As we get closer to Christmas we want to make the most of the festive season. We want all the magic, excitement and festivities that make Christmas special. It’s a time for family fun, joy and happy memories. One of our family traditions is the countdown to Christmas and with the advent calendar.

We have a wooden calendar that we reuse each Christmas. It was a blank advent calendar that I decorated when my eldest was a baby. It brings back happy memories of our first family Christmas. We fill it with advent activities that we can do together as a family. I love these activities as they bring our family together no matter what we’re busy doing that day.

Choosing Your Advent Calendar

There are so many gorgeous advent calendars available to buy or if you’re feeling creative to make and decorate yourself. I’ve been eyeing up a canvas calendar with 25 little pockets for activities or gifts to hang from the wall. A reusable calendar with pockets or drawers is ideal for your advent activities and can become a family heirloom. The pockets will hold the paper with your activity on it and any small items to go with it.

For many of the Christmas activities, I keep the matching items hidden elsewhere to stop prying eyes from taking a look. This also gives you a wider range of activities to choose from because they don’t all have to fit into the small pocket or drawer.

Plan for your Advent Activities Ahead of Time

For your families countdown to Christmas, a little planning and preparation can help the activities go smoothly. We want to avoid the disappointment of activities not being ready or the stress of trying to think of activities the night before.

I plan our activities out in November and sit down with a notebook and pen to write them down. Many of the activities we do every year but I like to add new things, to let us have new experiences together as a family.

Advent calendar preparation will include listing the activities you want to do and gathering any of the bits that you need to complete. I suggest keeping all of your advent activity resources in one place so they are easy to grab and layout on the day. Activities can range from crafts at the kitchen table to days out at Santa’s Grotto. Some activities will be easier to carry out and I plan them around what else we are doing in the week. Swap the activities around to suit your family. Here are the activities that we plan to do this December.

24 Advent Activities to Bring Joy and a Sprinkle of Christmas Magic

Activity 1 – Christmas Card Making

Activity 2 – Write a Letter to Santa

Activity 3 – Make a Decoration for the Christmas Tree

Activity 4 – Decorate the Christmas Tree

Activity 5 – Make Your Own Gingerbread House

Activity 6 – Print Your Own Wrapping Paper

Activity 7 – Have a Christmas Carol Sing-Along

Activity 8 – Take a Drive to See the Christmas Lights

Activity 9 – Christmas Colouring

Activity 10 – Wrap Presents

Activity 11 – Christmas Movie Afternoon

Activity 12 – Visit Santa

Activity 13 – Make a Hot Chocolate

Activity 14 – Christmas Play Dough

Activity 15 – Christmas Jumper Day

Activity 16 – Christmas Bath Bombs

Activity 17 – Make Gingerbread Men

Activity 18 – Read a New Christmas Book

Activity 19 – Christmas Sensory Bin

Activity 20 – Christmas Song Dance Party

Activity 21 – Make Paper Snowflakes

Activity 22 – Family Christmas Games Night

Activity 23 – Make Reindeer Dust

Activity 24 – Make Cookies for Santa

Did you spot any advent activities that you would like to try? In conclusion, we hope that whichever activities you do you and your family enjoy them and the new experiences they bring. Will you start any new family traditions from your advent activities? From our family to yours, Merry Christmas everyone!