A Fun and Meaningful Christmas
December is almost upon us and a Christmas Advent Calendar for Kids can help it to be a fun and meaningful time with your family. Build the excitement and anticipation of Christmas for the children in your life by providing a daily Advent countdown!
A Christmas Advent Calendar Countdown
You can decide what direction to take this Advent countdown depending on what you would like to focus upon in the month of December. May I help provide some ideas to make it easy for you to prepare and carry out this fun idea?
Christmas Advent Calendar for Kids
Welcome to Nana’s Free Printable Christmas Advent Calendar for Kids can be printed off on white paper and colored by your children or printed on colored paper.
Cut the squares apart and this provides the 24 numbered squares for the 24 day Advent countdown until December 25th.
Christmas Socks or Mittens
The “pockets” for this Advent calendar can be either socks or mittens. You may have other ideas. Please share them if you do!
We show the Christmas socks hung on a Christmas tree, but you could hang them on a ribbon across a picture window or wall or bring them out one by one each day if you don’t have a space for them to hang all month.
Building anticipation...
I love seeing them all out and holding their “treasure” as it helps build the anticipation for each day’s revealing. It makes my heart excited just thinking about it. There is still a “kid” inside every one of us.
What is "just right" for your family?
Read through the post and decide what you would like to do each day with your family. What you choose determines how much time and effort the Advent countdown activity will take daily. Only you know what is best and meaningful for your family. What Advent experience would you like to create this year? I’m so eager to hear and see what you decide!
Ponder what fits you and yours
So, a key question is how much time do you want to spend on this activity each day? This can take just a few minutes daily as you read a note or Bible verse. Or it can take a larger amount of time with an activity that you do together.
The time and effort question is something to ponder as it is wise to not overextend yourself during the holiday season. This activity is to add fun and joy to your day, so choose what will bring that to your home.
A traditional Advent treat calendar
A traditional Advent countdown involves placing a small candy or toy in the calendar for each day until Christmas. Make a shopping list numbered 1-24 and head to the discount store to pick these items up (times your number of children of course). As you shop, write down by each number what you chose for that day. This will make filling the socks that much easier.
Want some other ideas for Advent?
How about some other ideas you might want to try for a different theme and focus for your children?
A Nativity Advent Calendar
Place your nativity pieces in the stockings (Mary, Joseph, the wisemen, the shepherds, the animals, the Angels, star and finally…baby Jesus). Add extra pieces to make 24 if needed (like extra little crowns for the wisemen and little gifts to place at their feet). This lets the scene build until Christmas day. This is one of my personal favorites.
What? Baby Jesus went missing?
One year an ornery sibling hid the baby Jesus for our Christmas Advent Calendar…then forgot where He was hidden! Baby Jesus went missing for an entire year before showing up when cleaning out the pocket of a duffle bag I believe. Ha! Good memories.
Food Donation Advent Calendar
Place a note in each stocking listing a non-perishable food item. Purchase those items and have them stocked in your pantry. Allow your children to go and find it each day, place it in a box or grocery sack. On Christmas day or soon after deliver it to a family or donate it to the food bank in your area.
Service Time Advent Calendar
Write down an idea for something you will do as a family to serve or care for others each day. You can make a phone call, bake cookies for a neighbor, shovel snow or give a backrub. A small act of service for others brings out a kind heart and sends that kindness out into the world. Don’t we need more of that?
Family Activity Advent Calendar
Brainstorm a series of activities you will do as a family. These can be simple like play a game, make paper snowflakes, drink hot chocolate with marshmallows or color. Or they may be bigger activities like go on a hike, go to a museum, or attend a concert.
In an odd year like this one, with the pandemic and all, this may be a wonderful option to fill evenings. You can add family fun to take the place of cancelled concerts and parties.
The Combo Advent Calendar idea
Of course it could be a combination of all of these ideas with each stocking holding something different. One day a candy, then a service idea, then a family activity, then a food item to donate. This will keep the kids wondering what comes next.
OK, truth be known, I love ALL of these ideas. I’m not sure which one we will do at our house. I’ll keep you updated.
Purchase your Christmas socks
Purchase a dozen pairs of Christmas socks or gloves that are large enough for the themed items you choose to place in them. Of course adult Christmas socks and gloves are larger and hold larger items. That’s what you see in these pictures. But oh the children’s socks are SO cute hung on a tree or ribbon. They are perfect to hold notes and small items. Of course it is totally up to you.
There are some great sources online to Kids Christmas Socks- 12 Pairs
at a time that make it more cost effective. Those are listed below in the supply list. Order or purchase these right away so you can get them hung the first of December.
Hang your socks (or mittens)
Put up your Christmas tree (real or artificial) or hang a long ribbon across a wall or window. Use a clothes pin to hang the filled sock or glove and the Free Printable Christmas Advent Calendar for Kids daily number on the tree or ribbon. I like to hang them in order but you may want to create a search by putting them on the tree randomly.
Let the Advent fun begin
Now, you are set to let the fun begin. Remember, this is to add joy and anticipation to your holiday. I pray that the kid in you will love this experience as much as your children do.
Blessings on your holiday
I truly hope these ideas help you to create meaning and excitement for this Christmas season. I created this Christmas Advent Calendar for Kids to make it easier for you to do just that.
Blessings on your Advent. Very sincerely, Nana Shelly.
Supplies for the Christmas Advent Calendar for Kids:
- 12 Pairs Adult Christmas Socks
- OR Kids Christmas Socks- 12 Pairs
- OR 12 Pairs Mittens for Kids
- 24 items of choice to include in the stockings.
- Clothes Pins
- Ribbon (Wide Red Burlap) or Christmas Tree
- Copy of the Free Printable Christmas Advent Calendar for Kids
or 
Enjoy!
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