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
Reclaiming My Sanity 
Our tree went up after Thanksgiving too. I have an Advent House that I’m doing with my youngest grandson (4). You turn a knob and the date changes, open the door the door and a Christmas song plays, and remove that day’s ornament which is hing on the roof. Saturday I’m hosting our grandkid’s Christmas Party and we’ll make cookies together. Then I’ll start my baking. My sisters and I will have our monthly get together and a cookie exchange. Christmas Eve I make oyster stew and mushroom chowder for Hubby and his siblings, then Christmas Day with our sons and their families. In between all this I’ll watch several versions of A Christmas Carol, the one with George C. Scott being my favorite.
I loved your Advent Calendar, you’re creating magic……..memories.
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Your advent sounds cute! I definitely cherish the memories it makes to do the activities as I am sure the kids will as they get older. Your month sounds very eventful!
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