8 Christmas-Themed Games for this Advent

With Advent beginning this Sunday, here are some of my favorite Christmas games to play with youth! All of these have been tested, and I’ve come back to them year after year.

REINDEER GAMES

MATERIALS: Panty hose, balloons.
INSTRUCTIONS: Divide group into teams. Each team gets one pair of pantyhose, and a set number of balloons. Give 2-3 minutes for each team to blow up their balloons, put in the pantyhose, and get the pantyhose on someone’s head (like reindeer antlers). Judge to see who has the best-looking reindeer antlers!

WRAP BATTLES

MATERIALS: Rolls of wrapping paper, tape, and bows for each team
INSTRUCTIONS: Each team must wrap one of their members up like a gift. The best wrap job in a 5-minute period wins!

SANTA BEARD

MATERIALS: Cotton balls, vaseline
INSTRUCTIONS: Play up-front or in groups. One willing participant will put vaseline on their chin, and their partners will place cotton balls on their face to make a “beard”. There are SO MANY variations to this — make it relay-style, throw the cotton balls, or whatever makes it fun for your group!

STOCK EXCHANGE

MATERIALS: Stockings, bells or gift bows
INSTRUCTIONS: This is another game that you can use variants to make it relay style or an up-front game. One person holds a stocking, and the other tries to throw jingle bells or gift bows into it. Most in a minute wins!

SNOWBALL FIGHT

MATERIALS: Balled-up pieces of paper
INSTRUCTIONS: Dodgeball-style, divide the team into two, and have them use paper instead of dodgeballs, getting each other out!

CHRISTMAS ME

MATERIALS: Items to decorate a Christmas tree — garland, bows, ornaments, ribbon, etc.
INSTRUCTIONS: You can play this relay-style, in groups, or up-front. One person gets decorated by a friend or a group into the best Christmas tree!

TREE TOSS

MATERIALS: A Christmas tree, a tape circle around the tree, two colors of ornaments
INSTRUCTIONS: Divide groups into teams, and put them against one another to see who can throw the most ornaments on the tree in a one-minute period. They must stay outside of the circle surrounding the tree. Ornaments that bounce off the tree and outside the circle are fair game.

WHAT’S THAT SONG?

MATERIALS: A list of Christmas songs, optional cups or mini-bottles of water.
INSTRUCTIONS: Invite volunteers to hum or gargle popular Christmas tunes.

A portion of this content originally appeared on heatherleakenison.blog