2018 Activity Advent Countdown

I can’t even believe I’ve been doing this Activity Advent Countdown since 2009! Our annual, printable Activity Advent Countdown includes ideas, printables, and resources from around the web to make counting down to Christmas with your toddlers and preschoolers fun and educational!

If there’s something in this list of activities that you know isn’t the right fit for your child or you don’t have time to do it or you don’t want to purchase the materials, you can replace it with any of the activities from the previous years (links at the bottom).

The links to the specific directions of each activity are below, but scroll down for organized printable lists of materials, printable Activity Advent Cards, how to set it up and more!

Activities

1. Christmas Spin and Cover or Spin and Graph
2. Christmas Tree Fine Motor Skills – The tree printable that uses buttons
3. Circle Ornament Craft  – For younger children, cut the strips and tape them into circles ahead of time. Then challenge them to put the circles inside each other from largest to smallest or smallest to largest like a puzzle. Once the circles are in order of size, tape them together at the top and attach a ribbon or piece of string. Let your child hang their ornament on the tree.
4. Christmas Name Puzzle or this Santa Themed Name Puzzle
5. Christmas Color Sorting
6. Recycled CD Christmas Ornament – You could also simplify this and just use Sharpie markers
7. Gingerbread Man Rhyming
8. Christmas Tree Sewing Craft – An option for younger children that aren’t ready for sewing yet, is to thread a pipe cleaner onto the plate for each row of the tree. Thread a bead or two on the pipe cleaner and put the ends of the pipe cleaner into the hole on each side of the tree. Bend and tape on the back of the plate. This adjustment will make more sense when you look at her pictures.
9. Candy Cane Hide and Seek
10. Gingerbread Man Alphabet Matching
11. Wreath Ornament
12. Christmas Tree Dice Game
13. Easy Christmas Ornaments – Great gift idea from your child!
14. Christmas Tree Size Matching
15. Christmas I-Spy Cards
16. Melting Snowman Science
17. Tissue Paper Christmas Tree Craft
18. Christmas Counting Memory
19. Christmas Tree Finger Print Craft
20. Fill the Stocking Alphabet Hunt
21. Christmas Cookie Matching
22. Melted Snowman Shape Craft
23. Snowball Counting – If you don’t have tweezers, you can use tongs from your kitchen.
24. Printable Ornaments to Color
25. Merry Christmas!

WHERE TO START:

1. Print the 2018 Activity Advent Calendar Cards and Materials List. This includes the countdown cards, a list of the activities, and a materials list.
2. Set up the 25 countdown cards to get your child excited about the Countdown to Christmas Activities
   

   SET UP IDEAS:

   • Put each card in a small box and wrap them. Let your child unwrap a box each morning and that is the activity of the day (regardless of the number)
   • Put the cards in a jar and have your child pick a random one out.
   • Attach them to a piece of garland with clothes pins and take one down each day in order.
   • Make a pocket chart with library pockets from the dollar store or by sewing felt into a grid and put the cards in the pockets in order. Pull one out each day.
   • Make a chart with the numbers 1-25 on it. Have your child pick and cross off a number each day. That number would be the activity of the day.
   • Hang the cards from the lower branches of your Christmas tree and let your child pick the activity for the day by picking one to take off of the tree.

   QUICK TIP:

   I print all of the activities and gather my materials ahead of time so that I can just grab what I need for that day. That way the work is done and I can enjoy the countdown with my kids!

   FOR MORE COUNTDOWN ACTIVITIES AND PRINTABLES, VISIT MY:

   2017 Activity Advent Countdown

   2016 Activity Advent Countdown

   2015 Activity Advent Countdown

   2014 Activity Advent Countdown

   2013 Activity Advent Countdown

   2012 Activity Advent Countdown

   2011 Activity Advent Countdown

   2010 Activity Advent Countdown

   2009 Activity Advent Countdown

   Lego Christmas Countdown

   First Grade Christmas Countdown