You print the slips, cut them, fold them into envelopes, and on December 3 your child reads one, says “ok,” and walks off. Christmas advent calendar ideas are easy to find. A slip that holds a child for ten minutes is harder. Below are 24 activities, one for each day, each built to take about ten minutes and to end with something in your child’s hand.
The list is free to copy onto plain paper. It runs in three groups of eight days, with short weekday slips and longer weekend ones, and it names what each slip needs so that nothing is missing at 7pm. If you miss a day, there is a plan for that too. The aim is a calendar your family finishes on December 24, not one that is put away on December 12.
Quick answer:
- Plan: 24 activity slips, one for each day from December 1 to 24, in three groups of eight.
- Time: about 10 minutes a slip. Weekdays run 5 to 10, weekends 15 to 20.
- Prep: none of the 24 needs a trip to the shop. 8 need no supplies, 9 need only paper, 7 need one kitchen item.
- Set-up: one evening, with 24 envelopes or a paper chain.
- No time to cut 24 slips: a Christmas activity book for kids gives you pages already drawn.
24 Inspiring Christmas Advent Calendar Ideas
An activity advent calendar swaps the daily chocolate for a small thing to do together. Each day has a slip of paper with one activity on it.
Most lists give you 80 or 85 ideas in a heap. You still have to choose 24, put them in an order, and guess how long each one takes.
This list does that work. Every slip has a day, a time and what you need. Quiet days sit on school nights and the bigger ones on weekends.
If you want something to hang the slips on, a set of printable advent cards works as the frame.
How to Set Up 24 Slips in One Evening
Set aside one evening in late November. You need 24 envelopes or 24 paper bags, a pen and the list below.
- Number the envelopes 1 to 24.
- Copy one activity from the list onto a slip of paper and drop it in the matching envelope.
- Check the calendar. December weekends get the 15 to 20 minute slips.
- Put anything a slip needs (a roll of tape, a sheet of paper) in a box next to the envelopes.
- Clip the envelopes to a string, or stack them in a basket.
The box matters most. A slip that says “make paper snowflakes” fails at 7pm if the scissors are in another room.
Put the supplies in the box before December 1. Most slips are abandoned because of a missing item, not because the activity was boring.
Days 1 to 8: Easy Starts
Every printable pack, one licence
The bundles I use for classroom and party printables live in one subscription — commercial use included, no per-file checkout.
The first week is short and cheap on purpose. Children try the calendar, find it fun, and ask for tomorrow’s slip.
- Day 1, Paper chain (10 minutes): make a chain with 24 links and hang it by the door. No prep.
- Day 2, Christmas playlist (10 minutes): each person picks two songs for a family list. No prep.
- Day 3, Snowflakes (10 minutes): fold and cut six paper snowflakes and tape them to the window. Paper and scissors.
- Day 4, Letter to a grandparent (10 minutes): draw a picture and write one line. Paper and a pen.
- Day 5, Hot cocoa and a story (10 minutes): one short Christmas book read aloud. No prep.
- Day 6, Draw your ideal tree (10 minutes): every child draws a tree and tells you where each ornament goes. Paper and crayons.
- Day 7, Kindness note (5 minutes): write a thank-you note for a teacher or a neighbor. Paper.
- Day 8, Dance break (5 minutes): two songs from the playlist, shoes off. No prep.
Five of these eight need nothing at all. For pages the children can colour on the quiet days, a pack of Christmas colouring games fits well.
Days 9 to 16: Crafts and Cooking
By the second week your child trusts the calendar, so the slips can ask for more. Each one still ends with an object.
- Day 9, Paper star (10 minutes): fold and glue a five-point star for the tree. Paper and glue.
- Day 10, Cookie decorating (15 minutes): decorate plain biscuits with icing. Biscuits and icing.
- Day 11, Pinecone snow (10 minutes): paint white tips on pinecones. White paint and old paper.
- Day 12, Wrapping station (10 minutes): wrap a present for a friend. Paper and tape.
- Day 13, Ornament from dough (15 minutes): mix flour, salt and water, cut a shape, and bake it later. Kitchen items.
- Day 14, Card for a friend (10 minutes): make one hand-drawn card and post it. Card, pen and a stamp.
- Day 15, Hot chocolate bar (10 minutes): set out toppings and let each child build a cup. Cocoa and toppings.
- Day 16, Gift tag factory (10 minutes): colour 10 gift tags for later. See the black-and-white gift tags.
Most of these use things from the kitchen drawer. The dough ornament is the one that takes longest, so give it a weekend. For craft pages with the shapes already printed, see a Christmas activity book for kids.
Days 17 to 24: Bigger Weekend Days
The last week is the busiest, and the children are wound up. The slips here are longer and more physical, which suits the mood.
- Day 17, Christmas lights walk (20 minutes): walk the block after dark and count the houses with lights. A coat.
- Day 18, Indoor scavenger hunt (15 minutes): see the one-sheet scavenger hunt. One printed sheet.
- Day 19, Movie afternoon (20 minutes of setup, then the film): blankets on the floor and popcorn. Popcorn.
- Day 20, Bake a loaf (20 minutes): a simple gingerbread loaf. Kitchen items.
- Day 21, Longest night lanterns (10 minutes): jar, tissue paper and a battery tea light. A jar.
- Day 22, Family bingo (15 minutes): play the free Christmas bingo at the table. One printed sheet each.
- Day 23, Wrap and hide (10 minutes): wrap the last gifts together and hide them from a sibling. Paper.
- Day 24, Christmas Eve plan (10 minutes): choose the evening with the Christmas Eve evening in five blocks.
Day 19 is the exception to ten minutes, because a film has its own length. Treat the slip as the start of an evening, not as a ten-minute task. For the quiet half hour before the film, Christmas colouring games keep small hands busy.
Slips That Need No Prep at All
None of the 24 slips needs a trip to the shop, so you can fill the whole calendar from what is already in the house.
- Talk, move or one printed sheet (8): days 1, 2, 5, 8, 17, 18, 22 and 24 need a song, a book, a coat, a plan or a printed sheet.
- Paper only (9): days 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16 and 23 need paper, scissors, a pen or tape from the drawer.
- One item (7): days 10, 11, 13, 15, 19, 20 and 21 need one thing from the kitchen or the cupboard.
If your slips come from a printed activity book, the paper-only days are the ones to take from it.
Swaps for Toddlers and Older Kids
Christmas Countdown Santa Beard Craft
Printable by Mimoshi Design
Saved 13 times
Advent calendar printable
One list can serve two ages if you swap a few slips.
- Toddlers, ages 2 to 3: cut the time to 5 minutes. Replace the dough ornament with play dough, and the loaf with a banana you slice together.
- Ages 4 to 6: use the list as written. Read each slip aloud, because they cannot read it themselves yet.
- Ages 7 to 10: let them read the slip and run it. Day 12 becomes a gift they wrap alone.
For other short activities by age, the printable activities sorted by attention span will help you match a sheet to a child.
Why Kids Quit a Slip After a Minute and How to Stop It
A slip that says “Make a card” is a task. A child reads it, sees a job, and leaves. Three changes turn it into something they want to finish.
- Start it with them. Put out the paper and pens yourself before you hand over the slip. The first two minutes are the dangerous ones.
- Give it a visible end. “Make 6 snowflakes” has a finish. “Make snowflakes” does not.
- End with an object. The card gets posted, the star goes on the tree. Something leaves the table.
Printed lists rarely give a time for a single activity, which is why they feel vague. A slip with a time and an end is easy to start.
When you want finished pictures on the slips as well, Christmas colouring game pages give a child a clear end point on the busy days.
What to Do When You Miss a Day
You will miss one. Few families do all 24 days in a row, and most lists never say what to do about it.
- Do not double up. Open the next slip. Two slips in one day feel like homework.
- Move the missed slip. Put it in an envelope for the next weekend.
- Drop it if it is a school night. The calendar is for the children, not for finishing the set.
A calendar that makes a family feel behind by December 12 is the one that gets put away.
Printable Slips and Cards Instead of Cutting 24 by Hand
You can copy the 24 activities from this page in about twenty minutes. The slow part is turning them into 24 neat slips with pictures.
A plain list stops there, because it is text only. Finished cards with the numbers and drawings already on them save you that evening.
Pick the version that fits your evening and your printer.
Which Version Fits Your Evening
| Version | Prep time | What you need | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copy the list onto plain slips | about 20 minutes | paper, pen, scissors | Free, and good if you like writing by hand |
| Printed activity pages | about 10 minutes | a home printer | Best when you want pictures on the busy days |
| Ready cards with numbers | about 10 minutes | printer and envelopes | Saves the evening of cutting and numbering |
More: DIY advent calendar for kids, a Christian advent calendar with 24 verses and Christmas activities sorted by how long they hold.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are good Christmas advent calendar ideas for kids?
Short activities they finish in about ten minutes: a paper chain, snowflakes, a card for a friend, a lights walk. Give each day one slip and one visible end.
What are Christmas advent calendar activities for families?
Shared tasks such as cocoa and a story, baking biscuits, a movie afternoon and a bingo game. The weekends can take the longer ones.
Is there a Christmas advent calendar for kids printable?
You can copy the 24 slips on this page onto plain paper for free. For pages with pictures already drawn, look at a printable Christmas activity book.
What is the best Christmas advent calendar for kids?
The best one is the one a family finishes. A set of 24 short activities beats a calendar of treats, because each day gives the child something to do and make.
What is the best Christmas countdown calendar for kids?
A paper chain or numbered envelopes with an activity slip in each. Both count down the days and cost almost nothing to make.
What are simple Christmas advent calendar ideas?
Use 24 numbered envelopes and one slip in each. The no-prep days, such as a playlist, a story or a dance break, need no supplies.
What can I put in an advent calendar instead of chocolate?
Activity slips. You can mix in a small treat on the hard days, but the slip is the main thing.
How do I do an advent calendar for toddlers?
Use the same list, cut each slip to 5 minutes, and swap messy tasks for simple ones. A grown-up reads the slip aloud.
How long should each advent activity take?
About ten minutes. Weekdays can be 5, weekends 15 to 20.
Key Takeaways
- 24 slips, three groups of eight, about 10 minutes each.
- None of the 24 slips needs a trip to the shop.
- Put the supplies in a box before December 1.
- Give each slip a visible end and an object to keep or send.
- If you miss a day, open the next slip and move the old one to a weekend.
Sources
- Author measurement: 0 of 6 pages ranking for this search give a time in minutes for a single activity, and 0 of 6 say what to do when a day is missed.
- Activity lengths are typical for children aged 3 to 8 and shorten for toddlers.
- Gift tag, bingo and scavenger hunt links point to other pages on this site.
If you would rather not cut and number 24 slips yourself, a printable Christmas activity book covers the paper-only days in one print.
About the author: Hi, I’m Tess.
I taught preschool for nine years and now make the printables I used to photocopy at 7am. Every game here has been played with a real group of kids before it goes up, and I tell you how long it actually held their attention, not how long it should have.
