There are a million and one ways to do an Advent calendar, but what our family has landed on is an Advent Activity Calendar with three goals in mind: Acts that help us love God, love others, and love one another. Each day, there is either an act of service (love others), a family tradition (love one another), or a spiritual practice (love God).

How It Works

Here’s how it works: Before Advent begins, I take out sheet of paper and write down each day of Advent on a separate line. Then, I pull out family calendar and the liturgical calendar and begin to fill in dates. For example, I know we go to church every Sunday, and that the City’s Christmas Parade is on Dec 7, so I put those dates on our Advent calendar. I also know that St. Nicholas Day is on Dec 6, St. Lucy Day is on Dec 13 and Las Posadas is on Dec 16—all days we like to celebrate in Advent, so I fill those in.

After that, I make a list of all the activities that are important Advent family traditions for us—making a birthday card for Jesus, driving around to look at Christmas lights in our pajamas, etc—and I slot those in on our Advent Calendar.

Last, I fill in the acts of service (many of which are also a family tradition at this point) that I would like our family to do together as we prepare the way for Christ in Advent—making blessing bags for the homeless, donating toys we no longer play with, baking treats for neighbors, etc…

Then, I take the sheet of paper, cut it into strips, and stick those strips in the corresponding day of the Advent calendar. Be sure to keep a master copy for yourself so YOU know your own schedule - ha! Every morning when the kids wake up, they are so excited to see what the Advent activity for the day is. Reflecting on that activity at the end of the day also often provides a great dinner conversation topic.

The key to putting together an Advent Activity Calendar is to make it easy on yourself! Most things need to be free and require no preparation. Many of the activities are things we would be doing already, but putting them on the calendar is great because now they are scheduled! Leave Sundays as a day of rest, with nothing to do other than going to church and lighting the Advent wreath. I don’t know about you, but getting three kids to church on time is work enough for one day, especially the Sabbath.

Why We Do It

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that this calendar does take considerable effort, and it’s certainly not the only meaningful way to do it. This isn’t for everyone—especially if you are already committed to other types of Advent practices. But we’ve chosen this way for three reasons:

We believe that traditions are important to instilling a child’s sense of identity in their faith and family.
We take a more minimalist approach to Christmas gifts, so Brendan and I see this calendar as a way of giving the gift of time to our children.
Practically, it helps us redirect focus and excitement from “getting” to “doing.” And the whole thing about liturgy and worship is that we become what we do habitually.

This is absolutely not the only way to form traditions and spend time with your children, but it’s the way that works for us right now!

I hope this blesses you and your family this Advent season!

A few practical notes:

We typically get our tree the day before Advent begins so that we can use the tree trimmings to make our Advent wreath. We wait to decorate it until the first day of Advent.
Some of the activities are specific to our family, but you can just insert your own family tradition there.
Most of the activities can be moved around—I’ve bolded the activities that are tied to that particular date due to the liturgical calendar.
That said, we are not Catholic! There are many more feast days Catholics celebrate during Advent, but our family celebrates only a handful.
I’ve put asterisks next to activities that I will give further explain during Advent—stay tuned!

Advent Activity Calendar

Nov 30: Get Christmas Tree + Ask for tree trimmings for your Advent Wreath

Dec 1: Make Advent Wreath, Light First Advent Candle at Dinner + Discuss “New Church Year’s Resolutions”

Dec 2: Decorate Christmas Tree, Set up nativity with animals*

Dec 3: Make “Stained Glass” ornaments out of dried oranges or grapefruits*

Dec 4: Assemble “Blessing Bags” for the homeless to keep in car and give away during Advent (suggestions: water, granola bars, band aids, chapstick, gloves, socks, toothbrush + paste, baby wipes)

Dec 5: Go through toys or purchase one from store to donate in the spirit of St. Nicholas

Dec 6: St Nicholas Day - Stockings + Read The Legend of St. Nicholas by Anselm Grün*

Dec 7: City Christmas Parade

Dec 8: Church + Light Second Advent Candle at Dinner

Dec 9: Add manger to nativity

Dec 10: Make Christmas gifts for family + friends (suggestion: peppermint or gingerbread play dough)*

Dec 11: Candy Cane Hunt + Blessing of Candy Canes to give to friends and hang on tree*

Dec 12: Bake sweet bread for neighbors to deliver on St. Lucy Day*

Dec 13: St. Lucy Day - Make cinnamon crown bread for breakfast + tell the story of St. Lucy, Deliver sweet bread to neighbors*

Dec 14: Read a Christmas story by fire or tree light

Dec 15: Church & Light Third Advent Candle at Dinner

Dec 16: Las Posadas Begins - Read The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie DePaola + Drink Mexican Hot Chocolate*

Dec 17: Do a secret act of kindness for someone today

Dec 18: Write Christmas cards for teachers

Dec 19: Attend a Live Nativity

Dec 20: Make birthday card for Jesus

Dec 21: Drive around to look at Christmas lights in pajamas

Dec 22: Church + Light Four Advent Candles at Dinner

Dec 23: Add Mary and Joseph to Nativity

Dec 24: Bake Birthday Pie or Cake for Jesus, Attend Christmas Eve Service, Move Jesus into manger before bed

Dec 25 Christmas Day! Add Shepherds and Angels to nativity, Sing “Joy to the World” or “Happy Birthday” before eating birthday pie, Read aloud Jesus’ Birthday cards