Poster · 1 page
Family activity calendar – poster
One page with 24 numbered doors and a short activity written in each. Pin it on the fridge and color in a door each day.
Free PDF · US Letter + A4
Printable advent calendar for families
Count down to Christmas with one small thing to do together each day. Choose the family activity calendar or the kindness calendar. Print it as a one-page poster or as 24 cut-out cards. No sign-up.
- 24 doors, December 1–24
- Activity or kindness version
- US Letter and A4
Pick a layout
Download the advent calendar
Every file comes in US Letter and A4. Use US Letter in the United States and Canada and A4 in most other countries. Print at 100% scale.
Cards · 3 pages
Family activity calendar – cards
24 cut-out cards with one activity each, plus 8 blank cards for your own ideas. Fold them into envelopes, small bags or a jar.
Poster · 1 page
Kindness calendar – poster
The same 24-door poster, with one kind act for each day.
Cards · 3 pages
Kindness calendar – cards
24 kindness cards plus 8 blank cards.
Family activity calendar: 24 doors
Most of these use things you already have at home. The longer ones fall on weekends. December 1, 2026 is a Tuesday, so the weekends are December 5–6, 12–13 and 19–20.
- Tue – Make a paper chain with one link for each day until Christmas
- Wed – Read a winter or Christmas story together by lamplight
- Thu – Write and decorate a wish list or a letter to Santa
- Fri – Movie night with homemade popcorn
- Sat – Bake and decorate simple cookies
- Sun – Winter walk with a scavenger hunt: a pinecone, something red, a star, a decorated window
- Mon – Cut paper snowflakes and hang them in the window
- Tue – Living-room dance party where everyone picks one song
- Wed – Make homemade Christmas cards for grandparents or relatives
- Thu – Hot cocoa and a board game
- Fri – Build a blanket fort and read in it with flashlights
- Sat – Walk or drive around to look at Christmas lights
- Sun – Make salt-dough ornaments (flour, salt and water) and paint them once they are dry
- Mon – Drawing contest where everyone draws the same Christmas thing
- Tue – Make a pinecone bird feeder and hang it outside
- Wed – Christmas charades or a "hum the carol" guessing game
- Thu – Print your own wrapping paper with potato stamps on brown paper
- Fri – Breakfast for dinner
- Sat – Visit the library for holiday books, or go to a free local Christmas event
- Sun – Build a gingerbread house from graham crackers and icing
- Mon – Shortest-day evening: lights off, candles or lanterns, and stories
- Tue – Wrap presents together
- Wed – Look through this year's family photos and pick a favorite memory each
- Thu – Christmas Eve: pajamas, one last story and cookies for Santa
Kindness calendar: 24 doors
This version is about small things children can do for other people. Many of them take five minutes. A few need an adult to come along.
- Make a list of people you want to thank this December
- Write a thank-you note to your teacher
- Leave a thank-you note for the mail carrier
- Give everyone at dinner a compliment
- Sort out toys in good condition to donate
- Bake or decorate cookies for a neighbor
- Call or video-chat a grandparent
- Do a chore for a brother, sister or parent without being asked
- Draw pictures for a care home (ask them first)
- Pick up litter on a walk, with gloves and an adult
- Make a bird feeder for winter birds
- Choose food for a food bank donation box
- Make a card for someone who lives alone
- Let someone else pick the movie or game tonight
- Leave a thank-you note for the trash collectors or the school custodian
- Tell each family member three things you like about them
- Make a small handmade gift for a friend
- Help cook dinner and set the table
- Help a neighbor rake leaves or clear snow, with an adult
- Donate warm clothes that no longer fit
- Hide kind sticky notes around the house
- Read a story to a younger child
- Make a thank-you card for a doctor, nurse or fire station
- Share your favorite memory of the year, with a hug
How to use it
- Pick a version. Use the activity calendar, the kindness calendar, or mix cards from both.
- Read the list before December starts. Swap any day that doesn't fit your week. Use the blank cards for your own traditions, a school concert or a visit to family.
- Choose a format. The poster is the quickest. Put it on the fridge and color in each door when it's done. The cards work best in numbered envelopes, small paper bags or a jar.
- Gather the few supplies early. Flour and salt, brown paper, pinecones and graham crackers are the main ones.
Quick tips for busy weeks
- Keep weekdays short. On a school night with work, dinner and homework, 10–15 minutes is realistic. Most weekday doors are planned to fit that.
- Save the big ones for the weekend. Baking, crafts and outings are on Saturdays and Sundays.
- Move a card instead of skipping it. If Wednesday falls apart, swap it with the next day. The point is time together, not keeping to a schedule.
- Let kids read the card. Children who can read like to be the one who opens it and announces the day's task.
Christmas countdown printable
Want something simpler than an advent calendar? Print a countdown instead.
- Countdown sheet. One page with the numbers 24 down to 1. Cross off a number each evening and the last box is Christmas Eve.
- Paper chain. Print the strip page, cut out the 24 numbered strips and loop them into a chain. Tear off one link each morning. It also makes a good first activity for December 1.
Both come in US Letter and A4 on the same download page.
Plan the rest of the season
Holiday weeks fill up fast. The December 2026 calendar has room for school concerts, travel and days off, and the free family calendar bundle has a weekly planner with a column for each person. Planning ahead? See the 2027 calendar and the 2027 family calendar.
Good to know
Before you print
When does Advent start in 2026?
The first Sunday of Advent is November 29, 2026. Most advent calendars, including this one, run from December 1 to December 24.
What day of the week is December 1, 2026?
A Tuesday. Christmas Eve, December 24, is a Thursday, and Christmas Day is a Friday.
Is the printable advent calendar free?
Yes. All versions are free to download and print for personal household use. There is no sign-up.
What if a day doesn't work for us?
Swap it. Use one of the 8 blank cards, or trade it with another day. Nothing on the list has to happen on a set date.
Which version is best for young children?
For ages 3–5, the activity calendar works well with an adult reading the cards. Older children often enjoy the kindness calendar because they can do many of the tasks themselves.
What paper should I use for the cards?
Plain printer paper works. Card stock makes the cards sturdier if you want to use them again next year.