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Google Santa Tracker 2023

Google Santa Tracker 2023 – Google Santa Tracker returns for its 19th fun-filled holiday season with a few (very few) new tweaks! Fans of the interactive Santa Tracker Village will instantly notice some big changes from the pre 2019 village which underwent a dramatic change from the advent calendar style of unveiling daily new games and features. It appears that GST hasn’t changed one iota since 2020.

SANTA CLAUS & CHRISTMAS WEBSITES
SANTA CLAUS MAILBOX LOCATIONS

Google Santa Tracker 2023 – Review

Not to be outdone by Norad Santa, Google launched it’s own Santa Claus website – Google Santa Tracker 19 years ago. Google’s Santa Tracker website goes far and beyond the capabilities of Norad Santa (and most every Christmas-theme website for that matter). Google Santa Tracker is a full interactive experience for kids. There is so much to explore. My review tends to gravitate toward the fun games as I don’t care very much about the animations and movies.

For Google Santa Tracker 2023, the theme remains largely the same as the previous 3 years. Instead of a large village landscape to maneuver, this year’s Santa Tracker centralizes on a small village square setting. Much of the animation and characters remain the same, and even more vividly-styled than previous incarnations of the site. You’re greeted with the village square scene and you’re allowed to scroll top to bottom to find all of your favorite games and videos. The older version was a horizontal version, this version is vertical. Part of me misses the old layout. I miss the way you could find hidden “Easter Eggs” to click on to launch new animations.

Per usual, there’s plenty to click-on and interact with in this modern-day Christmas Countdown calendar. In the past the website was set-up like an advent calendar, a new puzzle or video or game to open each during the holiday season. This year, the user is allowed access to nearly all of the games and features of the website from Day 1. This year there is only one “locked” date and I’m assuming it’s the Santa’s journey on December 23 or 24. The positive is that I no longer have to wait to play my favorite games – like Gumball Tilt, Present Bounce, and Penguin Dash. I’m somewhat disappointed there appears to be ZERO new games for Google Santa Tracker 2023. Still the site remains great fun for kids and adults alike and can serve as a great tool for homeschoolers of young children.

The good old days? Google Santa Tracker 2015

Google Santa Tracker

Despite the name, Google Santa Tracker is far more than following Santa sleigh on Santa’s Christmas Eve journey. Google Santa Tracker 2023 is a full Christmas village with many games and experiences to discover.

Google Santa Tracker 2023 Games & Features

Snowbox – Create a 360 degree winter landscape where you control the shapes and sizes of items you pick. You can view it from any angle. It’s sort of difficult and time consuming. Launched in 2019.
Elfmaker – Build your own elf (and set) and send a pic of your creation to your friends. Similar to Santa’s Canvas. Launched in 2019.

Code Lab – Game – Use coding to move an elf in a maze. Easy and Fun!
Holiday Traditions – Educational – Click points on the map to learn how Christmas is celebrated throughout the world
Wrap Battle – Game – Coordinate your own hip hop elf rap battle using the arrow keys!
A Day at the Museum – Movie – Decent animated short featuring Santa & Elfs at a Christmas museum but games are more fun!
Santa’s Canvas – Educational – Draw pictures using a VERY creative and fun template.
Code Boogie – Game – Pick a stage and program some sweet dance moves for the elves!
Present Bounce – Game – MY FAVORITE! Bounce the presents into the pot using springs and treadmills you arrange on the screen
Penguin Dash – Game – Another addicting game. Use the arrow keys to slide the slippery penguin to the checkpoints
Season of Giving – Sharing – Color an ornament for your favorite charity
Gumball Tilt – Game – Use the arrow keys to guide the falling gumballs to a candy dish. Very addictive!
Elf Jamband – Game – Move the elf musicians around to create you’re own jammin’ sound.
Quick Draw with Tensor the Robot – Educational – Draw pictures using a VERY creative and fun template. See if the robot can figure out what you’re drawing. VERY FUN! It’s like Win, Lose or Draw against a computer. This used to be called “Speed Sketch”.
Santa Selfie – Game – Give Santa a makeover in a barber chair. Even color or shave his beard
Santa Search – Game – Find Santa Claus “Where’s Waldo” style
Elf Ski – Game – Use your mouse to guide the skiing elf down the mountain to gather presents – but watch out for trees!
Gift Slingshot – Game – Using the space bar and arrow keys to slingshot the presents onto Santa’s duck boats without hitting the icebergs. An oldie but a goodie.
Elf Jetpack – Game – Use the arrow keys to launch an elf into the stratosphere via jetpack to pick up points & presents.
Rudolph Racer – Game – Have the reindeer jump and duck to avoid obstacles while collecting presents. Used to be called Reindeer Runner
Map Quiz – Educational – Map quiz about Santa’s Christmas Eve destinations. Drag and drop the map pieces
Snowball Storm – Game – Hilarious! Use your mouse to guide an elf around a mountainside. Look for other elves to bean with snowballs
Present Drop – Game – Use the arrow keys and spacebar to move the elves into perfect position to drop presents in the chimneys below. Another oldie but goodie.
Build & Bolt – Use the arrow keys to race around the screen assembling toys. Be careful not to bump into penguins scurrying all over the toy factory floor.
Elf Glider – A horizontal version of Elf Jetpack with elements of Present Drop built in. Fun, but not ground-breaking and the controls are a little wonky.
Ollie Under the Sea – A well-written, colorful story about a narwhal that wants to experience Christmas where he lives… underwater.
A Day at the Museum – An animated short.
Penguin Proof – A funny animated short.
Where’s Santa? – Animated short
Translations – Educational – Learn Christmas words in phrases in 25 different languages

RETIRED??
Code your Own Snowflake – Game – RETIRED?
Elf Car – Video – Short movie of elfs driving around Google Santa Tracker village. Used to be called Carpool. DISCONTINUED for 2020

OAKLAND COUNTY MOMS BUSINESS REVIEWS

Google Santa Tracker 2023 obviously isn’t designed to be an educational mecca for children, but it has educational merit. The website is fantastic though. Think of the Google Santa Tracker website as an cyber Christmas Village. Or, if you’re old-school, those old-fashioned Hallmark Christmas houses or advent calendars where you reveal a new window each day leading up to Christmas. The games, trailers and other new daily facets aren’t vastly entertaining on their own (most are just sensory knick-knacks) but the sum of the parts is visually incredible. Visiting the website each day until Christmas will give your child another reason to get excited about the holiday season. Make sure you explore extensively as there are many neat facets you don’t think you can click, but you can.

Google Santa Tracker Throwback – 2013

Google Santa Tracker

You can also purchase the Google Santa Tracker 2023 App at the Google Store.

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