for all families (2020 Approved) 
I think most of you reading this feel the same way: we don’t need more stuff. Instead of advent calendars stuffed with toys that will be broken by New Years or candies that will be eaten in half that time, I love the idea of advent activities. They don’t have to be grandiose – just little ways to connect, to celebrate, and to focus on the reasons for the season. Here are my 2020 advent activities… which means they’re all Covid approved. As always, all suggestions are family friendly and wheelchair accessible.
- Make a gingerbread house. Don’t go crazy – it doesn’t have to be from scratch. You can buy a kit at five below or IKEA for $5. They also carry slightly more expensive kits at your local grocer.
- Make a paper chain garland and hang it in your home, no matter how ugly it is.
- Take a driving tour of holiday lights. Extra points if done in jammies. Triple that if you have a thermos of cocoa.
- Go on a holiday decoration scavenger hunt in your neighborhood. See who can find the most Santas, or snowmen, or baby Yodas. I guess you could do this in jammies, too. It is 2020, after all…
- Have a slumber party by the Christmas tree.
- Visit a Christmas store and have each person pick out an ornament that represents their year.
- Fill a box for Operation Christmas Child.
- Go caroling… via FaceTime! This is a great excuse to call that friend you haven’t connected with all year.
- Read the Christmas story.
- Bake Christmas cookies. Or gingerbread men!
- Make your own snow to play in (it’s only two ingredients – you can do this).
- Have a holiday movie night. Actually, you could do this several times. Don’t miss A Charlie Brown Christmas. And don’t forget the popcorn!
- Cut paper snowflakes and/or make a Christmas window scene.
- Catch a light show! Google light shows in your area. You may be surprised at how much you find. We have several homes, churches, and businesses that put on impressive displays.
- Join in a reverse parade… because that’s how we’re doing it this year.
- Snuggle up and drink hot chocolate. This can go along with a story, or movie, or game night… but it can also be an event all on its own.
- Go on a sleigh ride. That’s not as hard, or as expensive, as it may sound. Many tree farms offer rides out to the field. It’s included in the cost of the tree. If you’re not cutting your own tree, you can still ride out to the farm. I suggest you still support the farm by buying something, though.
- Write a letter to Santa. We don’t push the hype of a dead man bringing gifts, but it’s still a cute activity… and it lets you in on gift ideas!
- Make your own Christmas ornaments. These also double as excellent gifts!
- Have a family game night… maybe feature some Christmas charades!
- Make cards for troops overseas, or kids in the hospital over the holiday, or elderly in nursing homes who won’t be able to see their families this year. Cards are still allowed in.
- Visit Santa. Even though there’s no lap-sitting, you can still visit for photos!
- Bake a cake for Jesus’ birthday.
- Check out a Christmas Eve Candlelight Service
There are hundreds of other things you can do to keep the spirit of Christmas alive this year. Make a snow globe, put on your own Christmas Pageant, have a Christmas music dance-off, make your own ugly sweater, host a toy drive, or do whatever reminds you of the joy of the season.
Honestly, it could be easy to curl up in a ball and wait for 2020 to end. That’s probably not the best for us, and definitely not the best for our kids. I’ve always told my children that nothing can ruin Christmas, because it’s already happened. It doesn’t matter if we don’t get that toy we really wanted, or that food we always have… or even the bigger losses of 2020, like not being able to spend the season with our loved ones. We’re celebrating a past event, and the joy that’s a result of that. Let’s celebrate that big thing in little ways, and show our children that hope is alive because of the hope that was born on Christmas.
