The 49 Best Christmas Songs for Kids of All Ages

The most wonderful time of the year is almost upon us. When else do you get to whip up new holiday recipes, while the children actually spend more than 30 minutes on Christmas crafts? Not to mention, there’s finally an excuse for everyone to sport matching pajamas while binge watching family-friendly holiday movies. It’s also time to put up the holiday decorations, chop down that Christmas tree and curl up on the couch with cookies, stories and hot chocolate that’s topped with jumbo marshmallows.

But the best part is getting the whole family together for a singalong of holiday songs. Hands down. As such, we compiled a playlist of timeless, catchy tunes that never fail to get us in the spirit, whether we’re decorating the tree or spending quality time together on Christmas Eve. From “O Christmas Tree" to “Santa Shark” (yes, you read that correctly), here are 49 of the best Christmas songs for kids organized into these categories:

• Best Songs for Kindergarten Sing-Alongs
• Best Songs for Christmas Baking
• Best Songs for Tree Decorating
• Best Songs for Christmas Dance Parties
• Best Songs for Christmas Eve
• Best Songs for Christmas Day

This holiday remix of “Hokey Pokey” will have your kids up and dancing in no time (and maybe you, too).

A Christmas song that’s both catchy and educational? Yes please. Even preschoolers can count 20 little elves with this fun tune.

The song is fun and quite descriptive, teaching kids to recognize the different parts of a snowman. It may even inspire your brood to build one, just like Elsa and Anna in Frozen.

One of the best Christmas songs for kids is a clever remake of the popular children’s nursery rhyme, “B-I-N-G-O.” Even if your little ones are already familiar with the melody, they’ll love this holiday twist on the classic.

The song will come in handy for any child who needs practice with color recognition. In the video, they can identify the color of Rudolph’s nose, Santa’s beard and the Christmas tree.

Calling all “Baby Shark” fans! In this holiday upgrade on the viral song, we meet Santa Shark, his Elf Sharks and his four Reindeer Sharks. If this doesn’t take the cake for the best Christmas song for kids, we don’t know what does.

Kids will love this fun, lighthearted jingle sung by none other than Rosemary Clooney. Now Frosty and Rudolph have another companion.

As if we needed another reason to love the furry Sesame Street character, Cookie Monster gives us a unique rendition of “12 Days of Christmas,” where he shares the 12 different kinds of cookies that he gets from his friends. In a word, it’s delicious.

A less conventional pick, but nothing gets me more pumped for Christmas baking with kids. (Seriously, when they spill flour all over the floor, just put this one on and you won’t give a…hoot.)

The song actually explains how to make chocolate chip cookies from scratch, and in the video, kids are treated to a simple, step-by-step guide. Talk about a win-win.

This one is sure to have even teens dancing while they make their gingerbread cookies. In the video, a singing gingerbread man repeats a simple rhyme to explain how the treats are made.

Why would you not bust out a tune about Christmas sweets (aka every kid’s favorite part of the holidays)? In the accompanying video, two kids join their mom in the kitchen to help her decorate her festive desserts.

This is one of the best Christmas songs for kids (and adults) of all time. Seeing a kitchen that’s filled with holiday treats and snacks is a sure sign that Christmas time has officially arrived. Singing about it definitely seals the deal.

It’s upbeat, fun and catchy enough to keep the whole family caroling as they transform the tree into a festive masterpiece.

What better way to mark this festive occasion than with this classic ode to the Christmas tree?

Listen, you can’t go wrong with everyone’s favorite reindeer. After all, without him, Santa wouldn’t have been able to deliver all of those presents.

We dare you not to sing along to this classic. Yeah, it’s impossible—and that’s what puts it on this list of best Christmas songs for kids. FYI, it’s totally worth having on repeat for a little while.

Did you know the classic Christmas carol can help kids learn to count and help improve their memory skills? We’ll admit—remembering everything in reverse order is quite the challenge.

If all your kids want for Christmas is a rock and roll electric guitar, then “Run Rudolph Run” is a must-listen this holiday season.

If all your kids want for Christmas is a rock and roll electric guitar, then “Run Rudolph Run” is a must-listen this holiday season.

If you have a little Lady Gaga fan, then queue “Christmas Tree” by Mother Monster up on Spotify. Its funky techno beats aren’t what you’d expect, but that’s part of the fun—and it’ll make everyone want to get up and dance.

We’d be remiss not to add this nostalgic holiday hit to the list. Ah, remember the ‘90s?

This fan-favorite will have everyone grooving in the “new old-fashioned way.” (Get it?)

Just hear the “sleigh bells ringle-ing, ting, ting, a-tingle-ing, too!” You’ve got to admit, it’s hard to resist dancing along to this festive tune.

As the song says, “The party’s on, the feeling’s here, that only comes this time of year.” Quick, someone light a yule log!

One of the best Christmas songs for kids is undoubtedly “Let It Snow,” and the rendition by Frank Sinatra, one of music’s true legends, is well worthy of a listen and a spot on your Christmas playlist.

Add this Kelly Clarkson staple to your holiday dance playlist. This sweet song is one of the best Christmas songs for kids, but parents love it too. It’s also a great one to put on repeat while you spend the afternoon decorating the tree with homemade ornaments.

As the fam prepares to set out the cookies for Santa Claus (don’t forget the milk!), hum this timeless carol.

If you really want to make Santa feel welcome, then playing this classic before bedtime just might do the trick. Don’t forget to include a mug of spiked eggnog with the cookies.

Waking up to a blanket of snow on Christmas morning is by far one of the best things about the holiday.

You can play it while you’re cooking, wrapping gifts or hosting a fun family gathering. Either way, “Jingle Bell Rock” is sure to lift everyone’s spirits.

For the record, the entire Christmas with The Chipmunks album is nothing short of brilliant. But this standout track—which features Theodore singing about his (missing) front teeth—is sure to be a hit with kids. Especially those with wiggly teeth who can relate.

Add this classic Christmas carol to the choir book and introduce the kids to the antiquated tradition of caroling. And if they can do it acapella? Well, that’s mighty talent right there.

Get their imaginations going with this fun, traditional song—reindeer, chimneys, toys, sleigh and all. You’ll want to fire up the oven, because after one listen, the kids will be running to the kitchen to bake cookies for Santa to thank him for all his hard work.

Two music icons. One classic Christmas tune. Need we say more about why this is one of the best Christmas songs for kids?

Show the kids that Ms. Mariah Carey has a holiday repertoire that goes beyond “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

I have it on good authority that if you gallop around like a horse to this song your kids will be endlessly entertained.

The kids can snuggle in their pajamas, drink hot cocoa and simply bask in the glow of Christmas lights as they listen to this calming holiday tune.

Inspire the young ones to spread holiday cheer on Christmas Day with this beloved classic.

The cute jingle will appeal to audiences of all ages, from kindergarteners to college students. We also get the feeling that Olaf and Frosty would get along quite well if they ever met in real life.

Need to wind things down after a full day of excitement? This calming Christmas carol should work like a charm.

We couldn't agree more! Only the holidays can give us memorable afternoons filled with ugly Christmas sweaters, stuffed stockings, festive lights and the works.

Warning: This song may or may not inspire your kids to dream up the most ridiculous Christmas wish list. We hope Santa is prepared for some outrageous requests.

Of course, we couldn’t leave the original Christmas song by The Chipmunks off this list. Grab your hula hoops and get groovin’!

While we certainly don’t want our grandmas to actually be run over by an errant, antlered chauffeur, the kids are sure to get a kick out of this humorous, fantastical tune.

Sure, we’ve heard a million iterations of this Christmas tune, but who does it better than the Judy Garland? Her rendition appears in the 1944 film, Meet Me in St. Louis.

The music video alone will convince your kids that jazz is cool. But it’s also a nostalgic tune that needs to be played at least once during the holiday season, because it is truly one of the best Christmas songs for kids and adults. It’s Nat King Cole, come on.

Sure, there’s a jazzier version on this list, but this one’s the true classic. If you haven’t started a holiday tradition of watching White Christmas with the kiddos, are you even doing the holidays right?

Turn on this little ditty, courtesy of the King, and the kids will be rocking around the Christmas tree (and hopefully cleaning up all that torn wrapping paper at the same time).