Count Down With a Book Advent Calendar: Ideas for Holiday Reading Fun

ByChristie Burnett

A story book advent calendar has to be my all time favourite way to count down to Christmas. Who couldn’t love the idea of getting kids excited for Christmas and counting down to the holiday with books and reading?! These simple tips for doing your first book advent calendar will help make the most of this fun countdown.

Get kids reading with a book advent calendar

9 Tips for Your Book Advent Calendar

1. Start with books you already own. There’s no reason to go out and buy 25 new books. Just a few new ones mixed in with the old will keep the excitement levels high, and using books you already own saves you money at a time of year when it feels like all of the money is going out..and out…and out!

2. Include Christmas classics in your book advent reading pile. The Night Before Christmas, The Polar Express and How the Grinch Stole Christmas are all too good not to include in your Christmas book collection. You might also like to include your favourite version of the traditional Christmas Story.

Looking for book ideas for your Christmas book advent? Check out our 12 Funny Christmas Books and Books Celebrating Christmas Around the World lists.

3. Stock up on extra wrapping paper. Wrap larger books in fabric items like a scarf or Christmas pyjamas to switch things up a bit.

4. Let your child choose a book from the pile each night. If you have more than one child let them take turns. This helps build excitement and anticipation for each night’s story time.

5. Make story time a little special with added surprises included with one or two of your books. You could include a note inviting your children to enjoy hot chocolate with their story or suggestion you read together by torch or candlelight, or add a little chocolate Santa. Invite a grandparent or other beloved friend or family member to visit to read on one evening as a special surprise.

6. Wrap a Christmas recipe book with a bookmark marking a recipe to bake together as one of your parcels.

7. I know it’s a book advent but you could sneak in a DVD for a Christmas themed family movie night in your countdown too (you could always make it the movie version of a book you’ve read!). Here’s our pick of the best Christmas movies for kids.

8. Decorate a Christmas basket or box and leave each book in the basket after it is opened. This will encourage your children to keep revisiting the books over and over again..

9. Designate one book to be opened only on Christmas eve. This could be the story your children love most of all, or a new story surprise. Mark this gift with its own special wrapping paper so it does not mix with the rest.

Book advent calendar ideas

Looking for more advent calendar ideas? Check out our Christmas Lego advent calendar and challenge cards or 20+ DIY advent calendars.

Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.