Name That Christmas Tune: Rules and Song List
Hum, whistle or play a few notes and let your team guess the Christmas song. Get easy rules, a list of 30 songs and ideas for kids, teens and adults.
Players4+Ages5+Time20 minutes
What You Need
In Name That Christmas Tune, one player hums a song and the others race to name it. It is easy, loud and great for families who love carols.
How to Set Up
- Make two teams.
- Put a bell or buzzer in the middle, or use a spoon and a cup.
- Pick a host who keeps the song list and the score.
- Agree on how to give the tune: humming, whistling, tapping or playing music.
Song List
- Jingle Bells
- Silent Night
- Deck the Halls
- Joy to the World
- We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- O Come, All Ye Faithful
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Frosty the Snowman
- Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town
- Away in a Manger
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- The First Noel
- Up on the Housetop
- Let It Snow
- Winter Wonderland
- Jingle Bell Rock
- Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
- Silver Bells
- Little Drummer Boy
- Here Comes Santa Claus
- O Christmas Tree
- Carol of the Bells
- God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
- It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
- I’ll Be Home for Christmas
- Feliz Navidad
- Sleigh Ride
- The Twelve Days of Christmas
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
- Good King Wenceslas
How to Play
- The host picks a song from the list in secret and chooses a player to hum it.
- The hummer gives 5 to 10 seconds of the tune. No words allowed.
- The first team to ring the bell gets to guess.
- If the guess is right, the team scores a point. If wrong, the other team can guess.
- The hummer rotates each round.
Scoring and Winning
Each right answer is worth one point. Name the song and the next line for a bonus point. First team to 10 points wins.
Tips for a Fun Game
- Start with easy songs so everyone joins in.
- Let kids hum their favorites too.
- If nobody guesses, hum for 5 more seconds.
- Play a short snippet on a phone for a harder round.
Variations
- Little kids: Let them clap the rhythm or act out the song.
- Lyric round: Say one line and teams finish the next line.
- Adults: Players must guess the song from only the beat tapped on a table.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play Name That Christmas Tune?
One person hums a few notes of a Christmas song. Teams race to name it. The first team to ring the bell with the right answer wins the point.
What Christmas songs are best for this game?
Pick songs most people know, like Jingle Bells or Silent Night. Add a few harder ones for older players.
Can you play without singing?
Yes. Whistle, tap the rhythm on a table, or play the first few seconds of a song on a phone.
