My girls love the excitement of counting down to Christmas and each year we choose a different way to share the advent tradition – we’ve done DIY advents, commercial calendars and a book advent calendar too. While we are still deciding which style of advent calender we will use this year, I have collected together some of my favourite DIY advent calendar ideas plus a fun list of advent activity filler ideas too.
Have fun choosing your countdown to Christmas!
DIY Advent Christmas Calendar Ideas
While they might take a little while to make these Printable Advent Boxes from Powerful Mothering are fabulous.
I love My Little Bookcase’s Christmas Cracker advent and she puts Christmas jokes in her crackers too – genius!
Kate at The Craft Train shares a colourful advent tree that makes me smile with happiness.
At Home With Ali shares a very clever Mini Advent Envelope Printable.
Use leaves to create a simple nature advent. Little Eco Footprints shares some great nature and eco play activity ideas too.
Coffee Cups and Crayons shares a printable Christmas Kindness Countdown Chain.
Make your advent super simple with an Advent Activity Jar. By Mama. Papa. Bubba.
Amie at Playful Matters dresses up brown paper bags for her family countdown.
Be a Fun Mum uses colourful envelopes and paper clips to create a simple advent on a string.
Wrapped boxes make a fun Christmas advent with You Clever Monkey.
I absolutely love these glowing advent paper candles. Via Sun Hats & Wellie Books.
Recycled cardboard tubes never looked so Christmaslike! Via Danya Banya.
Paper lolly bags are transformed into advent fun by Kate over at The Craft Train
Danya Banya shows us how to recycle Christmas cards as an advent calendar.
String together cardboard cupcake cases as an advent calendar. By Be a Fun Mum.
Or festive Christmas paper cups. Via Red Ted Art.
Mini buckets and burlap are transformed into a Christmas Advent Garland by Happy Strong Home.
This magnetic matchbox Christmas advent tree from Sun Hats & Wellie Boots is very clever.
Edventures with Kids repurposes small Christmas stockings and mittens to make a truly Christmassy advent calendar.
Wrap your favourite Christmas books and enjoy reading your way to Christmas – love this book advent idea from Living Loving Laughing.
Advent Activity Ideas
Looking for ideas to fill your chosen advent calendar? Here are some of my favourites;
This list of 24 Random Acts of Kindness that kids can do is a great way to add one, two or 24 acts of service to your activity list.
Kate at Picklebums is sharing a great collection of printable Christmas activity cards.
The Craft Train shares 24 fabulous Christmas facts to include in your advent calendar.
We have a great collection of printable Christmas Lego challenge cards that will keep the kids busy while you get on with your holiday preparations.
And if you just don’t think you can manage a whole advent worth of treats or activities, check out our 12 days of Christmas list for a shorter list of fun, simple activity suggestions.
Finally, if you are looking for ideas for tiny gifts to put in your DIY or reusuable advent calendar, check out this list of advent calendar filler ideas.
Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.
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