It’s the holiday season! Looking for a fun and festive way to countdown to Christmas? Make your own DIY scratch-off festive Advent calendar to count down to the big day! This is a great activity for families because everyone can get involved. Plus, it’s a fun way to make memories that will last a lifetime. Best of all, it’s really easy to do.

Christmas isn’t about giving the perfect gift and putting up the prettiest holiday decorations; it’s about sharing special moments with family and friends. This is one of the best advent calendars to make it happen!

advent calendar with scratch off circles
Download and print your Scratch off Advent Activity Challenge and start today!

Although many popular advent calendars include beauty products for beauty lovers like hand creams, body care products, and face masks, and others include mini bottles for a wine lover, tea bags for tea lovers, or even pieces of candy for people with a sweet tooth, you don’t need to add any of that to make a memorable, perfect advent calendar.

It’s all about beautiful moments with the whole family that will turn this Christmas countdown advent calendar into one of your favorite advent calendars. It’s original, handmade, and just a great gift idea that suits all ages.

Related: Share the spirit of Christmas by filling your neighborhood blessing box or food pantry. Download a Reverse Advent Calendar.

Christmas Countdown Calendar Supplies

Countdown calendars are a great way to get into the holiday spirit.

This article contains affiliate links.

This is what I use when making my calendars! Click the links to see my favorites! (Hint, hint, Santa, I’ve been really good this year!)

Free Printable Advent Calendar

How to Make

  1. Download the Christmas Tree Printable.
  2. Print in color on heavy-weight cardstock
  3. Place a scratch-off sticker to cover each activity.scratch off stickers placed on activity advent calendar
  4. Number the scratch-off stickers with a Sharpie marker to countdown to Christmas.number scratch off stickers for Christmas countdown

TIP: Before numbering the activities look at your calendar and decide what day you will have time to do the activity. You might even want to make a list and grab the items so you are prepared to make beautiful family memories.

Each day use a coin to scratch off a sticker to reveal a fun activity to celebrate the season.

scratched off sticker on advent calendar

Christmas Countdown Activities

These advent calendar activity ideas range from super easy crafts to random acts of kindness. And they will ensure a memorable and fun advent for family members. Here are the Christmas Day countdown activities you will find on the tree. I have added a few links to make each idea easy.

  • Write a letter to Santa with this free printable stationary.
  • Play a game Our family loves games and here are some of our favorites.
  • Decorate cookies with the BEST sugar cookie frosting!
  • Have a friend over for dinner
  • Make ornaments with pom poms or child’s artwork.
  • Make hot chocolate with darling snowman stirrers.
  • Read Christmas stories
  • Play cards. We love this fun card game.
  • Look at Christmas lights. Put on jammies and put hot chocolate in to-go cups and head out in the car for a tour of your town while listening to Christmas music.
  • Watch a Holiday of Christmas movie
  • Roast marshmallows
  • Do a craft
  • Make ice cream sundaes. Did you know you can make your own Magic Shell?
  • Have breakfast for dinner with smile pancakes.
  • Write a letter to a friend
  • Bake Christmas cookies (have a cookie exchange with said cookies)
  • Buy a gift for someone in need
  • Make a handmade gift. This a fun and EASY gift to make with supplies from the Dollar Store.
  • Cut snowflakes and hang them in your windows.
  • Color a Christmas Coloring Page
  • Make a family video
  • Do something nice for a neighbor
  • Do a puzzle 
  • Say something nice to a family member.

While we LOVE scratch offs you can also make a darling Advent calendar with printable advent calendar activities. This Nativity Advent Calendar only takes a few minutes to make but has all the fun activities.

Before You Go

Family traditions are so much fun and make the whole month of December a special, nostalgic time for those who honor those traditions. In the comments below, tell me some of your fun holiday traditions! What activities start your Christmas season and get you in the Christmas spirit? 

I would love to keep you fully stocked with creative ideas, yummy recipes, fun crafts, and loads of free printables. Subscribe to Skip to my Lou to get new ideas delivered to your inbox. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram for all my latest updates.


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