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Advent Activity Printables | Making Elf on the Shelf Ridiculously Easy

November 25, 2020 by Leslie 6 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. To learn more, please read our disclosure and privacy policy

The holiday season is a special time, full of memory-making and fun activities. But if you’re struggling to keep up with all the things (like new family activities, and moving that darn elf every night), combine a few things with these free Advent activity printables cards.

Print them out today, and you’ll be ready to take on the holiday season with one less thing to think about.

photo of an elf on the shelf holding a card with the suggestion to donate food to a shelter. text overlay says 30 Joyful Advent Activities for your elf to deliver

The struggle is real my friends.

Every year I start Advent with the best intentions. I tell myself that we’ll keep up with the Advent calendar every day, our elf is finally going to do some really creative and silly things, and we’ll do alltheChristmasthings.

And every year, I fail. Not just at one, but at all three of those goals.

I try. Really I do! But it’s not uncommon for our Advent calendar to still be set to the 10th when it’s already the 18th. And our kids are often amazed at how their elf likes to move after they wake up instead of overnight.

(Apparently I’m better at being sneaky than I am at remembering things. Hmmmm)

Well, this year I’m starting off with the same intentions…but unlike previous years I actually have a plan. Hooray!

close up image of a pile of cards with brightly colored holiday images and activity suggestions typed on each card

 

Advent Activity Printables

First up, I’m going to make the Advent calendar countdown the kids’ responsibility.

Since our kids are now 5, 8, and 11, they can definitely handle that responsibility.

(Most likely they’ll fight over the privilege for the first week and then start forgetting about it too. Ha!)

And as for doing alltheChristmasthings…Well, I’m going to print out these cute advent activity printables.

There are 30 pre-printed activities. And they’re full of fun things that families can do together. Things like watching a Christmas movie, going to see Christmas lights, making cookies, and going to see Santa.

I also made sure to include simple activities, like questions that can be answered around the dinner (or breakfast) table.

So when I know a day is going to be too busy to fit in yet another thing, that’s what we’ll do.

And, if you have special traditions that aren’t included, there are 10 blank cards so you can write in your own activities.

Related >>> 80 Christmas Activities for Families to Do Together

photo of elf on the shelf sitting on a ledge holding a card with a handwritten message

(That’s my ‘nice’ handwriting. Now you see why I stick to digital designs!)

Making Elf on the Shelf Ridiculously Easy

As far as our elf getting crazy…well, who knows if that will happen.

At this point, my plan is to have the Elf on the Shelf deliver these advent activity printables to the kids each day. Maybe she changes position, maybe she doesn’t.

As long as she delivers a new activity each day, I’ll consider my job done.

Plus, the cards are each about the size of a business card. Which means they’re easy to store somewhere hidden.

an elf sitting on a white shelf, tied up with a beaded garland with a card sitting in front that says watch a Christmas movie together

Here are a Few Other Ways to Use these Advent Activity Printables

  • Paint a mason or jelly jar with your kids and then put the cards inside. Pull one out to do each day.
  • Add a countdown to the back of the cards and hang them up to create a simple interactive Advent calendar
  • Wrap each activity card in a small box (this size would work well) or slip them into mini stockings. Then open one Advent ‘present’ each day.
  • Grab a mini tree, a hole punch, and some pretty twine and create an Advent tree. Add the cards all at once, or add each card to the tree as you complete an activity.

Tips for Printing Your Advent Activity Cards

Now, none of us want to spend a ton of money on printer ink and paper. But the reality is that printing these cards on regular printer paper will not give you the best results.

I recommend printing these on bright white card stock stock to make them sturdy. But if you want the brightest colors, you can also use matte photo paper, though it’s not necessary for this project.

And if you want to make cutting out 30-40 cards easy as pie, definitely invest a few dollars in a straight edge paper cutter. They’re not too expensive, and you’ll use it more often than you expect.

elf sitting in a Christmas tree holding a card that says share your favorite Christmas memory

Now It’s Your Turn

Okay, so maybe I’m not yet able to keep up with the antics of a crazy elf. But with these Advent activity cards, you and I both can do at least someoftheChristmasthings.

At the end of the season you’ll have some incredible memories. And all it takes is printing and cutting a few sheets of paper.

These Advent activity cards are available for free to newsletter subscribers.

All you have to do is fill in the form at the bottom of the page to get them sent right to you. And, if you don’t want to subscribe, the Advent activity printables are also available here for a small price.

Don’t forget to take a picture of your cards and the activities you do with them and tag @PlayDatesParties on Facebook. We love to see our freebies in action!

More Christmas Family Fun

  • Printable Christmas Bingo Cards for Kids
  • Reindeer Candy Cane Craft Printable Craft for Kids
  • Rudolph Race Off (Minute to Win it Christmas Game)
  • Freezer Bum (A Fun Winter Take on Junk in the Trunk)

Join me over at Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter,

for more fun ideas and inspiration!

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Filed Under: Christmas, Holidays, Kid Crafts and Activities, Printables Tagged With: advent, Christmas printables, elf on the shelf, holiday activities, holiday printables, Library, printable games

About Leslie

Leslie is the passionate party planner in her family. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018, she was determined to find a way to continue making amazing parties for her kids that don't leave you exhausted. To do that Leslie combines the experience she learned working for a professional event planner with the reality of a busy family life to create party inspiration that the average mom can reproduce and be proud of.

Comments

  1. Victoria @DazzleWhileFrazzled says

    November 25, 2018 at 4:17 pm

    Great idea! I too get overwhelmed halfway through December. Pinning for when I lose creativity and interest with the three elves we have, LOL! Visiting from DIDI Party.

    Reply
  2. Karren~#OMHGWW Bloghop says

    November 26, 2018 at 4:40 pm

    I dont even have kids at home and I got a Elf on the Shelf.
    Please come and share on #Omhgww
    Have a great week!

    Reply
  3. Kippi says

    November 28, 2018 at 9:24 am

    This is a wonderful idea to use Mr. Elf to deliver the advent messages. Happy Holiday Season, Kippi

    Reply
  4. Rejuve Cream says

    November 29, 2018 at 7:06 pm

    Thank you for sharing excellent informations. Your website is very cool.
    I’m impressed by the details that you have on this website.
    It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for more articles.
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    Reply
  5. Kim Seghers says

    November 30, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    My goodness what a cute idea! I need to share this with the parents at my son school they would love the idea of having the Elf bring the advent messages!!

    Reply
  6. Donna @ Modern on Monticello says

    December 4, 2018 at 9:16 am

    Definitely a new way to enjoy the season and teach valuable lessons to the kids. Love it. Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty

    Reply

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I love helping busy moms create DIY parties that aren’t overwhelming. Here you'll find crafts, recipes, and fun printables you can use to create a celebration you’re proud of that you get to enjoy too! Read More
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Looking for a little more creativity in your life? From Play Dates to Parties is the place for you!

Hi there! I’m Leslie! I love helping busy moms create DIY parties that aren’t overwhelming. At Playdates to Parties, you'll find crafts, ready-to-use cut files, recipes, and fun printables you can use to create a celebration you’re proud of that you get to enjoy too!  {Read More}

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All images original to this website are the property of From Play Dates to Parties. Use of a single watermarked image is only authorized with a link and reference to the original source. Republishing posts in their entirety or removing/editing watermarks is prohibited without permission. Pinning is always welcome and appreciated. Thank you!
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