Grab this free printable Christmas countdown for kids! Use stickers, stamps, or coloring to mark each day. It’s an easy way to answer “How many days left?”

How many times a day do your kids ask, “How many more days until Christmas?” 🎄 At my house, it starts the minute the Thanksgiving leftovers hit the fridge! That’s why I love this printable Christmas countdown. It lets kids see exactly how close the big day is. Plus, it saves my sanity a little bit, too.

What Is This Christmas Countdown?

This free set includes three different Christmas countdown pages. The first one is red and green with blank spots for each day. Kids can mark off a day, add a stamp, or stick on a sticker. The second page has the same layout in gray scale, so it’s an easy way to save colored ink.

The third page is black and white. Each box has a small holiday image inside. Every day, kids color in one picture to count down to Christmas Day. It’s like a Christmas craft and a calendar all in one! 🖍️

Why You’ll Love This Idea

First, it helps little kids keep track of the days. Young kids don’t really understand time yet, you know? A calendar on the wall just doesn’t click for them. However, seeing the boxes fill up makes it real. As a result, the “how many days” questions slow down. Well, mostly!

Also, it’s a simple way to build excitement without spending a dime. You don’t need a fancy advent calendar or a box full of toys. Instead, you just print the page and grab some stickers or crayons. Last year, my kids raced to the fridge every morning to fill in their box. It quickly became our favorite way to start the day during the holiday season!

How to Use the Printable Christmas Countdown

First, download the printable PDF file by entering your name and email address in the dark green download box at the bottom of the post. Pick your favorite page. Next, print it on regular printer paper or thick paper like cardstock. Thicker paper holds up better to stickers and lots of coloring. If you want to save ink, choose the grayscale or black and white version.

Then, hang or display the countdown somewhere your kids will see it every day. The fridge, a bedroom door, or near the Christmas tree all work great. After that, let kids mark one box each day. They can use stickers, stamps, crayons, or markers. Finally, celebrate when they fill in the last box on Christmas Eve! 🎉

Fun Ways to Use This Countdown

There are so many different ways to use these pages. Each one makes a fun Christmas countdown for home or school. Here are a few fun things to try with the whole family:

• Morning routine: Fill in a box at breakfast with a mug of hot chocolate. ☕
• Classroom calendar: Teachers can hang a big copy and let one student mark it each day.
• Sibling teamwork: Let kids take turns adding the daily sticker.
• Bedtime ritual: Read a Christmas book and then mark off the day.
• Grandparents: Print an extra copy so kids can count down to visits, too.

Variations to Try

Want to switch things up? Pair each box with an activity! Write fun activities on slips of paper, like baking cookies or watching a holiday movie. Then, kids do one activity each time they mark off a day. It basically turns your countdown into your own advent calendar.

Another idea is to focus on random acts of kindness. Each day, your family does one kind thing for someone else. For example, you could leave a note for a neighbor or donate a toy. This keeps the holiday spirit going strong all month!

For older kids, let them glue pom poms or glitter onto each box instead of coloring. It adds a fun texture and keeps their hands busy. And here’s a dad joke for the road: Why is Christmas countdown season so slow? Because it’s always “Dec-a-waiting”! 😂

Common Questions About Christmas Countdowns

When should you start a Christmas countdown?

Most families start on December 1st. That gives kids the whole month to build excitement. However, you can start earlier if your kids love counting down, but you might have to print multiple countdowns. These ones have 24 boxes.

How do you make a Christmas countdown for kids?

You can make your own countdown calendar with paper chains, a whiteboard, or an envelope for each day. Printables like this one make it even easier. Just print, hang, and start counting!

What can you put in a Christmas calendar instead of candy?

Try small toys, stickers, notes, or daily activities. You can also add your own activities, like making a Christmas craft. These ideas keep things fun without a sugar overload.

My Favorite Printable Supplies:

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• Printer: I love my HP Home Printer, it prints beautifully everytime no matter what projects I am working on.
• Paper: Depending on the durability you want with your printables, consider printing on white card stock or high quality paper.
• Laminator: For printables you are planning to use over and over again, simply laminate and use dry erase markers to mark up the printables.
• Paper Cutter: I love my CARL Paper Cutter. It makes trimming and cutting out printables a breeze.
• Sticker Paper: When printing tags or other free printables, sticker paper can make it easy to attach to gifts, boxes, or to make your own stickers.
• Cutting Supplies: You’ll want a great pair of paper cutting scissors and I love using an Xacto Knife for intricate details.
• Pens and Coloring Supplies: Here are some of my favorite writing tools for pencils and pens. Coloring supplies that I love to use in my own home: colored pencils, crayons, markers for adults, and markers for kids.

Download the Free Printable Christmas Countdown Calendar Here

Please remember my printables are free for classroom use or personal use only. You may not sell or distribute the printable or digital file. If you wish to share the digital files, please refer friends to the link of this blog post where they can sign up to receive the free printable directly in their inbox.

Be sure to check your printer settings before printing, I generally make sure that the scale to fit option is selected to make sure all of the printables fit on the page.

To ensure emails for printables are received in your inbox add hello@thebensonstreet.com to your email contacts. Also check your promotions, updates, spam, junk or other folders if you do not see the email in inbox. Also for educators, consider using your personal email as many school districts block the emails or downloading of files.

Start Counting Down to Christmas

This printable Christmas countdown is a fun way to track time and build excitement for Santa’s arrival. It’s quick, free, and so easy to use. Best of all, kids will have so much fun filling in each box!

So, print your favorite page today and get ready for the countdown. Don’t forget to save this post to your Christmas Pinterest board so you can find it again! 📌 Also, join my email list for more free printables and holiday fun. Happy counting! 🎅

More Printables for Christmas:

• More Christmas Countdown Crafts
• Printable Christmas Crafts
• Mickey Mouse Paper Plate Santa Craft
• Gingerbread House Craft
• Paper Strip Cardinal
• Candy Cane Hunt

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