Christmas Songs for Kids: 60 Holiday Songs and Sing-Alongs, From Toddlers to Tweens

The best Christmas songs for kids are catchy, repetitive sing-alongs like Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman for little ones, plus movie songs, funny songs and pop hits for older kids and tweens.

Christmas songs for kids turn ordinary December moments into traditions: the car ride to grandma’s, decorating the tree, baking cookies, the last song before lights out. The trick is picking the right songs for your child’s age, so toddlers get something they can act out and tweens get something they will not roll their eyes at.

Below are 60 songs: classic carols, mid-century favorites, toddler action songs, movie and TV songs, funny songs, Hanukkah and winter songs, plus concert tips and a playlist plan by age. We list who wrote each song when a reliable source confirms it, and we describe songs in our own words instead of printing lyrics.

Christmas Songs for Kids at a Glance

Songwriter names and years below come from ASCAP’s holiday song charts, the Library of Congress and Encyclopaedia Britannica, checked in October 2026. Where sources give different years, we list the decade or leave the year out. We describe every song in our own words and never print lyrics, so look them up on your music service or at the library.

Classic Christmas Carols Kids Love

Carols are the songs your child will hear at school, at services and in every holiday store, and they connect grandparents and grandkids. Here are 16 to teach first.

• Jingle Bells: ASCAP credits it to James Lord Pierpont. It is about a fast sleigh ride, so it fits all winter. Let kids shake bells on the beat.
• Silent Night: Britannica notes Joseph Mohr wrote the words and Franz Gruber the melody in the early 1800s. It is the most recorded Christmas song in the United States, according to a 2014 analysis of copyright data that Britannica cites. It is perfect at bedtime.
• Joy to the World: a bright, bold carol and the runner-up in that same recording count.
• Deck the Halls: a cheerful song about decorating with holly, famous for its long string of nonsense syllables that even toddlers can join.
• We Wish You a Merry Christmas: a short, friendly carol with a funny bit about demanding pudding.
• Away in a Manger: a gentle cradle song about baby Jesus sleeping in the hay; a natural lullaby.
• O Christmas Tree: a song in praise of the evergreen tree. Sing it while you decorate the tree.
• Up on the Housetop: Santa lands on the roof and climbs down the chimney with gifts. Add hoof-tapping for little ones.
• Jolly Old Saint Nicholas: a child quietly asks Santa for presents. Kids love adding their own wish-list verses.
• The Twelve Days of Christmas: a long counting song where gifts pile up. Give each child a day to stand up for.
• Hark! The Herald Angels Sing: a soaring carol about angels announcing the birth of Jesus, best for older kids.
• O Come, All Ye Faithful: an invitation to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
• The First Noel: a slow carol about shepherds and the star, with an easy repeating chorus.
• Angels We Have Heard on High: known for one very long, swooping word in the chorus that kids find hilarious to hold.
• Good King Wenceslas: a king braves the snow to help a poor man; a nice opener for talking about giving.
• Carol of the Bells: ASCAP credits Mykola Leontovych and Peter Wilhousky (1936). Its fast, ringing pattern sounds like bells.

If your family celebrates differently, enjoy the melodies or pick from the winter songs further down.

Mid-Century Christmas Favorites

Many of the songs that fill holiday radio date from the 1930s to the 1960s, as ASCAP’s holiday charts show. According to ASCAP, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town was the most played holiday song across five decades of its performance data (as reported in 2016).

• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: by Johnny Marks (1949). A reindeer gets teased for his glowing nose, then becomes the hero on a foggy night. A gentle way to talk about kindness.
• Frosty the Snowman: by Steve Nelson and Walter E. Rollins (1950). A snowman comes to life, plays all over town, and promises to come back.
• Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town: by Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie (1934). Santa is keeping track of who is naughty and nice. Keep the tone playful for sensitive kids who worry about being watched.
• Here Comes Santa Claus: by Gene Autry and Oakley Haldeman (1947). A march-along song about Santa’s arrival.
• A Holly Jolly Christmas: by Johnny Marks (1962). Short, sunny and easy to memorize.
• Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree: by Johnny Marks (1958). A rock and roll party song for dancing.
• Jingle Bell Rock: by Joseph Carleton Beal and James Ross Boothe (1950s). A twangy, upbeat twist on jingle bells.
• It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas: by Meredith Willson (1951). A tour of decorated shops and toy wishes.
• The Christmas Song: by Mel Torme and Robert Wells (1946). A slow, cozy song about chestnuts and kids waiting for Santa.
• It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year: by Edward Pola and George Wyle (1963). A swirling list of holiday fun.
• Silver Bells: by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston (1950). Busy, sparkly city sidewalks at Christmas.
• Home for the Holidays: by Robert Allen and Al Stillman (1954). A good one for the car ride to see family.
• Do You Hear What I Hear?: by Gloria Shayne Baker and Noel Regney (1962). A slow story passed from one character to the next.
• The Little Drummer Boy: by Katherine Davis, Henry Onorati and Harry Simeone, per ASCAP. A poor boy offers the only gift he has: his drumming.
• Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas: by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin (1940s). Tender and slow.
• Feliz Navidad: by Jose Feliciano (1970). A short, joyful song in Spanish and English that kids learn in one listen.
• White Christmas: by Irving Berlin. Bing Crosby first sang it on the radio on Christmas Day 1941 and then in the 1942 film Holiday Inn, and Britannica calls his recording the best-selling single of all time.

Christmas Songs for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Children aged 2 to 5 do best with short, repetitive songs that give their hands and feet something to do. A steady beat, a big motion to copy and a grown-up singing along is enough. Jingle Bells, Up on the Housetop, Rudolph, Frosty and We Wish You a Merry Christmas are all easy wins.

You can also make your own action songs by putting holiday words to tunes your child already knows from our favorite kids songs list. Six we like:

• Reindeer Pokey: do the Hokey Pokey with antlers (hands on head), a tail and a shiny nose.
• I’m a Little Snowman: sing to the I’m a Little Teapot tune: show your carrot nose, round tummy and stick arms, then melt to the floor.
• Five Little Reindeer: a countdown finger play. One reindeer at a time flies off to help Santa until none are left.
• The Wheels on Santa’s Sleigh: use the Wheels on the Bus tune for bells that jingle, reindeer that prance and Santa who laughs.
• If You’re Merry and You Know It: swap claps for ho-ho-hos, jingles and reindeer stomps.
• Twinkle, Twinkle, Christmas Star: the familiar lullaby tune with words about the star on top of the tree.

Repeat the same few songs all season. Toddlers love knowing what comes next, and by mid-December they will be leading you. For more call-and-response ideas, see our sing-along songs.

Movie and TV Christmas Songs

Many kids meet holiday music through a favorite movie or special first. Pair a song with its film for a cozy night in, and find more titles in our Christmas movies for kids guide. Check your streaming services; availability changes.

The Library of Congress has added the A Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack to its National Recording Registry. Its quiet jazz is a favorite with parents too.

The 1966 Grinch special is narrated by Boris Karloff, and Thurl Ravenscroft, who sang the Grinch song, went uncredited. The song is grumpy and growly in a funny way, but very young children sometimes find the Grinch himself a little menacing. Watch your child’s face the first time and turn it down if needed.

Funny Christmas Songs for Kids

School-age kids love silly songs. These six are kid-friendly:

• The Chipmunk Song: sung in sped-up chipmunk voices, with one chipmunk who keeps messing up.
• I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas: a child asks for the least practical present possible.
• All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth: a gap-toothed kid’s wish, perfect for the year your child loses a front tooth.
• Nuttin’ for Christmas: a self-confessed troublemaker lists all the mischief that has landed them on the naughty list.
• Must Be Santa: a call-and-response song where kids shout out the answers to questions about who has a beard, a red suit and a sleigh.
• Dominick the Donkey: a novelty song about a donkey who helps Santa deliver gifts in Italy.

A heads-up: some funny holiday songs are written for grown-ups. Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, for example, is dark comedy that can upset a little one who takes it literally. Preview anything new before you play it for preschoolers.

Hanukkah and Other Winter Holiday Songs Kids Learn at School

Many classrooms sing songs from several December holidays. Hanukkah lasts eight days and nights, and families light one more candle on the menorah each evening, according to Britannica. Children play with the dreidel, a four-sided top with a Hebrew letter on each side, and songs and games are part of the celebration.

• I Have a Little Dreidel: the simple song about a spinning dreidel that many kids learn first. Spin a real dreidel while you sing.
• Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah: a lively, happy song about the holiday and its candles.
• Maoz Tzur: a Hanukkah hymn many families sing during the holiday. Ask a Jewish friend or your child’s teacher which version their community uses.

If your child’s class also marks Kwanzaa, Diwali or another celebration, ask the teacher which songs they are learning so you can play them at home. Treat every holiday’s songs with care: learn what the words mean and say the names correctly.

Winter Songs That Aren’t About Christmas

Winter songs suit every family and keep the music going into January.

• Winter Wonderland: Felix Bernard and Richard B. Smith (1934). A walk in the snow, building a snowman, and daydreams by the fire.
• Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!: Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne (1945). Staying cozy inside while the snow piles up.
• Sleigh Ride: Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish. Bright and fast, with sounds like horse hooves and a whip crack. Try clapping along on the clip-clop.
• Frosty the Snowman: no Santa, just a snowman and a happy day of play.
• Jingle Bells: it is really a song about a winter sleigh ride, not Christmas.
• Do You Want to Build a Snowman?: a winter song about sisters and snow from Frozen.
• Over the River and Through the Wood: a snowy sleigh ride to grandmother’s house that fits Thanksgiving too.

Best Christmas Songs for Kids in a School Holiday Concert

The best concert songs are short, have a repeating chorus, sit in a comfortable middle range and leave room for motions or simple instruments.

• Practice at home in short bursts: one verse at breakfast, one in the car.
• A mixed program of winter songs and songs from several holidays lets every family feel included.
• Nervous? Let your child perform for stuffed animals first, then family.

How to Use Christmas Songs All Season

• Car rides: keep a short playlist ready and let kids take turns choosing.
• Decorating: play Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree while you hang ornaments, and give little hands the unbreakable ones.
• Baking: Jingle Bells and Feliz Navidad have a good stirring beat. Find more seasonal projects in our Christmas activities for kids and Christmas crafts for kids.
• Games: play musical freeze with a holiday playlist, or a name-that-tune round with three seconds of each song. Our Christmas games and Christmas trivia pair well.
• Bedtime wind-down: Keep the hour before bed calm: Silent Night, Away in a Manger, The Christmas Song and Christmas Time Is Here are slow enough to work as lullabies. Our best lullabies for babies and toddler bedtime routine guides have more.

If you sing your baby to sleep, finish the song and then lay them down on their back in their own crib or bassinet, on a firm, flat surface with no pillows, blankets or toys, even during the holidays.

Keep the volume comfortable, too: if you have to raise your voice to talk over the music, turn it down.

A Holiday Playlist Plan by Age

For tweens, the pop hits are what friends are singing: Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff’s All I Want for Christmas Is You (1994), Kelly Clarkson and Greg Kurstin’s Underneath the Tree (2013), and Ariana Grande and Savan Kotecha’s Santa Tell Me (2013). Let them build the family playlist.

Related Betteroo Guides

• Christmas Movies for Kids
• Christmas Activities for Kids
• Christmas Games for Kids
• Christmas Crafts for Kids
• Halloween Songs for Kids
• Best Lullabies for Babies

The Bottom Line

The best Christmas songs for kids are the ones you sing together. Start with a handful of easy classics, add a few silly songs and one or two movie favorites, mix in winter and Hanukkah songs your child hears at school, and save the slow carols for bedtime. Preview anything new for little ones, keep the volume comfortable, and let your child pick the encore. For year-round singing, try our Halloween songs for kids.

Frequently Asked Questions