One of my favorite things about the holidays is the traditions. My most favorite is our Christmas Chain Garland (loaded with fun Christmas-y activities!) with my kids. And of course, they get excited about it each and every year too!! Here is how we create one of our most favorite Christmas traditions, and how you can get your own Printable Christmas Advent Calendar Countdown Garland!

 Okay, so this Christmas tradition has some planning that goes into it- but it can be as simple or "EXTRA" as you want it to be! Our activities are all about spending time together as a family and connecting throughout the season, even when it’s super busy.

But you can choose to use your Printable Christmas Advent Calendar Countdown Garland as an acts of Kindness chain, a gift to your loved one for each day leading up to Christmas, or anything else you can think of! 

Also, you totally DO NOT have to do every single day leading up to Christmas! You could choose to do a 12 Days of Christmas Printable Christmas Advent Calendar Countdown Garland, 10 days, or even just the last week! Again, whatever suits you, your family, and your schedule or budget!

Here are a few quick steps to start your own new fun family Christmas Advent tradition!

1) List out 25 (or whatever number of) activities that you’ll write out on the back of your Printable Christmas Advent Calendar Countdown Garland.

This is honestly the hardest/most time consuming part of the whole thing...depending on how involved you get. 

Here’s the thing though, Pinterest is a lifesaver for helping you come up with Christmas activities to do with your kids! You can go check out my Christmas Advent Activities board to see what I’ve been finding🙌🏻!

25 Christmas Advent Activities for kids

If you’d just like it listed out for you, here’s what’s on our Printable Advent Calendar Countdown Chain this year!:

 1. Make Printable Advent Calendar Countdown Chain/ Go get Christmas Tree & Decorate (Grab your Printable Advent Calendar Countdown HERE)

2. Christmas Mad Libs (these create some major belly laughs in our house!)

3. Kid's Gift Exchange (we have 5 kids and let them each have $5 to spend at the Dollar Tree on whoever they've drawn)

4. If I were an Elf Printable (this is so cute!!)

5. Roll a Christmas Tree Game (new to our  Printable Advent Calendar Countdown Chain)

6. Make a Christmas Card and mail to someone

7. Hot Cocoa and The Santa Clause

8. Christmas Bingo (I printed and laminated this so we could use it year after year! Also, we use Green & Red M&M's as our markers and yes, eat a few during the game - this is one of our favs!!)

9. Christmas Coloring Pages (grab an inexpensive coloring book from the Dollar tree or print free Christmas coloring pages online)

10. Salt dough ornaments (Haven't done this since I was a kid! This will be a new one for my kids this year!)

11. Christmas Charades! (This will also be new this year and I'm soooo excited to see what the kids come up with!)

12. Christmas Word Scramble - Teams (I didn't fin a great printable online for this....so I'll probably just create one + We have a couple that aren't quite reading, so we'll team up with them for this!)

13. Egg Nog Milshakes and a Christmas Movie!

14. I spy Christmas Printable with Candy Canes

15. Christmas Party!!! (I like to throw in Christmas events we already have going, because trying to do an additional activity would be cra cra!)

16. Coffee Filter Snowflakes (We love to hang these up after we make bunches!)

17. Read the Christmas Story (Jesus is the reason for the Season!)

18. Bake Christmas Cookies (we'll usually make 3-5 different kinds)

19. Shopping for Kid's Gift Exchange (Going to the Dollar Tree in groups to keep presents a secret!)

20. "Gingerbread" House Decorating (we've bought the kits in the past, but this year I am going to just get Graham Crackers, frosting, and some fun decoration items. 

21. Home Alone + Popcorn + Cider (sounds about perfect!)

22. Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt - probably with Hot Chocolate!

23. Deliver cookie plates to a friend (each kid gets to pick a friend to deliver Christmas Cookies too!)

24. Christmas Eve with Family <3

25. Celebrate Jesus' Birthday!!!

2) Cut out your Garland links - easy peasy!! 

 Get your copy of the Printable Christmas Garland Advent Activity right now -(<---Click this link!) for freeeeee!!! 

3) Write out all your Christmas Advent Activities on the back of your Garland Links

You can see on the pic above that I wrote in what day each activity would fall on. If you grab the free printable, you can print and write in like I did, or if you have a PDF reader (it's free from Adobe!) You can type in your activities, then print!

I also wrote the corresponding date/number on the back of the garland links so I would know what Advent Activity we would be doing on each day. 

You totally don't have to do that if you have enough flexibility in your schedule to just do whatever activity you get.

I "might" be a little bit of a over-planner and like to know what we are doing on what day - especially since we have kids that are playing sports through the month;).

4) Put your Printable Christmas Advent Calendar Countdown garland together!

You can use tape, gluestick, or even staple your Christmas Garland links together. Just make sure you have it in the order you want it!!

 This is when is starts to get fun!! I don't let my kids help with any of these steps because it's like a Christmas Activity surprise for them each and every day! 

Now the fun part!! Enjoy doing all those awesome Christmas Activities with your kids! Each day, for however many you chose to do, pull a link off of your garland and do the activity! I am so sure you'll love this new Christmas Tradition with your kids you'll want to do it year after year!  

Didn't get your printables yet??? No worries!! Click the image below to get yours!!