Countdown to Christmas with this adorable Christmas Book Advent Calendar! Fun and easy Christmas crafts, activities, and recipes to go along with 12 Christmas Books your child will love to read this holiday season.
- Day 1 BOOK: Bear Stays Up for Christmas
- Day 2 BOOK: Sounding Joy
- Day 3 BOOK: The Polar Express
- Day 4 BOOK: Merry Christmas, Mouse!
- Day 5 BOOK: The Christmas Owl
- Day 6 BOOK: Gingerbread Mouse
- Day 7 BOOK: Little Red Sleigh
- Day 8 BOOK: The Littlest Christmas Tree
- Day 9 BOOK: Snowmen at Christmas
- Day 10 BOOK: Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree
- Day 11 BOOK: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Day 12 BOOK: The Night Before Christmas
- Twelve Days of Christmas Books for Kids
Christmas Book Advent Calendar with Activities
As the month of December begins today so does my obsession with reading children’s Christmas books. Yeap…seriously!
There’s something so special about sitting down with the kids under the Christmas tree and reading Christmas books together during the holidays.
If you take a peek at the Best Sellers in Christmas Books on Amazon or our 100 Christmas Books Every Child Should Read Before They Turn Age 10, the books below are the most popular with parents, teachers and most importantly kids.
I’ve taken each of these heartwarming Christmas books and added activity ideas to do along with them as you countdown to Christmas. From reindeer to Christmas tree, Christmas ornaments, and more, there are several Christmas Activity ideas to choose from to make each of the 12 stories special for your child.
I’ve also included the Christmas books read-alouds on youtube for each of these 12 stories.
You could even make your own Advent Calendar Christmas Tree from Toilet Paper Rolls to keep track of each activity.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Day 1 BOOK:
Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson
Bear Activity Ideas:
- Felted Bear Ornament
- DIY Holiday Bear Gift Wrap Idea
- Craft Stick Bear Ornament
- Holiday Bear Rice Krispie Treat
- Holiday Bear Biscuits Recipe
Day 2 BOOK:
Sounding Joy by Ellie Holcomb
Listen to Read Aloud song by the author. (amazing!!)
Joy Activity Ideas:
- Personalized JOY Word Ornament Craft
- Painted JOY Rock Craft
- Nativity Scene Craft Idea
- Joy Handprint Keepsake Craft
- Joy to the World Christmas Ornament
Day 3 BOOK:
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Train Activity Ideas:
Day 4 BOOK:
Merry Christmas, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff
Mouse Activity Ideas:
- Mouse Fingerprint Ornament
- Dried Pasta Angel Ornament OR Star Ornament
- Playdough Christmas Tree Activity
Day 5 BOOK:
The Christmas Owl: Based on the True Story of a Little Owl Named Rockefeller by Gideon Sterer
Owl Activity Ideas:
Day 6 BOOK:
Gingerbread Mouse by Katy Bratun
Gingerbread Activity Ideas:
- Handsewn Gingerbread Man Ornament
- Fingerprint Gingerbread Man Ornament
- Create Your Own Gingerbread House
- Bake Gingerbread Cookies
Day 7 BOOK:
Little Red Sleigh by Erin Guendelsberger
Sleigh Activity Ideas:
- Rocking Santa Claus Sleigh Paper Plate Craft
- Popsicle Stick Sleigh Ornament
- Santa Sleigh STEM Building Activity
Day 8 BOOK:
The Littlest Christmas Tree by R. A. Herman
Christmas Tree Activity Ideas:
Day 9 BOOK:
Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner
Snowman Activity Ideas:
- Snowman Gift Wrap Idea for Kids
- Snowman Names Craft
- Snowman Snowglobe Painting Project
- Make a Snowman Shaped Pizza
Day 10 BOOK: Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry
Christmas Tree Activity Ideas:
- Alphabet Christmas Tree Letter Recognition Game
- Make a Christmas Tree Shaped Pizza
- Evergreen Tree Science Fun
- Christmas Tree Chromatography Experiment
- Go on a Christmas Tree Farm Virtual Field Trip
Day 11 BOOK:
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert L. May
Reindeer Activity Ideas:
- Flying Reindeer STEM Challenge
- Handprint Reindeer Picture Frame
- Fingerprint Reindeer Ornament
- Take a Reindeer Virtual Field Trip
Day 12 BOOK:
The Night Before Christmas illustrated by Richard Johnson
Listen to Read Aloud or the Song
The Night Before Christmas Activity Ideas:
- Stocking Sight Word Game
- Bake Christmas Sugar Roll Cookies
- Reindeer Chocolate Bar Wrappers for Gifts
- Christmas Science Activities for Kids
- Painted Beard Santa Craft
- Santa Handprint Craft
- Santa Handprint Ornament with Salt Dough
- Take a Virtual Field Trip of Christmas Around the World
You can find all of these Christmas books in my Amazon Storefront for easy holiday shopping!
Christmas Book Activity Ideas for Kids
Merry Christmas! You’ve made it through the 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar with fun books and easy activities for a memorable holiday season with your child. Which Christmas book is your child’s favorite?
Be sure to explore our 100 Christmas Books Every Child Should Read Before They Turn Age 10.
Grab our free monthly activity guide if you’d like more ideas for December that include a schedule. It features daily holiday activities to do with your child this month.
12 Days of Christmas Books Advent Calendar
To have a little extra fun be sure to include the 12 Days of Christmas. Here’s a song for the kids to listen to plus a few versions of the book. Be sure to watch this hilarious rendition of the song the 12 Days of Christmas. It’s one of our family favorites!
We also are in love with the book How Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T. Smith. Starting on December 1, children can read a chapter a day, and each chapter is followed by a fun and festive holiday activity to complete.
Twelve Days of Christmas Books for Kids
12 Days of Christmas by Lara Hawthorne – Listen to Read Aloud
The Twelve Days of Christmas by Alison Jay – Listen to Read Aloud
Pete the Cat’s 12 Groovy Days of Christmas by James & Kimberly Dean – Listen to Read Aloud
You may also enjoy these holiday activities
