December has a special kind of magic. Shorter days, twinkling lights, cozy evenings, and more time together as a family. It is the perfect moment to bring out games that inspire imagination, creative thinking, and deep connection.

At Armitage House, we believe games are not just entertainment. They are powerful tools for learning. When families play together, something extraordinary happens:

✔ Children learn cooperation, patience, and strategic thinking
✔ Creativity blossoms through storytelling, problem-solving, and pretend play
✔ Parents reconnect with their own sense of wonder
✔ Families bond through laughter, shared discoveries, and teamwork
✔ Kids develop project-based learning skills without even realizing it

With that spirit, here are December’s top Armitage House game recommendations — all brand-new picks, each one chosen for its ability to spark imagination during this magical month.

1. Snow Day Architects

Build your dream winter city block by block

A creative building game where families construct whimsical winter villages using illustrated tiles: snowy libraries, ice-skating ponds, cozy mountain schools, tiny bakeries, and frozen forests.
● Encourages: architecture, planning, spatial reasoning
● Perfect for: quiet evenings with hot cocoa

2. Aurora Quest

Follow the northern lights to complete imaginative challenges

Spin the Aurora Wheel to get a prompt like “Invent a creature who lives in the sky” or “Build a shelter that could survive a snowstorm.” Great for storytelling and quick creative thinking.
● Encourages: imagination, narrative creation, design

3. Candlelight Constellations

Turn off the lights and create constellations across the room

Players use small LED candles to form constellations on the carpet while others guess the myth behind it.
● Encourages: astronomy, symbolism, mythology, pattern recognition

4. Winter Whirlwind Word Lab

Mix-and-match word pieces to create new winter creatures, gadgets, or worlds

Kids combine cards like “Crystal,” “Giant,” “Whisper,” “Machine,” “Forest” and invent something surprising.
● Encourages: vocabulary, creativity, divergent thinking

5. The Cozy Kitchen Challenge

A collaborative cooking-themed game where you design imaginary recipes

Roll the dice and get ingredients like “peppermint dust,” “snowflake syrup,” “ginger cloud,” or “moon-berry jam.” Create the dish together and present it!
● Encourages: creativity, storytelling, teamwork

6. Arctic Engineers

A hands-on building challenge using ice-cube blocks or clear magnetic tiles

Follow blueprint cards to build winter bridges, towers, and igloos.
● Encourages: engineering, problem-solving, collaboration

7. Secret Reindeer Messages

A decoding and cipher game using picture clues and symbols

Players decode hidden winter messages using a simple symbol key.
● Encourages: logic, sequencing, pattern play

8. The Lantern Path Adventure

Choose-your-own-path storytelling with lantern tokens

Use lanterns to “light” your way through illustrated story cards. Each card offers choices that change the journey.
● Encourages: narrative thinking, decision-making, creativity

Closing Message

Games turn December into a playground of imagination.
Every time a child rolls a die, tells a story, builds a tower, or solves a puzzle, new neural pathways light up like holiday lights.

At Armitage House, we believe these small moments shape lifelong thinkers, creators, and dreamers.