With next week being all about Thanksgiving and December rolling around right after that, this is the perfect week to get your Advent calendar squared away. Of course, we’re here to help with our list of 24 of our all-time favorite Advent activities for families.
We’ve included activities that fall all over the preparation level spectrum (although we definitely tended towards the less-prep side of things). I also fully reserve the right to switch the day’s activity when my kids’ heads are turned and I highly suggest you do the same. That way you’re sure to have some real memory makers in the mix, but can also keep it simple if your day is already heading south by 10 AM.
And if you need something stylish to house your activities in, check out our DIY Advent Calendar (pictured above) – so chic and super easy to make with kids of all ages.
One final note – this time of year is supposed to be about enjoying your time as a family, not stressing over squeezing everything in. If getting an activity done every day is too much, don’t stress! Just pick your favorites from the list and focus on those. If you still want to do an Advent countdown there are some pretty rad options on the market these days too. Our favorites include:
- LEGO City Advent Calendar
- Eric Carle’s Dream Snow Pop-Up Calendar
- Playmobil Advent Calendar Forest Winter Wonderland
- Olive, the Other Reindeer Pop-Up Calendar
- Free printable: Santa’s Christmas Countdown beard
Ready for your daily December activity list? Here we go…
- Bake and decorate gingerbread men or go all out and make gingerbread houses with our 2 low-prep secrets.
- Make salt dough ornaments.
- Go to a Christmas show – The Nutcracker, Zoo Lights, a Christmas toy train exhibit, etc.
- Trim the tree.
- Eat a simple snowman lunch.
- Take each child Christmas shopping for their sibling/parent/grandparent.
- Adopt a family for Christmas and go shopping for them.
- Help the kids make wrapping paper and wrap their special gifts.
- Make colored ice sculptures.
- Have a Christmas movie night, some great suggestions.
- Get the kids in their PJs and go on a late-night drive to see Christmas lights
- Have a hot cocoa bar night.
- Attend a neighborhood tree lighting ceremony.
- Make a display of six-sided paper snowflakes.
- Make mason jar snow globes.
- Make Candy Cane Play Dough.
- Visit Santa and get the kids’ picture on his lap (hopefully not screaming).
- Make a gift for teacher.
- Make an easy Christmas centerpiece together.
- Read How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
- Bake something for your neighbors (we carry on my Mother-in-Law’s tradition of making Madeira wine cake – so good).
- Make ice bubbles.
- Go Caroling (nursing homes are great venues for this!).
- Read The Night Before Christmas (we love this gorgeous pop up version) and bake cookies for Santa.
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