Looking for fun, free Christmas smartphone apps to keep the kids entertained during the countdown to Christmas? We asked real MyKidsTime parents to try out five free Christmas apps with their own children at home, and here’s their honest verdict on each one.
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1. Letters to Santa Gold
(Reviewed by Louise)
This app doesn’t do a huge amount. It asks a few questions about the child sending the letter and what they’d like for Christmas, but the toys mentioned never actually come up again in the reply that arrives a few hours later.
As a parent, this is one I’d delete. It felt flat — no music, no Christmas atmosphere, and every time you open it you’re asked to try the “free finger mood scanner,” which we skipped. The reply itself isn’t interactive at all.
My 3.5 year old had no interest in it and headed straight back to apps with colour, music and interaction. His only comment was “let me put on my game!” I didn’t even bother showing my 1.5 year old — there was no point.
Rating: 1 out of 5.
2. Crazy Santa Xmas Racing
(Reviewed by Jennifer)
This is a fun racing game where you help Santa collect all the presents he left behind. You race up hills and down, gathering presents, points and power-ups along the way. My 7 year old son really enjoyed it, and there are single-player and multiplayer options so kids can race against each other.
One downside is the ad pop-ups, and the app also froze on us a few times in the first few plays, meaning we had to reinstall it. For that reason, we’d only rate it a 3.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
3. Toca Hair Salon – Christmas Gift
(Reviewed by Jill)
Hair Salon is a fun little app for kids. The setting is a hair and beauty salon, and your child is the stylist. Choose either Santa or a Christmas tree for your chair, and trim (beard or branches), grow, decorate or colour away to your heart’s content. Great sound effects too.
“This is a very, very good game. I really like making Santa stylish for Christmas. I hope they make more versions when it’s Easter and summer, with even more accessories” – Moya (8)
Rating: 4 out of 5.
4. Christmas Countdown (Elf Adventure)
(Reviewed by Marie)
Elf Adventure is a Christmas countdown story with fun games for kids (young and old!). Count down to Christmas with this lovely advent calendar, packed with free Christmas games and a charming story.
Have fun and help the elves save Christmas — will they manage to wake the Frost Giant in time?
“Found this app last year and my son loved it” – Marie
Rating: 5 out of 5.
You might also like 7 Fun Free Apps for Christmas Countdown.
5. Sleeps to Christmas 2
(Reviewed by Naomi)
This app was okay. We found that pressing the screen too much sometimes closed it down. We liked the different characters, though I personally felt it was missing Santa saying a good ho-ho-ho. My daughter (4) said she liked it but asked where the game was — she’d had an app the previous year that let her throw snowballs and do a few other things, so I think that’s what she was expecting.
Overall, it does exactly what it says on the tin.
Rating: 3 out of 5.
For lots more festive activities and fun ideas, check out our Christmas Fun section.
If you have a favourite Christmas app of your own, we’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these Christmas apps really free to download?
The apps in this round-up were free to download at the time they were reviewed, though some include optional in-app purchases or ads. App pricing and features can change, so it’s worth double-checking the current listing in your app store before downloading.
What ages are these Christmas apps suitable for?
It varies quite a bit from app to app. Our reviewing families tried them with children ranging from toddlers to primary school age, and found that some — like the racing game — suit older kids who enjoy a bit of challenge, while others, like the advent-calendar-style countdown, work well for younger children.
Are these apps available for iPhone and Android?
Most of the apps we tested were available on iOS (iPhone/iPad), with one also available on Android. Availability can change over time, so it’s best to search your app store directly to confirm before downloading.
How were these apps chosen and rated?
Every app was tried out at home by real MyKidsTime parents and their own children, and rated out of 5 based on that genuine family experience — not an official review score.
You might also like
- 7 Fun Free Apps for Christmas Countdown
- Browse our full Christmas Fun section for more festive ideas, activities and inspiration.
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