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Activity advent calendar printable

Put a small activity in each December pocket, envelope, or jar. This free activity advent calendar gives you 24 cut-apart slips: 16 quick choices for ordinary evenings and eight to prepare ahead. None has a fixed date. If Tuesday fills up, move its slip to another night and use a quick one instead.

The five-page PDF also has eight blank slips cut to the same size and a one-page chooser that shows which ideas need something ready. Download it directly in US Letter or A4; no account or email is required.

Download US Letter setDownload A4 set

Both versions contain three pages of activities, one page of blanks, and the chooser. Print only the slip pages you want; each page has eight slips.

Three actual pages from the download: quick activity slips, planned activity slips, and the one-page chooser.
These are the real slip and chooser pages from the download.

See the slips before you print

Each slip names one activity and gives the entire action, from “Invent a five-word headline for today” to “Bring three questions about shared memories.” The quick set uses familiar things at home. The planned set asks you to have items such as paper, books, or household objects ready; the chooser lists them together.

Eight dotted cut-apart slips headed Quick nights, including December headline, One-song dance, and Silent clue.
Quick activities · pages 1 and 2 use this cut size
Eight dotted cut-apart slips headed Nights to plan, including Word banner, Sound quiz, and Maze exchange.
Ideas to prepare · page 3
Eight blank activity slips with two writing lines each and the same cut size as the filled slips.
Write your own · page 4
One-page chooser separating 16 quick activities from eight planned activities, with preparation notes and a seven-night swap example.
Choose and swap · page 5

A December plan that can move

First, choose the activities your family actually wants. Put the planned slips on evenings when you can have their few materials ready. Fill the other pockets with quick slips; you can use fewer than 24 if that suits your December. Keep unused slips together instead of attaching dates to them.

For example, a seven-night row might use December headline on Monday, Word banner on Tuesday, One-song dance on Wednesday, Card-making table on Thursday, Tiny paper chain on Friday, Sound quiz on Saturday, and Sound hunt on Sunday. If Tuesday and Thursday become busy, replace their planned slips with Mystery drawing and Silent clue. Move Word banner and Card-making table to another open night. No activity needs rewriting.

The cards do not supply envelopes or pockets and do not promise a timed 24-day schedule. The slip numbers help you match the chooser; they are not December dates. Your family decides which activities fit and whether to repeat, skip, or add its own.

Print at Actual size or 100% on US Letter or A4 paper. Cut on the dotted lines. Each slip is about 3½ by 2 inches on Letter paper, so check the opening of any pockets you plan to use; a slip can be folded once with its words on the inside. The blank slips on page 4 have two writing lines at exactly the same cut size.

The working pages are low ink, and their labels remain clear in grayscale. Print pages 1–3 for all 24 filled slips, page 4 if you want custom activities, and page 5 if you want the preparation list beside you while choosing. The PDFs are fixed, so write on the blanks after printing.

Save the printable for later

An enlarged planned Word banner slip is exchanged for a quick Tiny paper chain slip. The image reads Swap the night, keep the fun.
The image shows how to exchange slips; you may share it. Please link back to this page so others can get the matching chooser and blanks.
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For activities a family may repeat across years, see holiday traditions for families. Browse the free printable library for other direct downloads.