Christmas with kids is awesome.  Well, simultaneously awesome and exhaustingly busy.  We enjoy the days more when our expectations are not sky high.  It really is the little stuff.  This free printable DIY advent calendar is designed to be both of those; awesome and easy. 

Each day of this DIY advent calendar has a suggestion for your kiddo that provides a creative activity related to the holiday.  They will build excitement, make memories, have fun, and maybe even learn something while they’re at it!

The traditional advent calendar….

I have the sweetest memories of an advent calendar growing up.  It was made of felt and embellished with sequins by a family friend.  Every day In December one of us would take a felt ornament from the pocket and pin it to the tree.  So easy, right?  And it was something we looked forward to every year.  It still hangs at my mom’s house and the kids look forward to taking the little ornaments out of their pockets!

The new generation of advent calendars…

Today there are some super cute product type advent calendars out there.  Kids get to open a Lego or a new Matchbox car everyday.  These ideas are so cute, but with four kids we just don’t need another 100 small items floating around our house.  

The season of “doing it all…”

There are lots of “holiday to do lists” and printable advent calendars out there that are so darn cute.  But….

I know it can be so annoying but in real life there’s almost always a “but.”  In this case it’s that as cute as these ideas are I may just not be able to get it all done.  I don’t always have time to go ice skating, or a production of the Nutcracker, or host a cookie baking party.  And I’m just being honest when I say I’m not sleeping in a sleeping bag around the Christmas tree.  

I’m a homeschool mom to four.  My kiddos and I spend a lot of time together.  Holiday or not I’m always on the lookout for activities that my kids can do independently.  

Make your own advent calendar….

Keep it simple- make your own advent calendar with these free printables.  Print out the calendar and envelope templates.  Kids can help cut out envelope templates and glue them together.  Get started.  Nothing special is needed.  No need to worry that your kid will draw an advent card that requires a two hour outing on the day you already have three ball games, a birthday party, and an art class.  

These activities are meant to be child led, interactive, and open ended.  There are even some blank cards if you’d like to include some surprises of your own!

Handmade is always better….

I adore homemade gifts and ornaments.  Kids efforts are so much better than any pre-packaged craft.  Things that express their genuine self, with all their imperfections,  are the things I will treasure for years.
Give your kids a place to start (ideas from the calendar), a place to work, a few supplies, and set them loose.  Literally get out of their way and let them play and make and create.  

The activities included in this DIY advent calendar fit wherever you have room for them.  Work together as a family, or work independently.

These advent activities are meant to encourage creativity in all of it’s forms.  “Making” doesn’t have to take place in an art studio.  Do it everyday with whatever is available.

I also included a few blank cards and a few blank envelopes.  So if an activity doesn’t agree with your family just make up your own!  

Want the free printable advent calendar in easy to print PDF form…

This free printable advent calendar along with dozens of other free printables is in my free Resource Library.  Use the subscribe box below to start receiving my weekly newsletter.  Then go check your email and confrim that, yes, you meant to subscribe. Upon confirming your subscription you’ll receive a subscriber only password that will give you access to every PDF in my Resource Library.

Go there and check out the section titled “Holiday Resources to Print” and you’ll find this advent calendar!  Note that the envelopes and the inside tags are two separate PDF’s in case you don’t need both!)

Already a subscriber…

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