Every year, for Christmas, I make an advent calendar. Now I know some people use advent calendars as a religious thing, but for me it is just a countdown of the 25 days leading to Christmas. I try to incorporate fun activities into our advent, as well as some of the events we attend -like my husband’s Christmas work party. On the days that I know something specific is going on, I put those on that day for the advent. As for the other days, they are sort of at random. I figured I would share the things that we include in our advent calendar.

My advent starts on December first. Now, the reason you won’t see decorating for Christmas on my list is because I tend to do that earlier (usually the week of Thanksgiving).

Day 1 (Dec 1st)- write a letter to Santa

Day 2 – Dance to Christmas music

Day 3 – Color christmas pictures

Day 4 – Take family Christmas pictures and create our Christmas cards (then mail them)

Day 5 – Watch a Christmas movie

Day 6 – Grinch Activities (I may post about this specifically later on)

Day 7 – Drive around looking at Christmas lights

Day 8 – Go see Santa (work party)

Day 9 – Kids make Christmas cards for family and community people like the mailman and trashmen

Day 10 – Have a snowball fight (we had bought some fuzzy snowballs a few years ago that we use indoors if there is no actual snow. You could also use socks.)

Day 11 – Build a gingerbread house

Day 12 – Go Christmas shopping [not related to Santa shopping] (include the kids in this if you can, let them pick out gifts for each other (and cousins if you do that) to wrap themselves)

Day 13 – Have a picnic by the Christmas tree

Day 14 – Make snowflakes

Day 15 – Donate toys (whether you can afford new toys or donating toys your kids dont play with-let the kids help choose)

Day 16 – Have a family game night

Day 17 – Build a fort and read Christmas books

Day 18 – Have breakfast for dinner (Brinner)

Day 19 – Make care packages for the neighbors and deliver them

Day 20 – Have hot chocolate with a lot of marshmallows

Day 21 – Do a Christmas craft

Day 22 – Write your own Christmas story

Day 23 – Make cookies for Santa

Day 24 – check under the tree for a red box ( check out my post from last year’s blogmas about our Christmas Eve Tradition )

Day 25 – It’s Christmas!

What do you do to countdown the days to Christmas?

Until tomorrow,

Jenn