Game: Christmas Songs Unplugged

Type/Purpose: Obstacle Course/Race/Relay, Seasonal–Winter

Materials:

• Cones or other boundary markers
• Craft Bells, 1 for each participant
• A deck of cards (or more, if you have more than 52 participants)
• Clothes Pins, 1 for each participant
• At least 2 hula hoops
• Buttons, 1 for each participant

Set-Up:

• Within your playing area, set up the following stations. Be sure to space them out a little bit.
• Set up a square with 4 cones, and place the pile of bells in the middle.
• Set up another square, with the cards scattered all throughout.
• Another square with the clothespins.
• Another square with the buttons in it.
• Set up 2 cones marking the boundary of an imaginary line.
• Set up another imaginary line.
• Set up a station with the hula hoops briefly spaced out.

Explanation and Play:

• Explain to the participants that each station is based on a Christmas song. When they hear the name of the song, they are going to run to that station and perform the action related to the song. The stations are as follows:
  • Silver Bells–Run to the square with the bells, pick one up and shake it
  • Deck the Halls–Run to that square, pick up a card from the ‘deck’, and hold it on your forehead
  • Rudolph–Run to the square with the clothes pins, and put one on your nose
  • God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen–Run to one of the lines, and lay down
  • Holy Night–Run to the hula hoops, and place at least one foot inside one of them.
  • I Saw Three Ships–Run to the other imaginary line, sit down, and begin rowing.
  • Frosty the Snowman–Run to the square with the buttons, and place one on your nose.
• Play some rounds so that the participants get the hang of it, then begin to eliminate those who get to the station last. Continue to eliminate until you have a winner.

Extra Ideas:

• To ease your budget, consider cheaper versions of each of these. For instance, instead of shaking a bell, run into the square, sway, and yell, “Ding Dong.” Instead of wearing buttons as a snowman, stick one hand against your nose, and point your finger (like a carrot)
• Instead of yelling out the name of the song, have them on a mix, and randomly change the songs.

Teachable Moment: Focus a devotion on a common hymn, focusing on some of the meaning and intention behind it