Ideas for Your Own Holiday Activity Advent Calendar
I have always loved putting together special advent calendars for the countdown to Christmas, but especially in recent years, our family has enjoyed shifting the focus from “stuff” to experiences and quality time.
In the early years, I would include small gifts that encouraged creativity, such as stickers, stamps, and other craft supplies, but I soon realised I wasn’t comfortable purchasing so many cheap, disposable products that only added clutter to our home.
The first year we started an Advent Activity Calendar, when we were still living in the inner city – now almost a decade ago!
Then I read this great idea by Esther at Babyccino Kids, whose advent projects were mostly about giving to others and having fun together as a family over Christmas. However, many of the ideas were heavily geared towards a European winter, such as drinking hot chocolate or taking walks together in the dark at night. As summer is such a big part of the Australian Christmas, I set about adapting some of the ideas and giving them a slightly different spin.
(We have also added an Advent Book Calendar to the season’s festivities – read more here!)
Here is a list of some of our favourite holiday activities we have included over the years:
Holiday Activity Advent Calendar Ideas
Invite friends to join us for ice skating
Create a card or bake treats for postal workers
Paint pine cones for Christmas decorations
Make a favourite snack and watch a family Christmas movie
Make and then drop off treats at a friends’ house
Create and deliver holiday cards
Learn how to make a seasonal recipe together
Go around the table at dinner and share three things we love about each person
Put together a present for someone in need
Make our own Christmas wreaths
Learn how other cultures celebrate the holidays and try a new idea
Invite friends to join us for ice skating
Create a card or bake treats for postal workers
Paint pine cones for Christmas decorations
Make a favourite snack and watch a family Christmas movie
Make and then drop off treats at a friends’ house
Create and deliver holiday cards
Learn how to make a seasonal recipe together
Go around the table at dinner and share three things we love about each person
Put together a present for someone in need
Make our own Christmas wreaths
Have a family game night
Work together to complete a puzzle
Make fruit mince pies
Create paper origami decorations
Make snowballs out of pom poms
Go for a drive to find the best Christmas lights
Learn to play a Christmas song on an instrument
Watch The Nutcracker
Create garlands with popcorn, cranberry, or dried oranges
Learn about charities, choose one, and make a donation
Make a blessing basket for a neighbour in need
Decorate your bedroom door
Create a themed scavenger hunt with clues
Put on a Christmas play based on a favourite book
Go outside in pyjamas and look for shooting stars
Make Christmas pancakes using cookie cutters
Build a blanket fort to camp in overnight
I would love to hear about your favourite traditions and see how you display your holiday activity advent calendar! Comment below or tag @nataliewalton on Instagram to share.
P.S. If you’re craving a simpler, more restful holiday season, take a look at my latest guide: The Holidays Simplified – 5 easy ways to simplify the busy season.
Inside, you’ll find strategies for prioritising what’s most important to you and letting go of stress, clutter, and excess.
