Advent Countdown to Christmas Calendar3 min read
Years ago when my kiddos were little, I created what would become our Advent Countdown to Christmas Calendar.
We had homeschooled for a few years but then the two oldest spent a year in public school. That Christmas break lasted for only one week and my heart was so sad to not have them at home longer. I wanted every minute to count, so each day I got out my dry erase board and wrote at the top “Today we will…”
It’s the time we spend together that counts.
The kids would be beside themselves with excitement each morning to see what the board would say! It was simple, but they’ve never forgotten. It’s not how elaborate or expensive something is, it’s the time we spend with each other. And they knew that we were going to do something fun together each day.
Materials needed for your Advent Countdown to Christmas Calendar.
A few years ago, I thought I’d get a little more creative and spent some time in our basement decorating little envelopes and filling them with an activity for each day. Still simple, still fun but kicked up a notch!
You really don’t have to do 25 days. Doing even one week is easy and memorable. We typically don’t do all 25 days. Honestly, I’m writing this on December 4. We’ve put up the tree and decorated, and I’m just glad to have gotten that done! Set aside your perfectionism and just enjoy the season. For that matter, just use a dry erase board. Just do something.
You’ll need…
- Small envelopes
- Sequins, beads, buttons, trim, pompoms
- Stamps and stickers
- Number stamps (or hand draw these.)
- Tags for writing the activity (or slips of paper)
- Thumb tacks for hanging the envelopes
- Cork board
It’s up to you to decorate how you’d like. You could even make it a family activity!
Simple ideas for activities for all ages.
- Go buy a Christmas tree.
- Decorate for Christmas.
- Make an ornament.
- Eat brunch at (fill in the blank). We go to Cracker Barrel.
- (Fill in the blank with a game) Marathon! We play Rummikub.
- Make a no-bake treat.
- Learn a Christmas song.
- Watch a Christmas movie.
- Let’s go Christmas shopping! (bonus…and eat someplace yummy!)
- Make hot chocolate and go see Christmas lights! (For us this always means in pajamas driving through neighborhoods with our hot chocolate!)
- Decorate Christmas sugar cookies.
- Wii are going to play tonight. (This play on words meant a night of family Wii competition.)
- Santa Lucia (We’ll do a blog on this one. One of our favorite traditions.)
- Go Caroling or sing Christmas songs at home.
- Read a Christmas book.
- Polar Express day! (We would invite kids over, decorate cookies and watch Polar express in our pajamas. One is never too old for this one…)
- Take a fun wintry walk.
- Make a simple, homemade gift.
- Eat dinner in front of the fire. (Or breakfast.)
- Make a snowflake from paper.
- Do a Christmas nativity play.
- Take cookies to neighbors.
- Watch a Christmas Veggietale or listen to silly Veggietales Christmas music. (My kids knew it was Christmas when we got in the kitchen to bake and put on the silly music!)
- Read the Redneck Night Before Christmas and eat spaghetti. (Yeah, there’s a story behind this one…)
- Merry Christmas! Read the nativity story, open presents, spend time together.
Remember to enjoy those around you. Make it fun, Mama. Your kids will remember that you did.
