Tomorrow is the start of advent, the count down to Christmas. There are many different ways families count down, the most popular is an advent calendar of some sort, often involving chocolate.
In recent years, I’ve seen some ideas for advent calendars involving books, and have had a few ideas of my own.
Picture Books
Have 24 Christmas themed picture books and wrap them up. Open one each day and enjoy as a bedtime story each night. At the end of the Christmas season, put them away ready for the next year. You can add books and change them from year to year.
A quick search shows many creative ways you can wrap books to decorate your home so they can be both an advent countdown and gorgeous decoration for your home.
Christmas Novel
As kids get older, they may not want picture books any more. Find a novel that you can share. The ideal book would be 24 chapters so you can read a chapter a night.
Novels could include classics such as A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens as well as something more modern. Talk to your local librarian or bookseller for recommendations.
Short Stories
There are a number of short story anthologies with a Christmas theme. These could also be shared in the lead up to Christmas. With older children, you can take turns reading a different story each night.
Tell a Story
Each night, choose an aspect of Christmas and use that as a prompt to tell each other a story. Take turns each night and make this a family activity. See who can come up with the funniest Christmas stories.
These are just a few ideas. I would love to hear if you have any bookish advent activities you use in your home.
