Christmas Countdown Colouring Advent Calendar {Free Printable}

Count down to Christmas in a fun and creative way with this free printable Christmas countdown colouring calendar. Featuring 25 festive squares, each with a different Christmas-themed picture to colour, it’s the perfect way to add a little magic to each December morning and build the excitement for kids as they await Christmas Day.

The countdown calendar can be used alongside a traditional advent calendar, or as a substitute for one if you're looking for a sugar free way to countdown to Christmas that also doesn't involve bring more little trinkets into your home. It’s a simple daily, screen-free activity that combines creativity, routine, and holiday joy all in one.

Roll & Draw a Gingerbread Man: Free Printable Christmas Game

Get ready for some festive fun with this roll and draw a gingerbread man game. Perfect for Christmas, kids need to roll the dice to decide their gingerbread man’s features. What shape will he be, will he have a bite missing?! What buttons will he have and will he be in disguise? Every gingerbread man will be one-of-a-kind.

This printable game is a wonderful way to combine learning and creativity. Ideal for kids to play at home, in the classroom, or at Christmas parties, it helps kids practise number recognition, counting, and fine motor skills as they draw. Download the free printable roll and draw game template below and let your little ones start designing and decorating their own gingerbread men.

Torn Paper Christmas Tree Craft

If you’re looking for a simple and festive Christmas craft for kids either at home or in the classroom, this torn paper Christmas tree is the perfect holiday activity. Children can rip, tear, and glue pieces of paper to create their own special Christmas tree. 

This hands-on craft is not only fun and easy to set up, but it also helps build fine motor skills, strengthens little hand muscles, and encourages creativity as they design their own unique tree. I've also included a free printable Christmas tree template to make it even easier.

Recycled Christmas Ornaments & Decorations Kids Can Make

Did you know lots of items found in your recycling bin can be used to make adorable Christmas ornaments and decorations? Making homemade recycled Christmas ornaments and decorations is a fantastic way for kids to express their creativity while also learning about sustainability. Reusing recyclables from around the house to create upcycled art and crafts is a great way to teach children how something that's been used can still be transformed into something beautiful, rather than being discarded.

These handmade decorations help the environment, are a budget friendly gift option and can also become a personal, heart warming tradition to include in your holiday celebrations. In this post, we’ll share fun and easy ideas for creating eco-friendly Christmas decorations kids can help make. Lots of these would also be great to make as affordable class take home gifts.

Harry Potter Elf on the Shelf Ideas

If you're looking to add an extra touch of Hogwarts magic to your elf's visit this year, have a look through these Harry Potter themed Elf on the Shelf ideas and accessories that'll bring the wizarding world right into your home. Whether your elf is practicing spells, sneaking around Hogwarts, or preparing for a Quidditch match, these enchanting ideas will make each day a magical adventure. 

Grinch Elf Ideas

All good stories have a villain who ends up turning good and everybody knows the villain at Christmas time is the Grinch who always tries to steal Christmas. The Grinch can escape Whoville and come to your house to make things interesting this Christmas. Afterall the Grinch has been around longer than those cheeky elves.

Naturally he's going to inject a little mischief and try to thwart the elf's plans most nights, but as the month goes on they may become friends and start working together to spread the Christmas spirit. Here's lots of ideas if you want the Grinch to come visit with the elves this year.

Elf on the Shelf Tooth Fairy Ideas

The elf is arguably one of, if not the most anticipated magical visitor of the year for children {besides Santa himself} and they can't help but count down to their arrival in December. However, there's also another special visitor who can pop in at any time of the year - the Tooth Fairy! What happens when the tooth fairy comes to visit at the same time the elf is in your house?

Ugly Christmas Sweater Collage Craft for Kids

My kids love nothing more than being given a variety of craft items and being able to free range and create masterpieces, so it's no surprise that collage and process art activities are high on rotation here. This ugly Christmas sweater collage craft we did this week is a perfect way to incorporate collage into Christmas crafts.

I've created a free printable blank ugly Christmas sweater template you can download and use to make this craft with your kids or students too. 

Free Printable Letter to Santa Template

One of the most exciting parts of Christmas as a child is coming up with your Santa list and writing a letter to Santa at the North Pole then desperately waiting for Christmas Day to see if you got what you wanted. This year I made my own letter to Santa template for my girls and I've added it here so you can download it and use it too.

Writing a letter to Santa is not only exciting, it's also a great way for children to practice their handwriting, helps with language development and is a fun way to build their hand strength. Even if you have younger children you can fill out the writing sections and then they can colour in the images at the bottom. 

December Play Activity Ideas for Toddlers & Preschoolers + Free Play Calendar PDF

I'm putting together monthly play calendars to make it easy for you to create a month of fun for your kids at home or in the classroom, every month of the year. December includes Christmas and New Years Eve, so to celebrate the festive season the December play calendar focuses on Christmas trees, DIY ornaments, Santa and the reindeer and fireworks themed ideas for toddlers, preschoolers and school kids. The activities include a mix of art and craft, sensory, science and play ideas as well as books to read aloud during the month.

Each activity is explained in detail below, including how you can extend or adjust the activity based on your child's age. You can also download our free interactive December activity calendar pdf with links to instructions for every activity to save for future reference.

The Best Black Friday 2024 Deals: Toys, Books and more

If you're looking for some awesome Black Friday deals for 2024 then you've come to the right post! I love nothing more than looking up bargains and shopping online, so naturally I've been scouring the internet for the best deals in the lead up to Black Friday. 

I've found quite a few stores that are already having early sales and have linked them below. If you have more Christmas shopping to do, or just love a great bargain, check them out.

DIY Christmas Sweater Ornaments

These DIY Christmas sweater ornaments are the perfect Christmas craft for kids of all ages to make during the holiday season. Children can colour in our free printable black and white Christmas sweater template however they like, to create their very own Christmas sweater designs {no sewing needed!}. 

As a bonus these ornaments are also a cute keepsake you can bring out to decorate the Christmas tree with each year.

Buddy Elf Toilet Paper Roll Craft

The girls love watching Christmas movies each year from November onwards and one of our favourite ones is Elf. Buddy the elf, who's actually a human that was raised as an elf at the North Pole, is as obsessed with Christmas as my kids, so naturally he's one of their favourite Christmas characters. It helps that Will Ferrell is hilarious and infectious in his portrayal as Buddy and you can't help but wish you were Buddy's friend in real life.

To bring Buddy to life in our house we decided to make a toilet paper roll Buddy elf that's inspired by the real Buddy and the movie Elf, including his striped hat, green jacket and yellow tights. Get our free printable elf template and follow the instructions below to make your own Buddy inspired elf.

Rudolph Toilet Paper Roll Craft

With his shining red nose that saves Christmas, Rudolph the red nosed reindeer is the most famous reindeer of all. Children can make their very own Rudolph with this simple toilet paper roll reindeer craft. Upcycle a humble toilet paper roll, with a few other basic craft items, by following our step by step instructions to bring Rudolph to life.

We love toilet paper roll crafts in our house because toilet paper rolls are the most readily available craft resource and they're free! Plus they're recyclable so they're good for the environment. Check out our favourite Halloween toilet paper roll crafts and Christmas toilet paper roll crafts.

Santa Paper Cup Puppet {+ Free Template}

If you're looking for a cute Santa craft to try this Christmas, make this paper cup Santa puppet. With just a few basic craft supplies your kids can make a Santa puppet that waves his arms up and down. Follow our instructions below to learn how to make an articulated Santa puppet using paper cups and our free printable Santa template.

Easy Paper Plate Christmas Wreath Craft

If you're looking for a fun, festive Christmas craft to do with the kids, try this paper plate Christmas wreath. Not only is it a super easy craft to set up, it's also a fantastic way for kids to enhance their fine motor skills and express their creativity.

Alternative Christmas Elf Traditions {that aren't Elf on the Shelf}

Each year in December, homes and families around the world welcome the mischievous antics of an elf. Like many others, we're huge fans of our elf, however, if you're wanting to start a Christmas tradition for your kids but the elf just isn't your cup of tea don't worry, there are plenty of alternatives. 

I've put together a list of 19 kind hearted, helpful, humorous, and faith-inspired alternatives that promise to bring joy and reflection to your holiday season. Whether you're aiming to have some fun, inspire acts of kindness, or instil spiritual values, there's something for every family to consider.

Epic Over the top Elf on the Shelf Ideas

If you think it may be your last year doing the elf on the shelf and you want to go out with a bang, or you just want to do an epic elf arrival or unforgettable elf departure, then check out these awesome over the top elf ideas. Be warned though they may take some time to set up, so only take them on if you're a dedicated elf enthusiast.

DIY Elf Lemonade Stand {exactly like The Duck Song}

A duck walked up to a lemonade stand, and he said to the man running the stand. Hey! {bum bum bum} Got any grapes?

Chances are if you have school aged children then you've heard the duck song approximately 400 000 times and it gets stuck in your head for hours. I feel your pain!

We've been doing Elf on a Shelf for a few years now and in an effort to not repeat easy elf ideas from previous years, Elfie's had to get a little more creative. This year she's recreated some of the kids favourite pop culture things like among us and Pokémon, so naturally the duck song got added to her list. Thankfully it's really easy to make a duck song lemonade stand and I'm going to show you exactly how I made it so your elf can do it too.

How to make an Elf Pokemon Card

If your kids are into Pokémon and they have an elf on the shelf, they'll lose their minds if the elf or elves turn up for a Pokémon battle with their very own Pokémon card. In this post I'll show you exactly how you can make your own customised elf Pokémon trading card in a few easy steps.