Christmas is a time for family, connection, and togetherness. It’s a season to slow down, share moments, and make memories that last long after the decorations are packed away. What better way to celebrate the magic of the season than by creating a countdown calendar full of fun, meaningful activities that bring the whole family together?
So, to kick off the festive season, we’ve created a chocolate-free advent calendar designed especially for our families. From sensory adventures to imaginative play and little acts of kindness, each activity is thoughtfully crafted to support early development while, more importantly, bringing families closer, one precious memory at a time.
So gather your art supplies, turn on the Christmas playlist, and get ready for 25 days of Christmas fun!
# 1 Make Salt-Dough Ornaments
Mix 1 cup of flour, ½ cup of salt, and ½ cup of warm water in a bowl to make your dough. Roll it out together, then use Christmas cookie cutters to create fun ornament shapes. Bake the ornaments at 150° for about 30 minutes, or until they’re firm, and let them cool completely.
Once they’re ready, enjoy the summer afternoon with your little ones decorating and painting your homemade ornaments before hanging them on the tree.
Day #2 – Handprint Christmas Tree Art
Gather some paper, coloured crayons, green paint, stickers, and a bit of string for a fun Christmas tree craft with your child. Paint your child’s hand with green paint and press it onto the paper to make a handprint tree. Add a trunk, a star, and any decorations they’d like. Once the artwork is dry, punch a hole at the top and thread the string through to create a simple, festive Christmas tree hanging your child will love.
Day #3 DIY Wrapping Paper
Create personalized wrapping paper that’s full of love and memories by using your child’s drawings and imaginations. Spread out some plain paper and let your little one create masterpieces with crayons, markers, or paint. Once finished, this DIY wrapping paper can be used to wrap gifts for all your family and friends, adding a special, personal touch to every present.
Day #4 Paper Plate Christmas Wreath
Create a festive Paper Plate Christmas Wreath with your little one! You’ll need a paper plate, scissors, glue, coloured paper, markers, stickers, and any other decorations you like, such as ribbon or glitter. Start by cutting out the centre of the paper plate to create the wreath base. Then, let your child decorate it. Once finished, add a ribbon loop to hang it on the door.
Day #5 Nature Walk Scavenger Hunt
Take your child on a nature walk and turn it into a fun scavenger hunt! Bring along a small bag or basket and encourage them to collect leaves, sticks, pinecones, stones and any other natural treasures they find along the way. As you explore, talk about the different textures, colors, and smells, supporting mindfulness and sensory exploration.
Day #6 Christmas Sensory Bin
It’s time to make a Christmas Sensory Bin! Begin by filling a tub or container with rice as the base, then mix in some of the treasures your little one discovered during their recent scavenger hunt, along with festive items like bells and ornaments. Add scoops, cups, and small containers so your child can pour, scoop, and sort the pieces, exploring freely while using their imagination to create stories and play scenes.
Day #7 Cubby House Movie Night
Gather blankets, cushions, and sheets to build an indoor cubby or fort with your little ones. Add a few soft toys to make it magical.. Once everyone is settled inside, snuggle up with snacks and enjoy a family-friendly Christmas movie together.
Day #8 Jingle Shakers
Create a festive Jingle Bell Shaker together! Start with a small, sealable container and fill it with bells, pasta, or other safe items that make noise. Let your child decorate the outside (or inside) however they like using glitter, stickers, paint, or markers to make it bright and personal. Keep them safe, you’ll need them for your dance party!
Day #9 Family Dance Party
Get the whole family moving with a festive dance party! Pop on Mariah Carey or the Wiggles and grab your jingle shakers and dance together around the lounge room. Enjoy the fun and laughter of the moments.
Day#10 Silly Family Photo Shoot
Have a silly, festive photo session with the whole family! Dress in your Christmas sweaters or any colorful attire, and add tinsel, hats, or other fun accessories. Encourage everyone to make goofy faces, pull silly smiles, or create group poses together. Let the kids lead the creativity whether it’s jumping, spinning, or pretending to be reindeer and capture the moments with photos.
Day #11 Build a Reindeer from Blocks
Gather all the blocks you have at home and join your little one in building a reindeer! Use age-appropriate blocks in different colors and sizes and encourage your little one to get creative with the design. Once the reindeer is built, make it extra magical by creating a story together. Ask fun questions like, “Where is your reindeer traveling tonight?”. When the story is complete, place the reindeer near the Elf on the Shelf for a festive display.
Day #12 Treats for Birds
Spend some quality time with your little one by making simple bird treats that help teach kindness toward nature. You’ll need oats, birdseed, and a little water or a binding ingredient like peanut butter or applesauce. Mix the ingredients together in a bowl until they stick, then shape them into small balls or press them into cookie cutters for fun shapes. Once shaped, take your child outside and sprinkle the treats in your garden, yard, or on a balcony, observing the birds that come to visit.
Day #13 Tie-Dye Christmas Shirts
Turn a regular day into a colourful, creative adventure by making festive tie-dye shirts with your little one! You’ll need plain white cotton shirts, fabric-safe dye in your favorite holiday colours, rubber bands, gloves, and a protective surface like newspaper or a plastic tablecloth. Start by twisting, folding, or crumpling the shirt and securing it with rubber bands to create fun patterns. Then, let your child apply the dye in different sections, encouraging them to experiment with colors and designs. Once the shirts are dyed, follow the dye instructions for setting the color and rinsing.
Day #14 Letter to Santa
Create a magical holiday evening by helping your little one write a letter to Santa. Gather paper, crayons, markers, or coloured pencils and encourage your child to draw pictures or write (or dictate) what they’d like for Christmas. Talk with them about kindness, gratitude, and the spirit of giving as you craft the letter together. Once the letter is finished, you can “mail” it in a special envelope or place it by the fireplace or mailbox for extra excitement.
Day #15 Festive Story Stones
Gather small, smooth stones and some acrylic paints or permanent markers. With your little ones, paint simple holiday symbols on each stone -like a Christmas tree, snowflake, present, candy cane, Santa, or star. Once the stones are dry, place them in a bag or basket and take turns drawing a stone to add to a group story.
Day #16 Family Gratitude Tree
You’ll need a small branch or a paper/ cardboard tree, paper leaves or tags, markers, and tape or string. Sit with your little ones and talk about happy memories or things they are thankful for like “that time Daddy pretended to be a dinosaur” or “when Mummy gives me cuddles.” Write or draw each memory on a leaf or tag, then help your children attach them to the tree.
Day #17 A Lights Walk
Bring a small flashlight or some glow sticks to add extra fun as you wander around your neighbourhood, exploring and discovering the magic of Christmas. Point out the twinkling lights, bright colours, and festive displays, and play a game of “I Spy” along the way to make the stroll even more playful while enjoying the decorations.
Day #18 Christmas Story Time with Warm Cocoa
Bring along a Christmas book and a cup of warm cocoa for you and your child to enjoy. Snuggle up inside the cubby and take turns reading, looking at the pictures, or simply enjoying the quiet, calm connection time together.
Day #19 Hand-made Christmas Cards
Gather blank cards or paper, markers, stickers, stamps, and a touch of glitter for some festive sparkle. Help your little ones fold the cards and decorate them with drawings or holiday designs. Make each card extra special by adding a silly Santa photo or a handprint Christmas tree—these personal touches turn every card into a unique keepsake that family and friends will treasure.
Day #20 Make a peppermint slime
You’ll need white school glue, baking soda, contact lens solution, a few drops of peppermint extract, and red and green glitter for a festive sparkle. In a bowl, combine the glue with the peppermint and glitter, then mix in a small amount of baking soda. Slowly add the contact lens solution while kneading until it transforms into a stretchy, gooey slime. Once ready, little ones can enjoy the sensory fun of squishing and stretching the glittery, peppermint-scented slime, adding a touch of magical Christmas playtime.
Day #21 Popsicle Stick Stars
Grab some craft sticks, glue, paint or texters, glitter and some ribbon for hanging. Help your little ones arrange the sticks into star shapes and glue them together, then decorate them with paint, stickers, or glitter for a festive touch. Once dry, tie a ribbon to each star and hang them on the Christmas tree or around the house as charming, homemade decorations.
Day #22 Play “Santa says” (like Simon Says)
You’ll need nothing more than some space to move and your imagination! This festive twist on Simon Says is perfect for little ones. Parents take the lead as “Santa” and give commands like “Santa says hop like a reindeer,” while kids follow along only when the command begins with “Santa says.” Encourage silly actions, funny voices, and lots of laughter as everyone joins in.
Day #23 Build A Cardboard Christmas House
Gather cardboard boxes, tape or glue, texters, stickers, and any decorative items like cotton balls or glitter. Help your little ones cut out windows and doors, then assemble the pieces into a small house. Encourage them to decorate with drawings, stickers, cotton wool or buttons to make it festive and colorful. Once finished, the cardboard house becomes a charming play space for small toys or figurines, creating a hands-on holiday activity full of creativity and fun.
Day #24 Reindeer Treats in the Kitchen
It time to make Reindeer treats. Gather your cooking ingredients like oats, honey, or banana slices, and enjoy mixing and shaping the treats with your littles ones into small biscuits or reindeer-friendly snacks. Once prepared, place the treats in a small dish for Santa’s reindeer to enjoy tonight.
These activities support key areas of development including:
Whether your family completes all 25 activities or chooses a handful of favourites, the goal remains the same – slow down and enjoy time together. The laughter, the glitter on the table, the stories, the dancing in the lounge room… that is the magic children will remember.
From all of us at Little Leo’s, we hope your December is full of joy, creativity and special memories.
Wishing you and your little ones a wonderful Christmas and holiday season 🎅✨
We nurture the full potential of tomorrow’s leaders through early education and purposeful play.
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