Countdown the days to Christmas with a family Advent calendar. Here are 40 free family Advent activities that are fun, budget friendly, and easy. After all, the last thing you need right now is to add more to your plate during the holidays. Or to keep spending!
What is a family Advent calendar?
This post goes hand in hand with another post I wrote about family Advent calendars.
The idea is that you write out a list of 24 family activities that you want to do this holiday season. Then you put them in an Advent calendar to count down the days until Christmas.
Head here to get all the details about setting up a DIY family Advent calendar.
A family Advent calendar can be whatever you make it. We choose to theme ours around family activities because there are always a million things we want to do during the holidays. Writing them down and putting them into a family advent calendar makes it easy to actually do all the things you want to do!
The only problem is that a lot of the things we want to do around Christmas can be pretty pricey. That’s why I’ve put together a list of 40 FREE family activities for you to add to your Advent calendar.
40 free family Advent activities
- Decorate the Christmas tree.
- Write a letter to Santa.
- Write a letter to Jesus thanking him for all the gifts he’s given to you over the year.
- Read the Christmas story in the Bible.
- Make paper garlands.
- Eat dinner by candlelight with Christmas music.
- Visit Santa (keep up with the local news to find free visits).
- Watch a Christmas movie.
- Read a Christmas book as a family and drink hot cocoa.
- Go on a drive to see Christmas lights.
- Make wrapping paper. (kids color on butcher paper)
- Make Christmas cards. (kids write Christmas cards to family members)
- Have a family picnic by the Christmas tree.
- Have a pajama dance party to Christmas music.
- Make Christmas ornaments.
- Donate canned goods from your pantry to charity.
- Go to a tree lighting ceremony.
- Make up your own Christmas carols.
- Color a Christmas coloring sheet. (find tons of free printables on Pinterest)
- Go to a Christmas parade.
- Visit a live nativity.
- Make a pinecone bird feeder.
- Make tin can luminaries.
- Check out Christmas themed books from the library.
- Make a wreath from greens in your yard (or other foraged greens).
- Go to Christmas events at your child’s school.
- Participate in a Christmas event at church.
- Go caroling.
- Have everyone in the family choose a country and then google to see how they celebrate Christmas there.
- Snuggle up in jammies for a family sleepover.
- Wrap gifts for teachers and family members.
- Take a bubble bath in candlelight with Christmas music.
- Have a “formal dinner night” where everyone dresses fancy.
- Re-write the words of a Christmas carol as a family.
- Invite another family over to watch a Christmas movie in pajamas.
- Plan out personal goals for the new year.
- Volunteer somewhere as a family.
- Perform one random act of kindness today.
- Attend a Christmas Eve service.
- Attend a Christmas pageant.
Get the 40 Free Family Advent Activities Printables
Don’t feel like writing all those down yourself?
Download the 40 free family advent activities list here!
I feel you. That’s why I’ve created a PDF version for you to print at home. All you have to do is print it out, cut into strips, and pick out the 24 that fit your family best!
Here is a peak at the first of four pages:
Download the 40 free family advent activities list here!
Wondering where to find more Advent printables?
I’ve got your covered with Advent calendar planning printables as well as blank cards to write your own family Advent activities.
Head to this post to get all the details and to download these super cute Advent printables.
——>>>>DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLES HERE<<<<—–
Get more Christmas on a budget tips here:
- 125 DIY Christmas ornaments
- How to get the best deals on Christmas cards
- Christmas morning breakfast casserole recipe
- How to ask grandparents for money instead of toys this Christmas
- How to declutter toys before Christmas
- The best Elf on the Shelf hack
- 7 family present ideas
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