A comprehensive list of advent calendar ideas, plus a simple DIY to make your own advent calendar.
I didn’t grow up with an advent calendar and didn’t really know much about them until adulthood. Later, when I started seeing creative calendars everywhere, I loved the idea of a daily countdown to Christmas with a small gift or activity. When I had a child, creating an advent calendar became something I wanted to do every year.
Below is a large list of advent calendar ideas — activities, small gifts, and even a Christmas book list if you prefer a book-a-night countdown. I also include an easy DIY tutorial so you can recreate the simple wrapped-page advent calendar I made this year.
Advent Calendar Ideas
Putting together little surprises for the month made me realize how helpful a big list of ideas could be. I collected suggestions from friends, social media, and my own experience and organized them here to make holiday planning easier.
Advent Calendar Activity Ideas
- Pick out a Christmas tree together.
- Make a gingerbread house as a family. For toddlers, consider a pre-assembled kit so you can jump straight to decorating with candies and icing.
- Drive or walk around a neighborhood to see Christmas lights.
- Decorate cookies — invite extended family or friends to make it extra special.
- Make ornaments together — simple, handmade ornaments are a lovely keepsake.
- Do a Christmas-themed craft.
- Bring a neighbor or friend a holiday treat.
- Have a Christmas dance party — put on festive music and dance around the tree.
- Make hot chocolate and enjoy it as a cozy treat.
- Decorate a Santa hat — kids can personalize one to wear while checking out lights.
- Watch a favorite Christmas movie as a family night.
- See a holiday performance, like The Nutcracker or a local play.
- Make and send Christmas cards to family and friends.
- Read festive books by the fireplace each evening.
- Try making scented holiday play dough for a seasonal sensory activity.
- Create cards or small handmade gifts for your child’s teachers.
- Go ice skating if you have a rink nearby.
- Wrap presents for siblings, relatives, or classmates.
- Go caroling as a family for a memorable evening.
Christmas Books Advent Calendar
A Christmas book advent calendar means unwrapping and reading a different holiday book each night. Many families keep the same set and add new titles over time. If you don’t want a full month of books, try a 10-night countdown or tuck a book into a few days of a regular advent calendar.
If a book is too large to fit into a pocket calendar, add a little note with that day’s number and a clue about where to find the book in the house. This works well for bigger items that don’t fit standard wrapping.
- The Little Reindeer
- Polar Express
- Little Red Sleigh
- The Nutcracker (board book)
- The Wish Tree
- Freddie the Farting Snowman
- Little Penguins
- Mr. Boddington’s Studio: ’Twas the Night Before Christmas
- Construction Site on Christmas Night (great for toddlers)
- Pick a Pine Tree
I also curated a longer kids’ Christmas book list if you want more ideas.
Advent Calendar Gift Ideas
- Christmas ornaments — place these early in the month so they can be hung and enjoyed.
- Pajamas — seasonal or cozy everyday pajamas are a classic surprise.
- Mittens — practical and a nice hint at an outdoor activity like a walk to see lights or a hot cider outing.
- Small puzzles or a larger puzzle to work on as a family.
- Socks — practical and fun, themed to holidays or to your child’s interests.
- Bath bombs, seasonal lotions, or kid-friendly bath products.
- Classic toys like a yo-yo, appropriate for older kids.
- Slippers for cozy mornings.
- A small piece of candy or a single festive cookie.
- Stickers, patches, or temporary tattoos.
- Simple craft kits — many stores sell holiday craft packs with everything needed to complete a small project.
- Breakable sets: pick a larger wooden toy or set and divide it into pieces to give across several days.
- Mini stuffed animals or small plush toys.
- Cute bandages — kids often find these delightful and they’re useful too.
- Hair ties, headbands, or small accessories.
- Glitter pens, washi tape, or beads for making bracelets and necklaces.
- Non-holiday books to mix into the calendar for variety.
How to Make an Advent Calendar (DIY)
This is a quick, low-stress DIY advent calendar you can assemble last minute. It looks polished and festive without requiring lots of planning.
Materials Needed
- Scrap calendar pages with large numbers (if you have Stendig pages or any bold-numbered calendar pages, they work great)
- Tape
- Scissors
- String or twine
- Small gifts, notes, books, or activity prompts from the lists above
If you don’t have a bold-numbered calendar, any paper will do — write numbers on scraps and use those for wrapping. Calendar pages make for beautiful, modern wrapping paper if you keep them each month.
Instructions
1. Prepare numbered wrapping paper.
Cut numbers 1–24 from calendar pages, leaving enough paper to wrap each gift. If you have only a few pages, cut the numbers and attach them to separately wrapped items.
2. Plan and wrap the surprises.
Quickly plan which days will feature activities versus small gifts. Save family outings and multi-person activities for weekends, while simpler crafts, books, and small items work well on weekdays. Place ornaments and special items earlier in the month so you can enjoy them longer. Wrap each item and set them aside for hanging.
3. Hang the wrapped packages.
Tie each wrapped package with string and hang them from a peg rail, a branch, a dowel, a staircase, or even doorknobs. I used a peg rail in our kitchen and added garland and a few ornaments for extra holiday flair, but a simple, unadorned display works perfectly too. The goal is to keep this fun and low-stress so it stays enjoyable for everyone.
That’s it — a simple method to make a modern-looking advent calendar without a lot of fuss. If you have questions about materials or layout, I’m happy to help.
Cute Advent Calendars to Buy
If crafting isn’t your thing or you’d rather buy a ready-made calendar, here are a few options that come complete with items and activities so you don’t have to hunt for small gifts:
For Kids
- Grapat wooden-style advent calendar sets — quality, timeless pieces with small activities and natural materials.
- Gemstone or rock-themed discovery calendars — great for curious kids who like nature and geology.
- Character or show-themed calendars — popular for children who love a particular TV character or series.
- Charm or jewelry calendars for older kids who enjoy small keepsakes.
That covers a wide range of advent calendar possibilities, from activities and books to small gifts and a straightforward DIY. If you have additional ideas or favorites to add, I’d love to hear them.
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