Today I’m excited to share intentional advent calendar ideas!
I made these with my littles in mind, but I believe you can do them with children of any age (or even by yourself or with friends).
So first off: you’ll need a place to put your advent calendar!
This year, I decided to start my first ever sewing project and make my own advent calendar! I followed this tutorial and am proud of how it turned out!
I also found this tutorial on pinterest that I might like even more… So might make it next year!
If you’re not into DIY, here’s a few you can buy: link | link | link
Once you have that, let’s get into the next fun part – putting things in your advent calendar!
There’s a lot of different directions you can go with this, and I’m going to list out 24 ideas that you can totally write down and do yourself! If that’s not your vibe, I made a printable version you can use!
The below list corresponds with everything in the template – it’s just a sort of, expanded version.
Note on all the ideas below: These are mostly all experiential and cost little-to-nothing to do or make. Feel free to add gifts to go along with these ideas or add in some of your own if that’s your thing!
//// Intentional Advent Calendar Ideas:
Memorize Scripture: One A Week (4 total)
I’ve personally been trying to work on more scripture memory for me, as well as for my toddler. He’s three and I’ve been amazed at what he can memorize!
I chose 4 that I wanted to work on this advent season – in the printable there’s the full version and then a shortened/paraphrased version (depending on the age of your littles/memorization ability).
Any scriptures will do! But here’s the four I chose:
- Isaiah 9:6
- John 3:16
- Luke 1:28
- Luke 2:1-12
Go To Your Local Christmas Parade
This is one of my toddlers FAVORITE activities every year!
Literally since we left the parade last year, he’s been asking when we could go again. haha. SO needless to say, it’s a BIG highlight for him and special for all of us.
More than likely there’s a local town (if not several) that will host a Christmas Parade! If you don’t know about it, you can ask your friends or literally google “TOWN NAME CHRISTMAS PARADE” and you’ll likely find a Facebook or Hometown event page with details!
Gift idea: Glow sticks for the parade
Intentional moment: Make or buy hot cocoa together before you go and drink in to go mugs! Chat about your favorite floats, instruments, or whatever passes that garners attention.
Bake cookies and Gift to Neighbors
This is one of *my* personal favorite things to do every year!
I love baking, and once again, my toddler loves getting to be in the kitchen with me. This is a special way we can bake together, without having too many leftovers for a sugar induced coma – as we get to share our baked treats with others.
If you don’t know your neighbors real well yet, this is a great way to get to know them! Or you can also gift them to others who would appreciate the gesture.
Gift idea: You can also make this extra decorated by wrapping them in a variety of ways! Your local craft store will have kraft boxes you can use, or just simply put them in ziplock bags with ribbon (cut off the zipper seal) or add them to a metal tin!
Decorate a Nature Tree
Okay, so I actually learned about this idea from a reel (if you don’t follow ReallyVeryCrunchy, she’s hilarious [if you’re into crunchy things]). Basically, the idea is to decorate a tree outside for the wildlife!
So you want to decorate it stuff that is animal friendly. Some ideas:
- Grapes (of different colors)
- Cranberries
- Raisons
- Popcorn (homemade – no butter or salt or oils added!)
- Apple Slices
- Orange Slices
- Peanuts
- Pinecones (could add peanut butter and bird seed, to make edible)
Make Salt Dough Ornaments
This is one of my favorite, simple DIY’s to make every year! Plus it’s great to do with littles, and provides really sweet keepsakes you can cherish through the years.
Here’s a tutorial, but literally all you need is flour, salt, water and then whatever objects you want to imprint (hands, feet, leaves, etc). You can later add in paint or watercolor to add vibrance!
If you wanna get fancy, here’s some fun ideas: link | link | link | link
Gift idea: This makes for great heirloom Christmas gifts for grandparents!
Send/Make Christmas Cards
Another favorite tradition of mine is to send out Christmas Cards every year! (I apparently have a lot of favorites, which I didn’t realize until writing this post).
We usually do the kind that you print (here’s a link to my fave way to buy that makes this extremely affordable), which you can do this and just let your littles add in special drawings or colored tags that they make and add them in!
You can also go super old school, and buy plain Christmas notecards (or make your own!) write a handwritten note and include a note/drawing from your little! If your little is in school, you can have them hand deliver their notes (image the pride of delivering in person a handmade note).
If completely making a card sounds daunting, Etsy has great printables (like this one) that you can buy, print out and let your little color/add flair to!
Drive around and see Christmas Lights
So there’s literally lists and blogs that have printables, google link maps, etc. to the best houses in our area to go see lights! People around here MEAN BUSINESS when it comes to Christmas lights.
If you don’t know/have such a list, ask in a local facebook group or your friend group! You can always good such a list… Or I find about a lot of our local events and information from a website called “Macaroni Kids.” From my understanding, it’s local moms that put together blog-posts (ish) of local events and things to do in your area! I get weekly emails and the most recent one had light displays 🙂
You can always also go old school and just drive around and see what you find!
Visit Light Display/Walk Through
Similar to driving in the car to look for lights, there’s a lot of places that do light shows or walk throughs that’s really special and fun! Again, just google or ask around for peoples favorite places to do this (we’ve been to both paid and even free options). Or make your own!
Even some of the houses around us have walking portions, so you could break this up into two different nights if that’s the route you go!
Go To a Live Nativity
This is a great way to help littles better understand the Christmas story and what it maybe looked like. Check out local churches in your area to see if anyone is offering a live nativity (and be sure to go early – the lines usually get pretty long!). You can read the Bible story beforehand to further help understand what’s happening.
Make Gingerbread Men or House
Another fun in the kitchen moment: making gingerbread men to decorate or a gingerbread house! You can also buy pre-made kits (for the houses) or easy to make dough in a box if being crafty in the kitchen isn’t your thing. This is a great way to let kids get messy and creative with their craft! Also great to do with friends.
Here’s a link to gingerbread men recipe, then a gingerbread house for the kids or a fancy one!
Make S’mores by the Fire
Simple as it sounds: light the fireplace, gather the s’mores supplies and enjoy this “campfire” adventure indoors where it’s warm (or outdoors if that’s your vibe).
Build A Fort and Watch a Movie
Your little ones will love the special living room fort (or bedroom fort) and snuggling with you to watch a movie together! Maybe even leave the fort up for a few days to remind them of the special memory and let them have extra fun in the days to come.
Need some inspiration? Pinterest will have you covered from simple to hardcore, luxury forts.
Decorate Cookies with Friends
You can do this with just your family, or you can make it a party and do it with friends! You could have each person bring their favorite topping/decor item, and even turn it into a friendly competition, if that’s your thing!
Here’s a few recipe/ideas: link | link | link | link | link | link | link | link
Make Hot Cocoa Together
This is a great one to do in tandem with one of the other ideas suggested – whether that’s during a baking party, reading books together, watching a movie, checking out light displays, etc.
Also, I personally make my hot cocoa a little differently (so it’s actually healthy).
Here’s the recipe that I like to use (makes one mug)
- 3/4 cup milk of choice (but the creamier the milk, the better)
- 1/2 bone broth (make sure it’s NOT stock – the taste isn’t the same) (link to my fave)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (adjust to sweetness preference)
- 1 scoop collagen (link)
- Splash of vanilla (optional)
I honestly eyeball all of the above, so these are just rough guesstimates of what the proportions are.
Gift idea: You can buy a special holiday mug (or winter mug) for each child to use whenever you make your hot cocoa!
Read Christmas Books Together
One of my favorite memories growing up was the “Christmas Basket” that held books that my mom only brought out during Christmas time.
There’s so many beautiful, heartwarming Christmas books to read this time of year… and spending a few minutes each day sitting down together to read one (or a few) is a great, simple way to make memories together. Thrift stores and local libraries are great places to get these books for you to enjoy!
Gift idea: You could literally wrap/gift a book for each day of the month leading up to Christmas.
Make a Christmas-Themed Craft
This is one of my favorite things to do with our littles! They love the crafting aspect, plus I usually do two birds with one stone and make something that a grandparent would love as a gift. Or keep it for yourself for a childhood keepsake! Literally go to Pinterest and type in, “Childrens Christmas Craft” for lots of ideas!
Here’s a few ideas of simple crafts: link | link | link | link | link | link | link | link
Gift idea: Depending on what craft you do, you can gift it to grandparents (or keep it as a keepsake)
Donate toys together
Help declutter your current toy collection and bless another child in need! Plus this is a great way to get your little one involved in learning the spirit of giving and what it is to let go of things we have to help others.
Gift idea: If you’d rather, or in addition to, you can go to the store with your littles and have them pick out some NEW toys that they can gift.
Have a Christmas Music Dance Party
There’s sooo many good playlists on Spotify that have a variety of Christmas tunes that are perfect for a Christmas party! Or you can go old school and thrift some Christmas on vinyl and listen that way (this is my children’s highly requested preference).
We listened to this one and it has all the classic fun songs!
Adopt a Child to gift
Every year our church has an “angel tree” or “mercy tree” (or both) that has a child’s name, gender, age and gift suggestions. This is a great way to include your children in the giving to someone else in need! If you don’t have one at your church, ask around local churches or organizations!
If you don’t know what an angel tree is (or entails): You “adopt” a local family in need and then buy them gifts on their list. You then bring the gifts back to the location, where the church/organization will give out the gifts to the families.
You can choose a child that’s similar to their age/gender/interests, so that they can go shopping for gifts that are likely similar to their
Have a Game Night in Your Pajamas
This is exactly how it sounds! Get in your pajamas and have a game night together as a family. Don’t have any games? You can either make your own, thrift some in the kids section or borrow from a friend. You Could also sub for coloring pages together or simply just playing a made up game (most kids are pretty great at thinking these up)
Christmas Eve Service and Reading Christmas Story
Go to a Christmas Eve service at your church (or a local one). It’s always such a special service (and one of the most popular ones of the year – so go early!).
When you come home, read the Christmas story in the Bible (Matthew 1-2 or Luke 1-2, or both).
There you go!
This is my first year to ever do an advent calendar, and also my first to do it with my kids, so I’m really excited! I really wanted to be intentional with them this December, so I’m excited to have these prompts to help us made precious memories and love on others in simple, but special ways.
Have any questions? Just comment below or reach out!
Also, feel free to grab the printable version of this list in my Etsy shop! XO
