiday in the United Kingdom and several Commonwealth countries.
Chocolate coinsGold foil discs spilling from a little mesh bag, one of them half unwrapped. An American candy company made the first chocolate Hanukkah gelt in the 1920s.
Crown of candlesA girl in a white gown with a red sash and a ring of candles on her head. It is worn on Saint Lucy's Day, 13 December, most widely in Sweden.
DreidelA four-sided spinning top with a little handle, mid-spin with motion lines. Players spin it for chocolate coins, pennies or raisins.
Eight nightsA row of eight moons with one more candle lit under each.
Jelly doughnutA round doughnut with no hole, sugar on top and a blob of jam at the side. They are fried in oil and eaten at Hanukkah.
LatkesFlat round potato pancakes stacked on a plate beside a frying pan. Fried food at Hanukkah recalls the oil in the story.
Little jug of oilA small jug beside a lamp that keeps burning while the sun rises and sets again and again. In the Hanukkah story, oil for one day burned for eight.
MenorahA candle holder with nine branches, one set higher than the rest. Hanukkah lasts eight nights, and the ninth candle lights the others.
Shoes by the doorA row of shoes by a front door, one holding a carrot and one filled with sweets. Dutch and Belgian children put them out for Saint Nicholas and his horse.
Star piñataA star-shaped piñata on a rope and a blindfolded child with a stick. Children break one at Las Posadas, held from 16 to 24 December, chiefly in Mexico and Central America.
Three Kings DayThree crowns beside three camels walking away from a stable. Epiphany falls on 6 January, the day after the twelfth day of Christmas.
Grown-up Christmas 31
Batteries not includedA shiny toy that does nothing, an empty battery slot and a parent robbing the TV remote.
Charity collectionA collector with a bucket and a hand bell outside a shop, and a shopper dropping in a coin.
Christmas newsletterA long printed sheet falling out of a card, showing a family who are all holding trophies.
Cookie tin full of sewing thingsA round tin with the lid lifted, and inside spools of thread and a pincushion where the cookies should be.
First time hostingA cook with a cookbook in one hand and a phone at one ear, calling a parent, with a raw bird on the counter.
Gift receiptA slip of paper tucked under the tissue in a box, and a wink from the giver.
The good scissorsA hand searching an empty drawer while a child in the next room cuts paper with a big pair.
Holiday bonusAn envelope with a bow on it handed across a desk, and a worker jumping for joy.
Holiday budgetA purse with a moth flying out of it, next to a very long gift list.
Holiday rushA crowded pavement of shoppers with bags in both hands, all hurrying in different directions.
In-laws arrivingA couple at the door with suitcases while the host straightens the cushions in a panic.
January billAn envelope on the doormat in the new year, a long sheet unrolling from it and a face going pale.
Last-minute shoppingA shopper sprinting toward a shop as the shutter comes down, with the moon already up.
Matching pajamasA whole family, dog included, in the same striped pajamas in front of a camera on a stand.
NostalgiaAn adult holding an old ornament, with a thought bubble of a child hanging the same one.
Office partyDesks pushed back, paper hats on work clothes and someone hanging a garland on the photocopier.
One dead bulbA whole string gone dark and an adult testing the bulbs one at a time.
Out of officeAn empty desk chair with a Santa hat on it, a dark screen and a thought bubble of a sofa.
Peace and quietAn adult alone in an armchair with feet up after everyone has gone to bed, tree lights glowing.
RegiftingOne present passing from a first pair of hands to a second and on to a third, with the same bow each time.
Returns lineA long queue at a shop counter the day after, each person holding a bag and a slip of paper.
Secret SantaA hat full of folded slips, a hand drawing one out and a finger on the lips. Each person in the group is given one other to buy for, at random.
Sending cards lateA stack of sealed envelopes beside a calendar page with the big day already crossed off.
Some assembly requiredA parent at midnight surrounded by parts, a tiny wrench and a huge instruction sheet, with one screw left over.
Spirit of givingA figure slipping a wrapped box onto a neighbor's doorstep and tiptoeing away.
Taking the tree downA bare tree dragged out of the door leaving a trail of needles.
Tangled lightsA ball of wire and bulbs with one end found, and an adult sitting on the floor in despair.
Ugly sweater partyA room of people in jumpers covered in pom-poms, tinsel and flashing bulbs, and a trophy for the worst. The craze took off after a party near Vancouver in 2002.
White elephantGuests in a circle, one opening a parcel and another snatching it away. On each turn a player unwraps a new gift or steals one already opened.
Whose turn to hostThree front doors, and the family in each pointing at the next one along.
Wrapping at midnightAn adult on the floor with scissors, tape stuck to the chin and a moon in the window.