Countdown to Christmas Advent-ure calendar

Countdown to Christmas Advent-ure Calendar

December has a funny way of sneaking up on parents. One minute you're packing school lunches, the next you're juggling Christmas concerts, end-of-year parties, shopping lists and approximately 17 requests to “catch up before Christmas!”

Meanwhile, your children have one very important question: “How many sleeps until Christmas?”

If you're looking for a way to make the countdown more meaningful (and a little less sugar-fuelled), we've got an idea. Forget filling an Advent calendar with 24 chocolates, plastic toys or things you'll inevitably find under the couch in February. This year, why not fill it with something a little different? Read on to get creative…

But first: what is an activity Advent calendar?

An activity Advent calendar replaces chocolates or toys with a simple family activity for each day from 1 to 24 December. Each morning, your child reveals a new activity, from reading a Christmas story to visiting a local Christmas market. It builds excitement in the lead-up to Christmas without adding more sugar or more stuff to the house, and it gives the whole family something to look forward to each day.

Activities can be as quick as a five-minute cuddle or as big as a day out, so you can fit the calendar around school, work and everything else December brings.

Download and Print the December Calendar

Our printable calendar includes activity suggestions and blank shapes so your family can add its own ideas.

How do you make a DIY Advent calendar?

Making your own Advent calendar takes about half an hour and a few basic supplies. You’ll need a printer and paper, scissors, Blu Tack or another removable adhesive, and coloured pencils or markers for decorating. If you’d like to reuse the calendar next year, a laminator helps it last.

1. Print your calendar

Download and print the calendar pages. Setting everything up on 30 November means it’s ready to go on the first day of December.

2. Choose your activities

The printable includes suggested activities along with blank shapes for your own ideas. A good mix of festive favourites, outdoor adventures and quick activities for busy days keeps the calendar manageable. A bedtime story counts just as much as a big family outing.

3. Let the kids help

Ask your children which activities they’d love to include, such as a park they want to revisit, a recipe they’d like to try or someone special they want to see. When kids help choose, the countdown feels like something they’ve created themselves.

4. Display your Christmas countdown

Put the calendar somewhere everyone can see it, like the fridge, a playroom wall or the kitchen noticeboard, then reveal each day’s activity together.

24 Christmas Advent calendar activities for kids

These Advent calendar ideas for kids are grouped so you can mix home activities, outdoor adventures and small moments across the month. Most are free or cost very little.

Christmas activities at home

• Watch a favourite Christmas movie in your pyjamas.
• Make paper snowflakes or Christmas decorations.
• Bake and decorate Christmas biscuits.
• Have a Christmas music dance party.
• Read a festive bedtime story together.
• Make homemade playdough in Christmas colours.
• Create Christmas cards for grandparents or friends.
• Build a blanket fort and have a family movie night.

Outdoor Christmas adventures

• Go for an evening walk to look at Christmas lights.
• Have a picnic at your favourite playground.
• Draw a Christmas picture outside with chalk.
• Go on a backyard treasure hunt.
• Visit a local Christmas market or community event.
• Have a family water fight on a hot afternoon.
• Collect leaves, gumnuts and other natural materials for a craft project.
• Take a family photo somewhere special.

Little moments that mean a lot

• Give everyone in the family a big hug.
• Call a relative you haven’t seen in a while.
• Let your child choose tonight’s dinner.
• Have a family board game night.
• Make a small gift or card for someone special.
• Share three things you’re each grateful for.
• Do something kind for a neighbour, friend or family member.
• Enjoy a special Christmas Eve story and cuddle.

For more ideas for younger children, these Christmas activities for toddlers are simple to set up at home.

Are activity Advent calendars a budget-friendly option?

Yes. Most of the activities in this calendar are free or use things you already have at home, which helps when December is already an expensive month with presents, parties and food. An activity Advent calendar builds excitement without buying something new every day, and it gives children plenty to look forward to beyond the presents under the tree.

Simple activities, like a walk to see the Christmas lights or an extra bedtime story, are often the ones children ask to repeat the following year. If the summer break also means juggling work and care, our guide to childcare strategies for the school holidays can help you plan ahead, and these tips for a holiday with kids make travel a little easier.

FAQs

When should you start an Advent calendar?

Most Advent calendars start on 1 December and finish on 24 December, with one activity or surprise for each day. The season of Advent in the church calendar begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, which falls in late November or early December, but most families simply start their Advent calendar on the first of the month.

What age is an activity Advent calendar suitable for?

An activity Advent calendar suits children of almost any age, from toddlers to primary schoolers. For toddlers, choose short sensory and play-based activities, and for older children, add baking, craft and outings they can help plan.

Can childcare services use an activity Advent calendar?

Yes. Many childcare services and kindergartens use activity Advent calendars as part of their Christmas program, with daily activities like craft, songs, stories and acts of kindness. Services can adapt the activities to suit each room and to reflect the different ways families celebrate the festive season.