A kindness advent calendar is a countdown to Christmas where each day has one small kind thing to do. This one is free and fits on one page. It has 24 kind acts for kids ages 3 to 8. Start on December 1, do one a day, and color the star when it’s done.
Every kid counts down to Christmas. Most of that counting is about what’s coming to them, and that’s alright. They’re kids.
A kindness advent calendar gives them one more thing to count. Each day in December has a small kind thing to do for somebody else. By Christmas Eve, your child has done 24 of them and has 24 colored stars to show for it.
I put this one together for my own readers. The acts are small on purpose. A three-year-old can do most of them with a little help, and an eight-year-old can do them alone.
How the calendar works
Print the page and hang it where your child can reach it. The fridge works, and so does a bedroom door. Each morning, read the day’s kind act together. When it’s done, your child colors the star. You only need the page and a crayon.
Then at bedtime, ask one question: “What kind thing did you do today?” Let them tell you how it went and how the other person reacted. Most of the learning happens in that short talk.
The 24 kind acts
Here is the full list, so you can see what’s coming and gather anything you need.
- Give someone a big hug
- Draw a picture for a grandparent
- Help set the table
- Say thank you to your teacher
- Share a toy with a sibling or friend
- Make a card for a neighbor
- Pick up 5 things that aren’t yours
- Give someone a compliment
- Donate a toy or book you’ve outgrown
- Read a story to someone younger
- Help carry in the groceries
- Sit with someone who’s alone
- Leave a kind note for a family member
- Thank a mail carrier or delivery driver
- Feed the birds
- Call or video-chat a relative
- Let someone else go first
- Make a snack for your family
- Tell someone why they’re special
- Help wrap a present
- Clean up without being asked
- Sing a Christmas song for someone
- Say a prayer for someone
- Give your family a Christmas Eve hug, like Barnaby and Toby on the raft
Number 24 comes from my books. Barnaby and Toby end their story side by side on a raft, so a Christmas Eve hug felt like the right way to finish.
Tips for little ones, ages 3 to 5
Little ones need you beside them. Do the kind act together, and then name it out loud: “We made a card for our neighbor. That was kind.” If a day’s act is too big, make it smaller. Feeding the birds can be a handful of crumbs on the porch.
Tips for bigger kids, ages 6 to 8
Bigger kids can read the square themselves and plan how to do it. Let them choose who gets the card or the compliment. Afterward, ask how the other person reacted. Kids this age start to notice that kindness changes someone else’s day.
If you miss a day
You will miss a day, because December is busy. Do two the next day, or skip it and keep going. Nobody is keeping score.
Swap any act that doesn’t fit
Every family is different, so change what you need to. If your child has no brother or sister, share a toy with a friend. If your family doesn’t sing, hum. Day 23 is “Say a prayer for someone,” and in my family that one comes naturally. If prayer isn’t part of your home, your child can make that person a card or tell them something kind.
For teachers
School lets out before the 24th, so start a few days early or do two acts on some days. Put the calendar on the wall and let the class choose one act to do together each morning. Then send a copy home for the break. If 24 days is too many for your school calendar, I also made a shorter one, the 12 Days of Classroom Kindness countdown, with acts that all happen at school. You’ll find more free classroom printables on my For Educators page.
Read a kindness story along the way
Stories help the kind acts make sense. In The Grumble-Gator’s Greatest Raft, Toby remembers his father’s words: “A fist can break a branch, but a kind word can plant a forest.” Twenty-four small kind acts is a good start on a forest.
In The Grumble-Gator’s Bravest Choice, Barnaby learns that hurt doesn’t have to be passed on. Both books are made for reading out loud, and both fit under a tree.
Book 1
The Grumble-Gator’s Greatest Raft
A gentle turtle, a grumpy gator, and the kind word that turns a bully into a friend. Ages 3–8.
Amazon: fastest shipping. Or buy direct from the author (ships in 2–3 weeks).
New · Book 2
The Grumble-Gator’s Bravest Choice
Barnaby was picked on too, once. The brave choice that stops the hurt from being passed on. Ages 3–8.
Amazon: fastest shipping. Or buy direct from the author (ships in 2–3 weeks).
Kindness advent calendar questions parents ask
What is a kindness advent calendar?
A kindness advent calendar is a countdown to Christmas where each day has one small act of kindness to do. Kids do one kind thing a day from December 1 to December 24.
When do you start a kindness advent calendar?
Start on December 1. If you start late, begin with today’s number, or do two a day until you catch up.
What age is a kindness advent calendar good for?
This one is made for ages 3 to 8. Younger children do each act with a grown-up. Older kids can read the square and plan it on their own.
Is the kindness advent calendar free?
Yes. It’s a one-page PDF that is free to print at home or for a classroom, and you don’t have to sign up for anything.
One last thought
Christmas goes by fast when you’re little. One page on the fridge and one kind act a day can slow it down a bit.
By Christmas Eve your child will have 24 colored stars, and a pretty good idea of how it feels to give.
Cory