November is our month to prepare for Christmas. This allows December to be enjoyed rather than it being manic! One of the last bits to organise is our Activity Based Advent Calendar.

 

Doing an Activity based Advent Calendar is such a lovely thing to do and it helps the excitement to build gradually in December and is a nice way to count down to Christmas Day itself.

We have a Christmas Advent Truck that we got in Dunnes Stores and it has a door for each day. We write out little activities for each day and the kids will take it in turns to open a door.

We get the activities from a mix of places .. things we would be doing anyway, ideas from @pinterest and other websites.

We make a list of all the activities and then write them out on slips of paper and add one to each day. We like to keep a list of them all so that we can change ones out if something else pops up or if we’re too busy to do something on a particular day!!

 

This year’s ones we are planning to do: 

Take down the Christmas Book Box and start the Advent Box

Watch The Late Late Toy Show

Read the story of Christmas

Sing some Christmas songs

Look at old Christmas videos and photos

Shop for a new Christmas Decoration

Snuggle under a blanket and watch a Christmas film

Put up the Christmas Decorations

Have a fun family day out

Write a letter to Santa

Clean out toy box and donate to charity

Have a Christmas Dance Party

Have a Christmas bubble bath – songs and candles

Family Treat Dinner tonight

Go to Christmas Market

Go to Christmas Nativity Play

Make Christmas cards for our family

Read a Christmas book by candle light by the tree

Go for a hot chocolate

Go for a drive and find some Christmas lights

A Christmas indoor picnic in front of the tree

Make some Christmas cookies / buns

Move up to Granny and Grandad for Christmas

Open the Christmas Eve Box

Have a very merry family Christmas

 

Some other ideas: 

Do a random act of kindness

Stay up late and watch a film

Sleep in mommy and daddy’s bed

Play a family boardgame

Go for a winter walk / bike ride

Go ice-skating

Take a few small gifts to a shelter for women and children

Wear Santa hats and bring a bag to clean up the beach

Make gingerbread cookies

Melt chocolate into Christmas molds

Decorate a wreath together

Get books from the library about how people celebrate Christmas in other nations

Make thumbprint snowmen

Paint pinecones to make a centerpiece for the table or to display in a clear vase or string on a bunting

Unwrap and read a new Christmas book

Snuggle up in mom and dad’s bed and read The Night Before Christmas

Use only Christmas mugs for all of your drinks for an entire day

Have a “fancy dress” code for dinner one night

Invite another family to come over in their jammies to watch a favorite Christmas movie and share a favorite Christmas treat

 

Some ideas to choose!! It genuinely is so much fun and the kids adore it… enjoy!

 

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