There is something so exciting about counting down to Christmas, especially when you have little ones at home. Opening a little surprise each day in December is a lovely way to build anticipation for the big day, but buying a ready-made advent calendar every year can quickly become an expensive habit.
The good news is that making your own DIY advent calendar for kids can be just as exciting, and it gives you the freedom to create something that suits your family, your budget and your child’s interests.
Whether you fancy getting crafty with the children, putting together a reusable calendar that you can bring out year after year, or filling little pockets with festive activities rather than sweets, there are so many ways to make your own Christmas countdown.
Here are some DIY advent calendar ideas for kids to inspire you this Christmas.
1. The Classic Hanging Pocket Advent Calendar
A fabric pocket advent calendar is a lovely option if you want something you can reuse every December. You can buy a plain one to decorate yourself or make one using felt, fabric scraps or even an old Christmas-themed tea towel.
Create 24 numbered pockets and decorate them with buttons, ribbons, felt shapes or fabric paint. You could make each pocket a different colour or stick to a traditional red, green and white Christmas theme.
Fill the pockets with little treats, stickers, Christmas jokes or activity cards. Once Christmas is over, simply empty it, fold it away and save it for next year.
If sewing isn’t your thing, don’t worry. You can make a similar version by gluing felt pockets onto a piece of sturdy fabric or hanging small numbered fabric bags from a wooden dowel.
2. A Mini Gift Bag Advent Calendar
For a really simple DIY advent calendar, use 24 small paper gift bags. Number each one from 1 to 24, decorate them with festive stickers or stamps, and fill them with a little surprise.
You can arrange the bags in a basket, hang them from string with mini pegs or display them along a shelf, somewhere safely out of reach if your little one is still prone to exploring.
The best thing about this idea is how easy it is to personalise. Choose brown kraft paper bags for a rustic look, colourful bags for something bright and playful, or white bags decorated with your child’s own Christmas drawings.
It is also a brilliant option if you want to involve older children in the decorating without having to spend hours making the calendar itself.
3. Toilet Roll Tube Advent Calendar
If you enjoy a bit of upcycling, save your empty toilet roll tubes and turn them into a festive advent calendar.
Arrange 24 tubes in the shape of a Christmas tree, glue them securely onto a piece of cardboard, and cover the openings with tissue paper or paper circles numbered from 1 to 24. Each tube becomes a little compartment for a surprise.
You could paint the tubes green to create a Christmas tree, decorate them in different colours or wrap them in leftover Christmas paper.
Small treats, folded activity cards and stickers work particularly well for this design. Once the compartments are filled, children can gently break through the paper covering each day to discover what’s inside.
This is an inexpensive craft that makes use of things you might otherwise throw away, although it does take a little time to assemble.
4. A Christmas Book Advent Calendar
If your family enjoys reading together, a book advent calendar is a lovely way to make reading part of your Christmas countdown.
Wrap 24 Christmas books or favourite stories in festive paper and number each parcel. Your child can unwrap one book each evening, giving you a new story to enjoy together before bedtime.
Buying 24 new books can be expensive, so there are plenty of ways to make this more affordable. Use books you already own, borrow Christmas stories from your local library where possible, or mix a few familiar favourites with second-hand finds.
You could also include ordinary picture books your child loves, rather than buying a whole collection of Christmas stories.
For younger children, you don’t necessarily need 24 different books. Re-reading favourite stories is part of the fun, and the special tradition of choosing a wrapped book can be just as exciting as the story itself.
5. A Christmas Activity Advent Calendar
Instead of filling your advent calendar with sweets or toys, why not fill it with things to do together?
Write 24 simple Christmas activities on small cards and pop one into each numbered envelope, pocket or gift bag. Each day, your child can open their card to discover that day’s festive activity.
Ideas include reading a Christmas story together, making paper snowflakes, decorating the Christmas tree, baking Christmas biscuits, having a Christmas film afternoon, making a card for someone special or going for a walk to look at Christmas lights.
You can make the activities as simple or elaborate as you like. For busy weekdays, choose something that takes five or ten minutes, and save bigger activities for weekends.
Mixing free activities with a few special outings means you can enjoy the excitement of the countdown without feeling that you need to spend money every day.
6. A Toddler-Friendly Advent Calendar
If you have a toddler at home, you can still enjoy the excitement of an advent calendar without filling it with tiny toys, sweets or complicated activities. The key is to keep things simple, fun and suitable for little hands.
One idea is to create a Christmas picture advent calendar using 24 numbered cards. Each day, your toddler can reveal a picture of something festive, such as a Christmas tree, reindeer, snowman, present or star. You can then spend a few minutes talking about the picture, finding something similar around the house or singing a related Christmas song.
Alternatively, you could make an activity advent calendar with toddler-friendly ideas such as dancing to Christmas music, reading a festive story, decorating a paper Christmas tree with large stickers, looking at the Christmas lights or going for a walk to spot decorations in your local area.
You could also include a few little surprises, such as a new Christmas board book, festive socks or a chunky Christmas decoration that your toddler can help hang somewhere safe.
There is no need to prepare 24 elaborate activities or buy lots of presents. Repeating favourite activities is absolutely fine, especially at this age, and some days can simply involve a Christmas cuddle and a story together.
24 Simple Advent Calendar Activities for Toddlers
If you’re making a DIY advent calendar for your toddler, here are 24 simple activities to pop into numbered envelopes or little bags. Most are free or use things you probably already have at home, so you don’t need to spend a fortune making the countdown special.
- Read a Christmas story – Snuggle up together with a favourite festive book.
- Have a Christmas dance party – Put on some Christmas songs and have a little dance around the living room.
- Go and see the Christmas lights – Take a walk around your local area to spot houses decorated for Christmas.
- Decorate a paper Christmas tree – Draw a tree and let your toddler decorate it with chunky crayons or large stickers.
- Make a Christmas card – Create a simple card for a grandparent or another family member.
- Have a teddy bears’ tea party – Invite your toddler’s favourite teddies to join you for an imaginary festive tea party.
- Go on a Christmas colour hunt – Look around the house for red, green, gold and silver things.
- Do some Christmas baking – Make simple biscuits together, with an adult handling the oven and hot trays.
- Sing Christmas songs – Sing favourites such as Jingle Bells or We Wish You a Merry Christmas.
- Make a paper-chain decoration – Let your toddler choose the colours while an adult puts the paper chains together.
- Explore some Christmas sensory play – Use safe, age-appropriate materials and let your toddler explore different textures under close supervision.
- Draw a picture for Father Christmas – Get the crayons out and let your toddler create their own festive picture.
- Have a Christmas treasure hunt – Hide a few large, safe Christmas objects around the room for your toddler to find.
- Make a paper plate snowman – Use a paper plate, crayons and large paper shapes to create a simple winter craft.
- Choose another favourite book – Let your toddler pick a story for you to read together.
- Have a cosy Christmas film afternoon – Get the blankets out and enjoy a festive film or a favourite Christmas programme.
- Help put up the decorations – Let your toddler help place safe decorations somewhere they can reach.
- Go on a winter walk – Look for fallen leaves, interesting trees and birds while enjoying some fresh air.
- Play a Christmas action game – Stomp like reindeer, waddle like penguins or tiptoe around the room like little elves.
- Make a Christmas collage – Use large pieces of paper and child-safe glue to create a festive picture together.
- Have some special playtime – Let your toddler choose a favourite toy and spend some time playing together.
- Wrap a pretend present – Use an empty box and leftover wrapping paper to make a pretend Christmas present, with adult help.
- Have a Christmas pyjama day – Put on your cosy pyjamas, read stories and enjoy a relaxed day at home.
- Read a special Christmas Eve story – Finish the countdown with a favourite festive book before the excitement of Christmas Day.
You don’t have to follow the list in order, and it’s absolutely fine to swap activities around to suit your plans, the weather or your toddler’s mood. Some activities might last ten minutes, while others could turn into a whole afternoon of fun.
Remember, the aim isn’t to create a picture-perfect Christmas activity every day. It’s simply to enjoy some little festive moments together.
If you’re making a physical advent calendar for a toddler, keep activities closely supervised and avoid small craft pieces, loose sensory materials and decorations that could pose a choking risk. Choose age-appropriate items and keep anything unsuitable safely out of reach.
7. A LEGO or Small Toy Advent Calendar
For children who love building, small toys or collectibles, you could create a DIY advent calendar around their favourite interests.
Divide a small LEGO set between 24 numbered bags, adding a few pieces each day until your child has everything they need to build the finished model. Just make sure the pieces are suitable for their age and that the instructions are easy to follow.
Alternatively, you could use small toy cars, animal figures, dolls’ accessories or craft supplies. You don’t have to buy 24 new items, either. A collection of existing toys can be divided up to create a countdown with a few new additions mixed in.
For toddlers, choose larger age-appropriate toys and avoid small pieces that could pose a choking risk.
8. A Christmas Craft Advent Calendar
If your child loves getting creative, make a calendar filled with little craft supplies and festive projects.
Each day could include a different item or part of a larger activity, such as coloured paper, stickers, pom-poms, child-safe stamps or materials for making Christmas decorations.
You could build towards a finished project throughout December. For example, one day might reveal the paper for a Christmas chain, another could provide stickers, and a later day could include the pieces needed to finish the decoration.
Alternatively, fill each pocket with a simple craft prompt, using supplies you already have at home.
This is a great way to encourage creativity without buying lots of individual presents. Just remember to choose age-appropriate materials and supervise younger children when crafting.
9. A Kindness Advent Calendar
Christmas is also a lovely opportunity to encourage little ones to think about other people.
Create a kindness advent calendar with one simple suggestion for each day. These could include giving someone a compliment, helping to tidy away toys, making a card for a relative, choosing a book to donate or helping to feed the family pet.
Keep the ideas suitable for your child’s age and make them fun rather than turning them into chores. Younger children might enjoy simple prompts such as giving someone a cuddle, helping to put decorations away or drawing a picture for somebody they love.
You can make this calendar entirely from paper and envelopes, meaning it costs very little to put together while creating opportunities to talk about kindness and thoughtfulness.
10. A Nature-Inspired Advent Calendar
For families who enjoy getting outdoors, create a Christmas countdown inspired by nature.
Use small paper bags or envelopes decorated with leaves, stars and winter illustrations. Inside each one, place a simple outdoor activity, such as looking for frosty leaves, spotting birds, collecting fallen twigs for a craft project or going on a winter colour hunt.
You could also include ideas for decorating pine cones, making a nature-inspired Christmas display or watching for signs of seasonal changes.
There is no need to buy anything special for this calendar. Many activities can be enjoyed on a walk around your local area or in your own garden.
Always supervise little ones outdoors and leave wildlife and natural habitats undisturbed.
11. A Simple Envelope Advent Calendar
If you want something quick, inexpensive and easy to store, an envelope advent calendar is a great choice.
Choose 24 envelopes, number them and hang them on a piece of ribbon or string using mini pegs. You could decorate each envelope with Christmas stickers, drawings or stamps, or let your child help with the designs.
Fill them with activity cards, jokes, Christmas facts, little notes or clues leading to a shared family surprise.
You could even create a treasure hunt on selected days, with each envelope giving your child a clue to find a small treat or Christmas decoration somewhere in the house.
When December is over, the string and pegs can be kept for next year.
Tips for Making Your Own Advent Calendar on a Budget
The lovely thing about a DIY advent calendar is that it doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate to be special.
Before buying anything, have a look around your home for supplies you could reuse. Empty boxes, leftover wrapping paper, ribbon, cardboard tubes and old craft materials can all be useful. Charity shops and second-hand shops may also be worth a look if you want small gifts or books to include.
Think about what your child actually enjoys, too. A calendar filled with stickers, stories and simple activities might be far more exciting for them than 24 little toys they quickly forget about.
It is also worth planning ahead. You don’t need to fill every day with a present, and you certainly don’t need to spend money on all 24 days. A mixture of activities, treats, handmade surprises and things you already own can make a wonderful countdown.
Finally, consider your child’s age when choosing the design and contents. Keep small items, batteries, sweets and craft materials safely stored and make sure everything is appropriate for your child.
Final Thoughts
Making your own DIY advent calendar for kids is a lovely way to add a personal touch to the Christmas countdown. Whether you choose a reusable fabric calendar, a collection of paper bags, a book advent calendar or a month of festive activities, there are so many ways to make it special without spending a fortune.
You can keep it simple, get creative with things you already have at home and adapt the idea as your children grow.
After all, the best part of an advent calendar isn’t necessarily what’s inside each pocket. It’s the excitement of counting down to Christmas and the little moments you share along the way.
