🎅 Interactive Christmas Movie Night: How to Turn ‘The Santa Clause’ Into a Magical Family Experience (Free Printable Included!)
Interactive movie bags full of props and items needed to turn The Santa Clause into a fun & magical experience!
There’s something so cozy about snuggling up for a Christmas movie night with your family — hot cocoa in hand, twinkling lights in the background, and everyone in festive pajamas. But this year, I decided to take our family Christmas movie tradition to the next level with a fun and interactive twist: an Interactive Movie Night featuring The Santa Clause! I couldn’t find any pre-made ones online so I came up with my own!
This activity turned a regular movie night into a full-on Christmas experience filled with laughter, props, and holiday magic — and it’s now one of our favorite new family traditions.
While traveling as a family is our passion, there’s nothing like a nice quiet family movie night, especially during the holidays. If you want my FREE resources on planning a stress-free family trip, click HERE.
🎬 What Is an Interactive Christmas Movie Night?
Think of it like a movie… meets a game night! Each person gets a small bag filled with themed props that they use throughout the movie whenever certain things happen on screen. It keeps everyone engaged, gets the kids giggling, and makes even adults feel like kids again.
For The Santa Clause, I created a printable guide that lists all the moments where you’ll use your props — from shouting “Merry Christmas!” when you hear Santa, to tossing paper “snowballs” whenever it snows on screen.
🛍 What You’ll Need for The Santa Clause Interactive Movie
Here’s what I included in each participant’s interactive movie bag (and you can easily customize yours):
🎅 Santa hat – Wear it whenever Tim Allen officially becomes Santa!
❄️ Paper snowballs – Crumple up white paper and toss them in the air anytime you see snow!
🍫 Chocolate – Eat a piece when the elves serve their famous hot chocolate.
🎁 Wrapped candy or small gift – Open it at the end with santa gives presents.
🌟 Glow stick – Snap and wave it when they arrive at the north pole
🍬 Candy cane – Eat it when Santa is at his work lunch
Each bag also included my printed instruction sheet, so everyone knew what to do and when.
👉 You can grab my free printable guide below that lists every prop, timing cue, and action to follow during the movie — perfect for families, classrooms, or holiday parties!
🎄 How to Set It Up
Pick a date and invite family or friends for a holiday movie night.
Prepare the bags in advance using brown paper lunch bags or festive treat bags.
Label each bag with names (especially if you have young kids).
Print out the instruction sheet (download below!) and tuck it inside each bag.
Start the movie and have everyone keep their props nearby — the fun begins right away!
Pro tip: Add some Christmas music, cocoa, and cozy blankets to make it even more magical.
💡 Why Kids (and Adults!) Love It
This interactive experience keeps kids actively participating instead of zoning out in front of the screen. It encourages laughter, anticipation, and togetherness — plus, it’s easy to repeat year after year with different movies (Elf or Home Alone would also be fun!).
It’s also a great screen-time activity for grandparents, cousins, or friends visiting over the holidays. Everyone gets to join in the fun — and even the grown-ups can’t resist yelling “Merry Christmas!” every few minutes.
🎁 Grab the Free Printable!
Ready to make your own Interactive Christmas Movie Night a reality?
✨ Download my free printable kit here! It includes:
A list of all the props
A movie cue guide for The Santa Clause
Perfect for families, teachers, or anyone looking to sprinkle some extra magic into the holiday season.
Click image to download for FREE!
❤️ Final Thoughts
Christmas is about connection, laughter, and creating memories, and this interactive movie night checks every box. Whether you’re hosting a big group or just having a cozy night at home, it’s an unforgettable way to celebrate the holidays together.
So grab your Santa hats, cue up The Santa Clause, and get ready to make this Christmas movie night one your family will talk about for years to come.
Want More Interactive Christmas Movie Ideas?
We also did a super fun interactive movie night of Home Alone and it was a big hit! Click HERE to download for Free.
There are also free scripts available from other creators or local libraries that I found. They include general interactiv movie scripts too (not just christmas).
Here’s a link to some popular ones you can explore:
