These free printable Christmas advent activity cards are perfect for adding to your activity advent calendar this year. With over 60 different family friendly activities to choose from, pick 24 and make some special memories with your kids this year.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look
- Why You'll Love These Advent Calendar Activities
- Inside Your Free Printable
- How to Plan Your Activity Advent Calendar
- Make a Master Calendar for Yourself
- Ways to Display Your Calendar
- Our Family's Favorite Activities
- Tips for Advent Calendar Success
- How to Download Your Free Printables
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Advent Ideas
A Quick Look
📋 What You Get: 60+ printable activity cards
🎨 Design Options: 3 beautiful styles to choose from
⏲️ Activities Range: 5 minutes to special outings
👨👩👧👦 Best For: Families with kids ages 3-12
🎁 Cost: Completely free for subscribers
💭 Top Tip: Make a master calendar for yourself so you remember what's planned and have supplies ready!
Why You'll Love These Advent Calendar Activities
- Over 60 activities give you tons of choice to customize for your family.
- Three beautiful designs so you can pick the style you love (yellow stars, pink/blue Santa, green woodland animals).
- Mix of simple and special from 5-minute activities to memorable outings.
- Free printables ready to download and use immediately.
- Tested by real families these are activities kids actually love.
- Flexible planning swap activities based on weather, schedule, or mood.
The best Christmas memories aren't about the presents under the tree. They're about the moments spent together. These free printable advent calendar activities help you create 24 days of intentional family time, with over 60 activities to choose from so you can customize your countdown to fit your family perfectly.
I started making activity advent calendars when my girls were little because I wanted them to remember more than just gifts. Each December day brought a small surprise activity we'd do together. Years later, those are the memories they treasure most. The Christmas picnic under the tree. Painting their fingernails red and green. Calling grandparents to sing carols. Simple moments that became our family traditions.
If you love advent traditions, you might also enjoy our DIY Christmas Story Book Advent Calendar for daily reading, our Little House Advent Calendar tutorial, or our Cricut Advent Calendar with Free SVG for crafters.
Inside Your Free Printable
When you download these printables, you'll get everything you need to create a meaningful activity advent calendar.
60+ Activities to Choose From
With over 60 different activities included, you can pick the perfect 24 for your family. The variety means you'll find activities that fit your schedule, budget, and family's interests.
Three Beautiful Design Options
Choose from three festive designs that match your Christmas decor:
Yellow Star Pattern - Classic and cheerful with gold stars on cream background
Pink and Blue Santa Pattern - Playful and colorful with cute Santa illustrations
Green Woodland Animals - Natural and sweet with forest creatures
How to Plan Your Activity Advent Calendar
Creating your calendar takes just a little planning upfront for smooth sailing all December long.
Choose Your 24 Activities
Look through all 60+ options and select the 24 that work best for your family. Consider your schedule, budget, and what your kids would genuinely enjoy. You don't need to use activities you dread or that don't fit your life.
- Mix it up: Include a variety of simple and elaborate, at-home and outings, active and quiet. This balance keeps things interesting without overwhelming anyone.
- Consider ages: Toddlers and preschoolers do great with sensory activities (bubble bath, hot chocolate, Christmas music). Elementary kids love crafts and baking. Tweens and teens appreciate experiences and outings.
Make a Master Calendar for Yourself
This is my biggest tip from years of experience. Create a master calendar listing which activity happens which day. This prevents you from forgetting what's planned and helps you prepare.
- Why this matters: You'll remember to buy hot chocolate for that day, pick up craft supplies ahead, and know when you need to schedule the tree-cutting outing. Nothing worse than opening a card that says "bake cookies" when you have no ingredients!
- Two approaches: Either fill your calendar completely at the start of December, or fill it the night before day-by-day. The second option gives you flexibility to choose activities that fit each day's reality.
- Balance Simple and Special Activities: Not every activity needs to be elaborate. In fact, the simple ones often become the most treasured memories.
- Save elaborate for weekends: Big activities like gingerbread houses, tree cutting, or ice skating work best when you have time and aren't rushed.
- Use quick ones for school nights: Five-minute activities like wearing Christmas socks, drinking from special mugs, or lighting a candle are perfect for busy evenings.
- Include things you're doing anyway: If you have a school concert, make that an advent activity. Already planning to get your tree? Put it on the calendar. This takes pressure off while still creating special moments.
Age Considerations
- Ages 3-5: Focus on sensory activities, simple crafts, and short experiences. They love hot chocolate, Christmas music, special snacks, and simple decorating.
- Ages 6-9: Can handle more complex crafts, baking projects, and longer outings. They're excited about traditions and love being helpers.
- Ages 10-12: Appreciate meaningful activities like acts of kindness, special outings, and family traditions. They can handle advanced baking and crafts.
- Teens: Focus on experiences, giving back, family time, and traditions. They might roll their eyes but secretly love it.
- Mixed ages: Choose activities everyone can participate in at their level. Older kids can help younger ones with crafts.
Ways to Display Your Calendar
Once you've chosen your activities and printed your cards, you need somewhere to put them.
Refillable Advent Calendars
Wooden or fabric advent calendars with little pockets or drawers work perfectly. Add your printed activity card to each day's pocket. You can include a small treat too if you wish, but the activity is the main event.
Envelopes or Paper Bags
Number 24 small envelopes or paper bags and place one activity card in each. Hang them on a string with clothespins, arrange on a bulletin board, or set them in a basket. or clip them to some garland. This is budget-friendly and customizable.
DIY Calendar Projects
If you're crafty, make your own display. Our Little House Advent Calendar tutorial shows how to create a paper house village where each house opens to reveal an activity. Our Cricut Advent Calendar offers a different DIY option with free cut files.
Simple Display Ideas
Clip to ribbon -Hang ribbon on the wall and clip cards with mini clothespins
Hang from branches -Attach cards to a decorative branch in a vase
Advent tree -Create a small tree just for activity cards
Magnetic board -Use magnets to attach cards to a metal board
Pocket chart -Repurpose a classroom pocket chart for home use
Our Family's Favorite Activities
After years of activity advent calendars, certain activities became beloved traditions my kids still remember.
Christmas picnic under the tree -We'd spread a blanket under our Christmas tree and eat dinner picnic-style with Christmas lights glowing. Think picnic food like hotdogs. Simple but magical.
Wearing Christmas socks -This sounds so basic, but my girls loved this simple tradtion. Easy win for school nights.
Painting fingernails red and green -A five-minute activity that made them feel festive and special. Perfect for a quick weeknight.
Special bubble bath with Christmas music -Bath time became an event with Christmas carols playing and extra bubbles. They felt pampered.
Calling grandparents to sing carols -Grandparents loved this surprise, and my kids giggled their way through "Jingle Bells." Created connection across distance.
Hot chocolate bar -We'd set out toppings like marshmallows, whipped cream, and candy canes. Each person customized their perfect cup.
The elaborate activities like making gingerbread houses were fun, but honestly, these simple traditions are what they remember most. The activities that became "ours."
Tips for Advent Calendar Success
Learn from my years of trial and error. These tips will help your advent calendar be a joy instead of a stress.
1. Keep It Simple
You don't need to create Pinterest-perfect moments every day. Simple activities done with presence beat elaborate activities done while stressed. If you're exhausted, choosing "wear Christmas socks" is completely valid.
2. Use Easy Activities on School Nights
Save the time-intensive activities for weekends when you actually have time. School nights deserve five-minute activities like listening to Christmas music during dinner or lighting a special candle.
3. Include Things You're Doing Anyway
If you're already planning to cut down a tree, see lights, or attend a concert, put those on your calendar. No need to invent 24 brand new activities when you're already doing festive things.
4. Be Flexible and Swap as Needed
Weather changes plans. Kids get sick. Work emergencies happen. Give yourself permission to swap activities around. If Saturday's ice skating gets rained out, do a cozy at-home activity instead and save skating for another day.
5. Don't Try to Do It All
You have 60+ activities to choose from, but you only need 24. Save favorites for next year. Rotate different activities each December. This keeps things fresh and takes pressure off.
6. Let Go of Perfection
The gingerbread house will be messy. The snowflakes will be crooked. The caroling will be off-key. That's the whole point. These are real family moments, not magazine photoshoots.
How to Download Your Free Printables
These printable advent activity cards are free for Life is a Party subscribers. Sign up below for instant access to our free resource library where you can download and print them.
After subscribing:
- Check your email for the access password to our free resource library.
- If you don't see it, check your junk mail.
- Enter the library and search for "Advent Calendar Activities".
- Download the PDF with all three designs.
- Print on cardstock or regular paper.
- Cut out your favorite 24 cards.
- Add them to your calendar display.
- Make memories with your kids all Decemeber long.
Printing tips: Cardstock makes sturdier cards that last for years. Regular printer paper works fine if you're using envelopes or pockets. Print at home, at a copy shop, or your local library.
With Christmas Advent Activities, life really is a party!
Frequently Asked Questions
Over 60 different activities are included in the printable download, giving you plenty of options to choose the 24 that work best for your family.
Most activities work well for kids ages 3-12, with many suitable for the whole family including teens and adults. Choose activities that match your children's ages and interests.
You only need to choose 24 activities for your advent calendar (one per day from December 1-24). The extra options let you customize and choose your favorites, and things you think would work best for your family.
Absolutely! Print on cardstock for durability, store in an envelope after Christmas, and reuse every year. Many families rotate different activities each year to keep things fresh.
That's exactly why there are 60+ options. Skip anything that doesn't fit your family, budget, schedule, or interests. Choose only the 24 you'll actually enjoy.
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More Advent Ideas
If you use these Advent Calendar Activities or any other ideas on my blog, please let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
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