Last updated: October 15, 2026
48 Christmas Pictionary Words for Friends and Family
Familiar decorations, festive food, and small holiday mishaps that are fun to draw with a mouse or a finger.
A Christmas drawing game can be as simple as two people, a few festive words, and a sketch that goes completely wrong. Start with a bell, a stocking, or the tree in your own living room. Once everyone has had a turn, add trickier scenes such as untangling lights or rescuing burnt cookies. The 48 prompts below give you enough variety for either a small family game or a group of friends.
Before you play, check which traditions are familiar to your group. A Christmas cracker is obvious in some households and puzzling in others. Remove unfamiliar answers rather than making somebody explain their background during a timed turn. For a group that does not celebrate Christmas, use a winter theme instead: mittens, snowflakes, sleds, and hot drinks.
12 decorations and objects
A gentle opening set. Give each object one clear feature instead of drawing an entire living room.
- Christmas tree
- star
- bell
- stocking
- gift box
- ribbon
- wreath
- candle
- snow globe
- ornament
- fairy lights
- Christmas card
12 festive characters and winter words
Choose this set when your players recognize the characters. The winter objects are useful for a less holiday-specific game.
- Santa
- elf
- reindeer
- snowman
- sleigh
- snowflake
- mittens
- scarf
- sled
- icicle
- snow boots
- Santa hat
12 food and table prompts
Some foods share an outline. Add a cut slice, decoration, or serving dish to make the answer clearer.
- gingerbread man
- candy cane
- hot chocolate
- roast turkey
- Christmas pudding
- mince pie
- gingerbread house
- sugar cookie
- cinnamon roll
- marshmallow
- Christmas cracker
- fruitcake
12 holiday scenes
Use these for players ready to draw actions. The intended answer is the whole phrase, not just the easiest object in it.
- wrapping a present
- decorating the tree
- hanging stockings
- building a snowman
- untangling lights
- burning the cookies
- singing carols
- pulling a cracker
- Santa stuck in a chimney
- a cat climbing the tree
- a melting snowman
- an elf on a coffee break
Start with a six-word family game
Try “gift box,” “bell,” “stocking,” “snowman,” “Santa hat,” and “Christmas tree” for an easy first game. On paper, alternate drawing and guessing. In a private DoodleGuesser room, each player uses their own browser and takes the turns assigned by the game. Keep the harder food words and longer scenes for later.
After revealing an answer, ask the drawer which detail was supposed to give it away. Then let the guesser explain what they thought they were seeing. A stocking mistaken for a boot can become the joke of the evening. Give those little conversations time before starting the next turn.
Choose the names before you start the timer
Ask everyone what they call the decorations in the first group. If your family says “bauble,” replace “ornament” with that word before creating the game. If you say “present,” use it instead of “gift box.” Do not put both names for the same picture into the pack: a player can draw the right thing while the guesser keeps typing the other answer.
The same check helps with food. Someone who has never seen a mince pie cannot identify it from an excellent drawing. Replace unfamiliar foods with objects your group recognizes. For coworkers, leave out private family references. For a small family game, a familiar object from your own decorations can be a better prompt than the most traditional item on an internet list.
Three drawing decisions that save time
Draw “wreath” as a ring with leaves and a bow. A plain ring can look like a doughnut, so put the bow in early. For “snow globe,” add a base and a little scene inside the circle. For “gingerbread house,” draw the house first, then the candy roof or icing. These distinguishing features do more work than careful shading.
With a phrase, sketch the action before polishing the characters. “Untangling lights” needs hands and a messy knot of wire. “Santa stuck in a chimney” needs the body wedged into the chimney, perhaps with boots sticking out. If guessers identify Santa immediately, keep adding the chimney relationship instead of drawing a more elaborate beard.
Set up an online Christmas game
Use a private DoodleGuesser room and paste your chosen words into the custom words field. The complete pack below contains 48 entries. A four-round game with eight players uses 32 turns, leaving spare words in the pool. Send the room link to your group, and let each person join from their own browser.
If you are also on a video call, keep the call for conversation and reactions. Each player should view the game directly. Sharing the drawer’s whole screen can reveal the answer choices. For a larger gathering, split into rooms of up to eight players and give each group the same pack. Compare favorite sketches afterward rather than trying to coordinate one oversized game.
An alternative for children who want to draw together
Give each person a sheet of paper divided into six boxes. Call out the six starter words above, one at a time, and have everyone draw each object. When the sheets are full, repeat the words in a different order. Players point to their own matching sketches. For younger children, use just three familiar objects to begin with.
Everyone draws at the same time in this paper warm-up, so there is no waiting for a turn. Once the group is ready, switch to a private browser game, where one player draws while the others guess. Explain the change before starting so children know whether they should be drawing or looking for an answer.
The complete pack to copy
Select the text below and paste it into a private room’s custom words field. You can remove entries before using the pack.
Christmas tree, star, bell, stocking, gift box, ribbon, wreath, candle, snow globe, ornament, fairy lights, Christmas card, Santa, elf, reindeer, snowman, sleigh, snowflake, mittens, scarf, sled, icicle, snow boots, Santa hat, gingerbread man, candy cane, hot chocolate, roast turkey, Christmas pudding, mince pie, gingerbread house, sugar cookie, cinnamon roll, marshmallow, Christmas cracker, fruitcake, wrapping a present, decorating the tree, hanging stockings, building a snowman, untangling lights, burning the cookies, singing carols, pulling a cracker, Santa stuck in a chimney, a cat climbing the tree, a melting snowman, an elf on a coffee break
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