Are you looking for some fun Christmas activities to do with your kids this year? Advent calendars are a fun and easy activity that last almost all December long. They build anticipation and excitement in kids as the days draw close to Christmas and Santa coming. Want easy, do-it-yourself Christmas countdown calendars to give your kids joy this holiday season? Then grab these FREE advent calendars for kids in the planning printables library found at the bottom of the post and let the fun begin!
Santa Countdown Calendar
Nothing gets kids more excited this time of year than Santa Claus. So keep the joy going with an easy Santa countdown calendar. All you need is a piece of paper, pen/marker, 24 cotton balls and some glue.
First, draw a Santa head leaving at least half of the paper for Santa’s beard. Then write numbers 1-24 in the area where Santa’s beard will go. (Not sure how to draw Santa’s head? Want an already done Santa template ready to use? Get your FREE Santa countdown calendar template in my planning printables library and simply print a Santa template to move onto the fun part).
Then, each day in December simply glue a cotton ball onto Santa’s beard matching the number to the date. Watch as Santa’s beard gets puffy and fluffy. Your kids will love to watch Santa’s beard grow! I suggest having a Santa calendar for each child so they can each participate every day.
Kindness Advent Calendar 2020
Unfortunately 2020 has been a difficult year and our lives changed and turned upside down in many ways. The pandemic has changed what we are able to do this holiday season and how we are able to do it. Instead of holiday parties, group treat making, and gathering close to do things for others, we have to get creative and show our giving spirit in other ways.
One way to spread and share kindness this Christmas season is with a kindness advent calendar. In December, countdown the days until Christmas with simple acts of kindness. Grab your bright and festive Kids Kindness Advent Calendar in the planning printables library HERE.
Get the whole family involved in sharing kindness with the adult kindness calendar. Similar to the kids calendar, there are daily acts of kindness for adults to perform too. Christmas is a time to help others and be a positive light in this world. Spread holiday cheer and have fun together as a family while you perform and check off these daily acts of kindness.
Advent Questionnaire
Another easy advent calendar for kids is to do an advent questionnaire. Get in the festive mood with sharing Christmas moments and memories all season long.
Before December starts, have your kids fill out answers to the 24 questions listed on the questionnaire. (Grab your FREE questionnaire in the planning printables library HERE). Then each day in December, have each kid share their answer to that day’s question. Whether it be in the morning during breakfast or in the evening around the dinner table, talking and sharing what the holidays mean to kids is a fun activity. You can learn a lot about your kids by doing this activity. Actually, the advent questionnaire is an activity the whole family can participate in. Do this activity with your kids as they will enjoy hearing your answers each day too.
At the end of the season, keep the questionnaires and store them with your Christmas decorations or holiday paperwork to see how answers change from this year to the next. If you do this activity each year, it will be fun to see how answers change as kids grow up. You also might be surprised how your answers change as an adult through the years too.
Chain Link Advent Calendar
Another DIY advent calendar idea for kids is a chain link advent calendar. If your kids are younger, simply cut strips of green and red paper about an inch thick (or print out the chain link template found in the planning printables library HERE), glue, tape, or staple each link together and hang somewhere in your house.
If your kids are a bit older, you can mesh the advent questionnaire and chain link advent calendar together with a holiday favorites chain link advent calendar. Each person in your house can have their own chain link advent calendar or you can do together as a family.
How to Create a Christmas Chain Link Advent Calendar:
- First, print out the chain links template (these can be found in the planning printables library HERE). Print them out on red and green paper, color paper, or white paper and color or decorate the chain links however you wish.
- Cut the paper apart into strips following the red and green lines.
- Answer the question on each strip of paper.
- Tape, glue, or staple the ends of the paper strip together.
- Feed your next strip through the middle of your first chain link and tape, glue or staple the ends together.
- Repeat step 5 until all 24 paper strips have formed one long chain link.
Hang the family or each individual chainlink up in a visible area where everyone can see it. For example, we hang our chain off a cabinet in the kitchen. Then each day in December until Christmas, take a chain link off and read what it says.
Everyone reveals their answer to the question each day to see and compare answers. It is fun to watch the chain get smaller and smaller as Christmas approaches. Then once you are on the last chain link, Christmas is here.
More Cheap Advent Calendar Ideas
There are many inexpensive advent calendars you can purchase at the store for your kids to countdown until Christmas. For instance, each year we get a candy advent calendar at Aldi for a little over a dollar. With this advent calendar, each day in December you open a door and get a piece of chocolate. The kids enjoy looking for the correct door each day, opening it to see what shape the chocolate is that day, and eating it.
There are also advent calendars where you move a piece on a calendar. At my house we have a blow up snowman that has an advent calendar on him. Each day the velcro present needs to be moved to the next day on the calendar. The kids take turns moving the present each day and get excited as the days get closer to Christmas.
Final Thoughts on Easy Advent Calendars For Kids
Homemade advent calendars are easy Christmas activities to do with your kids. They require minimal materials and prep, but bring such joy and excitement to kids all month long. Try one or all of these advent calendars this Christmas season and enjoy the magic this season brings. Grab your FREE advent calendar templates in the planning printables library by signing up below.
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