Free and cheap
Free advent calendar ideas, from things you already have.
December is expensive enough. Every idea on this page is free, or uses things most homes already have: paper, pens, a torch, a pack of cards, the kitchen cupboard and the nearest park.
10-minute ideas for busy evenings
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Try candle breathing
Breathe in like you are smelling hot chocolate, out like you are cooling it. Ten slow breaths together before bed.
You need: Nothing
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Sit in a compliment circle
Go round the dinner table. Everyone says one thing they like about the person on their left. Then switch direction.
You need: Nothing
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Try tongue-twisters
Say "Six snowy snowmen sledged south" five times fast. Then everyone invents their own winter twister.
You need: Nothing
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Count the stars from your doorstep
Step outside after dark and count stars in one patch of sky. Try again on a clearer night. Make a wish on the brightest.
You need: A clear night
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Do a family fitness challenge
Ten star jumps, ten squats, ten seconds of plank, a twenty-second dance. Kids are the coaches and shout encouragement.
You need: Space to move
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Send three thank-you voice messages
Pick three people who made your year better and record a short voice message telling them why.
You need: A phone
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Play window-spotting
Sit by the window with a warm drink and spot birds, red cars, dogs, lights and people in hats. Who sees the most?
You need: A window
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Do a back-massage train
Sit in a line and draw winter pictures on the back in front of you with your fingers: snow falling, a snowman, a sleigh ride.
You need: Nothing
30 minutes after school
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Cut paper snowflakes
Fold a square of paper into a triangle twice more, snip shapes along the edges and unfold. No two will be alike, just like real ones.
You need: Paper, scissors
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Make a paper chain countdown
Cut strips of coloured paper and loop them into a chain, one link for every day left. Tear one off each morning.
You need: Paper, scissors, tape or glue
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Play winter charades
Act out winter words without talking: snowman, ice skating, wrapping a present, a penguin, a snowball fight.
You need: A list of words in a hat
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Play winter bingo
Draw grids with winter pictures (snowman, star, mittens…), call them out and cover them with raisins or buttons.
You need: Paper, pens, counters
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Have a cup-stacking challenge
Build the tallest tower possible from paper cups in one minute. Then try with one hand, or blindfolded.
You need: Paper or plastic cups
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Take a torchlight adventure
Hide glow sticks or reflectors in the garden or park, then go out after dark with torches to find them.
You need: Torches, glow sticks or reflectors
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Have a colouring-in evening
Print free winter colouring pages, put on calm music and colour together. Grown-ups too.
You need: Colouring pages, pencils
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Make a “best of the year” list
Everyone shares their best day, funniest moment, bravest thing and favourite meal of the year. Write them down to keep.
You need: Paper and pen
Weekend adventures that cost nothing
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Take a woodland walk
Walk in the nearest woods or park. Listen for birds, look for animal tracks and collect three treasures to bring home.
You need: Boots and a snack
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Visit the library for winter books
Borrow a stack of winter and holiday books to read through the month. Many libraries also have free December events.
You need: A library card
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Build an indoor obstacle course
Crawl under chairs, hop between cushions, balance on a line of tape. Time each other and try to beat your record.
You need: Cushions, chairs, tape
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Build a cardboard winter village
Turn cereal boxes and toilet rolls into houses, a church, a shop and a station. Add cotton-wool snow and battery tea lights.
You need: Boxes, tape, paint or pens
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Follow a treasure hunt
A grown-up hides clues around the house, each leading to the next. The treasure can be a small treat or a hot chocolate.
You need: Paper clues, a small treat
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Have a board game night
Everyone picks a game. Make snacks and play the youngest player’s choice first.
You need: Board games
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Put on a puppet show
Make sock or paper-bag puppets, drape a sheet over a table for a stage and perform a winter tale for the grown-ups.
You need: Old socks or paper bags, a sheet
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Make a nature wreath
Collect evergreen sprigs, berries and pine cones, then tie them onto a ring of bent twigs or a cardboard circle.
You need: Garden clippings, string, a cardboard ring
A free calendar, planned for you
Made by Advent of Play with the "free only" setting, for a seven-year-old and their family.
- 1TueDraw your winter wish list20 min · Free
- 2WedCook up a mud kitchen feast45 min · Free
- 3ThuSay “happy holidays” in five languages15 min · Free
- 4FriGo stargazing30 min · Free
- 5SatWatch a classic Christmas film2 hours · Free
- 6SunCollect greenery to decorate the house45 min · Free
- 7MonHave an oven-glove wrapping race15 min · Free
- 8TueMake breakfast in bed for a grown-up30 min · Free
- 9WedLook through old photos30 min · Free
- 10ThuBe a secret elf helper20 min · Free
- 11FriFind out about real reindeer30 min · Free
- 12SatDecorate the house for winterAbout an hour · Free
- 13SunPlay tag games in the park45 min · Free
- 14MonLearn a magic trick30 min · Free
- 15TueThank the everyday helpers30 min · Free
- 16WedPlay minute-to-win-it games30 min · Free
- 17ThuHave an ice-melting race30 min · Free
- 18FriInterview a grandparent30 min · Free
- 19SatGo on an evening lights walk45 min · Free
- 20SunHold the Silly Olympics45 min · Free
- 21MonMake handprint cards30 min · Free
- 22TueDo animal yoga20 min · Free
- 23WedMake your own gift tags30 min · Free
- 24ThuLight candles and share wishes20 min · Free
Every family gets a different calendar. Yours depends on your children’s ages, interests, time and budget.
Keep the cost down
- Use what is in the recycling: boxes, tubes and jars make villages, marble runs and lanterns.
- Borrow from the library: books, audiobooks, and in many places board games too.
- Walks are free. A lights walk, a torchlit walk or a frost hunt feels special in December.
- Choose one or two paid treats at most, and put them on a weekend.
Questions
How can I make an advent calendar for free?
Write 24 free activities on slips of paper, fold them and peg them to a string, or pop them in envelopes. Or build one in Advent of Play with the "free only" setting and print the cards in the Classic theme at no cost.
What are cheap advent calendar ideas for kids?
Activities are the cheapest: paper snowflakes, a lights walk, a board game night, a blanket-fort story night, a kitchen dance party. Most need nothing you do not already have.
Is Advent of Play really free?
Yes. Building the calendar, opening a door each day and printing it in the Classic theme are free, with no account and no ads. Pro is an optional one-off upgrade for extra print themes, editing and more children.