Countdown to Christmas Advent Calendar Activities for Kids

Free Count-Down-to-Christmas Advent Calendar Easy Christmas Crafts, Activities, and Printables

Christmas and Advent Calendar Ideas
Children all around anticipate Christmas Day. The days leading up to this holiday are exciting and busy days for the whole family. Christmas music, sweet smells, and happy voices fill the house. This year, instead of buying those store-bought Advent calendars, make your own and create a new family Advent calendar tradition. Make this wonderful time of year even more special for your child by incorporating into your daily activities these Christmas and Advent calendar ideas and activities that we have created and gathered.

Count to 24
To help your child count the days until Christmas, repeat the following rhyme with him or her each day beginning on December 1 and ending on December 24. Each day the number of days will decrease by one. For example, on December 2 you would count to 23, on December 3 you would count to 22, and so on.

From the first of December until Christmas
Is the longest time of the year.
It seems as though old Santa Never will appear.
How many days is it 'til Christmas?
It's mighty hard to count.
Let's try together And get the exact amount.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 . . . 24, 
We don't have to count anymore.

Christmas Eve, its finally here.
Is it Rudolf and Santa I hear?

Count Down to Christmas Rhyme

Count down to Christmas while playing, writing, and learning the numbers 1-24 with our holiday calendar number cards.

Santa and the Reindeers Rhyme

Santa's  Reindeers

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 little reindeer (Hold fingers up one at a time.)

Stand beside the sleigh.

"Hurry, Santa," said the five, 
"So we will not be late!" (Make a fist.)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 little reindeer, (Pop fingers up one by one.)

Santa said,  "Please wait!

Wait for three more little reindeer,

And then that will make eight." (Hold up three more fingers.)

Advent Calendar Craft Ideas

Help your child make a paper chain to count down the days until Christmas. Every day have your child tear off a paper chain. Count the number of remaining paper links out loud with your child.

Advent Boxes
Use little boxes and decorate one for each day. Label each box with a number from 1-24. Write activities such as make a popcorn garland, sing Christmas songs, or bake and decorate cookies on little pieces of paper and place one in each box with a chocolate kiss candy. With two nails, attach a long piece of garland or Christmas ribbon on the wall. Tie a ribbon around the package and attach to the garland/ribbon. Have children cut one package a day and make the activity together as a family.

Hershey's Kisses Christmas Tree Advent Calendar
Cut a piece of green tagboard into the shape of a Christmas tree. Put a bow at the top of the tree. Cut 24 4-to 6-inch lengths of ribbon and tie them into bows. Glue bows to tree. Put a dab of glue on each Hershey's Kiss and glue to top of bows. Let dry.

Paper Towel Roll Gift Box
Cut a piece of wrapping paper and carefully tape it over the bottom of the paper towel roll so that nothing can slip out. Fill the tube with small gifts, confetti, and candy. Wrap the tube with Christmas paper. Twist the edges to make them look like candy wrappers and tie them in place with ribbons. Attach a gift tag.

Christmas and Advent Activities for the Whole Family:

Make Christmas cards.

Make Christmas ornaments.

Give lonely neighbors a present.

Set up the Christmas tree.

Donate canned goods.

Sing Christmas songs.

Make gift tags.

Bake Christmas cookies and decorate them.

Write a letter to Santa.

Make a gingerbread house.

Make a popcorn garland.

Walk around the neighborhood to see the Christmas lights.

Go to a Christmas concert.

Donate a toy.

Watch the movie: It's a Wonderful Life.

Go ice skating.

Exchange gifts.

Make a Christmas craft.

Listen to Christmas music.

Mail Christmas cards.

Make thick hot chocolate or hot apple cider.