Here’s our 2011 Advent Activities List. Some of my inspiration came from the sites I shared in this post. I tried to include things that we can do after work/school- so, short but fun activities. Not too many crafts, since there’s not enough weekends in December to squeeze it all in. And I added in the activities we do have planned, like the railroad exhibit!
This list is geared toward 19-month old Pip… so not so much with abstract concepts and more with the literal stuff for now. (Although I love this idea for a different kind of advent calendar and look forward to doing it one day.)
And yes, there’s more than 24 items here. Oh well, maybe we’ll get a couple in on some bonus days, LOL.
- Visit the local Christmas railroad & lights exhibit
- Make all the animal noises from the animals in the manger: sheep, cow, mice, donkey, pig, duck; coloring them optional
- Play a Christmas shapes matching game or do Christmas puzzles (depending on which one she can grasp)
- Call up someone you love and sing them a Christmas Carol
- Paint wrapping paper green and red and wrap presents
- Stuff the holiday cards and mail them
- Put up the manger
- Make paper plate angels
- Wear crazy holiday socks to school
- Have snowman pancakes for dinner
- Write holiday notes to family and teachers
- Delivery holiday sweets to neighbors
- Go on a Christmas Lights Hunt around the neighborhood!
- Make Christmas cookies
- Have breakfast with Santa
- Sing and dance to your favorite Christmas songs
- Movie night with pajamas and favorite holiday movie
- Go to the library and take out a Christmas book
- Color a Christmas alphabet book
- Eat by candlelight
- Make a December discovery tray
- Tell the story of Your First Christmas: where she was, who was there, what gifts they were given, what they wore
- Play with cookie cutters and play doh
- Make a Christmas bauble
- Volunteer- make some Christmas cards and hand deliver them to a senior center
- Have a Bell Parade: walk around the house ringing all the sleigh bells you have
- Decorate holiday cutouts and use as gift tags
- Go see the decorated trees in the town center
- Stuff the stockings
- Snowman shapes craft
- Lie under the Christmas tree and watch the lights twinkle above
What a lovely list – sounds like you’re going to have a fun month. I’m glad you liked our paper plate angel – I’d love to see a picture if you make one :)
Thank you! I’ve loved browsing through your site, you have so many inspiring ideas! I sent the paper plate angel craft to my mother in law too, who will try it with my niece and nephew! I’ll definitely take photos if/when we do it. :)
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