24 best games for a unique family Advent calendar

This year, why not spice up your countdown to Christmas with an authentic advent experience by playing 24 fun and engaging games everyone in the family can enjoy? From your favorite classic board games to a new exciting gift of a just-released game, these activities will bring laughter and joy and create cherished memories that last a lifetime. Whether you have young children or teenagers, there’s something for everyone in this ultimate list of games. Join me as I explore 24 delightful games to make each day leading up to Christmas an unforgettable experience for your family.

What is an Advent calendar and how does it work?

An Advent calendar is a special countdown to Christmas, traditionally starting on December 1st and culminating on Christmas Eve. In a traditional Advent calendar, a special calendar has a door or window on each day that can be opened, revealing a surprise that can range from a small gift or treat to a festive activity or scripture. The unique Advent experience helps build anticipation for Christmas, allowing families to engage in daily celebrations leading up to the holiday.

Many Advent calendars are designed with beautiful artwork and themes, adding to the festive atmosphere. Originally rooted in Christian traditions, modern Advent calendars have expanded to include various secular themes, making them a cherished activity for families of all backgrounds. Whether filled with chocolates or toys, Advent calendars serve as a way to mark the days until Christmas while creating memorable moments together.

Advent calendars can also be activities that are done throughout the month of Christmas, with one activity for each day. Examples include playing a game, reading a story, completing a planned activity, and so on.

Why play games as a family?

In a games Advent calendar, your family will play one game each day starting the first of December leading up to Christmas. Playing games together as a family is the perfect holiday treat, offering a unique way to strengthen bonds, create lasting memories, and generate a fantastic Christmas spirit. This special tradition not only brings everyone together for daily moments of joy, laughter and endless Christmas fun; it also allows families to escape the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, fostering connection amidst the festive chaos.

Each game serves as an opportunity for communication and teamwork (and much fun!), encouraging family members to collaborate, strategize, and cheer each other on, as you work through challenging games together. Additionally, this daily countdown builds excitement and anticipation for Christmas, transforming the period into a joyful experience filled with creativity and endless fun. By dedicating time each day to play, families cultivate a sense of togetherness and belonging, making the holiday season even more meaningful. Plus, it establishes a delightful tradition that can be carried on for years to come, creating cherished moments that families will look forward to every December and look back on fondly for the rest of their lives.

Ways to customize the games Advent calendar

Every family can make a game-based Christmas Advent unique and adapted to their own family’s preferences, including:

• Track the winners and award a prize to those with the highest scores (each night, weekly, or on Christmas Eve)
• Buy an exciting new game as a gift to get the Advent started
• Let each family member pick their favorite game
• Let the winner pick the next day’s game
• Add in festive food or themed snacks
• Take fun photos of the participants or the winner
• Use personalized game pieces for board games
• Play the shorter games in tournament format
• Dress up as festive characters from your favorite Christmas movie

24 Family-friendly games to play for a unique family game Advent

Whether it is a board game, card game or one of the dice games (or even some video games), you’ll soon find some new family favorite games.

1. Game of Life
2. Exploding Kittens
3. Ticket to Ride
4. Sorry
5. Rack-O
6. Operation
7. Battleship
8. Yahtzee
9. Sequence
10. Jenga
11. Uno
12. Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza
13. Connect 4
14. What do you meme
15. Apples to Apples
16. Taboo
17. Scrabble
18. Phase 10
19. Catan
20. Scattergories
21. Pictionary
22. Tenzi
23. Skip-Bo
24. Clue

If you make it through 24 days of games as a family, you’ll have memories together that will last a lifetime – that is the ultimate advent calendar experience!

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