Even with all the busy-ness of the Christmas season, it’s worthwhile to spend time doing family activities for Advent that are fun and meaningful. You may be thinking, “Sure – how am I going to fit that into my busy schedule?”Read the list below and see if you can find a few things that both you AND your children will enjoy, and that will fit into your busy life!
*Watch a Christmas movie together. Here are some classics. (Yes, I know that you can stream these movies if you subscribe to a streaming service, but I’m including the Amazon DVD links so you can read the summary and decide if it would right for your particular kids.)
~Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer
~How the Grinch Stole Christmas
~Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
~Elf
*Drive around and look at Christmas lights.
*Fill up bird feeders if you have them, or make a treat for birds in a park near you. If your kids are not allergic to peanut butter, here are directions for a simple and fun activity!
*Buy canned or boxed food to donate to your local food pantry. Take your children with you to drop off the food.*Go to the library and check out some Christmas books.
*Make Christmas cards for people in your family, neighborhood or church.
*Make Christmas decorations for a local nursing home or for a local hospital.
*Sing Christmas songs together.
*Ask your child about their favorite Christmas activities or traditions. You might be surprised to learn what they consider to be “meaningful.”
*Recycle some toys and donate to your local children’s hospital or to a thrift shop.
*Decorate the Christmas tree together! So what if it isn’t perfect? Having your child feel a part of the tradition and pride in the decorated tree will be worth it.
*Have your child help you set up the nativity scene or creche.
*Make other Christmas decorations, like orange & clove pomander balls, a handprint Christmas tree, a reindeer footprint, coffee filter snowflakes, cinnamon ornaments, and gingerbread houses.
*A fun idea is to do some handprint or footprint Christmas craft every year and keep them as decorations. Besides being the cutest decorations ever, they are a special record of your child’s growth from year to year. This site has some great ideas. Another tip is to purchase canvas panels and create the craft on the canvas. These are great Christmas displays along a wall!
*Make fudge or some other kind of Christmas candy. This site has some great ideas for simple, no-bake recipes!
*Adopt or child or family in need and go shopping for gifts.
*Make and decorate sugar cookies.
*Make and decorate gingerbread men.
Ultimate List of Gifts that Teachers Actually Want for tips on this idea!)
*Create a Happy Jar for your family. Buy or use any inexpensive glass jar with a lid. You can find these on Amazon of course, but also at crafts stores, Hobby Lobby or World Market. Keep a stash of colorful strips of paper in a container close by. (I cut up strips of construction paper or index cards.) Each evening, list one thing that makes your family happy. It could be something simple like seeing birds on an outdoor bird feeder or something more meaningful like snuggling together on the couch to watch a movie.It’s fun to review the Happy Jar notes at the end of a year!
*Make hot chocolate. Enjoy sipping it beside your Christmas tree.
*Bundle up and take a walk around your neighborhood at night.
*Talk about and make a list of kind things we can do for others (at school, in the neighborhood, at home). Share one random act of kindness each night at dinner.
*Deliver treats to your local fire and police stations.
*Have a family game night. This actually turned into a regular Friday night event at our house.
*Deliver a surprise treat to a neighbor or friend.
*Act out the Christmas story or create a reader’s theater script from a favorite Christmas book!
Here’s a great way to incorporate these activities. Cut out Christmas shapes from construction paper. Trace shapes using cookie cutters. Then, you (or your children) can list one of the above activities on each shape. You might list the books to read or the movies to watch on separate paper shapes.
Put the paper shapes in a bowl or jar. Each morning, have one child draw a paper shape from the bowl or jar and that can be the activity that your family does on that day.
I hope that you will find some fun and meaningful ideas for family activities during Advent!
Have a blessed and happy holiday.
“I love this simple yet meaningful Advent plan! It beautifully balances the hustle and bustle of the holiday season with intentional moments of reflection and connection. The ideas presented are easy to implement and truly focus on what Advent is all about—preparing our hearts for Christmas. I appreciate the emphasis on spending quality time with family and incorporating small acts of kindness into our daily routines. Thank you for sharing this thoughtful approach; I can’t wait to put some of these ideas into practice this year!”