The Best Ideas for Christmas Advent Calendars for Kids
Watching the holiday season unfold with children is like seeing Christmas in its purest form—every twinkle light, every snowflake is magical. With an advent calendar, you’re not just counting down to Christmas; you’re helping to shape traditions and moments that will forever be part of your family’s story.Each day of December there is a new window or little door to open revealing a fun craft, new toy, or an activity that can lead to special moments. .
Why Advent Calendars are Perfect for Kids
Advent calendars make that magic even more special, creating tiny moments of joy each day that become the foundation for lasting family traditions.There are many benefits they can bring to your family and your little one. Advent calendars helps build the anticipation and excitement to the big day for your sweet little one.
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Benefits:
- Building anticipation and excitement with a countdown in the Advent calendar to open a new door or box depending on your Advent calendar
- Enhancing fine motor skills with small activities such as nativity crafts, decorating a gingerbread house, or making your own gift tags
- Teaching patience and routine.
- Encouraging family bonding through daily interactions.
- Promoting learning through themes like numbers, colors, and stories.
Creating Traditions with Advent Calendars
Look for Advent calendars that help create family traditions to enjoy year after year. When my kids were very little, deciding how to create strong family traditions that we could continue throughout a very busy time of year and do each Christmas season was a challenge but important to us. We did not want Christmas day to arrive and realize that the hustle and bustle of the season brought with it many family activities we wanted to do but never got to them and missed moments to intentionally slow down for times to connect together as a family. We turned to an Advent calendar as a perfect option and a great way to help establish special traditions that our family could enjoy year after year.
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Creating Traditions:
- The joy of unwrapping small surprises together.
- How consistent holiday rituals help toddlers develop a sense of stability and excitement for the season.
- Helps establish predictable family events to anticipate
- Ideas for making it a learning opportunity (e.g., storytelling, songs).
Factors to consider when choosing an Advent calendar for a toddler:
- Safety - no small parts or choking hazards
- Durability - able to withstand toddler handling
- Age appropriateness - engaging content and activities suitable for young children
- Variety - mix of treats, toys, and activities
- Educational value - promotes learning and development
Types of Advent calendars for kids
- Fill-your-own Advent calendars such as "The Ultimate Advent Christmas Planner Book" which allows parents to customize family activities to create memories to enjoy each year, ideas to give back to others, small gift ideas, and yummy Christmas treats. One favorite activity is to write in the family time capsule each year summarizing the favorites from the past year and what you are looking forward to in the next year.
- Book-based Advent calendars - Offers a daily Christmas-themed story or activity to have sweet Christmas stories to reread each year.
- Fabric Advent calendars with pockets - Soft and colorful, perfect for hanging on a wall to simply help you count down to the bi day!
- Character or toy based Advent calendars such as Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, or Lego. Many character-themed Advent calendars include small toys or activities related to the character's world. This can spark imaginative play and offer opportunities for learning about different concepts or themes associated with the character.
- Craft Calendars : Discuss DIY advent calendars with activities like coloring or simple crafts to engage toddlers creatively.These DIY activities can also lead to a sweet, homemade gift to loved ones made straight from the heart of a child special in their lives.
- Educational Calendars : Share options with puzzles, learning cards, or small games that foster cognitive development while keeping the fun going.
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Food Calendar Ideas
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Taste of the World: Explore a new culture each day!
- Sample a piece of fruit they've never tried (dragon fruit, starfruit, etc.)
- Make a simple recipe from another country (e.g., guacamole from Mexico, spring rolls from Vietnam)
- Visit an international grocery store and choose a new-to-you snack
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Baking Bonanza: Get those little hands messy in the kitchen!
- Decorate gingerbread cookies or houses
- Make holiday-themed cupcakes or cake pops
- Whip up a batch of reindeer chow or other festive snack mix
- Bake and decorate sugar cookies
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Festive Fun: Add some seasonal cheer to the mix!
- Build a gingerbread house
- Make hot cocoa with all the fixings (marshmallows, whipped cream, sprinkles)
- Decorate a Christmas tree-shaped pizza with veggie ornaments
- Have a "breakfast for dinner" night with pancakes shaped like snowflakes or reindeer
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Creative Cooking: Encourage experimentation and play!
- Make edible ornaments for the tree (using cookie cutters, pretzels, dried fruit)
- Build a snowman out of marshmallows and toothpicks
- Create a candy cane reindeer craft with pretzel sticks and candy eyes
- Decorate a gingerbread man with frosting and candies
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Giving Back: Spread some holiday cheer to others!
- Bake cookies or treats to share with neighbors or friends
- Volunteer at a local soup kitchen or food pantry
- Decorate a plate of cookies to deliver to a senior center
- Assemble a care package of snacks for someone in need
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Remember to adapt the activities to your child's age and abilities. Let them help with measuring, mixing, and decorating. Most of all, have fun and enjoy the process of creating delicious memories together this holiday season!
Options if you cannot do an Advent Calendar each day in December
December is a busy time of year and adding an Advent calendar option for each day may be too much for your family schedule.
- Purchase cute gift tags
- Look at your calendar to determine days you can do an Advent calendar activity
- Write that day on the gift tag
- Write the activity for that day on the back of the gift tag
This way if you have a super busy day with work, school events, or other activities, you can skip that day as an Advent day but still have planned days to be intentional about enjoying some memory making events together.
Need ideas? The Ultimate Advent Christmas Planner has 100 Advent cards broken down into various categories to help with planning.
Conclusion
As the holiday season approaches, advent calendars offer more than just a countdown to Christmas—they help families create cherished traditions and lasting memories. Each day brings a small moment of joy, whether it’s discovering a new toy, family activity, story, or craft together. For children, these simple rituals foster excitement and connection, laying the foundation for traditions that will grow with them year after year. Whether you're starting a new family tradition or continuing a beloved one, advent calendars bring an extra layer of magic to the season and help make every December moment one to treasure.