How to play Christmas song bingo
- Give each player a card and a pen or a few markers; no two cards in the set are alike, and the center square is free.
- Play the first 20 to 30 seconds of a song from the caller’s list, such as “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” or “Blue Christmas”, from your own records, CDs, a radio app or a streaming playlist.
- Players who recognize the song mark its title if it is on their card. Tick it off on the caller’s list, then play the next one.
- Five in a row across, down or diagonally wins. For longer games, try the bingo patterns.
About these cards
Carols and holiday classics on a bingo card: Silent Night and Joy to the World alongside White Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Jingle Bell Rock. Christmas song bingo for holiday parties at the senior center, church socials, classrooms and family gatherings.
Ideas for your Christmas song bingo game
Christmas song bingo fits a holiday party at a senior center, a church social or a family gathering. The cards mix carols most people learned as children with the radio favorites of the 1940s and 50s, so every generation knows some of the titles.
For a quieter version, skip the recordings and sing the first line of each song yourself, or ask a pianist to play a few bars. The caller’s list marks which songs are traditional, so you know which ones are easy to find in a hymnal or carol book.
All 38 songs on these cards
| Song | Best-known recording, or origin |
|---|---|
| White Christmas | Bing Crosby, 1942 |
| I’ll Be Home for Christmas | Bing Crosby, 1943 |
| Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas | Judy Garland, 1944 |
| Let It Snow | Vaughn Monroe, 1945 |
| The Christmas Song | Nat King Cole, 1946 |
| Here Comes Santa Claus | Gene Autry, 1947 |
| Sleigh Ride | Leroy Anderson, 1948 |
| Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer | Gene Autry, 1949 |
| Frosty the Snowman | Gene Autry, 1950 |
| Silver Bells | Bing Crosby and Carol Richards, 1950 |
| Mele Kalikimaka | Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters, 1950 |
| Santa Baby | Eartha Kitt, 1953 |
| Blue Christmas | Elvis Presley, 1957 |
| Jingle Bell Rock | Bobby Helms, 1957 |
| Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree | Brenda Lee, 1958 |
| The Little Drummer Boy | Harry Simeone Chorale, 1958 |
| Run Rudolph Run | Chuck Berry, 1958 |
| Feliz Navidad | José Feliciano, 1970 |
| Winter Wonderland | Song from 1934 |
| Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town | Song from 1934 |
| Jingle Bells | Song from 1857 |
| Up on the Housetop | Song from 1864 |
| Silent Night | Traditional |
| O Holy Night | Traditional |
| Joy to the World | Traditional |
| Deck the Halls | Traditional |
| We Wish You a Merry Christmas | Traditional |
| Away in a Manger | Traditional |
| Hark! The Herald Angels Sing | Traditional |
| The First Noel | Traditional |
| Jolly Old Saint Nicholas | Traditional |
| The Twelve Days of Christmas | Traditional |
| O Little Town of Bethlehem | Traditional |
| Go Tell It on the Mountain | Traditional |
| Good King Wenceslas | Traditional |
| O Christmas Tree | Traditional |
| Angels We Have Heard on High | Traditional |
| What Child Is This | Traditional |
Questions
What is Christmas song bingo?
It is music bingo with Christmas songs: the host plays or sings a few lines of a song, and players with that title on their card mark it. Five in a row wins.
Do the cards include religious carols?
Yes. Nearly half of the titles are traditional carols such as Silent Night and O Holy Night; the rest are popular songs like White Christmas and Jingle Bell Rock. Use “Edit the words” to swap titles for your group.
Where do I get the music?
Use your own recordings, a radio app or a streaming service; the caller’s list names the best-known recording of each popular song. The traditional carols can simply be sung.