24 Christmas 2026 Countdown Activities for Families

The run-up to Christmas can disappear into shopping lists and last-minute errands. A daily activity gives everyone one small thing to look forward to. It doesn't have to take an afternoon, cost money, or look good in a photo.

Here are 24 ideas for December 1 through Christmas Eve. Check the time left on our Christmas countdown, then pick today's activity. Times are estimates. If you start late, choose the ideas you like and leave the rest.

Your 24-day checklist

Print this Christmas activity planner. Tick one off when you finish an activity. Each number matches an idea below.

A printable version is available here

Don't forget to add this article to your favorites, so you can remember today's activity.

December 1 to 6: start small

1. Make a countdown chain (20 minutes; paper, scissors and glue or tape). Cut 24 strips of scrap paper and link them into a chain. Write a tiny plan inside a few strips: "call Grandma," "look at the lights," or "make hot chocolate." Take off one link each evening. If you miss a day, take off two tomorrow.
2. Choose this year's Christmas song (10 minutes; something to play music on). Let everyone nominate one, then play the choices while you make dinner or tidy up. The winner becomes your family's signal that Christmas preparations have begun. If votes are tied, keep both.
3. Put one decoration where you'll see it (5 minutes; something you already own). Hang a star in the window or set a favorite ornament on a shelf. Ask who remembers where it came from.
4. Send the first hello (5 minutes; phone or paper). Think of someone you won't see on Christmas Day. You might write, "We found the decoration you gave us and started talking about last Christmas. We miss you. Shall we catch up soon?" Change the detail to one you share.
5. Read a Christmas story aloud (15 minutes; a book or a memory). Choose a familiar story or ask someone to tell you about a Christmas they remember. Children can draw the scene they liked best while they listen.
6. Plan one kindness together (5 minutes; a calendar). Choose something you can do this week: call someone who lives alone, help a neighbor, or run an errand for a friend. Put it on the calendar so it happens.

December 7 to 12: make and play

7. Make paper snowflakes (15 minutes; paper and scissors). Fold a sheet, cut a few shapes and open it up to see what happened. Tape the results to a window. Lopsided ones deserve a place too. An adult can handle the cutting for younger children.
8. Make an ornament to keep (20 minutes; paper, pens and perhaps a printed photo). Draw or assemble something small and put the year on the back. If you don't put up a tree, hang it on a door or set it on a shelf.
9. Invent a family quiz (10 minutes; no materials). Let a child write the questions if they want to. Three are enough: who wakes first on Christmas morning, which food disappears fastest, or which gift made everyone laugh last year?
10. Take a walk to see the lights (about 20 minutes; warm clothes). Go around your block after dark and let everyone choose a favorite display. No lights nearby? Look for stars, winter trees or decorated shop windows instead.
11. Make a card for one person (10 minutes; paper or phone). Write a line only they would recognize: "I still laugh when I remember what happened to the cake last Christmas." Swap in your real memory. If you'd rather send it online, explore BeingSo's animated Christmas cards.
12. Play find the star (5 minutes; a small paper star). Let a child hide it in the room and give everyone else two clues. Whoever finds it chooses the next hiding place. Three rounds make a good break between errands.

December 13 to 18: include the people you love

13. Ask a relative about a childhood Christmas (10 minutes; a visit or a phone call). What did they look forward to? Which tradition would they happily skip? Write down an answer you want to remember.
14. Share a favorite holiday photo (10 minutes; a family photo). Ask what happened just before or after it was taken. The answer is often better than the picture.
15. Cook one familiar thing together (20 to 40 minutes; ingredients for your chosen recipe). It could be toast cut into stars, a batch of biscuits, or something a family member knows by heart. Give younger helpers a small job and keep the menu simple enough to enjoy making it.
16. Make a date with someone far away (10 minutes; phone and calendar). Offer a specific plan: "Could we call on Sunday at five and open a little present together?" Check that the time works for both households, especially across time zones. You could send an animated Christmas card with a personal note beforehand.
17. Play Christmas charades (10 minutes; slips of paper and a pen). Draw or write easy things to act out: a Christmas tree, a heavy present, or someone looking for a missing hat. Mix up the slips and guess without talking. Children can come up with all the prompts.
18. Write down three memories from this year (15 minutes; paper, pens and an envelope). Each person names a moment they want to keep. Seal the notes to read on Christmas Eve. A rescued dinner or a walk in the rain counts just as much as a big occasion.

December 19 to 24: enjoy the last stretch

19. Choose a quiet evening (an hour, or whatever time you have; no special materials). Put the to-do list away. Read, play a game or watch something together. The rest can wait.
20. Finish the messages you've been meaning to send (15 minutes; phone or cards). Make a short list of people you'd like to greet. Jot down one memory or thank-you for each before you write. If words are difficult to find, use our Christmas message ideas as a starting point and add your own detail.
21. Wrap one gift as a team (10 minutes; wrapping and a gift tag). One person folds, another tapes, and someone writes the name. Put a funny clue on the back of the tag. If the result looks untidy, everyone knows who to blame.
22. Bring back a Christmas ritual (15 minutes or more; whatever your idea needs). Repeat a small tradition from another year: the same walk, the same breakfast or the same story before bed. Tell newcomers how it began, if anyone remembers.
23. Prepare tomorrow's easy bits (10 minutes; your short list is enough). Set out a board game, check the time of a family call or gather what you need for breakfast. It may leave more room for people tomorrow.
24. Open the envelope of memories (15 minutes; the envelope from December 18). Read the notes together. Then send a message or Christmas card to someone who isn't in the room. You could write, "We were remembering the Christmas we spent together. We miss you tonight." Use your own words.

You don't have to complete all 24. Keep the activities your family enjoys and change the ones that don't fit. The Christmas countdown marks the days; what you do with them is up to you.