The first Christmas ornaments were fruits and nuts that were placed on Christmas trees and later eaten from the branches as part of the Christmas feasting. Over time other ornaments were added that brightened up the tree and added additional meaning and significance such as a star or an angel.
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Games using Christmas Ornaments
NOTE:For these games the term Christmas Ornament refers to the round ball type ornaments that are usually painted to look metallic and made of plastic. Originally they were made of blown glass but do not use the glass ones for these games as they will most definitely get broken.
- Chopstick Christmas Tree– You’ll need ornaments and one pair of chopsticks per player. Players must use the chopsticks to pick up and place as many ornaments as they can on a tree in one minute.
- Christmas Ball Conveyor– Each team chooses two people to compete in this challenge. They stand, facing each other, at a distance to be determined by how difficult you wish the challenge to be. A ribbon is wrapped around both players’ waists, creating a loop surrounding them both. The first player has a bowl with Christmas ornaments on hooks as well as a small Christmas tree beside him. To play the game, the first player hooks an ornament on the ribbon. The two players must then spin in tandem in order to move the ornament all the way around the ribbon, ending up back with the first player, who must then hang it on the tree.
- Christmas In The Balance– (Adapted from Minute to Win It) When the clock starts, two youth from each team must first place a yardstick on a vertically standing wrapping paper tube. When the yardstick is balanced on the tube, the youth on each team may then start hanging 5 ornaments of equal size and weight, one at a time for each person, simultaneously on each end of the yardstick. Once a youth has placed the first ornament onto the yardstick and released hands from the ornament, neither person is allowed to touch the tube or yardstick or the game is over. To complete the game, the yardstick, tube and ornaments must be freestanding within the 60-second time limit and must remain that way for 3 seconds.
- Christmas Ornament Count– Before you place your ornaments on a Christmas tree, count them. The person who correctly guesses the number of ornaments on the tree wins a prize.
- Deck the Balls– (adapted from Minute to Win It) Two persons on each team are given a wrapping paper tube. When the clock starts, the first person with the tube on each team uses his or her tube to suck the first ornament from the start bowl and transfer it to his or her partner. That person then hangs it on a tree (or on a string that has been strung across the room between two ladders). If an ornament falls to the floor or is touched with anything other than the tube, that ornament is out of play. To complete the game, 3 ornaments must be successfully transferred and hung on the tree (or string) within the 60-second time limit. All 3 ornaments must remain hanging on the tree (or string) together for 3 seconds.
- Find the Christmas Ornaments– Collect a variety of Christmas Tree ornaments. Before you place them on the tree, take a photo of each. Place the photos on separate cards. Players must draw a card, and run to the tree and collect the ornament on the card. First team to complete a certain number of cards wins. As a variation, have the next person on each team search for the SAME ornament. First to find it and retrieve it gets the points. First team to certain number of points wins.
- Holiday Kiss– (Adapted from Minute to Win It) a string is hung horizontally across the room on each end of the room. When the clock starts, each pair of contestants must use only their lips to pick up an ornament from the start string and transfer it to the second string. If an ornament falls, contestants may start with another from the start string. To complete the game, contestants must transfer 3 ornaments, using only their lips, and have them hanging together on the end string for at least 3 seconds. They have one minute to complete the task.
- Hot Christmas Ornament – With everyone seated in a circle, pass around a Christmas ornament. When the music stops, whoever holds it is out of the game. Continue until there is only one winner.
- Ornament Catch– You’ll need an 8-foot-high ladder, (next to a Christmas Tree makes nice photo opportunities), a Christmas stocking that has heavy wire in the top rim to keep it open and Round Christmas Ornaments (plastic). Set up the ladder in the middle of your meeting area and place the stocking on the floor in front of it. Line up the round Christmas ornaments on the top of the ladder. (Have some spotters to brace the ladder and make sure no one falls off.) Split the youth group into pairs. The first pair has one partner kneel facing the ladder and holding the stocking in his or her mouth. The other partner must climb the ladder so that his or her face is even with the top of the ladder where the five ornaments are lined up. Make sure they hold on firmly to the ladder. The person on the ladder blows the ornaments, one at a time, off the ladder. The partner with the stocking may freely move about to catch the balls but must remain kneeling and continue holding the stocking in his/her mouth. The use of hands is NOT allowed. The partners switch positions and repeat the process. Keep score. Give all the pairs a turn. The winning pair is the one who gets the most ornaments into the stocking. If there’s a tie, have your runners-up repeat the process.
- Ornament Pass– This is a classic game that has been around for ages. In the original game, participants must pass an orange down a line of participants using only their chins. In our version we replace the orange with a round Christmas Ornament.
- Ornament Race– Players race on hands and knees while pushing ornaments with their noses to the finish line.
- Ornament Roll– One Contestant from each team must stand behind a tree ornament holding a gift box. When the clock starts, each contestant may start fanning the tree ornament with the gift box. Contestant and gift box may not touch the tree ornament at any time or the game is over. To complete the game, contestant must get the tree ornament in the designated end zone area within the 60-second time limit. The tree ornament must come to a complete stop without exiting the designated end zone.
- What are your favorite ornaments on a Christmas Tree?
- If you had to describe yourself as a a Christmas ornament, what would you choose and why?
MAKE IT SPIRITUAL
Use this as a presentation of the plan of salvation for a Christmas Children’s sermon or as a Christmas Object Lesson.
For the object lesson portion of this lesson you will need:
- Christmas Tree
- gold, red, white, and blue bulbs.
- A string of Christmas lights
- A star for the top of the tree
Place the items on the Christmas tree according to the following order and give the explanations for each as you go along.
Gold Christmas Bulb
The Gold Christmas bulb reminds us of Heaven which is filled with the glory of God. The Bible tells us that in Heaven, the streets of the city are pure, clear gold-like glass (Rev.21:21). God wants you to be with Him in Heaven someday.
Have you ever seen a BLACK Christmas Bulb?
THERE IS NO Black Christmas Bulb. Just like there is no black Christmas bulb, there is one thing that can never be in Heaven. That is sin. Doing, or saying, or thinking bad things is called sin. Sin is anything that displeases God. Sin has caused sorrow and sadness in our world. God tells us in the Bible that all have sinned (Romans 3:23). But just like there is no black Christmas bulb, God doesn’t allow sin in heaven.
Red Christmas Bulb
The Red Christmas Bulb shows the way God made for you to have your sins forgiven-taken away. God loves you. He sent His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, from Heaven to take the punishment for your sin (John 3:16). Jesus came into the world to save us from punishment for sin. He is called our Savior! “…the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1:7).
White Christmas Bulb
The white Christmas bulb reminds us that you can be made clean from sin. When we sin, we can tell god about our sin, and ask for rogiveness and when we do his blood washes away our sin and makes us white as snow! (I John 1:9).
Christmas Tree
The green Christmas tree reminds us of the new life, everlasting life, we can receive from God. The Bible tells us to “grow in grace in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18).
The Blue Christmas Bulb
The blue bulb is the same color as water. Jesus, to show he was giving his life to God was baptized in water.
Christmas Lights
Jesus was born as a light of the world. He came to bring us out of darkness and into the light. Do you want to walk in the light of Jesus this Christmas?
A Silver or Gold Star
You can add a star at the top of the Christmas tree as a reminder that the wisemen followed the star looking for Jesus. Will you seek Jesus this Christmas?
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