Christmas Riddles for Kids
Updated November 2026 · 8 free printables
Twenty-five Christmas riddles for kids with answers: reindeer, elves, sleighs, stockings, carols and the brick tunnel Santa slides down. They make a quick game for the car ride to Grandma's or a holiday class party.
Print the Christmas "What am I?" worksheets (kindergarten, 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade), two pages of Christmas riddle cards with the answers upside down (an easy set and a harder set), Christmas math riddles about cookies, lights and candy canes, and Christmas joke cards for the lunchbox. Everything is free and in color.
25 Christmas Riddles with Answers
I come down the chimney once a year with a big sack of toys. Who am I?
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Santa Claus.
I have antlers, and I help pull Santa's sleigh across the sky. What am I?
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A reindeer.
I have pointy ears, and I make toys in Santa's workshop. What am I?
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An elf.
I am a song people sing from door to door in December. What am I?
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A Christmas carol.
My walls are cookies and my roof is covered in candy. You can eat me! What am I?
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A gingerbread house.
I come on a long string and twinkle in many colors on the tree. What am I?
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Christmas lights.
Santa checks me twice to see who has been naughty or nice. What am I?
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His list.
I am a cake rolled up to look like a piece of wood. What am I?
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A Yule log.
You leave me out for Santa with a glass of milk. What am I?
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Cookies.
I am the shiny paper you rip off a present. What am I?
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Wrapping paper.
I am the night just before Christmas Day. What am I?
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Christmas Eve.
I am the snowy place where Santa lives. What am I?
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The North Pole.
I am a plant with bright red leaves that you see everywhere at Christmas. What am I?
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A poinsettia.
I have shiny, prickly green leaves and bright red berries. What am I?
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Holly.
I am a creamy holiday drink made with milk and eggs and topped with nutmeg. What am I?
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Eggnog.
What goes "oh, oh, oh"?
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Santa walking backward.
I have runners but I can't run. Reindeer pull me. What am I?
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A sleigh.
I sit at the very top of the Christmas tree. I might be a star or an angel. What am I?
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A tree topper.
I have a little door for every day until Christmas. What am I?
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An Advent calendar.
I am a wooden soldier who cracks nuts in my jaws. What am I?
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A nutcracker.
I am the month when Christmas comes. What am I?
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December.
I am a long string of popcorn, beads or tinsel draped around the tree. What am I?
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A garland.
I come in the mail with a holiday picture on the front and a message inside. What am I?
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A Christmas card.
I am the brick tunnel Santa slides down. What am I?
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A chimney.
What do you call Santa when he takes a break?
Show answer
Santa Pause.
All 8 Christmas Riddles for Kids, One by One
Here is a closer look at every page in this collection: what it practices, which grade it fits and a tip for each one.
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1. What Am I? Christmas Riddles (Kindergarten)
Four Christmas riddles: a Christmas tree, a snowman, a candy cane and a stocking. A free printable kindergarten "What am I?" riddle worksheet in color: kids read 4 riddles and circle the picture that answers each one. Answer key on page 2. Kindergartners can point under each word with a finger as they read it out loud. Red, green and gold make a classic Christmas palette.
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2. What Am I? Christmas Riddles (Grade 3)
Five Christmas riddles with longer clues: a tree, a gingerbread man, a wreath, an ornament and a bell. A free printable 3rd grade "What am I?" riddle worksheet in color: kids read 5 riddles and write each answer from a picture bank. Answer key on page 2. It is aimed at third grade readers, around ages 8 to 9. Add white for snow.
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3. What Am I? Christmas Riddles (Grade 1)
Five Christmas riddles for 1st grade: a reindeer, a snow globe, a Christmas light, a present and a sleigh. A free printable 1st grade "What am I?" riddle worksheet in color: kids read 5 riddles and circle the picture that answers each one. Answer key on page 2. It matches first grade reading goals, roughly ages 6 to 7. Add white for snow.
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4. What Am I? Christmas Riddles (Grade 2)
Five Christmas riddles for 2nd grade: a stocking, a candy cane, a star, a Santa hat and a bell. A free printable 2nd grade "What am I?" riddle worksheet in color: kids read 5 riddles and draw a line to the matching picture (one picture is extra). Answer key on page 2. Second graders usually finish it in 10 to 15 minutes, reading the text twice before the questions. Red, green and gold make a classic Christmas palette.
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5. Christmas Riddle Cards for Kids
Eight Christmas riddle cards: a present, a star, a Santa hat, a candy cane, a candle and more. Cut out the 8 cards; each answer is printed upside down at the bottom, with a small picture, so kids can quiz a friend. A free color printable for 1st grade and up. First graders can read it on their own and ask for help only with the trickier words. Red, green and gold make a classic Christmas palette.
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6. Harder Christmas Riddle Cards (Grade 3)
Eight harder Christmas riddles with clever clues: reindeer facts, the first electric tree lights and more. Cut out the 8 cards; each answer is printed upside down at the bottom, with a small picture, so kids can quiz a friend. A free color printable for 3rd grade and up. It is aimed at third grade readers, around ages 8 to 9. Add white for snow.
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7. Christmas Math Riddles: What Number Am I? (Grade 3)
Eight Christmas number riddles for 3rd grade about cookies, lights, candy canes and bells: multiples, rounding, square numbers and place value to 999. Every riddle has exactly one answer. Answer key on page 2. Third graders can use it for independent reading practice and to look back in the text for evidence. Red, green and gold make a classic Christmas palette.
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8. Christmas Jokes for Kids: Lunchbox Cards
Eight Christmas jokes: elves at school, Santa's black belt, orna-mints, cookie sheets and more. 8 printable lunchbox joke cards in color: cut out a card, fold it on the dotted line and the punchline hides on the back. Clean, kind jokes that are easy for 2nd grade readers. Second graders usually finish it in 10 to 15 minutes, reading the text twice before the questions. Red, green and gold make a classic Christmas palette.
Tips for parents and teachers
- Read one riddle a day as an Advent countdown.
- Let kids answer by drawing the answer instead of saying it.
- Mix in the Christmas joke cards for a laugh after a hard riddle.
Did you know?
- Poinsettias come from Mexico, where they grow as large shrubs.
- Candy canes have been a Christmas treat for well over a hundred years.
- A Yule log cake is called a bûche de Noël in France.
Fun ways to use your printables
- Tuck a riddle card into each stocking.
- Write riddles on paper ornaments and hang them on the tree.
- Host a riddle round at the family Christmas dinner.
How to print
Click Download PDF and print at 100% on US Letter or A4 paper. Page 1 is the worksheet and page 2 is the answer key, so choose “page 1” in the print dialog if you only want the practice page. Every worksheet is free for home, homeschool and classroom use, so print as many copies as you need.
Frequently asked questions
What are good Christmas riddles for a class party?
Short "What am I?" riddles about things everyone knows, like a candy cane, a stocking or a snowman, work best for a group. Read the riddle and let the first hand up answer.
How can I use the riddle cards at Christmas?
Tuck one card in each stocking, hide them on the tree or use them as a countdown with one riddle a day in December.
Are these riddles religious?
No. They are about the fun parts of the season that most families share, like trees, lights, cookies, snow and Santa.
What ages are they for?
There is a worksheet for every grade from kindergarten to 3rd grade: the younger pages use short words and pictures to circle, the older ones longer clues to read. The first riddle card set suits 1st and 2nd grade, the harder set and the math riddles 3rd grade.