Call it the 25 Days of Christmas….Advent Activities…or simply fun things to do with your child at Christmas…I have a list of some fun and easy Christmasy activities that you can enjoy with your child throughout the month of December.

I will be using these ideas to fill my advent calendar. Each day, my kids will open a new box and pull out the fun activity we will do that day. (I can’t wait!) This is our first year to participate in a “25 Days of Christmas” project, and I think we’ll have a lot of fun. Many of the ideas were things we did anyways, but the element of surprise, and the anticipation of opening each new box each day really builds fun and lasting memories for the kids. I am hoping this will become a tradition we all enjoy for years to come.

Here is what I will be filling…(You can find lots more ideas HERE!)

The ideas do NOT have to be fancy or elaborate, and they don’t all have to relate back to Christmas. The idea here is to think of fun little activities you can do with your children each day…It’s a bonding experience….a chance to create a memory…build a tradition…I smile thinking about how my daughter may wonder throughout her day just what activity will be in the box waiting for her when she gets home from school. Kids LOVE anticipation, and love to spend time with their parents (honestly, they do!) When your child knows that each day, they will be guaranteed a bit of time with you, they will be over the moon. So again, don’t feel like you have to win a craft contest, find the winning holiday cookie recipe, or outdo anyone here….This is just about you and your kids!

(*Tip before we begin….If you are going to put these in an advent calendar, you do NOT have to put them all in in advance! Schedules change…moods change….and while making a gingerbread house sounded like a great activity for the 18th, when the 18th rolls around, you  just might not have it in you that day…So, keep a master list of your ideas, and be ready to place an idea in the box that makes sense for that day.)

(One idea I got from http://247moms.blogspot.com/ is to jazz up the notes a bit…Don’t just write, “build a gingerbread house,” but say something more creative like, “Do you have your tools ready? It’s time to build! Our smallest Christmas friends need a house of their own!” Have fun with it!)

Let the Christmasy fun begin!!

  • Begin all advent calendars (Got the idea to start with this one from Thrifty NWMom!) This is an easy one to start with, and one the kids will like! We’re starting some new ones this year, so I can’t wait!
  • Make/Decorate Christmas cookies
  • Deliver cookie plates to family/friends
  • Read a Christmas book(s!)
  • Play carols on the piano (or a cd) and sing along!
  • Build a gingerbread house (or train!)
  • Serve red/green food for dinner
  • Take a walk through the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights
  • Drive through the town to look at Christmas lights (we usually check our paper to see the “BIG” displays in the area)
  • Decorate the Christmas tree
  • Shop for presents for siblings/grandparents/daddy/etc.
  • Watch a Christmas movie as a family (snuggle up, have popcorn and cocoa, etc. Make this a Christmas movie they haven’t watched a billion times yet!)
  • Do a Christmas craft (this can be several days! You can make much more specific tags, and do a bunch of holiday crafts if you’re a crafty mom!)
  • On Dec. 6th, celebrate “St. Nicholas Day” and have your children put out their shoes with carrots/apples, and replace them with a small gift in the morning.
  • camp out under the tree
  • Go out for dinner or a special treat
  • Snowman Night (serve snowman pizza, snowman donuts, etc.)
  • Birthday Party for Jesus
  • Hot cocoa night (check this post for mix-in/topping ideas!)
  • Make paper snowflakes
  • family game night
  • Bubble bath by Christmas lights (LOVE this idea from http://www.quietfish.com)
  • Make gifts for the birds (bird feeders!)
  • Make Christmas cards for family/classmates/etc.
  • Take family Christmas pictures
  • Make candy

You can also include some of the local activities from your area in the activities! Some of the ones we will include are:

  • Zoolights
  • PIR (Portland International Raceway)
  • The Singing Christmas Tree at Vancouver First Church of God (that my wonderful husband is in charge of!!!)
  • Peacock Lane
  • Tree Lighting
  • Go see the Christmas ships

I hope this list gives you a few fun ideas to take away and do with your kids! You can still get this done! Start with an easy one today! Have fun spending some precious time with your kids creating holiday memories!!