Winter brings the thrill of the holiday season. As the snowflakes start to fall, the big countdown begins! To help your little one contain their excitement until Christmas day, here’s a special Advent calendar filled with educational activities and a touch of magic. Happy December!
Download the printable version of our calendar, then personalize it with your child by choosing activities you enjoy and slotting them into the time you have available.
Will you be able to spot our friendly mascot Flo hiding among all the Christmas-themed items? This fun activity will stimulate your child’s sense of observation as they find and colour all the items on the list.
Every year, children both naughty and nice can mail letters to Santa Claus for free. Sending a letter to Santa isn’t just about making a list of wishes; it’s a golden opportunity to create an ideal writing space for your child and to help them practise their writing skills.
Sometimes, all it takes to spark a love of reading is the right opportunity! Why not get into the holiday spirit by reading a Christmas story? Check out our book recommendations for primary school students and secondary school students!
Kids love stories! They’re perfect for stimulating the imagination and the desire to learn. Encourage your child to invent their own story based on a Christmas theme.
Playing bingo is a great way to spend some quality time together as a family! Print our Christmas-themed cards and help your kids expand their Christmas vocabulary by identifying the words drawn by the bingo caller.
Prepare some of your favourite holiday snacks and set up a comfortable area to play the game. Deal a card to each player and decide on a prize. For example, whoever wins could pick something out of a stocking or surprise bag (filled with candy canes, “coupons” for a mug of hot cocoa with marshmallows, the right to open the first present on Christmas morning, special permissions, etc.).
The holiday season is a time for fun and family. Why not reach out to organizations that help families for whom the season can be more challenging? Or, create your own activity that will serve families and communities that are less fortunate. Here are some ideas:
Learn about various Christmas traditions from around the world! Alloprof has a number of activities you can do to learn about these traditions. For some engaging French practice, check out our fun quizzes on Christmas songs and December traditions. You can also explore English expressions related to the holidays and even colour a holiday mandala!
Craft projects are an ideal way to enjoy some family time during the holidays. What’s more, crafting helps develop fine motor skills and stimulate creativity in children.
Here are six simple craft activities designed to include little ones in your Christmas decorating plans.
Christmas cards are always nice to receive, whether they come by regular mail or email. To add a twist to this activity, suggest that your child write in a particular style—humorous, poetic, etc.
It’s well known that learning a second language stimulates the brain. Why not take advantage of the holiday season to learn how to say “Merry Christmas” in several languages? It’s a fun activity that will help improve your child’s language skills.
To get started, simply use our handy tool.
For many people, December is the Christmas season, but there are many different cultural and religious holidays around the world that are also celebrated throughout the winter months, such as Hanukkah, Bodhi Day, St. Lucia’s Day, and Las Posadas. Learning about different celebrations and traditions is a great way to discover other cultures. This calendar features significant holidays from around the world.
Bring the magic of the holiday season into your living room with a fun, educational sleight-of-hand trick that will amaze the whole family. This activity is sure to spark your child’s curiosity, and they’ll be proud to learn it and perform it for the rest of the family. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on everyone’s face!
A quiet, snowy day is the perfect excuse to spend some time colouring. Alloprof has a ton of fun designs and illustrations that your kids will love; they are a great way to sprinkle in a little colour throughout the holiday season!
Ugly Christmas sweaters have become a cherished household tradition and the outfit of choice for Yuletide gatherings. While they’re easy to find in stores during the holidays, nothing beats a sweater you designed yourself. It’s not only more affordable and eco-friendly, but also a fun activity to enjoy with the whole family!
Take one of your old sweaters and make it festive: think felt accessories, pompoms, patterns, bells, garlands, ornaments, and more. As this ugly transformation will probably be irreversible, avoid using a sweater you’re especially fond of.
With a few craft accessories and a little inspiration, you can create a truly tacky holiday outfit!
Encouraging your child to create a seek-and-find game is a fun way for them to practise formulating questions (French only) and using interrogative words (who, what, where, etc.).
For example, as you stroll through the streets, ask your child to find items such as a Christmas star, a candy cane, or an elf.
Players take turns guessing the word stuck to their forehead by asking only yes or no questions. You can also have one player act out their word charades-style or describe their word without using it, while the other players try to guess it.
It’s a great way to help your kids expand their vocabulary over the holidays!
The goose game is a Christmas classic. For an evening of family fun, print out Flo’s version of this timeless board game! Each player takes on the role of Santa Claus, who has to overcome a number of obstacles to reach the final square.
This game is a great way to have fun as a family while practising counting and following the rules of a game.
Christmas movies, classic films, comedies—the choice is yours! You can take advantage of family movie nights to help your child practise summarizing a story.
Feel like revisiting some Christmas classics? For French-language films, we recommend Ciné-Cadeaux on Télé-Québec.
The holiday break is coming up soon, so what better time to get in the Christmas spirit? This article shares a sleighful of fun family-friendly competitions. Aside from the fun of playing, games have a multitude of benefits. Among other things, they help:
Did you know that cooking teaches kids an array of mathematical concepts? All the more reason to dedicate a day of your Advent calendar to making a batch of delicious cookies.
Looking for a recipe? Take this opportunity to teach your child how to use online search tools correctly.
Grab a pencil and exploring drawing iconic Christmas objects from a different angle! This activity combines art and geometry while strengthening your child’s sense of observation, ability to concentrate, and fine motor skills.
Pictionary is a holiday classic! Tune into your artistic side and play a few rounds of Christmas Pictionary at your next family gathering. Think mischievous elves, glittering Christmas trees, and festive scenes pulled from your imagination—everyone can join in and show off their drawing skills with this creative and silly game. Use your child’s school vocabulary lists as inspiration for which words to draw. The room is sure fill with laughter in no time!
Learning songs is a great way to stimulate your children’ memory, develop their language skills and sense of rhythm, and foster a sense of belonging. Whether it’s “Jingle Bells” or “Silent Night,” any Christmas song will do! You can even try writing your own song together.
Here are some key steps to memorizing a song.
The holidays offer the perfect opportunity to reconnect with loved ones you don’t see very often. Why not take the time to sit down with them and listen to their stories about Christmases past? Encourage your child to make a family tree, complete with photos, drawings, or anecdotes about past traditions. You can also encourage older friends and relatives to pass down their knowledge by holding mini-workshops for the young ones on a variety of themes: traditional holiday recipes, decorations, knitting, stories or testimonials, and more. It’s a lovely way to build bridges across the generations.
Writting : Alloprof Parents' team