Wonderful, family friendly festive activities to do at home

The Activity Advent Calendar

Each year we create an activity advent calendar for our kids. Last year, I was struggling to come up with 24 fun ideas, so turned to Instagram and was blown away by the hundreds of ideas I received! Here are just some of them:

• Make wrapping paper (using potatoes or cabbages)

• Make Christmas cards

• Make paper chains (draw or paint on the card/paper first)

• Make popcorn garlands

• Go on a torch walk

• Bake Christmas cookies

• Bake mince pies

• Watch Christmas films

• Have a Christmas disco

• Decorate our windows with as many lights as possible

• Go on a lantern (or torch) walk to see the stars, bring hot chocolate.

• Read our favourite Christmas books by the fire (this will be over a few days)

• Feed the birds

• Make homemade playdoh in Christmas colours

• RSPB have a recipe to make ‘reindeer food’ and scatter it in the garden or local park (it will feed the birds- remember NOT to use glitter!)

• Daily acts of kindness for others: writing cards to folk in our local care homes, walk neighbours dog, litter pick

• Write thank you letters to teachers (and give along side a gift voucher or something home baked)

• Buy gifts for reugees from the Choose Love website

• Sort through books and toys to donate

• Make a 'paper snowflake making’ kit with glitter etc

• Decorate a bush in the garden to share festive joy

• Play ‘I spy Christmas’ when out for a walk

• Make Winter lanterns

• Offer to help elderly or vulnerable neighbours with errands

• Teach the kids about charitable organisations and have them each pick one to donate to

• Do a festive scavenger hunt

• Go on a Winter muddy walk and see who can find the best leaf to paint a Christmas tree on

• Leave a gift for a stranger somewhere to be found (like a park bench)

• Make a present box to be given to a charity

• Do a treasure hunt around the house/garden

• Have a living room floor picnic by the Christmas tree

• Do a reverse advent - putting an item in a box each day and donate it to a food bank

• Build and decorate a gingerbread house (or buy a kit!)

• Make a garland using pine cones and other things from nature

• Have a festive fancy dress dinner, the more OTT the better.

• Make a DIY snow globe using a jar

• Read a part of a Christmas story each day

• A Christmas fairy hunt in the garden (make little Christmas fairies out of pegs and cardboard and hide them around the garden for the kids)

• Have a Christmas song evening at friends’ doorsteps

Activities older kids might enjoy

Older kids will enjoy plenty of the activities above, but here are some extra ideas:

• Make air-dry clay decorations and paint them

• Make marbled Christmas cards

• Curate or make items for a festive outfit

• A festive spa evening, including nails

• Host a festive bake-off with their friends

• A Christmas karaoke party

• Create a selfie treasure hunt- send them out to find as many festive decorations and challenge them to get a selfie in front of it.

• Have a Christmas film marathon/sleepover

We will also be looking for online Christmas events suitable for families from places like the Royal Opera House, Little Angel Theatre, The Scottish Ballet and the Old Vic. Look up your local cultural centres and theatres.

For Christmas decorating ideas and my absolute top (and easy) styling tips, my Christmas guide is available below for £15.

I have also created a very simple advent calendar printable which you can download and include as part of your own advent activities.

• Print it off, fill it in using your own ideas if you choose the blank one. Then cut the squares out and either:

  • Pop them into your advent calendars as is

  • Put them into tiny envelopes and peg them on the Christmas tree

  • Roll them into tiny little scrolls and call them elf ideas. secure with thread and hang them of a little branch or hide them around the house.

• Or fold them up small and stick them on the back of a traditional chocolate advent calendar

• Or fold them up and put them in a jar as an activity ideas jar over Christmas.