Kindness Advent Calendar Ideas for Kids: 48 Acts of Kindness for Christmas

Christmas is exciting, but the countdown to Christmas can sometimes become all about getting rather than giving.

A Kindness Advent calendar is a lovely way to add a little more thoughtfulness to December. Instead of opening a door to chocolate or a small gift every morning, children can discover a simple act of kindness to complete — from helping someone at home to doing something thoughtful for a friend, neighbour or their wider community.

And it doesn't have to be complicated.

We've put together some simple kindness Advent ideas for kids that are easy to fit into busy December days, along with a printable set of 48 kindness Advent cards if you'd rather have the ideas ready to go.

What is a Kindness Advent Calendar?

A kindness Advent calendar is a Christmas countdown built around acts of kindness, helping others and thoughtful activities.

Rather than receiving something each day, children get a small challenge or activity to complete. It could be something as simple as making someone a cup of tea, writing a thank-you note or helping with a job at home.

It's a lovely way to make Advent about more than counting down to Christmas — and because the activities can be adapted to suit different ages, it's something the whole family can get involved with.

You don't need a special Advent calendar either. You can:

• Add the activities to a traditional Advent calendar
• Fold them up and put them in a jar
• Hang them from a Christmas tree
• Put one in a child's lunchbox each day
• Leave them somewhere for children to discover each morning
• Let children choose a kindness activity at random

Get the printable Kindness Advent Calendar Cards here.

Kindness Advent ideas for Kids

Looking for inspiration? Here are some simple acts of kindness you could include in your Christmas countdown.

Kindness at home

Some of the best acts of kindness don't cost anything and don't require much preparation.

Try:

• Help with a household chore without being asked.
• Tidy away your clothes.
• Make someone in your family a drink.
• Let someone else choose the Christmas film.
• Give someone in your family a genuine compliment.
• Make a thank-you card for someone who helps you.
• Offer to help with dinner.
• Leave a kind note for someone to find.
  

Kindness towards friends and neighbours

Christmas is a great opportunity to encourage children to think beyond their immediate family.

They could:

• Send a Christmas card to someone who might be lonely.
• Thank a teacher for something they have done.
• Give a friend a compliment.
  
• Invite someone to join in with a game.
  
• Bake something and share it with a friend.
  

Kindness in your community

Acts of kindness can also help children notice the people and places around them.

For example:

• Pick up some litter in your local area.
• Donate something you no longer need.
• Put together a box for your local food bank.
• Donate pet supplies to an animal shelter.
• Thank someone who helps your community.
• Make a cheerful poster for your window.

Kindness and gratitude

Not every kindness activity has to involve doing something for someone else. Advent can also be a good time to notice the things we already have.

Try:

• Start a gratitude jar.
• Write down three things you're grateful for.
• Tell someone why you appreciate them.
• Write a list of your favourite family memories.
• Thank someone who has made a difference to you this year.
• Think of someone who has helped you and send them a message.

Little ways to spread Christmas cheer

And sometimes kindness is simply about making someone's day a little brighter.

• Smile and say hello to someone.
• Leave a kind note in someone's lunchbox.
• Do a secret good deed.
• Tell someone that you love them.
• Choose one person to make feel extra special today.

How to Make a Kindness Advent Calendar

You don't need to buy a special Advent calendar. Try one of these simple setups:

Use an existing Advent calendar
Add a kindness challenge behind each door alongside a small treat.

Make a kindness jar
Write or print each activity, fold the cards and place them in a decorated jar.

Hang kindness cards from a Christmas tree
Use ribbon or mini pegs to create a simple Christmas countdown.

Create a kindness chain
Write each activity on a strip of paper and link them together into a Christmas paper chain.

Make it easy with printable Kindness Advent Cards

Coming up with a new kindness activity every single day sounds lovely in November. By December 7th? Not always quite so lovely.

That's why we created our Kindness Advent Calendar Cards.

The printable set includes 48 different kindness activities, giving you plenty of ideas to choose from throughout December. Simply download, print and cut out the cards, then add them to your Advent calendar, a jar or another countdown system.

Because there are more than 24 cards, you can choose the activities that work best for your family — and skip anything that doesn't suit your children's ages, your schedule or your plans that day.

They're also an easy option if you're looking for a screen-free Advent activity for kids, an alternative to a chocolate Advent calendar, or a simple Christmas tradition you can bring back year after year.

Get the Kindness Advent Calendar Cards today!

How to use Kindness Advent cards

There are lots of ways to make the cards work for your family.

Add them to an existing Advent calendar

Already have an Advent calendar? You don't need to replace it.

Simply add a kindness card alongside the usual treat or activity. That way, children get the fun of opening their calendar while also having a little challenge to complete.

Make a kindness jar

Print and cut out the cards, fold them up and pop them into a jar. Each morning, choose one at random. It's simple, inexpensive and makes a lovely Christmas decoration too.

Let children choose

You don't necessarily need to complete the cards in order.

Put a handful of suitable activities out and let children choose which one they'd like to do. This can be particularly useful on busy December days when some activities simply aren't practical.

Make it a family activity

Kindness doesn't have to be something children do alone.

Choose an activity together and get everyone involved. Some challenges might take five minutes, while others could become a bigger family activity.

The aim isn't to tick every box perfectly. It's to create little moments of thoughtfulness throughout December.

Looking for more Advent activity ideas?

Kindness is only one way to make the Christmas countdown more fun.

If you're putting together a homemade Advent calendar, you can mix and match different types of activities depending on your family.

🎨 For creative kids

Our Creative Advent Cards are packed with daily prompts designed to get children making, drawing and creating throughout December.

🧩 For puzzle lovers

Try Puzzle Advent Cards for a daily challenge that gives children something to solve as they count down to Christmas.

😂 For a little Christmas silliness

Joke Advent Cards are an easy way to add a daily laugh to your Advent calendar.

🏃 For active families

Exercise Advent Cards turn the countdown into a reason to get moving, with simple activities to try throughout December.

🎄 For classic Christmas activities

Our Advent Activity Cards offer a mixture of festive ideas for families looking for a traditional activity-based countdown.

🧠 For trivia fans

Choose Advent Trivia Cards for a daily Christmas-themed question or challenge.

✨ For a faith-based Advent

Our Christian Advent Activity Cards offer a Christ-centred way to count down to Christmas with activities designed around the meaning of Advent.

A more thoughtful way to count down to Christmas

An Advent calendar doesn't have to be expensive or complicated to be memorable.

Sometimes the things children remember most are the little traditions you repeat every year: choosing an activity after breakfast, doing a secret good deed, baking something together or finding a note waiting for them in the morning.

A Kindness Advent Calendar is a simple way to build some of those moments into December — while encouraging children to think about kindness, gratitude, generosity and the people around them.

And that's a pretty lovely way to count down to Christmas.