Advent is a time to prepare for Christmas and to start the countdown. It is a time to shine a light in the darkness and to reflect on the past year. It is also a wonderful time to build in moments of being together. So that it does not all depend on that one Christmas Day, when usually you are too busy to really connect. Advent is about creating a cosy time as a family while the days are darker and colder.
I’ve been meaning to make an Advent Calendar for my little one these past two years, and I finally did it. If, like me, you value experiences, then I am sure you will love the Advent calendar I made.
Each day, there is an activity idea to do as a family. For example, a dance party to cheesy Christmas tunes, making a Christmas painting together, baking Dutch ‘pepernoten’ cookies (with a recipe included!) and much more. Most of these activities do not take too long, but they will definitely provide lots of family fun and connection.
This advent calendar also includes a Christmas gift from me to you! With my gift, you will hopefully have photos of family traditions and rituals on your walls, where they belong. Instead of wilting away on a computer.
Why Experiences Matter More Than Chocolate
Advent calendars come in all shapes and sizes — and there’s nothing wrong with the chocolate ones. But there’s something about an experience-based calendar that stays with children long after December is over. The dance party to cheesy Christmas songs that became the thing they asked about every year afterwards. The afternoon you baked something together, the kitchen ended up covered in flour. The evening you all sat down to watch a film with blankets and hot chocolate, and nobody looked at their phone.
These are the moments that end up in family photographs. The ones that get talked about at Christmas dinner years later. The ones that, without anyone planning it, become your family’s traditions.
Ready to celebrate your family exactly as you are?
How to Make It Work for Your Family
The advent calendar is designed to be dipped into, not prescribed. If December is already feeling full, which is completely understandable, pick the activities that genuinely appeal and let the rest go. Even three or four shared moments across the month is something worth having.
Some activities take five minutes. Some might fill an afternoon. All of them are designed to be done together, which is the whole point.
If you’re looking for even more creative ideas to do with your children over the holidays, these nine fun photography activities for kids are worth a look
And if you’d like to add a photography element to your December, the Christmas photography scavenger hunt is free to download too.
Want Your Advent Captured Properly?
If December feels like a season worth documenting properly — the decorating, the baking, the rituals that make your family’s Christmas yours — a Christmas mini photoshoot is how you make sure those moments exist beyond your memory.
Relaxed, documentary-style, no matching outfits required. Just your family in December, honestly captured.
