Advent Planner
24 days of Christmas activities. Pick a theme. Print the plan. Start December 1 with something planned for every day.
Pick a theme
Advent planner · family with kids
🧸 Family with kids
Bake, decorate, watch, play
December 1 through Christmas Eve · one activity per day
- 01
Open the advent calendar
Hang the calendar (or the elf arrives). Open Window 1 together.
- 02
Bake gingerbread cookies
Either dough from scratch or store-bought. Kids decorate.
- 03
Christmas movie night
Pajamas, popcorn, the Christmas movie of the year.
- 04
Write Christmas cards as a family
Each kid signs the family card. Stamp and mail before the 12th.
- 05
Decorate the tree
Music on, hot chocolate ready. One specific ornament for each kid.
- 06
Make paper snowflakes
Fold and cut. Tape to windows. Last for the season.
- 07
Donate a toy
Each kid picks a toy they no longer use. Drop at a local charity.
- 08
Read a Christmas book
Polar Express, Olive the Other Reindeer, or any holiday classic.
- 09
Bake cookies for neighbors
Plate 6-8 cookies per neighbor. Deliver with a card.
- 10
Christmas crafts afternoon
Salt-dough ornaments, beaded bracelets, paper chains.
- 11
Drive to see Christmas lights
Hot chocolate in the car. Pick a neighborhood you don't usually visit.
- 12
Hot chocolate bar
Bowls of marshmallows, sprinkles, crushed candy cane. Stir with cinnamon sticks.
- 13
Make a gingerbread house
From a kit (less stressful). Kids decorate, parents structure.
- 14
Christmas songs sing-along
Put on the Christmas playlist. Dance in the living room.
- 15
Family photo in front of the tree
For the family Christmas card next year — or just for the memory.
- 16
Write letters to Santa
Even older kids can write a list 'for fun.' Mail to the North Pole.
- 17
Bake a Christmas treat together
Sugar cookies, peppermint bark, or a Yule log.
- 18
Game night with Christmas snacks
Board games + festive snacks. No screens.
- 19
Wrap presents together
Kids wrap gifts for siblings (or each other). Adults wrap the big ones.
- 20
Drive to see Christmas lights — again
A different neighborhood this time. Bring snacks.
- 21
Christmas storytime by the fire
Read 'The Night Before Christmas' or another favorite.
- 22
Pick a Christmas Eve outfit
Lay out clothes, photograph the planned outfit.
- 23
Prep for Christmas Eve
Wrap last gifts. Bake breakfast for tomorrow morning.
- 24
Christmas Eve box opening
PJs, a Christmas movie, hot chocolate. The cozy peak.
The five themes
- Family with kids — bake, decorate, watch, play, read. Activities that involve children and create memories.
- Couple — for a household of two. Cozy, slow, intentional.
- Wellness — calm, grounded, sober-friendly. For households focused on rest and reset.
- Acts of kindness — 24 small acts to make December meaningful beyond gift-giving.
- Romantic — for the partnered. Each day deepens the relationship through the season.
How to use it
Print the card and pin it to the fridge. Do the activity that day. If you miss a day, skip it — don't double up. The point is the rhythm of something planned, not perfect compliance.