The holidays are the perfect time for family fun, laughter, and a little bit of silliness, and that’s exactly what a Christmas Mad Libs game brings to the table!

Whether you’re spending a cozy afternoon at home, hosting a Christmas party, or just looking for a screen-free activity for the kids, Mad Libs are a simple and hilarious way to get everyone involved.

What Are Mad Libs?

Mad Libs are word games where players fill in the blanks of a story with specific types of words, like nouns, verbs, adjectives, or numbers, without knowing the story first. Once all the blanks are filled, you read the story aloud, and the results are usually funny, silly, or completely absurd.

The magic of Mad Libs is that the stories are unpredictable, and the more creative (or ridiculous) the words, the more everyone laughs. 

How to Play Christmas Mad Libs

Playing is super easy and perfect for kids of all ages. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide:

1. Grab a Mad Libs story. You can print out a pre-made story like my free Santa’s Silly Sleigh Ride or make your own.

2. Decide who goes first. Players take turns giving words for the blanks.

3. Ask for the words. For each blank, ask for a specific type of word: a noun, verb, adjective, number, etc. Don’t tell the player the story yet!

4. Fill in the blanks. Write each word into the correct blank in the story.

5. Read it aloud. Once all blanks are filled, read the story to the group. Prepare for lots of giggles, gasps, and maybe a few groans.

6. Optional: Record or save the stories to read again later. Some families love keeping a folder of all the silly Mad Libs from year to year.

Examples of Words to Use

To give you an idea, here are some types of words kids (and adults!) might use in a Christmas Mad Lib:

• Nouns: Santa, reindeer, sleigh, ornament, candy cane

• Adjectives: jolly, fuzzy, sparkling, slippery, enormous

• Verbs: dash, decorate, tiptoe, tumble, unwrap

• Numbers: 5, 12, 100, 1,000

• Plural nouns: gifts, stockings, cookies, elves, snowflakes

• Emotions: excited, nervous, silly, sleepy

The fun is in picking silly words that don’t necessarily fit the story, they make it way more entertaining!

Example Christmas Mad Lib Story

Here’s a little taste of what a completed Christmas Mad Lib might look like.

One jolly Christmas Eve, Santa hopped into his sparkling sleigh. He shouted, “Dash to the rooftops, my enormous reindeer!” With a tumble, they flew over 1,000 houses, dropping cookies and ornaments everywhere. The elves were excited, and even Mrs. Claus couldn’t stop tiptoeing around the workshop. It was truly a silly night full of giggles and holiday cheer!

See how goofy it gets? That’s the whole point, it’s laughter therapy with a festive twist!

Free Printable Christmas Mad Lib: Santa’s Silly Sleigh Ride

Download the Free Christmas Mad Libs Game 

To make things even easier, I’ve created a completely free printable Christmas Mad Lib called Santa’s Silly Sleigh Ride.

• Perfect for: Kids, family game nights, classroom activities, holiday parties

• How to get it: Simply download the PDF, no sign-ups, no payment, just pure Christmas fun!

• Bonus: It’s designed to be kid-friendly with easy-to-understand instructions and lots of blanks for creative words.

You can print it off and if you have multiple kids or friends over, everyone can have a turn at choosing the funny words. 

Tips for Making Christmas Mad Libs Extra Fun

Here are some ideas to take your Mad Libs game to the next level:

1. Team Play: Divide into teams and see which group can come up with the silliest words.

2. Holiday Prizes: Give small prizes for the funniest, most creative, or most outrageous Mad Lib. Candy canes or little Christmas stickers work perfectly.

3. Mix & Match: Combine different Mad Lib stories or make your own by writing a simple holiday story and leaving blanks.

4. Use Weird Words: Encourage kids to pick the funniest, weirdest words they can think of, often, the most absurd words make the story unforgettable.

Make Your Own Christmas Mad Libs

If you want to get even more creative, you can make your own stories. Here’s a simple formula:

1. Write a short Christmas story. Keep it simple, 3–5 paragraphs is plenty.

2. Highlight the nouns, verbs, adjectives, numbers, and other fun words.

3. Replace them with blanks labeled by the type of word needed. For example:

“Santa ______ (verb) down the ______ (adjective) chimney with a sack full of ______ (plural noun).”

4. Play the game and enjoy the silly results!

Making your own Mad Libs is fun because you can tailor the story to your family, your pets, or even local traditions. Imagine a story about your own dog as a reindeer—it’s guaranteed to get laughs.

Using Mad Libs for Christmas Parties and Classrooms

Christmas Mad Libs aren’t just for home, they’re perfect for classrooms and parties too:

• Classrooms: Keep kids engaged during holiday activities, especially if they need a calm but fun indoor activity.

• Holiday Parties: Mad Libs are a great icebreaker for kids and adults alike.

• Virtual Parties: Share the story via video call and have each person fill in blanks verbally.

They’re also a sneaky way to practice parts of speech without it feeling like homework. Win-win!

Christmas Mad Libs are a holiday classic for a reason. They’re easy, funny, and perfect for kids of all ages. Whether you print out my free Santa’s Silly Sleigh Ride story or make your own, you’re in for a lot of laughs, giggles, and maybe even a few groans from the sillier words.

So grab your pencils, rally the family, and start filling in those blanks! Your Christmas will be a little brighter, a little sillier, and a whole lot more fun.

Don’t forget: You can download Santa’s Silly Sleigh Ride Mad Libs completely free, no sign-ups needed. Print it, play it, and let the holiday silliness begin!