# Adventfold, full text > Fit December activities to school days, travel, busy evenings, budget and your children's ages, then print dated cards, a fridge calendar and a supplies list. Every public page of https://adventfold.com, as Markdown, in sitemap order. Built from the exported pages at build time. The short index is https://adventfold.com/llms.txt. --- # Advent activity planner for your real December, Adventfold URL: https://adventfold.com/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > Fit December activities to school days, travel, busy evenings, budget and your children's ages, then print dated cards, a fridge calendar and a supplies list. ## An Advent activity plan that fits your real December A free planner that fits a different activity to each day of December around school days, travel, busy evenings, your budget and your children's ages, then prints dated cards, a fridge calendar and a supplies list. Nothing leaves your browser. ### Step 1: dates and children 0 to 17 24 days, Tuesday 1 December to Thursday 24 December. The last day with a card is the together finale. Want to look first? (an invented family, replaced as soon as you type) ### How the plan is made 1. **Your dates and your days.** Choose where the count starts and ends, then paint the days: school, a weekend or holiday, travelling, a busy evening, or a day off. 2. **Your family and your choices.** First names and ages, indoors or out, a budget, faith content and screen-free. Every activity has to suit every child. 3. **A plan that fits, and says why when it cannot.** No activity repeats, baking and crafts never fall on 2 days running, and the last day is a together finale. If too few activities fit, the planner names the choice to change. All 12 rules, with a worked example, are on [how the planner works](https://adventfold.com/how-it-works/). The 264 activities it chooses from are listed on the [activities page](https://adventfold.com/activities/), and the [FAQ](https://adventfold.com/faq/) answers questions on dates, printing and privacy. --- # Advent activity ideas for families, by age, Adventfold URL: https://adventfold.com/activities/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > 264 original Advent and December activity ideas for children, each with its length, setting, cost, ages, content and supplies, to filter. ## Advent activity ideas for families Every one of the 264 activities the planner chooses from, written for this site, with how long it takes, where it happens, what it costs, the ages it suits and what you need. Filter them, or let the [planner](https://adventfold.com/) fit them to your days. Last updated 19 October 2026 ### Filter the activities 0 to 17, or leave empty. Showing 264 of 264 activities. Lengths are 10 or 20 minutes for school nights and 45 or 90 minutes for weekends. Cost none means things most homes have. Adventfold is not affiliated with any toy company, retailer, church or calendar publisher. ### Crafts (43) - Paper snowflakes for the windowsFold squares of paper into triangles, snip shapes into the edges, then open them up and tape the best ones to a window.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: paper, child-safe scissors, tape. - Paper chain countdownCut paper into strips, write a small Christmas wish on each, then loop and tape them into a chain to tear a link from each day.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: coloured paper, tape, a pen. - Ice suncatchers in the gardenPop your frozen disc of leaves and berries out of its tray and hang it from a branch or fence to catch the low winter sun.20 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a shallow tray, leaves and berries, string.The night before: Freeze water in a tray with leaves, berries and a loop of string for the ice suncatcher. - Salt dough decorationsMix flour, salt and water into a dough, cut out shapes, bake them slowly with a grown-up, then thread ribbon through to hang on the tree.90 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: plain flour, salt, water, biscuit cutters, ribbon. - Pine cone owlsCollect pine cones, then give each one paper eyes, wings and feet with glue until you have a little family of winter owls.45 minutesIndoors or outCost: smallAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: pine cones, scrap paper, glue, pens. - Handprint snowman cardPress a small painted hand onto dark paper, fingers down, and turn each fingertip print into a snowman with a drawn hat and scarf.20 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: dark paper, white paint, pens. - Cardboard tube winter animalsTurn cardboard tubes into penguins, foxes and owls with paper wrapping, drawn faces and folded paper ears and wings.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upWinterYou need: cardboard tubes, coloured paper, glue, pens. - Paper lantern windowsillFold and snip paper into little lanterns, stand them along a windowsill over battery tea lights and give your lantern street a name.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 4 and upWinterYou need: coloured paper, scissors, tape, battery tea lights. - Christmas cards for neighboursFold card in half, draw a winter picture on the front, write a kind message inside and post them through your neighbours' doors.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 3 and upChristmas customsYou need: card, pens, envelopes. - Stained glass window starsCut a star frame from black card, fill the gaps with torn tissue paper and hang it in a window so the light glows through.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 5 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: black card, tissue paper, glue, scissors. - Paper stocking name tagsCut a stocking shape from card for each person, decorate it with patterns and their initial, and hang it up as a name tag.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upChristmas customsYou need: card, pens, a hole punch, string. - Pasta snowflake decorationsGlue dried pasta shapes into snowflake patterns on baking paper, leave them to dry, paint them white and hang them on the tree.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 4 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: dried pasta shapes, glue, white paint, string. - Potato print wrapping paperHave a grown-up cut star shapes into halved potatoes, then dip them in paint and stamp patterns across brown paper for wrapping.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 3 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: brown paper, potatoes, paint, a knife for the grown-up. - Frosty window drawingsDraw frost patterns, snow scenes and stars on the inside of a window with washable pens so people walking past can enjoy them.20 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: washable window pens. - Box lid winter sceneBuild a little winter scene inside a box lid with paper pines, a cotton wool hill and a drawn night sky, then stand it on a windowsill.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upWinterYou need: a cardboard box lid, paper, cotton wool, glue, pens. - Paper plate polar bear masksCut eye holes in a paper plate, draw a polar bear face with ears on top and tie on string so everyone can be a bear for the evening.20 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 3 to 8WinterWith a grown-upYou need: paper plates, string, pens, scissors. - Family winter scrapbookFill pages with drawings, cut-out pictures and notes about your favourite winter days, with the smallest adding their own doodles.90 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: paper, glue, pens, old magazines. - Cardboard winter villageTurn old boxes into little houses with drawn windows and doors, line them up in a street and lay a paper snow blanket over the roofs.90 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: cardboard boxes, tape, pens, scissors for the grown-up. - Giant paper chain raceCut a big pile of paper strips and race to loop them into the longest chain you can, then measure it against the hallway at the end.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: scrap paper strips, tape. - Sock snowmenFill an odd white sock with rice, twist bands round it to make a head and body, then add a ribbon scarf and a button face.45 minutesIndoorsCost: mediumAges 5 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: odd white socks, dried rice, elastic bands, buttons, ribbon. - Twig star decorationsGather 5 straight twigs each, tie them into star shapes with string and hang them on the tree or a door handle.45 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 4 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: straight twigs, string, scissors. - Christmas jumper paper dollsFold a paper strip into a zigzag, cut a figure so the people hold hands, then draw a different Christmas jumper on each one.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upChristmas customsYou need: paper, scissors, pens. - Shoebox crib sceneDraw and cut out the stable figures, the animals and a star, then stand them in a shoebox stable and tell the Christmas story with them.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: card, pens, scissors, a shoebox. - Paper Advent wreathMake a paper wreath with 4 paper candles and a white one in the centre, then add a paper flame to a new candle each Sunday.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: card, green paper, coloured paper, glue. - Paper plate angelsFold and cut a paper plate into an angel with wings, draw a face and hang it up while you talk about the angel's good news.20 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 3 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: paper plates, pens, glue, string. - Star mobile for the wise menCut stars from card, wrap the biggest in foil and hang them all from a stick to remember the star the wise men followed.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upChristianYou need: card, kitchen foil, string, a stick. - Gift tags from old cardsCut the best pictures from last year's cards into gift tags, punch a hole and thread string through, ready for wrapping day.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upChristmas customsYou need: old Christmas cards, scissors, a hole punch, string. - Clay snowflake printsRoll air-dry clay flat, cut out circles, press patterns into them with forks and straws, poke a hole and leave them to dry for hanging.45 minutesIndoorsCost: mediumAges 5 and upWinterYou need: air-dry clay, a rolling pin, forks and straws, ribbon. - Paper bag winter puppetsTurn paper bags into a winter fox, owl and hare with drawn faces and paper ears, then put on a short puppet show.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: paper bags, pens, glue, paper scraps. - Thank you card batchMake a batch of thank you cards now so they are ready for after the holidays, each with its own little winter drawing on the front.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 5 and upWinterYou need: card, pens, envelopes. - Sock puppet theatreTurn odd socks into puppets, cut a window in a box for the stage and act out a winter tale for the littlest in the audience.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: odd socks, paper scraps, tape, a cardboard box. - Wool pom-pom snowballsWind white wool round 2 card rings, snip the edges and tie the middle to make soft snowballs for a gentle indoor snowball fight.45 minutesIndoorsCost: mediumAges 6 and upWinterYou need: white wool, card, scissors. - Folded paper starsLearn to fold a 5 pointed paper star, then make a little pile of them in different colours to sit on top of each present.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 9 and upChristmas customsYou need: square paper. - Finger knitted scarfLearn finger knitting with a long strand of chunky wool and keep going until you have a winter scarf for a favourite toy.90 minutesIndoorsCost: mediumAges 8 and upWinterYou need: chunky wool, scissors. - Paper baubles for the treeDraw, colour and cut out a set of paper baubles, then let everyone choose a spot on the tree to hang their own.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 2 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: paper, pens, scissors, string. - Coloured snow paintingFill squeezy bottles with coloured water and paint pictures on fresh snow or a frosty lawn, watching the colours spread.20 minutesOutdoorsCost: smallAges 2 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: squeezy bottles, water, food colouring. - Winter memory buntingCut paper triangles, draw a favourite winter memory on each and tape them along a length of string to hang across the room.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: paper, string, tape, pens. - Hand-lettered winter cardsPractise a hand-lettering style on scrap paper, then letter a winter greeting onto cards for friends and teachers.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 11 and upWinterYou need: card, fine pens, a pencil, a ruler. - Make a ChristingleMake a Christingle with an orange, red ribbon and fruit on sticks, add a battery candle and talk about what each part stands for.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 5 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: an orange, red ribbon, cocktail sticks, dried fruit, a battery candle. - Advent prayer chainWrite a short prayer for someone on a paper strip each day and add it to a chain that grows across the kitchen.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: paper strips, pens, tape. - Christmas story in 4 picturesFold a page into 4 boxes and draw the Christmas story in order, from the angel's visit to the shepherds kneeling at the stable.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upChristianYou need: paper, pens. - Make Christmas crackersWrap cardboard tubes in paper, tuck in a joke and a paper hat, then twist and tie the ends ready for Christmas dinner.45 minutesIndoorsCost: mediumAges 6 and upChristmas customsYou need: cardboard tubes, wrapping paper, ribbon, paper for jokes and hats. - Jam jar snow globeGlue a small figure inside a jar lid, fill the jar with water and glitter, then screw the lid on tightly and give it a shake.45 minutesIndoorsCost: mediumAges 7 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: a clean jar with a lid, glitter, water, a small figure, waterproof glue. ### Baking and food (25) - Gingerbread biscuitsMix and roll gingerbread dough, cut out shapes, bake them with a grown-up and decorate them with icing once they are cool.90 minutesIndoorsCost: mediumAges 3 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: plain flour, butter, sugar, ground ginger, golden syrup, biscuit cutters. - Hot chocolate tastingMake small cups of hot chocolate with a grown-up at the hob and try a pinch of cinnamon, orange zest or vanilla in each.20 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: milk, cocoa powder, cinnamon, mugs. - Popcorn garlandPop corn with a grown-up, let it cool, then thread it onto cotton with a blunt needle to drape around the tree, tasting as you go.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 5 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: popcorn kernels, a blunt needle and thread, dried cranberries. - No-bake snowball trufflesCrush plain biscuits, mix them with condensed milk and cocoa, roll into balls and coat them in coconut for a tray of snowballs.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 4 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: plain biscuits, condensed milk, cocoa powder, desiccated coconut. - Mince piesCut pastry circles, fill them with mincemeat, add little star lids and bake them with a grown-up, then dust them with icing sugar.90 minutesIndoorsCost: mediumAges 5 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: ready-made pastry, mincemeat, icing sugar, a bun tin. - Cinnamon toast fingersToast bread with a grown-up, butter it, sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top and cut it into fingers for a warm winter snack.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 2 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: bread, butter, cinnamon, sugar. - Decorate plain biscuitsMix a little icing, then decorate plain biscuits as snowflakes, snowmen and frosty faces before eating a few.20 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: plain biscuits, icing sugar, water, sprinkles. - Spiced apple warmerWarm apple juice gently on the hob with a grown-up, add orange slices and spices, and sip it from mugs while it is cosy.20 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 5 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: apple juice, a cinnamon stick, cloves, an orange. - Plaited winter loafKnead a simple bread dough, leave it to rise, shape it into a plait and bake it with a grown-up to share warm at tea.90 minutesIndoorsCost: mediumAges 9 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: strong bread flour, dried yeast, salt, water, olive oil. - Cook a winter soupChop vegetables, soften them in a big pan and simmer a winter soup, with a grown-up close by, to serve the whole family.90 minutesIndoorsCost: mediumAges 12 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: an onion, carrots, potatoes, a stock cube, a large pan. - Snowman pancakesWhisk a pancake batter, then let a grown-up cook it in 3 sizes so you can stack each plate into a snowman and decorate it.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: plain flour, eggs, milk, a frying pan. - Fruit snowmen on sticksThread banana rounds onto short sticks with halved grapes as hats to build a plate of fruit snowmen, then eat the lot.10 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 4 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: bananas, grapes, short wooden sticks. - Chocolate dipped pretzelsMelt chocolate with a grown-up, dip pretzel sticks halfway in and roll them in sprinkles, then chill them on baking paper.20 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: pretzel sticks, chocolate, sprinkles, baking paper. - Peppermint creamsMix icing sugar with a little milk and peppermint, roll into balls, press them flat with a fork and box them up as presents.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 5 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: icing sugar, milk, peppermint essence, a small box. - Ice a Christmas cakeRoll icing over a plain cake, then cut out snow stars and holly leaves from the spare icing and arrange them on top.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 4 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: a plain cake, ready-roll icing, icing sugar, biscuit cutters. - Biscuit gingerbread houseStick plain biscuits together with thick icing to make a little house, then cover the roof in sweets and icing snow.90 minutesIndoorsCost: mediumAges 5 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: plain biscuits, icing sugar, sweets, a cake board. - Cheese scones for teaRub butter into flour, stir in cheese and milk, cut out rounds and bake them with a grown-up for warm scones at teatime.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 4 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: plain flour, baking powder, butter, grated cheese, milk. - Winter fruit taste testLay out soft slices of winter fruit cut small, try each in turn and vote for the sweetest, the sourest and the juiciest.10 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: satsumas, pears, apples, kiwi fruit. - Shortbread starsRub butter, sugar and flour into a crumbly dough, cut out stars and bake them with a grown-up to fill a tin for giving.90 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 4 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: butter, caster sugar, plain flour, a star cutter. - Porridge toppings barMake a warm pot of porridge with a grown-up and set out toppings so everyone builds a winter breakfast bowl their way.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: porridge oats, milk, a banana, cinnamon. - Oat flapjack squaresMelt butter and syrup with a grown-up, stir in the oats, press it all into a tin and bake, then cut into squares when cool.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 4 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: porridge oats, butter, golden syrup, brown sugar. - Frosty park picnicMake sandwiches and fill a flask together, wrap up warm and have a short picnic in the park on a crisp, bright day.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: smallAges 2 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a flask of warm drink, sandwiches, a blanket. - Plan the Christmas menuAn older child plans the family's Christmas dinner menu, then writes the shopping list and a cooking timetable for the day.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 11 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: paper, pens, recipe books. - Frozen fruit ice popsBlend soft fruit with a little juice, pour it into moulds or small cups with a stick and freeze them for tomorrow.20 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 2 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: soft fruit, fruit juice, ice pop moulds or small cups, wooden sticks. - Summer Christmas picnicPack a picnic of cold treats, find a shady spot in the park and wear paper crowns while you share a long summer lunch.90 minutesOutdoorsCost: smallAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: a picnic blanket, picnic food, paper crowns, sun cream. ### Games (34) - I spy winter coloursTake turns spying something by its colour, starting with white, silver and red, and let the littlest point instead of guessing.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Guess the winter animalThink of a winter animal and answer yes or no questions until someone guesses it, or give a growl or a squeak to help.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Winter alphabet listGo round the family naming something wintry for each letter, from acorn to zip-up coat, and help each other with the tricky ones.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 5 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Spot the lit windowsOn a journey or an evening walk, count every window with lights in it and see if the family can reach 50 before you arrive.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - I packed my winter bagTake turns adding an item to an imaginary winter bag, repeating the whole list each time, and see how long it can grow.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 4 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Winter would you ratherAsk each other winter would you rather questions, like building a snow fort or sledging all day, and explain your choices.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 4 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Snowy rhyme chainStart with a winter word like snow and go round the family adding rhymes until nobody can think of another one.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 4 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Quiet as a winter mouseSee who can stay as quiet as a winter mouse the longest, while a grown-up whispers silly things to tempt a giggle.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Category tennisPick a category like warm clothes or garden birds, then bat answers back and forth between 2 players until someone runs dry.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 7 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Colour counting raceEach choose a colour and count everything of that colour you pass or can see, with the littlest pointing and the grown-up counting.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Opposites shout outCall out a word like hot, up or loud and have everyone say the opposite, using winter words like warm and freezing too.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 2 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Guess the winter soundTake turns making a winter sound, like crunching snow, chattering teeth or a howling wind, for the others to guess.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - The leader says, winter movesCopy the leader's winter moves, like shiver, roll a snowball and skate with your hands, but only when the leader says please.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 2 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - 20 questionsThink of any object in the house and let everyone ask up to 20 yes or no questions to work out what it is.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 7 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Winter word associationSay a winter word and go round the family saying the first word it makes each of you think of, as fast as you can.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 6 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Family knowledge quizTake turns as quizmaster, asking questions about each other's favourite foods, colours and memories, and keep score in your heads.45 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 5 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Who is in the Christmas storyTake turns describing someone from the Christmas story, like a shepherd, an angel or a wise man, for the others to guess.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 4 and upChristianWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Christmas alphabetGo round naming something to do with Christmas for each letter of the alphabet, from baubles to zigzag ribbon.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 5 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Christmas cracker jokesTake turns telling the worst Christmas jokes you know, groaning loudly, and vote for the one that deserves a paper crown.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 5 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Count the Christmas treesOn a journey or a walk, count every Christmas tree you can see in windows and keep a running total out loud together.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Paper snowball fightScrunch scrap paper into snowballs and have a soft, giggly snowball fight across the living room, then race to tidy them up.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: scrap paper. - Winter treasure huntFollow rhyming clues from room to room until you reach the winter surprise at the end, like a blanket and a new story.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 4 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: paper, a pen, a small surprise.The night before: Write 6 rhyming clues and hide them around the house once the children are in bed. - Winter picture bingoDraw a grid of winter pictures for each player, call them out at random and cross them off until someone fills a line.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 4 and upWinterYou need: paper, pens. - Pass the parcelWrap a small gift in many layers with a joke in each, then pass it round while music plays and unwrap a layer when it stops.20 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 2 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: a small gift, wrapping paper or newspaper, music.The night before: Wrap the parcel in layers with a joke or a forfeit tucked into each. - Christmas charadesWrite Christmas things on slips of paper, then take turns acting them out without words while everyone else guesses.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 5 and upChristmas customsYou need: paper, a pen, a bowl. - Card game tournamentLearn a new card game, play every family member in a tournament and crown a winter champion with a paper medal.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 9 and upWinterYou need: a pack of cards, paper, a pen. - Design a winter board gameDraw a winter board game with a snowy route, hazards and shortcuts, write the rules and play the very first game together.90 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 10 and upWinterYou need: card, pens, a dice, counters. - Torchlight hide and seekTurn the lights down and play hide and seek, with the seeker using a torch to find everyone tucked away in their hiding spots.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upWinterYou need: a torch. - Christmas quiz nightEach person writes 5 Christmas quiz questions, then take turns as quizmaster and add up the points at the end.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 7 and upChristmas customsYou need: paper, pens. - Pin the nose on the snowmanDraw a big snowman, then take turns wearing a scarf blindfold and trying to stick a paper carrot nose in the right spot.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: paper, pens, a scarf for a blindfold, tape. - Home puzzle trailDesign codes and riddles for the rest of the family to solve, hiding each clue in an envelope that leads to a box at the end.90 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 12 and upWinterYou need: paper, envelopes, pens, a box with a prize. - Present wrapping raceTime each other wrapping an empty box as neatly as you can, then try again wearing oven gloves for a laugh.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 5 and upChristmas customsYou need: empty boxes, scrap wrapping paper, tape. - Christmas picture bingoDraw bingo cards with Christmas pictures like bells, presents and holly, and call them out until someone fills a card.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: paper, pens, dried pasta for counters. - Musical chairs in paper hatsPlay musical chairs wearing paper party hats, with each person who is out choosing the next Christmas song.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upChristmas customsYou need: chairs, paper hats, music. ### Stories and words (24) - Torchlight winter storyTurn off the big light, snuggle under blankets and read a favourite winter story aloud by torchlight, doing all the voices.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a torch, a favourite winter story. - Winter story chainBuild a winter story together, with each person adding a line about a lost mitten, a fox or a midnight snowfall.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Write a letter to SantaWrite or draw a letter to Santa about your year, a few wishes and a question for the North Pole, then seal it up.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: paper, pens, an envelope. - Read the Christmas storyRead the Christmas story from a children's Bible together, then look closely at the pictures and talk about the long journey.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 2 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: a children's Bible. - Advent waiting readingRead a short passage about the prophets waiting for the promised king and talk about what it feels like to wait for something good.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: a Bible. - When I was smallAsk a grown-up to tell a story from a winter when they were small, then let the children ask as many questions as they like.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Make a winter picture bookFold and staple paper into a little book, then write and draw a winter tale about an animal looking for a warm home.90 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 5 and upWinterYou need: paper, a stapler, pens. - Shadow puppet winter taleCut animal shapes from card, tape them to straws and tell a winter story in shadows on the wall by torchlight.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a torch, card, scissors for the grown-up, tape, straws. - Story bag of 5 objectsPut 5 random objects in a bag, pull them out one by one and weave each into a winter story told on the spot.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a bag, 5 household objects. - First frost poemsWrite a short poem about the first frost using all 5 senses, then read them aloud to each other over a warm drink.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 7 and upWinterYou need: paper, pens. - Write a winter mysteryWrite a short winter mystery with a missing object and 3 suspects, then read it to the family and let them guess who did it.90 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 11 and upWinterYou need: a notebook, a pen. - Roll a winter storyMake a chart of 6 characters, 6 places and 6 problems, roll the dice for each and tell the story you land on.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 5 and upWinterYou need: a dice, paper, a pen. - Christmas picture book retellSnuggle up and read a favourite Christmas picture book, then let the children tell it back to you in their own words.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: a favourite Christmas picture book. - Act out the angel's visitRetell the angel visiting the shepherds, with tea towel costumes and a torch for the bright light in the night sky.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: tea towels, a torch. - Nativity play at homeDress up in tea towels and dressing gowns and act out the nativity, with a doll in a box manger and a part for everyone.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: tea towels, dressing gowns, a doll, a box for a manger. - Journey of the wise menMove the wise men figures a little closer to the crib scene each night while you read about their long journey.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: crib figures or small toys. - Record a winter radio playWrite a short winter radio play, make sound effects with household things and record it on a phone to play back.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 8 and upWinterUses a screenYou need: a phone or recorder, things for sound effects. - Point and name winter picturesSit a little one on your lap with a winter picture book and point to each animal, naming it and making its sound.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a picture book. - Winter word of the dayPick a new winter word like hibernate, frost or solstice, explain what it means and use it as often as you can all day.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 5 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Tale of a single snowflakeTell a short made-up tale about a snowflake's journey from a cloud to a child's mitten, letting the little ones add sounds.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Serial story in chaptersTell a long winter tale in chapters, with each person telling a whole chapter and ending on a cliffhanger for the next.45 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 4 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Read the angel's messageRead the angel's message to the shepherds from the Bible and talk about what news would make you run through the night.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 5 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: a Bible. - Memory lane of the yearTake turns remembering a favourite day from each month of the year, starting in January, and help each other fill the gaps.45 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Shade den reading hourPeg a sheet over chairs in the shade of the garden, bring cushions and cool drinks and read summer stories inside.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a sheet, pegs, cushions, books. ### Music and dancing (15) - Kitchen band concertRaid the kitchen for pans, spoons and a rice shaker, then play a winter concert with a grown-up conducting.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: pans, wooden spoons, a sealed tub of rice. - Christmas singalongSing the Christmas songs you all know best, with actions for the little ones and a big finish on the last one.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Carols on the doorstepLearn 2 carols you all know, wrap up warm and sing them on a neighbour's doorstep or at a care home, arranged in advance.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: a torch, warm coats. - Lullabies in the darkTurn the lights low and sing gentle lullabies you know, taking turns to choose and humming the parts nobody remembers.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Rice shaker bottlesFill a plastic bottle with dried rice, tape the lid firmly shut and shake it along to your favourite winter songs.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a plastic bottle, dried rice, strong tape. - Make up a winter songTake a tune you all know and make up new winter words for it together, about frost, scarves or the dog in the snow.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Jingle bell braceletsThread small bells onto pipe cleaners, twist them into bracelets and shake them along to your favourite Christmas songs.20 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 4 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: pipe cleaners, small bells. - Sing a song in a roundLearn a simple song you all know as a round, splitting into 2 groups and starting a line apart.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 6 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Body percussion rhythmsClap, click, stamp and pat knees to build a winter rhythm together, adding a new sound each time you go round.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Learn a shepherds' carolLearn the words of a carol about the shepherds, talk about what each verse means and sing it together at teatime.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 5 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: printed carol words. - Teach the family a songAn older child chooses a simple winter song, teaches it line by line, then leads the family in a final performance.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 10 and upWinterYou need: an instrument, if you have one. - Water glass xylophoneFill glasses with different amounts of water, tap them gently with a spoon and play a winter tune from high to low.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 5 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: 5 glasses, water, a metal spoon. - Hum and guessHum a Christmas song you all know without the words and see who can name it first, then pass the humming on.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 3 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Clap and copyClap a short rhythm and have everyone copy it back, then make it longer or add a knee tap and a click each round.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Angels on the stairsStand on the stairs like the angels on the hillside, sing a short song of glory to God together, then take a bow.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 2 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: nothing at all. ### Outings (19) - Christmas lights walkWrap up after dark and walk the streets nearby to spot the brightest Christmas lights, voting for the best house.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: warm coats, a torch. - Winter woodland walkTake a long walk in the woods or a park, listening for birds and collecting fallen treasures like cones and feathers.90 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: wellies, a bag for treasures. - Library trip for winter storiesVisit the library to choose a stack of winter stories and settle into the children's corner to read the first one.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: library cards.The night before: Find the library cards and check the opening hours. - Christmas market visitVisit a local Christmas market to look at the stalls, listen to the music and choose 1 small treat to share.90 minutesOutdoorsCost: mediumAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: warm coats. - Church carol serviceGo to a carol service at a local church, sing the carols you know and listen to the readings about the first Christmas.90 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristianWith a grown-upYou need: warm coats. - Visit a church crib sceneVisit a local church to see its crib scene, have a grown-up light a prayer candle and talk about each figure you see.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristianWith a grown-upYou need: warm coats. - Ice skating tripGo to an ice rink, hold hands round the edges at first and celebrate every wobbly lap with a warm drink after.90 minutesIndoors or outCost: mediumAges 5 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: warm layers, gloves. - See a pantomimeBook seats at a local pantomime or school show, join in with the shouting and talk about your favourite part on the way home.90 minutesIndoorsCost: mediumAges 3 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: nothing at all. - Choose the Christmas treeVisit a tree farm or a local seller to choose your Christmas tree together, measuring it against the tallest person.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: mediumAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: warm coats, gloves. - Sunset walkFind a high spot nearby and walk there to watch the early winter sunset, naming every colour you see in the sky.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: warm coats. - Post the cards togetherWalk to the postbox together with your Christmas cards and let each child post a few, counting them in as you go.20 minutesOutdoorsCost: smallAges 2 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: your cards, stamps. - Museum winter scene huntVisit a free local museum or gallery and hunt for winter scenes, snowy paintings and animals with thick winter coats.90 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a notebook, a pencil. - Winter farm visitVisit an open farm to see how the animals keep warm in winter, and help with feeding if the farm offers it.90 minutesOutdoorsCost: mediumAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: wellies, warm coats. - Bus ride to see the lightsRide the top deck of a bus through town after dark and spot Christmas lights, decorated windows and the biggest tree.45 minutesIndoors or outCost: smallAges 2 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: nothing at all. - Map and compass walkAn older child plans a winter walk route on a paper map and leads the family round it, checking the compass at each turn.90 minutesOutdoorsCost: smallAges 10 and upWinterYou need: a paper map, a compass, snacks. - Road to Bethlehem walkTake an evening walk and imagine the long road to Bethlehem, talking about how tired and cold the travellers might have felt.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: warm coats, a torch. - Christingle serviceGo to a Christingle service at a local church, where children hold an orange and the grown-ups light the candles.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristianWith a grown-upYou need: warm coats. - Winter wildlife centre visitVisit a wildlife or bird centre to see which animals are active in winter, and choose a favourite to draw when you get home.90 minutesIndoors or outCost: mediumAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: warm coats, a notebook. - Beach or river paddleHead to a safe beach or shallow river, paddle at the edge with a grown-up close by and hunt for shells and smooth stones.90 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: sun hats, sun cream, water bottles, a bucket. ### Nature and outdoors (24) - Apple rings for the birdsHave a grown-up slice apples into rings, then thread them onto string and hang them on a fence or branch for the birds.20 minutesOutdoorsCost: smallAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: apples, string. - Pine cone bird feedersSquash soft lard and bird seed into pine cones, tie on string and hang them outside where you can watch from a window.45 minutesIndoors or outCost: smallAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: pine cones, lard, bird seed, string. - Window bird watchSit quietly by a window for 20 minutes and tally every bird you see, drawing the ones you cannot name yet.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: paper, a pen. - Early frost huntGo out early on a cold morning and hunt for frost patterns on cars, leaves, grass and spiders' webs.20 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: nothing at all. - Animal tracks huntSearch mud, frost or snow for footprints, then draw what you find and guess which animal or bird made each one.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: wellies, paper, a pen. - Ice lantern by the doorTurn out your frozen ice bowl, stand a battery tea light in the hollow and set the glowing lantern by the front door.20 minutesOutdoorsCost: smallAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a frozen ice bowl, a battery tea light.The night before: Freeze water in a bowl with a smaller bowl pressed inside to make the ice lantern. - Bark rubbingsPress paper against tree trunks and rub crayons over it to collect bark patterns, then compare them back at home.20 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: paper, crayons. - Plant spring bulbsPlant tulip bulbs in a pot of compost, label it with the date and guess how many weeks until the first shoots appear.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: mediumAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: tulip bulbs, a pot, compost, a trowel. - Moon diaryFind the moon from a window or the doorstep, then draw its shape each night to see how it changes through the month.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: paper, a pen. - Winter nature trayArrange cones, twigs, leaves and feathers from your walks on a tray, label them together and add a new find each day.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a tray, a cloth, finds from a walk. - Melting ice experimentPut ice cubes on a tray, sprinkle salt on some and drip food colouring on top to watch the patterns as the ice melts.20 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: ice cubes, salt, a tray, food colouring. - Garden bird countPick a spot in the garden or park, stay as still as you can and tally every bird that visits, noting the most common.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a notebook, a pencil. - Build a hedgehog houseBuild a sheltered hedgehog house from an old crate covered in leaves and twigs in a quiet corner of the garden.90 minutesOutdoorsCost: mediumAges 7 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: an old wooden crate, dry leaves, twigs. - Morning birdsong listenStep outside early, stand very still and count how many different bird calls you can hear as the light comes.10 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: nothing at all. - Evergreen huntWalk and hunt for plants that stay green all winter, like holly, ivy and pine, and talk about why they keep their leaves.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a bag. - Shortest day sunriseGet up in time to watch the sun rise on or near the shortest day, then talk about the days slowly getting longer.20 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: warm coats. - Bean sprouting jarLine a jar with damp kitchen paper, tuck dried beans against the glass and check each day for the first green shoots.10 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a jar, kitchen paper, dried beans. - Weather diaryLook out of the window at the same time each day and draw the weather, the clouds and how cold it feels in a diary.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upWinterYou need: paper, pens. - Find the brightest starGo out on a clear evening, find the brightest star or planet and talk about the star that led the wise men.20 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: warm coats. - Winter documentary nightWatch a winter nature documentary together, then each pick the animal you would most like to be and explain why.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterUses a screenWith a grown-upYou need: blankets. - Frost close-up photosHead out on a frosty morning, photograph frost crystals up close, then pick the best 5 for a family slideshow.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 10 and upWinterUses a screenYou need: a phone or camera. - Feed the ducksWalk to a pond with a bag of oats or defrosted peas, feed the ducks a little at a time and count how many come.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: smallAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: porridge oats or defrosted peas. - Stargazing on a clear nightGo somewhere dark on a clear night, let your eyes adjust and find the brightest stars and maybe a planet low in the sky.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 6 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a torch, a blanket, warm coats. - Frozen puddle walkPull on wellies for a short walk to find frozen puddles, crunchy leaves and frosty webs on the fences.20 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: wellies. ### Kindness and giving (18) - Food bank boxChoose tins and packets together for a food bank, decorate the box and drop it at a collection point.45 minutesIndoorsCost: mediumAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a box, tins and dried food. - Thank you notes for helpersWrite or draw thank you notes for the people who help you, like the postal worker, the bin collectors and teachers.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterYou need: paper, pens. - Toy sort for givingSort through the toy box together and choose toys in good condition to give to a charity or a family who needs them.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a bag or box. - Kindness jarWrite small acts of kindness on slips of paper, put them in a jar and pull one out to do together each day.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a jar, paper, a pen. - Video call a grandparentMake a video call to a grandparent or older relative, show them something you made and ask about their winter memories.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterUses a screenWith a grown-upYou need: a phone or tablet. - Pray for othersTake turns naming someone who is having a hard time this winter and say a short prayer for each of them together.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 3 and upChristianWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Cards for a care homeMake Christmas cards with cheerful drawings for the residents of a local care home and arrange with staff to drop them off.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 4 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: card, pens, envelopes. - Compliment roundGo round the family and give each person a genuine compliment, then let them say what made them smile today.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Gratitude roundEach say 3 things you are grateful for today, with the youngest pointing at or naming something they love.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Secret helper dayDraw names from a hat and do small secret kind things for that person all day, then guess who your helper was at tea.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 4 and upWinterYou need: paper, a pen, a hat. - Street litter pickPut on gloves and pick up litter along your street or local park, counting how many bags you fill together.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: smallAges 5 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: gloves, bin bags, litter pickers. - Help a neighbour outsideOffer to sweep leaves, clear a path or carry bins for an older neighbour, knocking first to ask what would help most.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 6 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a broom, gloves. - Doorstep surpriseMake a Christmas card, tuck it into a bag with a sealed treat and leave it on a neighbour's doorstep with a knock.20 minutesOutdoorsCost: smallAges 4 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: card, a small sealed treat, a paper bag. - Thank the delivery driversMake a cheerful sign thanking delivery drivers for their busy Christmas, and tape it to your front door or window.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upChristmas customsYou need: card, pens, tape. - Give like the wise menTalk about the gifts the wise men brought, then choose something of yours to give to someone who needs it.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: a box, paper. - Help at a community mealVolunteer together at a community lunch or winter shelter that welcomes families, helping to set tables and serve.90 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 13 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: nothing at all. - Letter to someone aloneWrite a cheerful letter to an older relative or neighbour who lives alone, with a drawing and some news from home.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: smallAges 5 and upWinterYou need: paper, pens, an envelope, a stamp. - Pray around the worldSpin a globe or look at a map, choose 3 countries and pray together for the children who live there this Christmas.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 5 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: a map or globe. ### Cosy evenings (16) - Blanket den eveningBuild a den from blankets draped over chairs, crawl inside with cushions and a torch and stay there for stories and chats.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: blankets, cushions, chairs, a torch. - Slow pyjama morningStay in pyjamas all morning with blankets, books and a jigsaw, with no rushing to be anywhere at all.90 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: blankets, books, a jigsaw. - Window light watchTurn off the lights inside, sit at a window together and watch the street lights, stars and passing headlights.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: nothing at all. - Old winter photosGet out old photo albums and look at past winters together, telling the stories behind each picture.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: photo albums. - Winter animal stretchesLie on the floor and do slow winter stretches together, reaching up like tall pines and curling up like sleepy hedgehogs.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 2 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: nothing at all. - Year in photos slideshowChoose your favourite photos from the year, put them into a slideshow and watch it together under blankets.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterUses a screenWith a grown-upYou need: a phone or computer. - Torch reading hourTurn the main lights off and each read your own book by torchlight in the same room, sharing a favourite line at the end.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 8 and upWinterYou need: a torch, books. - Switch on the tree lightsDim the room and switch on the tree lights for the first time, then sit underneath and name your favourite decoration.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: tree lights. - Christmas jumper dayWear your Christmas jumpers all day and hold a jumper parade at teatime, with everyone saying what they love about theirs.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: Christmas jumpers. - Living room sleepoverDrag sleeping bags into the living room, tell stories, look out at the night sky and fall asleep together.90 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: sleeping bags, pillows, a torch. - Light the Advent candleHave a grown-up light this week's candle on the Advent wreath, say a short prayer together and watch it glow.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristianWith a grown-upYou need: an Advent wreath. - Quiet thank you prayerSit together in a quiet corner, switch on a battery candle and take turns saying a short thank you prayer for the day.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: a battery candle. - Hang the stockingsChoose a spot for each stocking, hang them up together and make a paper name label for anyone who does not have one.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: stockings, hooks or pegs. - Christmas card displayString a line across a wall and peg up the Christmas cards you receive, reading out who sent each one.10 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 2 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: string, pegs. - Wrap presents togetherWrap presents for relatives, learning the neat folded corner, and write the gift tags in your best handwriting.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 5 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: wrapping paper, tape, scissors, gift tags. - Write cards to familyWrite cards to relatives far away, adding a drawing and a line of news, then address and stamp them ready to post.45 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 5 and upChristmas customsYou need: Christmas cards, pens, stamps. ### Play (22) - Snowflake freeze dancePut on lively music and dance like snowflakes, freezing still the moment it stops, with little ones dancing in your arms.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: music. - Cushion obstacle courseLay out a winter obstacle course of cushion snowdrifts and blanket tunnels and take turns crawling and hopping through.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: cushions, blankets, chairs. - Build a snowmanWrap up and build a snowman, or a leaf and twig figure if there is no snow, then give it a hat and scarf.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 2 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: hats, scarves, a carrot. - Cardboard box sledgeTurn a big box into an indoor sledge and pull the little ones round the house, taking turns to be the sledge dog.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a large cardboard box, a blanket. - Penguin waddle raceHold a cushion between your knees and waddle like penguins from one end of the room to the other in a race.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 2 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a cushion. - Winter animal movesMove round the room like winter animals, stomping like polar bears, hopping like hares and sliding like seals.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: nothing at all. - Hide the mittenTake turns hiding a mitten in the room and guiding the seeker with warmer and colder until they find it.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a mitten. - Ice rescue missionFree small toys frozen in a block of ice using warm water, salt and spoons, guessing which toy will escape first.45 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a tub of frozen toys, warm water, salt, spoons.The night before: Freeze small toys in a tub of water overnight for the ice rescue. - Toy workshop role playSet up a pretend Christmas toy workshop, wrapping toys in paper and taking present orders from each other.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 2 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: toys, scrap paper, tape. - Frozen bubblesBlow bubbles outside on a very cold day and watch closely, as some may freeze into crystals before they pop.10 minutesOutdoorsCost: smallAges 2 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: bubble mixture, a bubble wand. - Keep the snowball upBlow up a white balloon and keep it in the air with hands, heads and feet without letting it touch the floor.10 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a white balloon. - Sledging on a snowy dayOn a snowy day, head to a gentle hill and take turns sledging down, with warm drinks waiting at home afterwards.90 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a sledge, warm layers. - Soft toy snow rescueHide soft toys under a blanket snowdrift and send the little ones on a rescue mission to bring each one home.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: soft toys, a white blanket. - Mirror facesSit face to face and copy each other's expressions, from a frosty shiver to a big yawn, taking turns to lead.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Set up the crib sceneSet out a crib scene together, placing the animals and the stable first and saving the baby for Christmas Day.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 2 and upChristianWith a grown-upYou need: a crib set or toy figures. - Counting sheep with shepherdsCount imaginary sheep on the hillside like the shepherds, baaing for each one, then whisper the good news the angels brought.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesChristianWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesYou need: nothing at all. - Decorate the tree togetherPut on music and decorate the tree together, letting each child hang their favourite decorations at their own height.90 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upYou need: tree decorations, tree lights, music. - Snow sensory trayFill a tray with snow or crushed ice and let a little one scoop, pour and pat it with spoons and cups while you sit close by.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a tray, snow or crushed ice, spoons, small cups. - Garden sprinkler dashSet a sprinkler or a watering can shower going and take turns dashing through it, then dry off in the sun.20 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a hose or watering can, towels, sun cream. - Evening garden cricketOnce the heat has gone, play a gentle game of garden cricket with a soft ball, taking turns to bat, bowl and field.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 4 and upWinterYou need: a bat or a flat board, a soft ball, something for stumps. - Paddling pool boatsMake boats from bottle tops, corks and leaves, then race them across a paddling pool by blowing on their sails.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upYou need: a paddling pool or big tub, corks and bottle tops, leaves, sun cream. - Water painting the fenceGive everyone a brush and a pot of plain water and paint the fence or the path, watching each picture dry in the sun.10 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 1 and upWinterWith a grown-upYou need: paintbrushes, pots of water. ### Together finales for the last night (24) The planner puts one of these on the last day with a card, and uses them nowhere else. - Family time capsuleWrite and draw what everyone loves right now, add the youngest's handprint and seal the box to open next December.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: a box, paper, pens, tape. - Gratitude paper chainWrite or draw a thank you on a paper strip for every good thing this December brought, then loop them into a long chain.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: paper strips, pens, tape. - Cinnamon swirls for the morningSpread pastry with butter and cinnamon sugar, roll and slice it into swirls and bake them with a grown-up for breakfast tomorrow.90 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAges 4 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: ready-rolled pastry, butter, sugar, cinnamon. - Best bits of DecemberGo round the family and each share your favourite moment from this December, then the youngest chooses the very best.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesFinaleYou need: nothing at all. - Christmas Eve family quizEach person writes 5 questions about the family's year and Christmas, then take turns as quizmaster to find the winner.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 5 and upChristmas customsFinaleYou need: paper, pens. - Wishes for the new yearTake turns saying 1 thing you hope for in the new year and 1 kind thing you want to do for someone else.20 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesFinaleYou need: nothing at all. - Our December storyTell the story of your whole December together, each adding a part in order, from the very first card to tonight.45 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesFinaleYou need: nothing at all. - Christmas Eve tree light storySwitch off the big light, sit by the glowing tree and read a favourite Christmas story aloud, taking turns with the pages.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: a favourite Christmas story, tree lights. - Read the Christmas story aloudTake turns reading parts of the Christmas story aloud, from the angel's visit to the shepherds at the manger.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristianWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: a children's Bible. - Goodnight to DecemberSay goodnight to everything December brought, from the frost to the friends you saw, ending with the people in the room.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesFinaleYou need: nothing at all. - Living room winter concertEach person performs a song, a dance or a rhythm in a living room concert, with the littlest playing the pan drum.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: pans, wooden spoons. - Family dance partyClear the floor and dance together to everyone's favourite songs, taking turns to choose, until the littlest one yawns.45 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: music. - Lantern walk round the blockTake torches or battery lanterns on a slow evening walk round the block and say goodnight to the season together.45 minutesOutdoorsCost: noneAges 3 and upWinterWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: torches or battery lanterns, warm coats. - Christmas Eve crib serviceGo to a crib or carol service at a local church on Christmas Eve and sing the carols you have learned this month.90 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristianWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: warm coats. - Thank you whisper roundWhisper a thank you to each person in turn for something they did this month, then end with a big family hug.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesFinaleYou need: nothing at all. - A prayer for everyone we loveGo round the family naming everyone you love, near and far, and finish with a short prayer of thanks for each of them.10 minutesIndoors or outCost: noneAll agesChristianWith a grown-upWorks anywhere, no suppliesFinaleYou need: nothing at all. - Last night torch storyGather everyone under blankets, turn off the lights and read a favourite winter story aloud by torchlight to end the month.20 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: a torch, blankets, a favourite winter story. - Biggest den of the yearBuild the biggest den yet in the living room, bring in pillows and books and spend the whole evening inside it together.90 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: blankets, cushions, chairs, a torch. - Night sky window watchTurn off every light, wrap up in blankets at the window and look for stars, the moon and the lit windows nearby.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesWinterWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: blankets. - Christmas Eve boxOpen a Christmas Eve box together with new pyjamas and a story, then settle in for the night in your new things.20 minutesIndoorsCost: smallAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: a box, new pyjamas, a Christmas story book.The night before: Pack the Christmas Eve box once the children are asleep. - Hang the stockings for tonightHang the stockings in a row, with each person saying 1 thing they loved about this year before theirs goes up.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristmas customsWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: stockings. - Light the centre candleHave a grown-up light the centre candle of the Advent wreath, then sit together in its glow and say a prayer.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristianWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: an Advent wreath. - A note and a carrot for SantaWrite a short note for Santa, put a carrot on a plate for the reindeer and set them out by the door before bed.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAges 2 and upChristmas customsWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: a carrot, paper, a pen, a plate. - Place the baby in the cribGather round the crib scene, let the youngest place the baby in the manger and read the verse about the shepherds.10 minutesIndoorsCost: noneAll agesChristianWith a grown-upFinaleYou need: a crib scene. ### Put them on your calendar The planner chooses from this list for each day of your December, by the rules on [how the planner works](https://adventfold.com/how-it-works/): short ones on school nights, longer ones at weekends, nothing that needs supplies on a travelling day, and nothing that does not suit every child. --- # How the Advent planner fits activities to days, Adventfold URL: https://adventfold.com/how-it-works/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > The 12 rules that fit a different activity to each December day, in the order they run, with a worked example for a family of 2 with a travelling week. ## How the planner fits activities to your days Each day gets one activity that passes 12 fixed rules: the kind of day sets the length, every child's age has to fit, your filters apply, nothing repeats and the last day is a together finale. Here are the rules in order, and one worked example. Last updated 19 October 2026 ### The rules, in the order they run 1. **Skipped days get no card.** A day marked Skip: away or Skip: rest has no activity; the fridge calendar says Travelling or Rest on it. 2. **School days and busy evenings get short activities**: 10 or 20 minutes. 3. **Weekends and holidays get longer ones**: 45 or 90 minutes. An activity that has to be done outdoors is used only if you allowed outdoors, on any day. Weather comes from where you live: activities that need snow or a frost are used only where snow is likely; a southern hemisphere summer gets no cold-weather activities and gets summer ones instead. 4. **Travelling days get an activity that needs no supplies and works anywhere**, such as a car, a train or a waiting room. 5. **Every child's age must fit.** Each activity has a youngest age and sometimes an oldest; an activity is left out unless every child in the plan is inside its range. If any child is under 3, only activities done with a grown-up beside them the whole time are used. 6. **The cost is never above your budget.** None means things most homes have; small and medium allow a little or a little more to buy. 7. **The faith setting.** Christmas, no faith content uses winter activities and Christmas customs such as Santa and the tree; Christian adds the Christian story; general winter uses winter activities only, with no Christmas customs. 8. **Screen-free**, when you choose it, leaves out every activity that uses a screen. 9. **No activity repeats** within a plan. 10. **No two baking or craft activities on consecutive dates.** Food activities count as baking. A skipped day between them breaks the run. 11. **The last day is a together finale.** The 24th, or the 25th if you chose it, always gets one of the finale activities, and finales are used nowhere else. If you skip that day, the finale moves to the last day before it that has a card. The finale still follows rules 2 to 8. 12. **A seeded shuffle.** Among the activities that pass, each day tries them in an order drawn from a seed, favouring the ones the activity list weights higher. The seed is shown as a 6 character plan code: the same code, dates, children and choices always give the same plan, and Reshuffle draws a new one. #### When the rules cannot all be met The planner never repeats an activity and never relaxes a choice for you. It works out whether every day can get a different activity at all (a matching between days and activities), and if not it names the days that cannot all be filled and lists each single change that would give a full plan, such as allowing outdoors, raising the budget or skipping a day. Every child must fit every activity, so a wide spread of ages narrows the list most; when the ages are part of the limit, it says so. #### Swaps, locks, edits and changes Swap offers only activities that fit that day, are not used on another day and keep baking and crafts apart, so a swap never changes another day. A swapped or edited card is locked; locked days stay through a reshuffle. When you change a setting, every card that still fits stays where it is and only the days that no longer fit are refilled. A locked card that no longer fits is set aside, not deleted, and comes back if you change the setting back. #### Dates and the start of Advent The first Sunday of Advent is the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day: the Sunday from 27 November to 3 December. It is worked out for each year. Every date is a plain calendar date (year, month and day), never a moment in time, so no time zone or clock change can move a card. The default school calendar makes Monday to Friday school days up to the last school day you choose, which starts at the Friday on or before 18 December. #### The shelf visitor With shelf visitor mode on, each card gets a different one of 32 placement ideas, in an order drawn from the same plan code. ### Worked example: a family of 2 with a travelling week Ada is 5 and Theo is 9. The count runs from 1 to 24 December 2026, school ends on Friday 11 December, the family travels from Monday 14 to Friday 18 December, and Wednesday 9 December is a busy evening. They live where snow is unlikely in December, so no card depends on snow or a frost. Outdoors is allowed, the budget is small, faith content is Christmas with no faith content, and shelf visitor mode is on. That gives 8 school days, 1 busy evening, 5 travelling days and 10 weekend or holiday days. With plan code 02MQ1H the planner gives the plan below; the table is made by the same code that makes yours. | Date | Kind of day | Activity | Minutes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Tue 1 Dec | School day | Penguin waddle race | 10 | | Wed 2 Dec | School day | Guess the winter animal | 10 | | Thu 3 Dec | School day | Point and name winter pictures | 10 | | Fri 4 Dec | School day | Paper bag winter puppets | 20 | | Sat 5 Dec | Weekend or holiday | Pine cone bird feeders | 45 | | Sun 6 Dec | Weekend or holiday | Giant paper chain race | 45 | | Mon 7 Dec | School day | Story bag of 5 objects | 20 | | Tue 8 Dec | School day | Doorstep surprise | 20 | | Wed 9 Dec | Busy evening | Snow sensory tray | 20 | | Thu 10 Dec | School day | Tale of a single snowflake | 10 | | Fri 11 Dec | School day | Post the cards together | 20 | | Sat 12 Dec | Weekend or holiday | Twig star decorations | 45 | | Sun 13 Dec | Weekend or holiday | Toy sort for giving | 45 | | Mon 14 Dec | Travelling day | I spy winter colours | 10 | | Tue 15 Dec | Travelling day | Count the Christmas trees | 20 | | Wed 16 Dec | Travelling day | Mirror faces | 10 | | Thu 17 Dec | Travelling day | Winter story chain | 20 | | Fri 18 Dec | Travelling day | Christmas alphabet | 10 | | Sat 19 Dec | Weekend or holiday | Decorate the tree together | 90 | | Sun 20 Dec | Weekend or holiday | Winter nature tray | 45 | | Mon 21 Dec | Weekend or holiday | Feed the ducks | 45 | | Tue 22 Dec | Weekend or holiday | Living room sleepover | 90 | | Wed 23 Dec | Weekend or holiday | Blanket den evening | 45 | | Thu 24 Dec | Weekend or holiday | Biggest den of the year (the finale) | 90 | Every school day and the busy evening has a 10 or 20 minute activity (rule 2), and every weekend and holiday day a 45 or 90 minute one (rule 3). The 5 travelling days each have an activity with no supplies (rule 4): I spy winter colours, Count the Christmas trees, Mirror faces, Winter story chain, Christmas alphabet. Every activity suits both a 5 year old and a 9 year old (rule 5), and the 24th is a finale (rule 11). Each card also carries a shelf visitor idea, and no two are the same. ### What it is not - Not a shop. No products are sold, and no activity needs a particular brand, shop or character. - No accounts. Nothing is uploaded; the plan is made and saved in your browser. - Not advice about your children. The ages, lengths and costs are a guide, and a grown-up stays in charge. - Not random each time you look: the same plan code gives the same plan. Rules version 1. Traditions and customs are named descriptively. Adventfold is not affiliated with any toy company, retailer, church or calendar publisher. --- # Free Advent and December printables, Adventfold URL: https://adventfold.com/printables/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-21 > Three free December printables made as PDFs in your browser: a blank 24 door Advent calendar, a kindness chart and a planning sheet, for A4 or US Letter. ## Printables for December Three one page sheets to print at home: a blank Advent calendar, a kindness chart and a planning sheet for the month. Each is made as a PDF in your browser for A4 or US Letter, with nothing to type first. Last updated 21 October 2026 - Blank Advent calendar to fill in24 numbered doors to fill in.[Open the blank advent calendar to fill in](https://adventfold.com/printables/blank-advent-calendar/) - December kindness chartA kind act for each day, 1 to 24 December.[Open the december kindness chart](https://adventfold.com/printables/december-kindness-chart/) - Our December planning sheetDates, a month grid, plans and supplies.[Open the our december planning sheet](https://adventfold.com/printables/our-december-planning-sheet/) ### A plan made for your December The printables are blank on purpose. To have the activities chosen for you around school days, travel and your children's ages, with dated cards and a fridge calendar, use [the Advent planner](https://adventfold.com/). The rules it follows are set out on [how the planner works](https://adventfold.com/how-it-works/). Free downloads carry a small credit line in the footer of the page, below everything else. Adventfold is not affiliated with any toy company, retailer, church or calendar publisher. --- # Blank Advent calendar printable with 24 doors, Adventfold URL: https://adventfold.com/printables/blank-advent-calendar/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-21 > A free blank Advent calendar to print: 24 numbered doors with lines to write or draw one December activity in each. A4 or US Letter PDF. ## Blank Advent calendar to fill in A one page Advent calendar with 24 numbered doors and writing lines in each, ready for your own December ideas. It is for families and classes who want to choose their own activities and fill the doors in by hand. Last updated 21 October 2026 A preview. The PDF is one page, black and grey on white with a little plum. ### Download and print Choose your paper. The PDF is made in your browser in a moment; nothing is uploaded and there is nothing to type. ### What is on the page - A heading, Our Advent calendar, with a line for whose calendar it is - 24 arched doors in 4 columns and 6 rows, numbered 1 to 24 - 3 writing lines inside every door for an activity, a treat or a drawing - Free downloads carry a small credit line in the footer, below the doors Print at 100 percent (actual size) for the margins to come out right. Free downloads carry a small credit line, "Made with Adventfold, adventfold.com", in the footer below everything else on the page. ### Want the activities chosen for you? [The Advent planner](https://adventfold.com/) fits a different activity to every day around school days, travel, busy evenings and your children's ages, then prints dated cards and a fridge calendar. See [how the planner works](https://adventfold.com/how-it-works/), or go back to [all printables](https://adventfold.com/printables/). Adventfold is not affiliated with any toy company, retailer, church or calendar publisher. --- # December kindness chart printable for families, Adventfold URL: https://adventfold.com/printables/december-kindness-chart/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-21 > A free December kindness chart to print: one row for each day from 1 to 24 December, with space for the kind thing, who it was for and a tick box. ## December kindness chart A one page chart with a row for each day from 1 to 24 December, a line for the kind thing you did, who it was for and a box to tick. It is for families and classes who want a small kind act in each day of Advent. Last updated 21 October 2026 A preview. The PDF is one page, black and grey on white with a little plum. ### Download and print Choose your paper. The PDF is made in your browser in a moment; nothing is uploaded and there is nothing to type. ### What is on the page - A heading, Our December kindness chart, with a line for names - 24 rows, one for each day from 1 to 24 December - Columns for the kind thing, who it was for, and a box to tick when it is done - Free downloads carry a small credit line in the footer, below the chart Print at 100 percent (actual size) for the margins to come out right. Free downloads carry a small credit line, "Made with Adventfold, adventfold.com", in the footer below everything else on the page. ### Want the activities chosen for you? [The Advent planner](https://adventfold.com/) fits a different activity to every day around school days, travel, busy evenings and your children's ages, then prints dated cards and a fridge calendar. See [how the planner works](https://adventfold.com/how-it-works/), or go back to [all printables](https://adventfold.com/printables/). Adventfold is not affiliated with any toy company, retailer, church or calendar publisher. --- # Our December planning sheet printable, Adventfold URL: https://adventfold.com/printables/our-december-planning-sheet/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-21 > A free one page December planning sheet: dates to remember, a blank month grid to mark school days and busy evenings, plans, supplies and a budget. ## Our December planning sheet A one page sheet for getting December down on paper before you plan any activities: the dates that matter, a blank month grid and space for plans and supplies. It is for parents and carers who like to see the whole month at once. Last updated 21 October 2026 A preview. The PDF is one page, black and grey on white with a little plum. ### Download and print Choose your paper. The PDF is made in your browser in a moment; nothing is uploaded and there is nothing to type. ### What is on the page - Dates to remember: the last school day, travel, visitors, shows and parties, days off - A blank 5 week grid, Monday to Sunday, to write the dates in and mark each day - A key for the grid: S school day, B busy evening, T travelling, O day off - Things we want to do, things to buy or make, and a budget box - Free downloads carry a small credit line in the footer, below the sheet Print at 100 percent (actual size) for the margins to come out right. Free downloads carry a small credit line, "Made with Adventfold, adventfold.com", in the footer below everything else on the page. ### Want the activities chosen for you? [The Advent planner](https://adventfold.com/) fits a different activity to every day around school days, travel, busy evenings and your children's ages, then prints dated cards and a fridge calendar. See [how the planner works](https://adventfold.com/how-it-works/), or go back to [all printables](https://adventfold.com/printables/). Adventfold is not affiliated with any toy company, retailer, church or calendar publisher. --- # Advent activity planner questions answered, Adventfold URL: https://adventfold.com/faq/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > Answers about Adventfold: the dates, the Advent Sunday rule, time zones, printing, paper sizes, editing cards, privacy, faith settings and ages. ## Questions about the Advent planner Dates, printing, editing and privacy, answered plainly. The fitting rules themselves are on [how the planner works](https://adventfold.com/how-it-works/), and the [planner](https://adventfold.com/) is where you try it. ### Frequently asked questions **Which dates does a plan cover?** From 1 December or from the first Sunday of Advent, whichever you choose, to 24 or 25 December. That is 22 to 29 days, depending on the year and your choice. Every day gets a card unless you mark it as a day to skip. The planner covers 2026 to 2030. **How is the first Sunday of Advent worked out?** It is the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day, which is always the Sunday from 27 November to 3 December. The planner works it out for the year you choose rather than reading it from a list: 29 November 2026, 28 November 2027, 3 December 2028, 2 December 2029, 1 December 2030. In 2028 it falls on 3 December, after 1 December, so starting on Advent Sunday gives a shorter count that year; the planner shows both dates so you can choose. **Do time zones change my dates?** No. Every date is handled as a plain calendar date (a year, a month and a day), never as a moment in time, so no time zone, clock change or midnight can move a card to another day. The planner reads today's date in your browser's own time zone only to know when a December is over. **How do I print the cards?** Download the cards PDF and print it at actual size (100 percent, not fit to page) on A4 or US Letter, whichever you chose. There are 6 cards to a page, 2 across and 3 down, with small crop marks at each corner; cut from mark to mark. Every mark sits at least a quarter of an inch inside the edge, so a home printer prints them. Thicker paper or card stock holds up best on a fridge or a string. **Which paper sizes are there?** A4 and US Letter, both portrait, for the cards, the fridge calendar and the supplies list. The calendar picture is 1200 by 1600 pixels, for sending to someone or keeping on a phone. The PDFs print in black and grey on white, whatever your screen's theme. **Can I change a day's activity?** Yes. Swap shows every activity that fits that day without changing any other day, and the new card is locked in place. Edit lets you rewrite a card's title and text in your own words; an edited card is locked too. Locked days stay put when you reshuffle, and the lock can be taken off any day. **What does the plan code do?** Each shuffle has a 6 character code. Typing the same code back, with the same dates, children and choices, gives the same plan, on any device. Your swaps and edits are saved in this browser, not in the code, and the code holds no names or dates. **What happens when not enough activities fit?** The planner never repeats an activity and never quietly drops one of your choices. If your choices leave too few activities for the days, it says which days cannot all be filled and which single change would give a full plan, such as allowing outdoor activities, raising the budget or skipping a day. **Is anything uploaded?** No. The plan is worked out in your browser and saved in your browser's own storage, and the PDFs and the picture are made in your browser too. Nothing you type is sent anywhere and there is no account. Save a backup file to move a plan to another browser. **Can I share a plan with someone else?** Yes. Share this plan, beside the downloads, makes a link that carries the plan itself after the # sign, so nothing is uploaded and no server ever sees it. Untick Include names and the link carries the plan, days and choices only: Child 1, Child 2 in place of first names, and no diet note, card text or plan name. The person who opens it sees the plan as Shared with you, and nothing is saved in their browser until they keep a copy. The link never holds your other saved plans or your files. **Can I put the planner on my home screen and use it offline?** Yes. On an iPhone or iPad, open the site in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. In Chrome or Edge, choose Install from the menu. After one visit the planner works without a connection, and the PDFs do too once you have made one while online. **What is shelf visitor mode?** It adds a line to each card with a place to find a small visitor who moves each night, such as sitting in the fruit bowl wearing a paper hat. There are 32 ideas and no two cards in a plan get the same one. The visitor is whatever toy you already have; the planner names no product. **What do the faith settings mean?** Christmas, no faith content uses winter activities and Christmas customs such as Santa, the tree, stockings and cards, and leaves out the Christian story. Christian adds activities about the Christian story of Advent and Christmas, such as an Advent wreath or a crib scene. General winter uses only winter, light and kindness activities, with no Christmas customs and no faith content, for families who mark December without Christmas. **What if it never snows where we live?** Step 3 asks what December is like where you live. Where snow is likely, snow and frost activities can be used. Where snow is unlikely, no card needs snow or a frost, so nothing is planned for weather you will not get. For a southern hemisphere summer, cold-weather activities are left out and summer ones, such as a sprinkler dash or a beach paddle, are added. Weather still changes, so swap any card on the day if it does not suit. **Which ages does it suit?** Children from 0 to 17, up to 5 in one plan, each with a first name of up to 20 characters in any script. Every activity has an age range and has to suit every child in the plan at once. A child under 3 gets only activities that a grown-up does alongside them the whole time. A grown-up stays in charge of every activity whatever the card says. **Why does a name print as a different spelling?** The PDFs embed a font that covers Latin letters with their accents, Greek and Cyrillic. For a name in another script, such as Arabic, the planner asks for a spelling to use on the printouts instead, and if there is none the cards say Child 1, Child 2 and so on. A missing letter is never printed as an empty box. The screen and the calendar picture show the name as you typed it. **Where do the activities come from?** There are 264 of them, written for this site, each with its length, setting, cost, ages, content and supplies. They are all listed, with filters, on the activities page. None needs a particular product, shop or character. **Who is behind it?** Adventfold is an independent planner. Adventfold is not affiliated with any toy company, retailer, church or calendar publisher. --- # About the Advent activity planner, Adventfold URL: https://adventfold.com/about/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > What Adventfold is: a free browser planner that fits December activities to a family's real calendar and prints the cards, and what it is not. ## About Adventfold A free planner for parents who want a December of small shared activities that fits the month they actually have: school runs, a week away, late evenings, a budget and children of different ages. ### Why it exists Printable activity cards are a lovely idea that meets a real calendar badly. A set of 24 cards does not know that the 9th is a late night, that the family drives to relatives on the 20th, or that one child is 2 and the other is 11. So the cards get filled in by hand, or a 90 minute bake lands on a school night and is quietly dropped. Adventfold starts from the calendar instead and fits the activities to it. ### What it does You give it the dates, the children's first names and ages, the kind of day each date is and a few choices: indoors or out, a budget, faith content and screen-free. It chooses one activity per day from 264 written for this site, by fixed rules that are set out in full on [how the planner works](https://adventfold.com/how-it-works/). Short activities go on school days and busy evenings, longer ones on weekends and holidays, and travelling days get something that needs no supplies. Nothing repeats, baking and crafts never fall on 2 days in a row, and the last day is a together finale. From one plan it makes dated cards with the children's names, a fridge calendar and a supplies list with the night-before jobs on their dates, as PDFs for A4 or US Letter, plus a calendar picture for sharing. Any day can be swapped, locked or rewritten, and a short code brings the same shuffle back. ### What it is not - Not a shop. No products are sold or recommended, and no activity needs a particular brand. - Not an account. There is no sign up, and everything you type stays in your browser. - Not a judge of your family. The ages, lengths and costs on each card are a guide; a grown-up decides. - Not tied to one tradition. A plan can be fully Christian, Christmas without faith content, or winter only. ### Who it is for Families with 1 to 5 children from babies to 17, grandparents planning a visit, and anyone who runs a December countdown for a small group. Every page works on a phone, and the printouts are plain black and grey on white. ### On a phone, and offline On an iPhone or iPad, open this site in Safari, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. It then opens like an app, and after one visit it works without a connection. ### Contact Questions, ideas for activities and reports of a plan that breaks one of the stated rules go to socialreminderinfo@gmail.com. Include the plan code from your calendar so the plan can be reproduced. Adventfold is not affiliated with any toy company, retailer, church or calendar publisher. --- # Premium for the Advent activity planner, Adventfold URL: https://adventfold.com/premium/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > Premium adds the full set of cards, the supplies list, more saved plans and next year's carry over. The plan, the calendar and 6 sample cards stay free. ## Adventfold Premium The planner is the free product: the whole plan on screen with swaps, edits and reshuffles, the fridge calendar and the first 6 cards. Premium prints every card, adds the supplies list, keeps more plans and carries a plan over to next year. ### What Premium adds - The full set of dated cards, one for every day of your plan - The supplies and night-before prep list, week by week - Up to 5 saved plans in this browser (1 without) - Next year's plan from this one: ages a year on, locked days kept Weekly, yearly and lifetime plans are available. #### Free forever - The whole plan on screen, with swaps, edits, locks, reshuffles and plan codes - The fridge calendar as a PDF and as a picture - A sample of the cards: the first 6 days - 1 saved plan, printing from the page, and backup export and import ### Choose a plan Loading plans. Subscriptions renew automatically and can be cancelled anytime from the link in your receipt email. Access is tied to this browser; keep your receipt email for account recovery. Already subscribed elsewhere? [Restore access](https://adventfold.com/restore/). ### Frequently asked questions **What stays free?** The whole plan on screen, with swaps, edits, locks, reshuffles and plan codes, the fridge calendar as a PDF and a picture, the first 6 cards as a sample PDF, printing the plan from the page, 1 saved plan and backup export and import. No account is needed and nothing you type leaves your browser. **What does Premium add?** The full set of dated cards, the supplies and night-before prep list, up to 5 saved plans in one browser, and carrying a plan over to next year with every age a year on and your locked days kept. It does not change how activities are chosen: the rules are the same for everyone. **What happens to a backup with more plans than this browser keeps?** Everything in the file is kept. The first plans up to the limit stay editable, and the others open read only: you can see them and print them from the page. --- # Privacy: your plan stays in your browser, Adventfold URL: https://adventfold.com/privacy/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > How Adventfold handles your children's names, ages and dates: they are planned, saved and printed in your browser, and nothing you type is ever sent anywhere. ## Privacy: your plan stays in your browser How Adventfold handles your children's names, ages and dates: they are planned, saved and printed in your browser, and nothing you type is ever sent anywhere. Last updated 19 October 2026 ### What you type A family calendar is personal. Adventfold asks only for what a plan needs: each child's first name and age, the dates and the kind of day each one is, your choices, and an optional diet note. A first name can be a nickname or an initial. It never asks who you are, and it has no field for a surname, an address, an email or a photo. ### What stays on your device Every plan is worked out in your browser, and the cards, the fridge calendar, the supplies list and the picture are made in your browser too. There is no server side to this site: it is a set of static files. Nothing you type, save, download or print is transmitted anywhere, and a plan code holds no names or dates. Your saved plans are written to your browser's own local storage, under keys beginning with `decemberplan` and nowhere else (one of them is a short test that storage works, removed straight away). They belong to one browser on one device: they do not follow you to another computer, they are not backed up by us, and nobody else can read them. Clearing site data for this site removes them permanently. Use Save a backup file to keep a copy; that file is saved wherever you choose and is yours to keep or delete. ### No accounts There is no sign up, no sign in, no email capture and no password. Every page, including the planner and the downloads, works without identifying yourself in any way. ### What is collected No account, no advertising identifiers, and nothing you enter. Standard web server logs kept by the static host may record the request for a page, its time and a network address, in the ordinary way any web server records a request. ### Page counts If page visit counting is switched on for this site, visits are counted through Cloudflare. The count sets no cookie, cannot follow you to another site, and records that a page was opened, never what you typed. ### Purchases If paid plans are offered, a purchase is handled by RevenueCat and Stripe, who receive what a payment needs, such as your email address and card, and never your plan or your children's names. An anonymous purchase id is stored in this browser so your access is recognised here. ### Typeface Headings are set in Young Serif by Bryan Kirschen, under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. The font file is served from this site, so no font service sees your visit. The licence sits beside it at [/fonts/OFL.txt](https://adventfold.com/fonts/OFL.txt). The PDFs embed a cut of Noto Sans, also under the SIL Open Font License 1.1, which is part of the page's own files and is loaded only when you make a PDF. ### Cookies Adventfold sets no cookies of its own and carries no advertising or cross site tracking scripts. ### Changes If this policy changes in a way that affects what is collected, the change will appear on this page. ### Contact Questions about privacy go to socialreminderinfo@gmail.com. Since nothing is stored on a server, most requests are answered by telling you which local storage keys to clear. --- # Terms of use for the Advent planner, Adventfold URL: https://adventfold.com/terms/ Last reviewed: 2026-10-19 > The terms that apply when you use Adventfold: what a fitted activity plan can be relied on for, your data, refunds and what stays free for everyone. ## Terms of use The terms that apply when you use Adventfold: what a fitted activity plan can be relied on for, your data, refunds and what stays free for everyone. Last updated 19 October 2026 ### What this is Adventfold is a planning aid. It fits activities from its own list to the dates, the kinds of day, the ages and the choices you give it, by fixed rules, and makes printouts of the result. It does not know your children, your home or your weather, so read the cards before each day and change anything that does not suit your family. A grown-up stays in charge of every activity. Cards that use an oven, a hob, scissors, small pieces or the outdoors need a grown-up close by, whatever age range the cards give. Check food against every allergy in your family: the diet note you type is printed on food cards as a reminder, and it does not check anything for you. ### Names used Customs, seasons and faith traditions are named descriptively. Adventfold is not affiliated with any toy company, retailer, church or calendar publisher. ### What is free The planner is free to use with no account and stays that way: the whole plan on screen with swaps, edits, locks and reshuffles, the fridge calendar as a PDF and a picture, a sample of the first 6 cards, printing from the page, 1 saved plan, and backup export and import. When billing is enabled, a paid tier adds the full set of cards, the supplies list, more saved plans and next year's carry over. Nothing free is moved behind a gate to make room for it. ### Your data Anything the site remembers is stored by your own browser on your own device. You can clear it at any time, we cannot recover it, and it does not follow you to another device. Save a backup file if your plan matters to you. ### Refunds Not happy with a purchase? Email [socialreminderinfo@gmail.com](mailto:socialreminderinfo@gmail.com) within 14 days of a first purchase, or within 7 days of a renewal, and we will refund it. Send the message from the email address you used at checkout, and include: - the email address used at checkout (if you are writing from a different address) - your access code, shown on the [Premium](https://adventfold.com/premium/) page while you have Premium on the browser you purchased from - roughly when you purchased, and which plan (weekly, yearly or lifetime) - the last 4 digits of the card, if you have the receipt handy That is everything needed to find the purchase and process the refund. This policy does not limit any statutory rights you may have. ### Acceptable use Use the site to plan for your own family, or a class or group you look after. You may print the cards and the calendar for that use. Do not resell the activity list or scrape it at a rate that degrades the site for other people. ### Warranty and liability The site is provided as it is, without warranty of any kind. To the extent the law allows, Adventfold is not liable for any loss arising from its use or from reliance on a plan it makes, including the cost of supplies. Read the cards before each day. ### Contact Questions, and reports of a plan that breaks one of the stated rules, go to socialreminderinfo@gmail.com. Send the plan code printed on the calendar. A plan that breaks a stated rule is a defect and gets fixed.