DIY: Scratch-Off Christmas Activities Advent Calendar

I LOVE Christmas and I LOVE advent calendars! This year I decided to do something different for my 3-year old daughter. I made a scratch-off activities advent calendar with scratch-off stickers. I made it super simple, since it's going to be used by my 3-year old, and made it for only 12 days. Since I have circular scratch-off stickers, I am going with a Christmas tree theme to blend in like ornaments. You can order scratch-off stickers from multiple sites on the internet.

Create your calendar: I folded a large piece of construction paper in half and drew half a Christmas tree. (You could do whatever kind of picture you'd like. You could cut the stickers into any shape you'd like too.)

I opened my paper and then I actually ironed it out a bit because I don't like the fold down the middle. If I were a better artist I wouldn't have a fold at all. ;)

I used a stencil to plot out my activities that will be covered by the scratch-off stickers and wrote out the actual activities with a pen.

Cover the activities with scratch-off stickers. You could number the stickers if you have specific activities that you'd like to be revealed on certain days.

Decorate! I wanted to make this calendar super cute with decorative scrapbook paper and all sorts of cute embellishments but it's going to be used by my 3-year old.

We ended up with this simple tree using ornament stickers instead.

I can't wait to see what will be revealed!

Here are some activity ideas for kids:

• Build a snowman
• Watch a Christmas movie
• Decorate gingerbread houses
• Bake and decorate sugar cookies
• Visit a neighbor or friend
• Write a letter to Santa
• Go sledding
• Visit Santa at the mall or other location
• Make an ornament or pick out a special ornament that represents a special occasion from this year
• Sit by the fire and play a game
• Have an indoor snowball fight
• Do something nice for someone else
• Reenact the nativity
• Go to a Christmas tree lot and find the "perfect" tree
• Read the Christmas story from Luke 2
• Donate an old toy or book
• Check out some Christmas books at the library
• Make paper snowflakes
• Send a special Christmas card to someone that might need some extra holiday cheer
• Take a Christmas Train ride
• Read your favorite Christmas book
• Go see Christmas lights

You could also make a special advent calendar for your spouse to spice things up for the holidays. Along with other activities that you've already thought about, here are some extras:

• Take a picture of yourselves together to remember this year
• Make a Christmas wish list together (pretend that money doesn't matter)
• Back massage
• Watch an old Christmas classic
• Bake your favorite holiday treat
• Browse books at the bookstore (check out vacation spots in magazines)
• Have an indoor snowball fight or outdoor snowball fight
• Build a unique gingerbread house/building/landmark together
• Relax in the tub with your favorite drink
• Foot massage
• Sit by the fireplace and sip hot chocolate or play a game
• Send a Christmas card to each other
• Sculpt something with snow
• Send a letter to Santa about the other person
• Go ice skating
• Go sledding by sitting in large black trash bags instead of using a sled.
• Go see a local performance of "The Nutcracker"

Have an activity idea? Please share!