Advent Activity Calendar

Christmas has always been my favorite time of year. As a kid there was nothing better than trying to stay awake to get a peek as Santa was stuffing our stockings. There are so many things I love and cherish during this time of year ~ the smell of baking cookies, holiday music, festive decorations, finding the perfect gift for a loved one and wrapping it with a big red bow, or simply sitting by the fireplace watching Charlie Brown’s Christmas while eating popcorn with the kids. An Advent activity calendar is the perfect way to capture precious family time and create traditions during Christmas.

Activities Versus Candy

Do you have this debate with yourself? Do I give sweets, or do I create activities that focus on spending time together doing simple, fun things?  I truly love the magic of the season, but let’s face it…..it’s also a crazy month and it’s easy to lose sight of precious things amidst the hustle and bustle. As a mother, I decided I wanted to keep things simple and family oriented. The result is an Advent activity calendar the whole family enjoys.

Download Printables to Get Started

There are lots of sites that offer free printables so you can create your own cards on paper that you select. I love the vintage countdown tags from Simple As That Blog. Printing them on brown craft paper completes the vintage look.  You can keep things simple and quickly write out your activities on small pieces of paper, but if you’d like to jazz it up it bit, Mama.Papa.Bubba has free printable Advent activity calendar cards that are fun and adorable.

There are hundreds of activities you can choose from, and they’re all great. But be realistic. In the crush of the season, you may only have time for the simplest things. That’s okay!  Over the years, our list of Advent activities has grown, and we don’t do every single activity each year. As my kids have grown and life has become more busy, many of the  activities I select are centered on the quiet moments at home when we are all finally together at the end of the day.

Creating Your Calendar:

Create an Advent calendar that matches your style, whether it’s farmhouse, coastal, formal, or a mix. One of my favorites is a simple jar filled with numbered tiny craft bags and fairy lights. Or you can go all-out and make a tree-shaped traditional calendar. It’s up to you, and there are dozens of lovely examples for you to follow if you’re stuck for ideas.

The list below is an example of activities from our family’s Advent activities calendar.

Activities for Early December and Tree Trimming:

Every year, I get each of my kids a new ornament.  The idea is when they are grown and move into their first apartment or home, they will each have a box of ornaments to decorate their very first Christmas tree. Many of our ornaments are souvenirs from someplace we’ve been or treasures passed down, so it’s fun to reminisce as we take them out of the storage box to hang on the tree.

• Trim the Tree
• String some popcorn or make popcorn balls to hang on the tree
• Hang a new ornament on the tree 
• Create handmade ornaments (this year, we will be making Primitive Fabric Scrap Tree Ornaments…simple enough for my 10 year old, but still fun for my 14 and 16 year old)

Activities for Decorating the House:

We decorate the three living areas in our home. The kids love when the tubs come up from the basement and they rediscover all the treasures we’ve collected over the years.  Get the kids involved. They enjoy decorating for Christmas just as much as I do!

• Deck the Halls!
• Hang the Stockings

Activities for Family Time:

Some of the most cherished times during the holiday are the quiet evenings at home.  As a kid, I couldn’t wait for the nightly showing of Frosty or Rudolph that only came on T.V. once a year.  These days, it’s easy to take advantage of a free moment.  So get the fire going, grab some blankets, fill some mugs with hot cocoa and marshmallows, and pop your favorite holiday classic into the DVD player, and watch until your heart’s content.

• Watch a Holiday Movie
• Have Hot Cocoa
• Read a Holiday Book (I like to purchase one new book a year to add to our collection, then check a ton out at the library. I highly recommend storing your growing collection when you box up your decorations for another year.  Each year when the books come back out, it’s like receiving a whole new collection of books! )
• Family slumber party under the tree
• Make Paper Snowflakes
• Play a holiday game

 

Community Activities:

Get out and take advantage of all your community offers.  We are so fortunate to live in an area with local farms and annual events.

• Go to a Tree-Lighting Ceremony
• Feed the reindeer at a local farm then have
• Cider Donuts
• Go on a Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt
• Go on a horse-drawn sleigh ride

Activities That Help Us Remember Others:

• Sponsor a family from a holiday giving tree
• Donate a toy to Toys for Tots
• Donate to a local food kitchen or
• Help serve a meal at a local homeless shelter
• Send a holiday greeting to someone in the armed forces
• Go Christmas caroling at a local retirement center
• Donate old toys to your community giving tree

Cooking Activities:

What is it about gingerbread and sugar cookies?  Santa’s not the only one that loves them!

• Decorate a ginger bread house
• Decorate sugar cookies for Santa
• Make Animal Feeders
• Make reindeer food
• Make treats for your neighbors…..chocolate covered pretzels are quick and easy!

Reaching Out to Santa:

• Write a letter to Santa
• Visit Santa
• Get that family picture with the Jolly Ole Elf
• Send Christmas cards to friends and family

 

Special One-Time-Only Activities:

• Ride the North Pole Express
• Check out the Boston Pops (or a local musical event in your area)
• See a musical such as The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
• Visit Santa’s Workshop
• See The Nutcracker ballet

Christmas Eve Activities:

• Start the morning with a North Pole Breakfast
• Decorate sugar cookies for Santa
• Track Santa throughout the day
• We let the kids open one gift….always a new pair of winter pajamas that they love to wear on Christmas Eve
• Leave milk & cookies out for Santa
• Sprinkle that Reindeer food outside
• Read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

Activities That Help You Enjoy Winter:

Winters are long in New England, so bundle up and spend some time outdoors.  We don’t always have snow at Christmas, but there is sure to be snow in the months ahead.

• Go Ice Skating
• Build a Snowman
• Go Sledding

Advent activities can create a wonderful Christmas feeling for your kids, and warm memories for the whole family. And slipping an occasional piece of candy into the Advent calendars won’t hurt anybody!

Have a very merry Christmas!

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