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19 Christmas Brainteasers You’ll Love Unwrapping

Take a break from holiday shopping and decorating to solve these tricky Christmas brainteasers

Christmas tree made by wooden tangram
Freer/Shutterstock

Christmas puzzles

Christmas is one of the most fun times of the year, but sometimes our brains get a little foggy with the amount of stress we’re typically under from various Christmas activities. Luckily, the many Christmas symbols and motifs make great visual puzzles and brainteasers! So take a break from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, and build up some brainpower with these tricky Christmas brainteasers. How many can you solve?

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Counting games for kids and adults. Educational math game. Result. Crossword for social networks. Rebus. Riddle for the mind. Riddle with numbers. Vector
Evgeniy yes/Shutterstock

Winter math

This brain game may boost your brain power: Can you figure out what number the lanterns, snowmen and trees represent to solve the final equation?

Counting games for kids and adults. Educational math game. Result. Crossword for social networks. Rebus. Riddle for the mind. Riddle with numbers. Vector. Answer
Evgeniy yes/Shutterstock

Answer

The lampposts are the number 15, the snowmen are the number 4 and the trees are the number 3. Then in the last equation, a light post with only one light would represent the number 5. If you go by the order of operations, 3 multiplied by 4 is 12. Then, if you add 15 and subtract 5, you’ll get 22.

spot the differences nutcracker chirstmas scene question
Olga Kartashova22/Shutterstock

Nutcracker puzzle

Here’s a printable brainteaser that may leave you stumped: There are 10 differences in these pictures. Can you find them all?

spot the differences nutcracker chirstmas scene answer
Olga Kartashova22/Shutterstock

Answer

We’ve circled the different items in red. Did you miss any?

santa maze question illustration
Iva Villi/Shutterstock

Maze to the sleigh

This Christmas brainteaser might be harder than some of our toughest riddles: Find Santa’s way through the maze to his sleigh.

Santa maze answer illustration
Iva Villi/Shutterstock

Answer

We didn’t say it would be easy with all those loops! But did you make it to Santa’s sleigh?

gum drop math question
ksuklein/Shutterstock

Sugarplum math

Do you like math riddles? If so, you may like this Christmas brainteaser: First, find out what numbers the mitten, ornament and tree represent. Then, find out the total for the mitten, tree and ornament combined.

gum drop math answer
ksuklein/Shutterstock

Answer

The ornament represents the number 6, the mitten represents the number 2 and the tree represents the number 7. In total, the ornament, the mitten and the tree add up to 15. Did you get the correct sum?

missing piece ornament puzzle question
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

The missing piece

This may be one of the best Christmas brainteasers for kids: Find the puzzle piece that perfectly fits in the empty spot.

missing piece ornament puzzle answer
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

Answer

Puzzle piece number 2.

snowflakes
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

Let it snow

Match the pairs of identical snowflakes. The angle of rotation does not matter.

snowflakes pairs
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

Answer

The pairs that are identical are:

  • 1 and 12
  • 2 and 11
  • 3 and 10
  • 4 and 9
  • 5 and 8
  • 6 and 7
Funny snowman skiing. Find the correct shadow. Educational matching game for children. Cartoon vector illustration
Leh/Shutterstock

Skiing snowman

Here’s a visual Christmas brainteaser you’ll love: Which shadow matches the snowman?
Funny snowman skiing. Find the correct shadow. Educational matching game for children. Cartoon vector illustration
Leh/Shutterstock

Answer

The shadow in the bottom row all the way to the left matches the skiing snowman.

Find differences, game for children: Santa Claus
Ksenya Savva/Shutterstock

Two Santas

Can you spot the differences in these two pictures? Hint: There are 12.

 Find differences, game for children: Santa Claus
Ksenya Savva/Shutterstock

Answer

How many did you get?

Winter, Christmas or New Year themed visual puzzle with snowmen: Can you spot the two identical pictures? Answer included.
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

Snowman twins

Which two snowmen are identical?

Winter, Christmas or New Year themed visual puzzle with snowmen: Can you spot the two identical pictures? Answer included.
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

Answer

If you guessed snowmen 3 and 8, you are correct!

 Find two the same pictures, education game for children. Set of Christmas gifts
Ksenya Savva/Shutterstock

Gift boxes

Find the two gift boxes that are exactly the same.

 Find two the same pictures, education game for children. Set of Christmas gifts
Ksenya Savva/Shutterstock

Answer

The two boxes with the leaf pattern on them are the same.

 New Year or Christmas visual puzzle: Find the seven differences between the two pictures with ginger man. Answer included.
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

Gingerbread mayhem

Can you spot the seven differences between the two gingerbread pictures?

 New Year or Christmas visual puzzle: Find the seven differences between the two pictures with ginger man. Answer included.
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

Answer

Did you get all seven of them? If so, you may enjoy finding hidden objects in pictures too!

Christmas or New Year visual puzzle: Find the ten differences between the two pictures of elves waiting for Santa to show their work done. Answer included.
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

Elves galore

See if you can find the 10 differences in these two photos.

 Christmas or New Year visual puzzle: Find the ten differences between the two pictures of elves waiting for Santa to show their work done. Answer included.
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

Answer

Did you spot the differences in the photos, including the snowman and cat?

Christmas Maze Game ... Task: Each house gets its own present!
VOOK/Shutterstock

Christmas maze

This Christmas brainteaser may not be the hardest maze, but it sure is fun: Which house is each toy or treat going to?

Christmas Maze Game ... Task: Each house gets its own present!
VOOK/Shutterstock

Answer

  • Hat: 4
  • Cake: 7
  • Toy: 1
  • Car: 5
  • Mitten: 6
  • Stocking: 3
  • Star: 2
Find the same pictures children educational game. Find equal pairs of christmas socks kids activity. New Year winter holidays theme.
ksuklein/Shutterstock

Similar stockings

Which two stockings are exactly the same?

Find the same pictures children educational game. Find equal pairs of christmas socks kids activity. New Year winter holidays theme.
ksuklein/Shutterstock

Answer

The second stocking in the first row is identical to the fourth stocking in the last row.

Cartoon Vector Illustration of Differences Educational Game for Preschool Children with Christmas Characters
Igor Zakowski/Shutterstock

Santa winter scene

See if you can find the 10 differences in these two pictures of Santas alongside some snowmen and a reindeer.

Cartoon Vector Illustration of Differences Educational Game for Preschool Children with Christmas Characters
Igor Zakowski/Shutterstock

Answer

Did you spot them all?

Search path in the maze with Santa Claus. Find a child gift to the owner. Christmas illustration of labyrinth pathfinding for kids.
lunokot/Shutterstock

Toys for all

Which toy belongs to each child?

Search path in the maze with Santa Claus. Find a child gift to the owner. Christmas illustration of labyrinth pathfinding for kids.
lunokot/Shutterstock

Answer

The first boy gets the truck, the first girl gets the rabbit, the second girl gets the doll and the second boy gets the books.

Find the right piece, visual game. Answer No. 4. Illustration is in eps8 vector mode!
VOOK/Shutterstock

Bright, shining tree

Which missing piece fits into the tree?

Find the right piece, visual game. Answer No. 4. Illustration is in eps8 vector mode!
VOOK/Shutterstock

Answer

Circle number 4 is the missing piece.

Christmas or New Year themed 3d maze game with stairs, ladders and Santa delivering presents through the chimneys. Answer included.
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

Present delivery

Find the path that Santa should take to deliver presents to every chimney. Use ladders and stairs to climb from level to level, and don’t let Santa jump up or climb any walls.

Christmas or New Year themed 3d maze game with stairs, ladders and Santa delivering presents through the chimneys. Answer included.
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

Answer

Did you find the right path?

Winter, Christmas or New Year themed visual puzzle (suitable both for kids and adults): Find the mitten that has no pair. Answer included.
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

Mismatched mittens

Find the mitten that has no pair.

Winter, Christmas or New Year themed visual puzzle (suitable both for kids and adults): Find the mitten that has no pair. Answer included.
ratselmeister/Shutterstock

Answer

Mitten 12 has no pair. The matching mittens are:

  • 1 and 9
  • 2 and 10
  • 3 and 4
  • 5 and 14
  • 6 and 7
  • 8 and 15
  • 11 and 13

Next, check out these fun Christmas games the whole family will love to play.

Morgan Cutolo
Morgan Cutolo is a former senior production editor at Trusted Media Brands. She graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2016, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. In her free time, she likes exploring the seacoast of Maine, where she lives, and snuggling up on the couch with her corgi, Eggo, to watch HGTV or The Office.