5 Advent Games for Children That Make the Pre-Christmas Season Even More Atmospheric

These 5 Advent games for children provide in the run-up to Christmas for atmospheric hours, make anticipation for Christmas and beautify the time until Christmas Eve..

Every little child can hardly wait for Christmas Eve. Because of the gifts, the exciting festive mood and because the grandparents are often there and the family has so much time for each other, as in everyday life rarely. Christmas means spending time together and savoring Christmas scents, candles and incense burners, fir branches and straw stars, home-baked cookies and Christmas carols.

For me, the Advent season was a sweet torment: on the one hand, constantly increasing the anticipation, but on the other hand, a waiting time that I perceived as almost endless. An eternally long teaser to Christmas, so to speak. 😉

But that’s exactly how it should be – I would not want to exchange these childhood experiences for anything in the world! For sure, though, I brought my mother to the brink of insanity during Advent by whining, “Mommy, when is Christmas finally?”

There are plenty of lovely Advent traditions that moms (and dads) can keep their kids busy with: Advent calendars, making Advent and Christmas decorations together, reading Christmas books and stories aloud, or playing lovely Advent games for kids.

These 5 recommendations for Advent games for children have sweetened the pre-Christmas season for me. Have fun and a wonderful Advent season! 🙂

5 Atmospheric Advent Games for Children

1. Who Has the Longest Orange Peel?

• Number of players: min. 2
• What you need: As many oranges as players (preferably the same size).

A super simple but equally fun game of skill that involves using your fingers to peel an orange while producing the longest piece of contiguous peel possible. This game is also fun for many adults! 😉

2. Guessing Christmas Carols

Variation 1: Gargling

• Number of players: min. 2
• What you need: water

This is a nice game for kids who already know a few Christmas and Advent songs and can gargle with water. One player gurgles a Christmas song of his choice and the others have to guess it.

Variation 2: Yes/No Guessing

• Number of players: min. 2
• What you need: Knowledge about Christmas songs (lyrics)

This variant Christmas carols to guess is for an older children who are already familiar with the lyrics of some Christmas songs. One child / teammate thinks of a Christmas or Advent song and the others get to take turns asking yes/no questions, e.g.:

• Is there a fir tree in it?
• Are there angels?
• Is it about Santa Claus?
• Does the snow trickle there?
• Is it Silent Night?

For each yes, may guess again the one whose turn it is. Who first guesses the right song, has won. This is also a fun way for children to learn to better remember the lyrics of songs 😉

3. I Wish From the Christ Child…

• Number of players: min. 2
• What you need: good memory

In turn, the players say:

• I wish for a doll from the Christ Child…
• I wish me from the Christ Child a doll and a bicycle…
• I wish me from the Christ Child a doll, a bike and cool soccer shoes…

Etc.

This advent variant of I pack my suitcase is also a super trick to learn from children what all they want for Christmas 😉

4. Advent Castle Build

• Number of players: min. 3

What You Need:

• many building blocks
• a cube
• small golden stars to stick
• Gingerbread, chocolate coins, homemade cookies or treats

First, the children build a castle from the building blocks. In this Advent castle is placed as a castle treasure the treat and built in as completely as possible of blocks.

While the children are busy, you can prepare the cube: on each of 2 opposite sides stick 1, 2 and 3 golden stars.

Now the children may roll the dice in turn and each child may take as many building blocks away from the castle as the dice shows stars. Whoever picks up the last block gets the castle treasure.

After several rounds, we see who has received the most chocolate thalers or other treats. The child is now king(in) and gets to wish for an Advent story from the parent present.

*

5. Advent Pantomime

• Number of players: min. 2
• What you need: just good ideas

Pantomime is one of the Advent games for children that adults enjoy just as much. The principle of the game is quite simple: to represent concepts without words or, on the other hand, to guess them.

In Advent pantomime, these are loud terms about Advent and Christmas, for example:

• Nicolaus
• Snow
• Sleigh
• Christ Child
• Visit a Christmas market
• Cutting out cookies
• Fir tree
• Angel
• Nativity scene
• Gift table

Etc.

*

Looking for more Christmas family ideas? Around the year, by the way, it’s also worth browsing our general tips for activities with friends, as a couple, or with family.

*Affiliate Links: If you order products through them, we receive a small commission without changing anything in price.