Advent Ideas for Children This Christmas

What is Advent?

Traditionally, Advent marks the beginning of the Christian Year and takes place the four weeks before Christmas. Beginning on November 29 or the nearest Sunday. The word Advent comes from the Latin ‘Adventus’ and means the arrival or coming to signify the birth of Jesus. It is a time for celebration and preparation until Christmas Day.

This festive period is typically a time heavily anticipated by children as they start to get excited for the big day. In this blog, we share a few advent art activities for you to try with your little ones to mark the festive season.

DIY Christmas Tree Advent Calendar

Having an advent calendar is something many people have adopted and learnt to expect in the run-up to Christmas. Modern-day calendars can contain a whole array of different gifts from chocolate and sweets to even cheese and tea!

This year why not have a go at creating your own advent calendar and filling it yourself for a more personal touch for your class or home!

To make our DIY advent calendar you will need:

• A large piece of cardboard (we used an old box)
• 24 paper cups
• Glue
• Squares of tissue paper
• Elastic bands
• A selection of small gifts

1. Start by placing all of your cups on a piece of cardboard – we did ours in a Christmas tree formation. Once all the cups are on the cardboard you will have a better understanding of the size you will need to cut out from the cardboard.
2. Once the card is cut out you can add your gifts into the cups and add a square of tissue paper on top. Make sure you have numbered your tissue paper for all the days leading up to Christmas first then secure them in place with an elastic band.
3. Add a dot of glue to the bottom of your cups and add it to your cardboard piece in the same formation.
4. Now that your advent calendar is complete you can start the fun! For each day your little one(s) will have to pierce a hole in the tissue paper to retrieve their gift for the day!

Personalised Pocket Advent Calendar

If you'd like to have a more sustainable festive season with less waste, try making a one-of-a-kind fabric Christmas advent calendar that can be treasured for years to come! Our plain hanging pocket organiser can be personalised to hang up in the classroom or at home. Simply, decorate each of the 24 pockets using felt, textile markers or stickers for a personalised calendar.

For this craft you will need:

• A Hanging Pocket Organiser
• Textile Markers
• Paint
• Brushes

1. Start by creating a rough plan of the different designs you would like to include. If this is a group activity, why not assign each person a different section of the calendar to complete?
2. Use a pencil to outline the patterns, feel free to get creative! We gave each pocket a number and a letter and drew something that began with that letter. For example, 'M for Mittens' or 'N for Nutcracker'
3. Fill in larger background areas using paint to add a splash of colour.

4. When adding the finer details and patterns, use the different ends of the textile markers depending on if you need a tip that is thick (3.6mm) or one that is thin (2.3mm).
5. Add your gifts to each pocket and hang it up at the start of the advent season in preparation for the countdown to Christmas! If you're planning on gifting this calendar, write out a special message or a name at the top.

DIY Advent Candle Wreath

An advent wreath or an advent crown can be used to celebrate Advent and typically consists of a ring of evergreen plants like holly and ivy. Typically, an advent wreath includes 4 candles – one for each Sunday leading up to Christmas.

Many variations of this type of wreath exist and it can be a fun and simple craft for your little ones that will be admired for the 25 days until Christmas!

For this craft you will need:

• Cardboard (we used an old cereal box)
• Clay or playdough
• A selection of greenery
• Candles

1. Start by drawing a circle on your cardboard. This forms the base of your wreath so you can make it as large or as small as you like. Then cut it out!
2. Next, add your clay/dough to your cardboard base until you have a substantial layer. This is what you will stick your greenery in to.
3. Now you will want to add your candle(s). We used one advent candle here but you could use the traditional four – and press them firmly into the clay
4. Head outside and collect your greenery to add to the wreath. (You could also use artificial leaves or even green tissue paper)
5. Finally, you just need to add your greenery around the candle(s) by pushing them at angles into the doughy base and voila!

Cardboard Roll Advent Calendar

Cardboard rolls are easy to come by and are perfect for recycling into a wreath-shaped calendar. And you don't have to stop there! Arrange the cardboard rolls in any shape you'd like from candy canes to Christmas trees for an eco-friendly advent calendar.

To make a wreath cardboard calendar you will need:

• 12 cardboard rolls
• A large piece of cardboard
• Glue
• Tissue paper
• Elastic bands
• A marker pen

1. Start by using the large piece of cardboard to cut out a circle, this will be the base of the calendar and the shape of the wreath.
2. Cut out the centre of the wreath and paint it green. Set this aside to dry.
3. Cut each of the 12 cardboard rolls in half so you have 24 in total (one for each day of advent).
4. Glue the base of the tube onto the cardboard wreath base, making sure that they are secure.
5. Add a treat inside each roll!
6. Cut the tissue paper into squares and number them from 1-24. Cover the top of the roll with the tissue paper squares and an elastic band to hold them in place.
7. Add a ribbon to decorate and hang the wreath on a door for everyone to enjoy!

Alternative Advent Gift Ideas:

Why not fill your advent calendar with something different and personal such as “tokens” for days out or activity ideas to participate in as well as your traditional chocolate or sweet treat?

You can also include notes to create a goodwill calendar that will help children build thoughtful habits. To do this, ask children to write out simple acts of kindness that can be helpful to others. Mix up these notes at random and add them behind each door of Advent. Small gestures can include writing a thank you note or donating to charity.

Gifts like The Jolly Christmas Postman Story Set are great fun for young readers and come with five fairy-tale characters to bring the story to life. Add a different finger puppet character to each advent door, from Humpty Dumpty to the Gingerbread Man! Combine story sets to fill all 24 days along with the Tiger Who Came To Tea Story Set, Dear Zoo Story Set and more!

We would love to hear which of these Christmas advent ideas you have made, share your activities and creations with us on social media by tagging us or using the hashtag #ExploreWithEYR.

For more advent crafts, take a look at our blogs below for more inspiration this festive period.