Christmas Dice Game Printable: Rules, Worked Example and Tips

A Christmas dice game printable is one of the easiest ways to get the whole family round the table in December: print a sheet, find two dice and a pencil, and you are playing within minutes. In this guide we explain Star on Top, our roll and write Christmas game, with the full rules on one page, a worked example of the first five rolls, strategy tips and ideas for playing again and again, or on your own.

A quick note: "Christmas dice game" is also the name people give to a gift exchange, where players roll a die to swap or steal wrapped presents. Star on Top is a different kind of game. Nobody needs presents on the table, just two dice, a pencil and a printed tree for everyone.

What you need

• One printed Christmas tree sheet per player (A4 or US Letter)
• Two ordinary dice
• A pencil for each player
• 15 to 20 minutes

The game is for 1 to 6 players aged 6 and up, and everyone plays at the same time, so nobody sits waiting for their turn.

How to play the Christmas dice game: rules on one page

Each player has a Christmas tree with 21 empty baubles in 6 rows. Your goal is to hang as many baubles as you can, light up the garlands and reach the star at the top.

1. Roll. One player rolls two dice for everyone.
2. Choose. Each player picks one of the two numbers.
3. Write. Write that number in an empty bauble on your own tree.
   • The bottom row takes any number.
   • Higher up, a bauble can only hang when both baubles below it are already hung.
   • Its number must be the same as or bigger than the smaller of the two numbers below.
4. No room? If neither number fits anywhere, cross out (X) one empty bauble.
5. Finish. After 21 rolls, everyone counts their points.

Scoring

• Every hung bauble that is not golden: 1 point.
• The 6 golden baubles score their number (a 6 in a golden bauble is worth 6 points).
• The 3 garlands light up when all their numbers are different and none is crossed out: bottom garland 6 points, middle 4, top 3.
• Hang the top bauble, colour the star and add 5 points.

The player with the most points wins.

A worked example: the first 5 rolls

Here is how the opening of a game might look for one player, let's call her Ellie. Rows are counted from the bottom.

1. Roll 1: 2 and 5. Ellie writes the 2 in the bottom row. Small numbers low down keep the tree flexible.
2. Roll 2: 4 and 6. She writes the 4 in the bottom row, right next to the 2. Now the bauble above those two can hang, because both baubles below it are filled.
3. Roll 3: 3 and 6. Ellie writes the 3 in row 2, above the 2 and the 4. The smaller number below is 2, and 3 is bigger, so it fits.
4. Roll 4: 1 and 1. A double one. No problem: the bottom row takes any number, so she writes 1 next to the 4.
5. Roll 5: 2 and 6. The bauble in row 2 above the 4 and the 1 is now free. The smaller number below is 1, so the 2 fits there. She could also have saved the 6 for a golden bauble, if one were free.

After five rolls Ellie has five hung baubles, three in the bottom row and two in row 2, so at least 5 points already. The bauble in row 3 above the 3 and the 2 is now free too, and it needs at least a 2. The tree is growing, and the low numbers at the bottom leave plenty of room for anything that comes next.

Notice what would have happened if she had written the 5 and the 6 on rolls 1 and 2: the bauble above them would then need at least a 5, so only a 5 or a 6 would ever fit there. That is the heart of the game.

Strategy tips

• Normal bauble: take the smaller die. Golden bauble: take the bigger die. This is the single best tip from the rules. Players who always write the bigger number quickly push up the minimum for the rows above and end up crossing out more baubles.
• Keep the bottom row low. The smaller of two neighbouring numbers sets the minimum for the bauble above them.
• Save big numbers for the golden baubles. They score their number, so a 6 there earns far more than in a normal bauble.
• Watch the garlands. All numbers in a garland must be different, so avoid repeating a number in the same garland when you have a choice.
• Aim for the star. Getting to the top is worth 5 points on top of the bauble itself, so keep a path open up the middle.

Play again and again (and on your own)

Here is a tip that saves paper all through the holidays: slide a tree sheet into a clear plastic sleeve and write on it with a whiteboard marker. Wipe it clean and you are ready for the next game.

The game also works solo. Roll the dice yourself, fill your tree and try to beat your best score.

For more family game ideas built around this printable, read our main article on Star on Top, the printable Christmas game for the whole family.

Free printable or full edition?

The free edition gives you the tree sheet (A4 and US Letter) and 8 pages of rules with "The game in 1 minute" and an example roll. You just add two normal dice and a pencil per player.

The full edition (€3.90) adds 12 event cards with 6 little helpers, such as Flurry the Snowflake (write a number 1 higher or 1 lower) and Jingle the Bell (a third die). One event card is turned over before every third roll and counts only for that roll. You also get 6 help cards, 2 fold-up dice, a solo ladder from "Little tree" to "Star tree!", 10 pages of rules with a full example game, an ink-saver sheet and a print-shop file. The game comes in 7 languages, so families across borders can play the same game, each in their own language.

Free printable Full edition · €3.90

Two dice, a pencil and a paper tree: sometimes that is all a Christmas evening needs.

The files are for your own family, or for your own class or group if you are a teacher. Small printed parts are not suitable for children under 3. The photo scene is AI-generated.