A few years ago, I posted a list of advent ideas to provide inspiration for daily fun activities with the kids.
I’m not organized enough this year to have something planned for every day, but I do hope to do many fun and meaningful activities with the kids. Some things are just fun to do, other things I want to do to focus our attention on the needs of others and ways we can help.
So, I am re-posting, with a few updates, my list of fun and meaningful advent season activities:
Advent Season Ideas:
- Send a letter to our Compassion Child – if you don’t have one, consider sponsoring one today!
- Decorate the Christmas Tree
- Visit Santa – the Santa at Merrifield Garden Center is our favorite
- Have dinner by candlelight
- Make a fort and read Christmas stories in it
- Go ice skating.
- Make paper snowflakes — lots of templates on the web (High Hopes, Martha Stewart, Enchanted Learning)
- Light a fire and have a family game night
- Spend time praying for poor people
- Work on teacher’s gifts
- Think of ways we can show kindness to someone who needs it
- Leave little notes of encouragement all over (mailbox, grocery store, park, etc.)
- Make hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows!
- Watch a Christmas movie – what are your favorites?
- Give someone needy $5
- Put some money in the Salvation Army Bucket (encourage kids to give from their “Give” bank)
- Buy a gift for someone less fortunaate (Angel Tree, Toys 4 Tots, etc.)
- Make cookies
- Decorate cookies!
- Host a Gingerbread Decorating Party
- Deliver Christmas cookies to neighbors
- Get dressed in jammies and drive around looking for Christmas lights
- Sing Christmas carols together
- Go caroling
- Make something fun – neat printables at www.thetoymaker.com
- Act out the nativity
- Visit a live nativity
- Work on memorizing Luke 2:1-20
- Decorate Gingerbread houses
- Visit waterskiing Santa (Dec 24th)
- Attend a Christmas pageant — our church does a great one
- Go see a Holiday Light Display (i.e Festival of Lights at Bull Run, Zoo Lights, etc)
- Visit the National Christmas Tree and “Pageant of Peace”
- Visit the Holiday Exhibit at the US Botanic Gardens (tip – go on a weeknight!)
- Visit the Holiday Model Train Display at Union Station
- Go see a Nutcracker performance or other seasonal show
- See the ICE exhibit at the Gaylord in the National Harbor
- Go shopping for Christmas gifts for siblings — we give each kid $5 to shop for each other at the dollar store
- Make a Christmas card for someone special
- Call a grandparent (or other relative) and tell them you love them
- Make ornaments
- Give candy canes to someone and share the legend behind it.
- Pick up trash – or put an elderly persons trash can away for them
- Bring your neighbors newspaper to the front door for them
- Attend a Christmas party (or host one!)
- Check out Christmas at Mount Vernon by day, or attend a special Christmas by Candlelight Tour
What would you add to the list?
This post is linked up to Works For Me Wednesday at We Are That Family.
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Great list! We do a lot of the things you have here, but you’ve got some good ideas that I’d love to do this year. Thanks for the inspiration!
Love your ideas! Thanks!
One of the best ways to get the most out of your Christmas gifts is to use them to help you live a better life.
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