106 Fun Christmas Advent Activities for Families

Tis the season for all things Christmas. If you’re looking to add some extra fun this Christmas season with some advent activities, this list has you covered. Keep reading for over 100 fun, kid-friendly, and simple advent activities for families!

Christmas is all about making memories, right? From decorating the Christmas tree to fun Christmas family traditions, I think I speak for many of us when I say that the main goal during this season is to feel the holiday spirit and enjoy our time together.

An Advent calendar serves as a great starting place when it comes to making memories and making sure the holidays feel meaningful.

This list of advent Christmas activities for the kids will help give you some ideas of easy things to do to celebrate the four weeks leading up to Christmas – the traditional advent period.

Whichever route you go, these fun ideas offer a wonderful way to begin the Christmas countdown whether you have toddlers or older kids. Here we go!

Advent Calendar Activities for Kids

‘Tis the time of year for some Christmas fun! Christmas Day isn’t the only day worth celebrating; spread the fun throughout the weeks leading up to Christmas by including an advent calendar as part of your holiday festivities.

Edible Advent Ideas for Kids

Baking is probably the most common way families choose to get into the Christmas spirit with their kids.

Here is a list of activities that you can make, bake, cook and enjoy with the kids leading up to Christmas morning:

1. Make homemade hot chocolate.

2. Decorate Christmas cookies.

3. Have a gingerbread house decorating competition or build one together as a family.

4. Make festive red and green popcorn balls.

5. Make Christmas pancakes for breakfast.

6. Cut sandwiches into holiday shapes using cookie cutters.

7. Make festive chocolate-dipped pretzel rods.

8. Make reindeer Rice Krispies.

9. Make some Christmas cranberry-orange muffins.

10. Put together snowflake-shaped quesadillas.

11. Make Jello cups in Christmas colors.

12. Make snowball cheese balls.

13. Host a Christmas-themed breakfast.

14. Make Santa pancakes.

15. Make a meal from your favorite Christmas movie – Did somebody say Elf?

16. Bake a Christmas cake.

17. Make homemade candy canes.

18. Bake a traditional Christmas-time dessert

19. Make apple cider punch.

20. Make a popcorn garland

21. Make reindeer food for Christmas Eve.

22. Recreate your own Holiday Baking show (Is it Cake would be a fun one).

Crafting Advent Ideas for Kids

Crafting is one fun way to celebrate the days of Christmas. 

Here are 29 crafting Advent activities for the kids to do:

23. Make paper snowflakes.

24. Create a DIY activity Advent calendar with pockets for each day.

25. Paint Christmas scenes on paper plates and hang them as decor.

26. Make clothespin ornaments. 

27. Make handprint reindeer cards.

28. Make sock snowmen.

29. Create a paper chain countdown to Christmas.

30. Use fingerprints to make colorful Christmas lights on cards.

31. Make festive salt dough ornaments.

32. Print a Christmas Kindness Santa’s beard countdown. 

33. Make your own headband antlers.

34. Paint Christmas tree pinecones.

35. Cut mittens from colored paper and decorate them with stickers and glitter.

36. Transform ice cream cones into festive Christmas trees.

37. Set up your nativity scene.

38. Thread jingle bells onto pipe cleaners to make festive bracelets.

39. Glue cotton balls onto paper to make a fluffy snowman.

40. Cut and decorate gingerbread houses from old cereal boxes.

41. Make DIY snow globes. Fill small jars with water, glitter, and small figurines for mini snow globes.

42. Cut and decorate felt ornaments for a fabric Christmas tree.

43. Use handprints to create various Christmas-themed animals and characters.

44. Turn paper plates into Santa faces with cotton balls and construction paper.

45. Roll and decorate tissue paper to resemble festive candles.

46. Cut paper snowflakes out of coffee filters.

47. Make a Christmas centerpiece for the table or coffee table.

48. Roll beeswax candles to give as gifts.

49. Make a Christmas photo booth.

50. Create and decorate a paper tree on the wall (velcro felt ornaments would be great for toddlers).

51. Put together DIY Christmas wreaths.

Outdoor Advent Ideas for Kids

Get your family outside with some of these daily advent activities!

Here is a fun list of activities to get moving this holiday season:

52. Have a snowman-building contest.

53. Have a winter-themed scavenger hunt.

54. Collect natural holiday decorations such as fallen pine cones and evergreen branches.

55. Head out to enjoy festive Christmas light displays.

56. Set up a projector and screen a holiday movie in the backyard if it’s not too chilly.

57. Sing Christmas carols in a retirement home.

58. Have an outdoor picnic with hot chocolate and warm snacks.

59. Tell stories about a fire pit and roast marshmallows.

60. Make reindeer food and spread it in your yard on Christmas Eve.

61. Create a nativity scene in the yard.

62. Play Ugly Sweater flag football.

63. Cut down your own Christmas tree.

64. Paint Christmas designs in the snow.

65. Feed reindeer at a local farm.

66. Hide candy canes and have a candy cane hunt (similar to an Easter egg hunt).

67. Attend a tree lighting ceremony.

Religious Advent Ideas for Kids

Church activities aren’t the only ways to celebrate the days leading up to the birth of Jesus.

Here are some great Religious Advent activities for kids that encourage the celebration of the birth of Christ:

68. Read a passage from the Bible that relates to the story of Jesus.

69. Create your own DIY nativity scene to celebrate Jesus’ birth.

70. Sing religious Christmas songs together.

71. Act out parts of the Christmas story.

72. Make angel ornaments.

73. Create a DIY storybook timeline leading up to the birth of Jesus.

74. Journal daily about the Religious significance of Christmas.

75. Prepare a meal inspired by the region of Bethlehem.

76. Perform small acts of kindness in the spirit of Advent.

77. Make a nativity scene with popsicle sticks.

78. Craft angels using paper plates and doilies.

79. Go to Midnight Mass (or your church’s Christmas Eve celebration).

Other Fun Advent Ideas for Kids

One great thing about the Christmas season is that there are so many ways to celebrate it!

Here are some new things to try out this year during Advent with the kids:

80. Read The Story of Christmas for the real meaning of Christmas.

81. Host the ultimate Holiday movie marathon complete with holiday-themed snacks.

82. Read different Christmas books each night.

83. Color in some adorable free printable Christmas activity placemats.

84. Host Christmas carol karaoke with Christmas music.

85. Learn how to play a Christmas song on an instrument.

86. Create a holiday-themed indoor scavenger hunt.

87. Write and decorate letters to Santa Claus. You can send Santa letters through USPS if you are in the US!

88. Play some holiday-themed charades. 

89. Compile a list of favorite holiday songs (or use one of the already amazing Christmas playlists from Spotify) and simply enjoy the season with the music on in the background.

90. Host Christmas-themed trivia.

91. Make and exchange personalized Christmas cards. Canva is great for this if you’re looking to craft your own online to print out. 

92. Try simple winter-themed science experiments.

93. Put on a winter gear fashion show.

94. Try out holiday journaling.

95. Use a felt board to tell Christmas stories.

96. Do a holiday-themed yoga video.

97. Have a holiday-themed spa night. 

98. Make a video for Santa.

99. Play Christmas bingo.

100. Visit Christmassy places around your city.

101. Make Christmas cards for friends and family.

102. Watch a Christmas cartoon.

103. Make a Christmas wishlist.

104. Have a Christmas-themed sleepover.

105. Leave cookies out for Santa.

106. Watch a Holiday Baking show.

Advent Calendar Ideas for Families

There you have it! Over 80 advent traditions to celebrate the weeks of advent leading up to Christmas. From acts of kindness to Christmas movies, there are plent of fun activities to fill the entire calendar during the season of advent. 

My hope is that you are able to use these advent activities for families to enjoy some quality time together as you celebrate the holidays in a meaningful way.