10 Fun Ways to Celebrate Advent at Home This Christmas

Advent is the perfect excuse to slow down, make a few memories and add a little extra magic to the countdown to Christmas. And you don't need an elaborate Advent calendar, a house full of decorations or a cupboard overflowing with craft supplies to make it special. Sometimes the simplest traditions are the ones everyone remembers.

Whether you're looking for family Advent activities, screen-free things to do with the kids, meaningful Christmas traditions or fun Advent calendar fillers, here are 10 easy ideas to try at home this Christmas.

1. Make Your Own Advent Calendar

Chocolate Advent calendars are lovely, but making your own can turn the countdown into a family tradition.

You could make a simple paper Advent calendar, fill little envelopes with activities, use numbered bags or even create a reusable calendar that comes out every December. And you don't have to fill every day with sweets.

Try adding little surprises such as:

• A joke to tell at breakfast.
• A Christmas activity to do together.
• A hot chocolate night.
• A Christmas film choice.
• A kindness challenge.
• A handwritten note.
• A small treat.

The best bit? You can tailor the calendar to your family rather than buying one off the shelf.

2. Fill Your Advent Calendar With Activities

If you're making your own Advent calendar, activity cards are an easy way to take the pressure off coming up with a new idea every single day.

Write 24 or 25 simple activities on slips of paper and pop one into each day.

They could be as simple as bake Christmas cookies, go for a winter walk, make paper snowflakes, read a Christmas story, have a Christmas dance party or look at Christmas lights.

Want something even easier? Printable Advent activity cards mean the ideas are already done for you. Just print, cut and add them to your Advent calendar.

Our Print GoGo Activity Cards are an easy option for families who want plenty of ideas without having to plan 24 activities themselves.

3. Start a Family Christmas Bucket List

Grab a piece of paper and ask everyone in the family to suggest things they'd love to do before Christmas. It could include big outings, tiny traditions and everything in between.

• Make Christmas cookies.
• Wear Christmas pyjamas all day.
• Visit a Christmas market.
• Make paper snowflakes.
• Have a Christmas movie night.
• Go for a walk and look at Christmas lights.
• Make hot chocolate with all the toppings.
• Play a family game.

Then put the list somewhere everyone can see it and tick things off throughout December. It's a great way to make sure the Christmas countdown doesn't disappear in a blur of school runs, shopping and wrapping paper.

4. Create a Christmas Craft Countdown

Give everyone a box of paper, cardboard, colouring pens, glue and whatever craft supplies you already have and set yourselves a challenge.

Make one Christmas decoration every few days throughout Advent.

You could make paper stars, snowflakes, Christmas trees, garlands, hanging decorations or even personalised ornaments for the family. Don't worry about making them Pinterest-perfect. In fact, the wonkier the better.

Years from now, those slightly questionable cardboard angels may be the decorations everyone wants to put on the tree.

5. Try a Puzzle Advent Countdown

If you've got older children, teenagers or adults who aren't particularly interested in crafts, turn Advent into a daily puzzle challenge instead.

You could put a riddle, brain teaser, trivia question, emoji puzzle or word puzzle into each day's Advent calendar. It's a tiny bit of entertainment each day and gives everyone something to look forward to.

Our Puzzle Advent Cards are designed specifically for this. They include a collection of puzzles and challenges that can be added to your Advent calendar, making them an easy screen-free activity for older kids and adults.

6. Do 24 Acts of Kindness

Advent can be a lovely opportunity to focus on giving as well as receiving. Instead of counting down to Christmas with treats, create a family list of little acts of kindness to complete throughout December.

• Help someone with their shopping.
• Donate toys you've grown out of.
• Leave a nice note for someone.
• Make a card for a neighbour.
• Bake something for a friend.
• Put some food in a local food bank collection.
• Let someone go ahead of you in a queue.

Even the smallest gestures can make someone else's day. And you don't need to complete 24 enormous acts of kindness. In fact, keeping them small makes this much easier to manage during the busiest month of the year.

7. Try a Reverse Advent Calendar

A reverse Advent calendar flips the usual idea on its head. Instead of taking something out each day, you put something in.

Choose a box and, throughout Advent, add useful items such as tins of food, toiletries, warm socks or other essentials. At the end of Advent, donate the box to a local food bank, charity or organisation that supports people in your community.

It's a simple tradition that can help children understand that Christmas isn't just about what we receive.

8. Create a Family Christmas Playlist

Get everyone involved in creating the ultimate Christmas playlist. Each day, one person gets to choose a song.

It could be a classic Christmas favourite, a song that reminds someone of Christmas when they were younger or simply something that makes everyone want to dance around the kitchen.

Write down why each person chose their song and play the finished playlist while you're decorating the tree, cooking Christmas dinner or having a family game night. And yes, there may be some very questionable musical choices. That's part of the fun.

9. Have a Christmas Game Night

December is full of opportunities for games. Pick one evening during Advent, put away the phones, make some snacks and have a proper family game night.

You could play traditional board games, Christmas charades, trivia, bingo or a printable family game.

Printable games are particularly handy during Advent because there's no need to buy anything special or spend hours setting things up. Just print, grab a pen and play.

If you're looking for more ideas, take a look at our Christmas printable games for Christmas quizzes, family games, bingo and more.

10. Have a Christmas Movie Countdown

And finally, sometimes the best Advent activity is the one that involves getting cosy on the sofa. 

Choose a selection of favourite Christmas films and turn them into your own family movie countdown. Everyone gets a turn to choose a film, so there's no arguing over what to watch. Add blankets, popcorn, hot chocolate and Christmas pyjamas and you've got yourself a very respectable December evening.

You could even make movie tickets and let the children "check in" before the film starts.

Make Advent Your Own

The best thing about Advent traditions is that they don't have to be complicated.

You don't need to create a picture-perfect Christmas or organise a huge activity every day. A five-minute game at the kitchen table can become just as memorable as a big festive day out.

Choose a few ideas that work for your family, repeat the ones everyone loves and don't worry about the rest.

Whether your Advent countdown involves puzzles, kindness, crafts, Christmas films, family games or an impressive quantity of hot chocolate, the important thing is making time to enjoy the run-up to Christmas together.

And if you want a little help filling those Advent days, our Advent activities collection has plenty of printable ideas that are ready to download, print and enjoy.

Here's to a December full of little moments, lots of laughter and hopefully not too many arguments over who gets the last chocolate.