The advent period is the four-week period before Christmas day. Traditionally, it’s marked and celebrated by Christians, but is now celebrated by almost everyone! In school, it’s a super exciting time and it’s fun to make it special for the kids in your class by planning fun activities. We have plenty of ideas for you to try out so, read on to discover more!
1. Learn About Advent
Learn about advent in the Christian religion as churches celebrate the period of advent in the run-up to Christmas Day. Douglas explains what happens in Christian churches during advent and how and why this period is celebrated.
Learn More: Douglas Talks
2. Plan an Advent Scavenger Hunt
Your students can follow the star with this fun scavenger hunt to search for a special gift like a toy or treat. This pack includes printable star clues and instructions on where to hide them for your kids to find!
Learn More: Kids Sunday School
Nativity Activities
3. Let Students Explore a Nativity Discovery Box
To create the discovery box, use a shoe box and fill it with some shredded yellow paper. Then, add some items like small presents, stars, and other items from nativity sets. Let students explore and discuss items that they find in the box.
Learn More: Flame Creative Kids
4. Make a Wise Men Paper Craft
This easy craft is quick to make and looks fantastic. Cut out the free printable templates and then stick them together following the steps in the tutorial video. Add some aluminum stars and a gold star cutout to finish everything off!
Learn More: Danielle’s Place
5. Build LEGO Nativity Puzzles
These LEGO nativity puzzles are easy to create and are the perfect activity for little learners. Print pictures of nativity characters and measure them against LEGO blocks. Cut each section to size before sticking them onto the blocks.
Learn More: I Can Teach My Child
6. Craft a Crown Fit For a Wise Man
Give each student a paper plate. They can cut out from the middle to create the points of the crown and then decorate it with glitter, gems, pens, and paint!
Learn More: Meaningful Mama
7. Create a Nativity Story Cube
This activity is an amazing way to change up how you teach the nativity story. There’s the option of a pre-colored version or the blank version that kids can color themselves. Once they’ve made their cubes, students can roll them and see what they can recall from the story.
Learn More: Flame Creative Kids
8. Make a Nativity Scene Stained Glass Window
These stunning stained glass window hangings are a super advent activity. Use the template provided to create the black silhouette and then stick it onto contact paper. Add small squares of colored tissue paper to create a colorful stained glass effect!
Learn More: Housing a Forest
9. Create a DIY Craft Stick Nativity Stable
Students can create this cute nativity stable for a nativity scene. They’ll need different-sized craft sticks and a glue gun to stick them together. Once the stable is built, students can paint it and add a star to tie in with the nativity story.
Learn More: Rhythms of Play
10. Paint Nativity Story Stones
Story stones are a brilliant way to explore the nativity story with your students. They can order the stones before discussing each element of the story one by one. Have your students paint their own set of story stones.
Learn More: Out Upon the Waters
11. Build a LEGO Nativity Scene
Students love getting a chance to play with LEGO. Set up a LEGO station with pictures of a nativity scene and challenge your students to recreate it with the materials they have.
Learn More: Frugal Fun 4 Boys
12. Make a Cute Nativity Ornament
To make this nativity ornament, students will paint glue onto the inside of a clear plastic cup and then stick colored tissue paper inside. Stick an LED tealight to the bottom of the cup using a glue gun and then challenge students to draw the nativity scene on the outside using paint or a marker.
Learn More: I Can Teach My Child
Christmas Crafting
13. Recycle Toilet Rolls Into Cute Ornaments
This craft is a super way to recycle cardboard tubes. Students can use paint, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, buttons, and different colored felt to create a wide range of character tubes ranging from Santa to Rudolph!
Learn More: Non Toy Gifts
14. Make Wooden Spoon Puppets
These wooden spoon puppets are perfect for students to use to put on Christmas-themed plays! All they’ll need are wooden spoons, googly eyes, pom poms, colored felt, and pipe cleaners.
Learn More: Messy Little Monster
15. Craft a Santa Handprint
These cute Christmas keepsakes are simple to make and parents will love them! Draw around your students’ hands and cut out the shapes. Then, add cotton wool, red felt, googly eyes, and a pom pom for a nose.
Learn More: The Best Ideas for Kids
16. Craft a Paper Advent Wreath
This step-by-step video is a great tutorial for your kids to make this super cool paper advent wreath! All you need for the wreath is green paper, a ruler to mark your cuts, scissors, and glue. Then, use different colored paper to create the candles before joining them to the wreath.
Learn More: Craft Clubs for Kids
17. Create Christmas Snacks
Decorate some tasty Christmas cookies with your students. Bake a batch of simple sugar cookies. Then, give your students plenty of toppings to create their festive-looking snacks!
Learn More: Design Eat Repeat
Seasonal Science
18. Make Erupting Ornaments
This fun baking soda and vinegar experiment is perfect for a festive science lesson. Fill the ornament with baking soda, food dye, glitter, sequins, and other sparkly, eye-catching materials. Use a dropper or turkey baster to add the vinegar to the ornament and watch the chemical reaction unfold!
Learn More: Little Bins for Little Hands
19. Learn What Makes Pinecones Open
Pinecones are all around during the festive season. Students will investigate if pinecones open better in cold water, air, or warm water. From this discovery, you can then discuss why pinecones open in certain conditions.
Learn More: Lemon Lime Adventures
20. Engineer a Spinning Christmas Tree
Create a tree ornament by creating an outline from copper wire and then covering it with crepe paper and other decorations like pom poms. Then, learners can attach small magnets to the bottom of the battery and balance the copper wire tree on the other end.
Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me
21. Experiment with Dissolving Candy Canes
Students can set up four different jars with different liquids in each to investigate which will dissolve a candy cane the fastest. This activity comes with free printable worksheets which will help keep your lesson on track!
Learn More: Nurture Store
22. Make Magic Milk For Santa
Discover the magic of the milk that we leave out for Santa with this colorful experiment. Students will use milk, food dye, and dish soap to explore how dish soap works to break down the fats in the milk.
Learn More: Little Bins for Little Hands
Advent Calendar Ideas
23. Make a Punch-out Advent Calendar
Students will love the fun of a punch-out advent calendar. Create this by arranging plastic cups on a sheet of cardboard. Place a treat inside each cup and then cover them with tissue paper before securing them with elastic bands.
Learn More: It’s Always Autumn
24. Explore 3D Shapes With a Cube Puzzle Calendar
Students can explore 3-D shapes whilst creating their own advent calendar puzzle! Each day, students can color and build a cube before adding it to a puzzle.
Learn More: Teach Beside Me
25. Set Up a Happiness Wreath Calendar
This sweet daily activity is simple to set up and will spread kindness in the class. Use cardboard to create the wreath and then add pegs with numbered love hearts on them. Each day a student can take a turn writing a kind message to add to the outside of the wreath.
Learn More: Activity Village
26. Make an Advent Candle
These super simple advent candles are a fantastic advent activity. All you need are long candles and some paint markers. Students can write the dates on their candles and then draw on some festive designs. Each day, learners can light their candles and watch them burn the date away.
Learn More: Kids Craft Room
27. DIY Advent Activity Jar
This low-cost advent calendar is a fantastic option for your class! Write different activities on craft sticks. Each day, learners can draw one out that can then be completed in class.
Learn More: Mess For Less
28. Create Your Own Advent Calendar
This printable resource is perfect if you’d like to create your own advent calendar! One template is for what students will see when they have opened the window on the calendar and the other is for the decorative front.
Learn More: Play Inspired Mum
29. Have Your Students Take Part in a Reverse Advent Calendar
This charitable food bank idea is perfect for encouraging a spirit of giving. A reverse advent calendar works by students bringing an item to class on their designated day. Once the list is completed, you can donate the basket to a food bank or homeless shelter.
Learn More: Food Bank
30. Set Up This Creativity-Inspiring Advent Calendar
This fun advent calendar activity gives each student a fun gift bag filled with craft supplies and an activity card to inspire creativity. Students can bring in their artwork once they’ve completed it to show the class!
Learn More: Playful Notes
25 Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Activities To Raise Emotionally Intelligent Kids