25 Days of Christmas Activities to Countdown to Christmas

Here you will find 25 Days of Christmas Activities that are simple enough to accomplish during the holiday rush, work for kids of all ages and will make memories with your family for years to come.

I always have the best intentions for making the 25 days of Christmas magical, intentional, and memorable for my family and then the month of December arrives and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season seems overwhelming.

Daily Christmas Activities to Countdown to Christmas

The holiday calendar gets fuller by the minute and I can count on one hand the number of meaningful 25 Days of Christmas Activities my kids and I experienced together in the midst of the crazy.

It is easy to overlook the REASON for all the hustle and bustle which is why I love the idea of setting aside a little time every day during December to spend as a family doing fun things with the kids.

So I thought, this year, why not plan ahead and make a list of fun things to do.

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Christmas Activity Calendar for Kids

When does countdown to 25 days of Christmas start? Well, it starts from December 1 and goes to Christmas.

Follow our countdown list of kids Christmas activities every day or loosely here and there. Whatever works for you! It will help you make holiday memories while building up the celebration of Christmas as a family.

Day 1: Make an Advent Countdown

Let’s get an advent calendar for the entire family created with inspiration from these countdown to Christmas ideas:

• For your kinesthetic learners, how about this ping pong ball and toilet paper tube advent calendar which is one of our favorite quirky holiday ideas here at Kids Activities Blog?
• Or simply craft a red and green paper chain, complete with 25 links that the children can tear off each morning in anticipation of Christmas day? You can also use our elf sized printable version of the elf Christmas countdown we use with Elf on the Shelf.
• Make tiny little gifts that will be opened each day. Kids could do this for each other to make it a surprise that they can participate in inspired by our advent calendar activities.
• Craft this lovely DIY Advent wreath and use it as a family advent calendar. I love how this turns out and can be modified for any type of decor or holiday theme.
• This idea for a book advent calendar is genius! You could do the DIY version of having kids run around the house and collect favorite books, take a trip to the library or visit the bookstore and make a stack of 25 books that you are going to read this holiday. Christmas eve needs to be the Night Before Christmas classic story!
• We love this long list of DIY advent calendars you can easily make with your kids this holiday season to countdown the days to Christmas.

Day 2: Learn to Draw a Christmas Tree

Kids of all ages can get into the fun of making their own easy Christmas tree drawing. Adults NEED to participate too! My guess is that the adults are out of practice and might be surprised at the results…no competition needed.

Use our step by step printable guide on how to draw a Christmas tree. It is a fun holiday activity that can take 5 minutes or an afternoon. If younger kids would rather color a Christmas tree, download and print this Christmas tree coloring page.

Day 3:  Do a Random Act of Christmas Kindness

Brainstorm with your kids the special people they would like to bless this holiday season. Think teachers, neighbors, church leaders and special friends who maybe live at a distance.

Download and print our Random Acts of Christmas Kindness checklist and choose a kindness activity from the list.

Hang the list somewhere you can all see it, and let your kids know throughout the advent season you will be making special crafts and goodies they can use to wish the special people a happy holiday season.

Day 4: Have Fun with Holiday Themed Science Activities

Today we have several holiday science activities to choose from depending on how much time and energy you have to devote to today’s countdown fun:

• Candy Cane Science Experiment: Take this seasonal candy and learn more about the properties of sugar and water in this easy to follow Candy Cane Experiment by Preschool Powol Packets.
• Make Fluffy Snow Slime: This easy snow slime recipe is fun to make and then play with! Make some extra to give to a friend.
• Grow Snow Crystals: Make your own borax crystals and watch them grow over the next few days.

Day 5: Play with Candy Canes

If you chose the candy cane experiment yesterday, you may have some candy canes leftovers if they didn’t all get eaten! Today choose a candy cane activity that smells and tastes like Christmas {giggle}:

• Read the Legend of the Candy Cane: As a family, enjoy sampling the candy canes together while you read  The Legend of the Candy Cane.
• Make Candy Cane Playdough: Use this homemade Christmas playdough recipe for making your own candy canes out of dough.
• Create Your Own Candy Cane Scavenger Hunt: Use this Elf on the Shelf candy cane ideas printable to make your own treasure hunt.
• Color Candy Cane Coloring Pages: Download and print these free candy cane coloring pages for kids.
• Make a Reindeer out of Candy Canes: This super simple reindeer craft for kids makes a cute little reindeer out of two candy canes…antlers!

Day 6: Visit a Local Christmas Attraction

A simple google search for your area should point you towards local holiday events near you. Some of our favorites are:

• Visit a Live Nativity: This is a great way to bring the events of Christ’s birth to life for our kids. Our children look forward to this tradition every year.
• Ice! at the Gaylord: There are quite a few different locations that Ice! exhibits are around the United States. If you live near one, check out all the fun at the Gaylord Palms Ice or Gaylord Texan Christmas.
• Holiday Lights: Use our printable Christmas light scavenger hunt and set out on your town to find all the best Christmas lights.

Day 7: Make a Family Handprint Christmas Craft

Here at Kids Activities Blog we love handprint art because the entire family can get in on the crafty fun. Here are several different holiday handprint ideas to choose from…oh, and make two and send one to Grandma!

• Mama Smiles shares a simple handprint Christmas tree craft made with construction paper that can be repeated year after year to gauge and celebrate our kids’ growth!
• This handprint Christmas tree is made with paint and one of the easiest holiday crafts around.
• Make a tree handprint ornament out of salt dough and your child’s handprint.
• Make nativity scene salt dough handprint ornaments – one for each family member.
• Use handprints to make holly with this cute Christmas art.
• Make a reindeer handprint with your kids or classroom…these are so fun and festive!
• If you need more ideas, we have a big list of Christmas handprint crafts!
• And if you need something that doubles as a great gift, check out these family handprint art ideas.

Day 8: Let’s make a Snowman…Craft!

Snowmen are iconic and whimsical. Celebrate the snowman indoors with simple snowman crafts for kids:

• Create Olaf the Snowman from marshmallows
• Make this fingerprint Snowman Ornament by Inspired by Family Mag.
• Super size your crafting with this adorable kid-sized wooden snowman or men…or women…
• Make the cutest (and super easy) snowman cups craft.
• This toilet paper roll snowman craft is great for kids of all ages.
• As part of our Elf on the Shelf snowman, you can print all the pieces you need to make a toilet paper roll snowman.
• This was super fun and a little over-the-top, but I loved making the sugar string snowman craft that was several feet tall.
• These DIY snowman bubbles in a jar by Inspired by Family Mag are adorable and your kids will love crafting gifts for their friends.
• Need something super quick to do? Try an easy snowman painting out of shaving cream or use our printable snowman template to make this quick printable snowman craft.

Day 9: Hot Cocoa For Breakfast

In our home, hot cocoa is a treat, not a given!

Surprise your kids this morning with hot cocoa as they stumble downstairs. Let them top theirs with marshmallows…or a marshmallow snowman! If you need some new hot chocolate ideas, check out our big list of 20 Yummy Hot Chocolate Recipes!

Day 10: Send a Homemade Christmas Card

It’s time to make some homemade cards! Set out the markers, glue sticks, glitter, stickers and blank paper, and let the kids’ imaginations take over. Here are a few ideas for inspiration:

• Try making these Christmas tree cards by Meaningful Mama. Select recipients from your blessings list and talk to the kids about how meaningful a card in the mail can be!
• This simple card making for kids idea will have you making all sorts of holiday and other cards easily!
• Upcycle old Christmas cards into these fun homemade gifts.

Day 11: Plant Something!

In most parts of the world, December might not be thought of as planting season, but we are thinking about indoor planting options so it won’t matter what the weather is outside. Here are some fun planting ideas that can double as gifts to give:

• Check your blessing list and decide who needs a beautiful, handmade potted plant.  Here Comes the Girls shares a lovely tutorial for a child crafted potted plant.  After the creation is complete, hand deliver the gift as a family to the chosen recipient.
• Explore how to make a terrarium and the wonderful and magical world of mini terrarium ideas!
• Draw inspiration from these self watering dinosaur planters and plant your favorite herb.
• Let’s create an air plant garden!

Day 12: Surprise Christmas Light Trip

Tuck the kids into bed and then quickly prepare hot cocoa in travel mugs.

Run the mugs and cozy blankets out to the car and then dash up the stairs to the kids’ rooms.

Open their doors and shout SURPRISE!!!! Get them out of bed and go on a hunt around your neighborhood (in jammies!) for the best and brightest Christmas light displays. The kids will love the element of surprise and the hot cocoa!

Day 13: Make Christmas Wrapping Paper

Do some DIY wrapping paper for all your special gifts this season. Kid-made wrapping paper can make a gift more special to someone who loves them.

• Make your own glitter wrapping paper with a little less mess than expected.
• Brown packaging paper can be dressed up with festive rubber stamps!
• Or try this Homemade Wrapping Paper using Colored Ice Pops by Happy Hooligans!
• Looking for some non-traditional ways to wrap presents? Kids will love choosing a favorite gift wrapping hack.
• And once your wrapping paper is complete. Kids can easily learn how to wrap a present.

Day 14: Let’s Learn with Holiday Themed Activities

There are so many fun ways to learn different things through the holidays! Here are just a few of our favorites for today:

• Toddler Approved shares a simple, easy M&M wreath that kids from any age can create. Something to make and snack on at the same time? Genius!
• Download and print these Christmas worksheets for preschool with all sorts of holiday related fun on paper or check out the pre k math sheets.
• Older kids will have fun with these Christmas writing activities you can download and print.
• This Christmas activity pack printable is just plain fun!
• This printable snowball kids game is fun for exploring math concepts.

Day 15: Pretend Play Day

There are so many fun ways to pretend play. Here are a few festive ideas to inspire whatever you decide to do today together:

• Print out these Christmas Printables from Kids Activities Blog and sit down at the table with some glitter and glue and have a blast “baking” some fun Christmas cookies!
• Grab some blankets a few chairs and build a kids indoor fort together. Decorate it with and extra string of holiday lights and read a Christmas book.
• Act out a Christmas story in the living room!
• Create a holiday puppet show with paper bag puppets or turn our princess paper dolls into puppets and have them wear holiday dresses.
• Make a story about these Christmas paper dolls that are wearing winter clothes.
• Make a gingerbread house together and tell the story of how it was built.

Day 16: Play a Holiday Game Together

Host a game night with your family, and invite some friends over too! Whether you have a full game night or a little game playing time together, here are some ideas we love:

• Happy Home Fairy shows you how to make this Christmas themed Minute to Win It a smashing success!
• This simple Christmas matching game is great for younger kids who love the game, Memory.
• Learn to play chess together! What a fun game to conquer over the holiday season this year.
• This winter themed printable memory games are fun to play with preshoolers.
• It is tiny, but super cute! This elf on the shelf bingo printable is just plain adorable.
• You can create your own family escape room with escape room book, using a digital printable escape room at home, visiting the digital Harry Potter escape room or check this list for other digital escape rooms online.
• Or play favorite family board games! <–Check out our list of favorite games.

Day 17: Capture Stars in a Bottle

There are so many ways to make your kids bedtime starry! Here are a few ideas that you can buy or make together:

• Create beautiful starry night lights like these from Powerful Mothering to light up your kids’ rooms (using batter operated candles of course!) or use them to line your steps for Santa’s arrival on Christmas Eve if you don’t have a fireplace for him to shimmy down!
• Make a glowing calming bottle with glow in the dark stars that mimic the Christmas sky.
• Create a galaxy jar for kids. It is a fun sensory activity that works for kids of all ages.
• For a portable version, check out this fairy dust necklace that I need to make today!

Day 18: Make Homemade Christmas Ornaments

It’s time to craft some ornaments to adorn your own tree – or grandma and grandpa’s!

• Kids Activities Blog shares 5 homemade Christmas ornament ideas that utilize craft items you probably already have in your home!
• Clear ornament ideas — what to fill those plastic and glass balls!
• Kid-made easy painted clear ornaments art.
• Pipe cleaner Christmas crafts including the cutest ornaments!
• Christmas ornament crafts for kids <–BIG LIST
• Make the coolest natural ornaments with outdoor found objects
• FREE Printable Kids Christmas Ornaments
• Make your own ugly sweater ornament perfect for your Christmas tree!
• We love these popsicle stick ornaments.
• Oh, and here is a big list of even more homemade ornaments kids can make.

Day 19: Craft a Christmas Tree

Today is all about the Christmas tree. Not the one in your living room in all its pine glory, but crafting trees from paper…and more:

• This craft by Buggy and Buddy teaches kids how to weave paper and results in an adorable woven Christmas tree!
• Here are some creative Christmas tree crafts for kids of all ages.
• Make a succulent Christmas tree! This is fun!
• This felt Christmas tree can be created at home with some simple supplies.
• Let’s make Christmas tree slime! <–it is fun!
• And don’t forget these simple paper Christmas tree crafts.

Day 20: Let’s Play with Snowflakes Inside

Whether the snow is falling where you live or not, we can celebrate the winter weather with these snow activities and crafts.

• Make these sweet snowflake window clings.
• If you do have snow on the ground, check out how to make snow ice cream!
• Download, print and add some silvery glitter to this snowflake coloring page.
• Here is a snowflake template for a Mando & Baby Yoda snow flake.
• Super easy DIY snowflake ornaments made out of q tips!
• Make your own snowflake drawing with this simple step by step instruction guide.
• This popsicle snowflake craft is great for kids no matter their age.
• This easy snowflake craft uses tin foil and is simple enough for toddlers and preschoolers.
• Take playing with snow to a new level with this fun snow slime recipe.
• This snowflake drop activity for babies can be a craft for older kids first.

Day 21: Donate & Volunteer Together

Teach your kids the true spirit of giving this Christmas by donating food and/or volunteering at a local food bank.

Part of the days working up to day 21 could be finding things around the house that can be donated. This is a good day to go through the kids toys, the pantry or closet.

If possible, go to the donation center together so kids can see what happens in that big warehouse of donations!

Volunteer at your church or favorite local charity together.

If your kids are too young to officially volunteer, consider doing your own family trash drive or neighborhood pick up. Or have them organize donations from neighbors that you take over together.

Day 22: Plan a Secret Surprise

Stopping for a Starbucks while running errands? How about paying for the car behind you? Have a card ready that says, “Merry Christmas!” for the barista to hand to the recipient of your generosity.

You could also do this at the Dollar Store or the grocery store too!

Check your random acts of Christmas kindness checklist for other ideas that you can plan and do together.

Day 23: Bake Christmas Cookies

Let’s bake our favorite Christmas cookies <–click for our favorite recipes! Spend the day getting floured and sugared up in the kitchen today!

After your cookies have cooled, place them on plates, cover them and tie them with a pretty bow. Hand deliver your plated treats as a family to people on your blessing list. If your church offers a Christmas Eve or Christmas morning service, attach an invite to the bow with the details and offer to attend with your neighbors!

If you need some more Christmas cookie baking inspiration…

• Make Stained Glass Christmas cookies
• Bake Christmas star cookies
• Create cookie dough truffles…they are easier than you might think!
• Egg Nog Sandwich Cookies by Meaningful Mama 
• Bake Strawberry cake mix cookies
• Have you attended sugar cookie 101?
• Christmas Reindeer Recipe by Welcome to the Family Table
• Don’t miss making the copycat Mrs Fields cookie recipe
• Hot cocoa cookies are the best at this time of year!

Day 24: Sleepover Under the Christmas Tree

Everyone don their Christmas jammies (our kids get a new pair every Christmas Eve!) and pile the blankets, pillows and sleeping bags near  the Christmas tree.

Read the Night Before Christmas as a family and turn off every light except for the Christmas tree lights. Enjoy watching the kiddos fall asleep under the twinkling lights… and then get up and finish everything else that “Santa” needs to accomplish that night!

Day 25: Christmas Morning Breakfast

If you haven’t already, decide as a family what your traditional Christmas morning breakfast will be.

In our home, it’s hot cocoa and Monkey Bread! Here are some other ideas that might fit your family:

• Hot breakfast ideas for kids – this is also great if you have additional guests on Christmas morning.
• Breakfast cookies – what could be more fun than cookies for breakfast on Christmas morning?
• Christmas Tree Waffles – Need I say more?
• Or check out these ideas with 5 Breakfast Recipes for Christmas Morning.
• And even more Christmas breakfast ideas the entire family will love.

Printable Christmas Placemats for Kids

Oh, and don’t forget these fun printable Christmas activity placemats for kids to color.

Holiday Family Traditions

Traditions are a beautiful way to knit your family together and bring meaningful consistency to your celebrations.

We read the Christmas story from the Bible (Luke 2) while we sip our hot cocoa and enjoy our yummy breakfast together. Only once everyone is done can the present mayhem begin!

As you plan your Christmas season, I hope you will find these 25 Christmas Activities for Kids a useful gift in making special memories with your children.

• If you need more Christmas activities for kids, here are 75 other Christmas Activities for Kids to choose from!
• And if you need elf on the shelf ideas, we have a complete guide to make your life easier!
• Oh so many fun ideas for Christmas crafts!
• Looking for more Christmas activities for the family? We’ve got them!
• Check out our big selection of free printable Christmas coloring pages for kids.

What Christmas activity or craft are you most looking forward to doing with your family? Are you going to do a holiday activity every day?