Advent
12 Days of Christmas Activities for Kids (Dec 26 to Jan 6)
The 12 days of Christmas are the days after Christmas, not the countdown before it, and they make a lovely, low-pressure stretch for kids once the presents are open. Here are 12 easy activities, one for each day from December 26 to January 6, that mix rest days, quiet projects and a couple of short outings. If you just finished a December countdown, think of this as the exhale. (Need the pre-Christmas version? See our Christmas countdown activities for kids.)
Key takeaways
- Count it your way. Traditions run December 25 to January 5 or December 26 to January 6. Either works.
- One small thing a day. Most take 10 to 30 minutes and need nothing you do not already own.
- Alternate busy and quiet. Follow every outing with a slow day.
- Wind down on purpose. Thank-you notes, a goal or two and a memory page turn a pile of gifts into closure.
When are the 12 days of Christmas?
It depends on who is counting. According to Wikipedia's article on Christmastide, the season lasts 12 days, from December 25 to January 5, and Lutheran and Anglican churches follow that count. Start on December 26 instead and the twelfth day is January 6, the date of Epiphany, which commemorates, among other things, the visit of the Magi. The Twelfth Night article explains why you will see either January 5 or January 6 named as the last night.
This plan runs December 26 through January 6. In 2026 and 2027 that means day one is Saturday, December 26, and day twelve is Wednesday, January 6. Your own tradition, school calendar and travel plans get the final say, so slide the days around freely.
Why plan the days after Christmas at all?
The stretch between Christmas and the first day back to routine has no built-in structure: no countdown, no event, and often no gifts left to open. A loose plan gives each day a small purpose. It also lets you fold the grown-up jobs of the season, like thank-you notes, sorting and packing away, into activities kids actually want to join. Every idea below takes 10 to 30 minutes, uses things you already own, and is tagged by age so you can adapt it.
What are 12 easy activities for the 12 days of Christmas?
Here is the whole plan at a glance, with the 2026 to 2027 weekdays, followed by the details.
| Day | Date | Activity | Pace |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat, Dec 26 | Pajamas-and-new-books day | Rest |
| 2 | Sun, Dec 27 | Thank-you note day | Quiet |
| 3 | Mon, Dec 28 | Sort and share toys | Quiet |
| 4 | Tue, Dec 29 | Family map day | Quiet |
| 5 | Wed, Dec 30 | Winter walk scavenger hunt | Outing |
| 6 | Thu, Dec 31 | Noon countdown | Quiet |
| 7 | Fri, Jan 1 | Goals for the new year | Quiet |
| 8 | Sat, Jan 2 | Cardboard-box day | Quiet |
| 9 | Sun, Jan 3 | Memory page | Quiet |
| 10 | Mon, Jan 4 | Cozy game afternoon | Rest |
| 11 | Tue, Jan 5 | Kindness errand | Outing |
| 12 | Wed, Jan 6 | Close the season | Quiet |
Day 1: Pajamas and new books (all ages). Stay in pajamas, read the new books and play with the new toys on the rug. No schedule is the schedule. After weeks of build-up, a day with nothing planned is a gift to everyone.
Day 2: Thank-you notes (ages 3 to 12). Each child makes one note. Little ones draw and dictate a sentence; older kids write three. Our guide to thank-you notes for kids after Christmas has sentence starters by age.
Day 3: Sort and share toys (ages 4 to 12). Let each child choose three to five toys or books to pass along, making room for the new arrivals. Keep it voluntary and never a punishment. Donate only clean, complete items, and ask the organization what it can accept before you go.
Day 4: Family map day (ages 4 to 12). Tape a map to the wall and add a sticker for where each family member lives, one for each place you have visited and one for a dream destination. Then pick a "someday trip" together. For a place to start, try our Explorer Passport.
Day 5: Winter walk scavenger hunt (ages 3 to 12). Make a short list of things to spot: a bird, a pinecone, a red door, a house still wearing its lights, something round. Stay together, dress for the weather you actually have, and keep it to about an hour.
Day 6: Noon countdown (ages 3 to 12). Ring in the new year at noon with a pot-and-spoon parade, a countdown from ten and sparkling juice in the good cups. Everyone still gets a normal bedtime.
Day 7: Goals for the new year (ages 4 to 12). New Year's Day is a good time to choose one to three goals. Our guide to new year's goals for kids turns them into a quest.
Day 8: Cardboard-box day (ages 3 to 10). Gift boxes become a ship, a castle or a robot. Offer tape, markers and wrapping-paper scraps. A grown-up handles any cutting for little ones; older kids use child-safe scissors with supervision.
Day 9: Memory page (ages 4 to 12). Draw or write three favorite moments from the year. Need prompts? Try our year-end reflection questions for kids.
Day 10: Cozy game afternoon (all ages). Board games, puzzles or a family read-aloud under blankets. It is your second official rest day.
Day 11: Kindness errand (ages 4 to 12). Take the toys you sorted on Day 3 to the donation spot and let your child hand over the box, or deliver a homemade card to a neighbor. More ideas are in our kindness activities by age.
Day 12: Close the season (all ages). Pack the decorations away one at a time, and let each person tell the story of one ornament as it goes in the box. Details are below.
A quick safety note: supervise scissors, tape and small decorations, keep breakable ornaments out of little hands, and stay within sight on any outing.
How do I adapt the same day for different ages?
If you have more than one child, keep the activity the same and change the ask.
| Activity | Ages 3 to 5 | Ages 6 to 8 | Ages 9 to 12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Map day | Stick a dot on home and one far-away place | Trace a route to a "someday" place and guess how long it would take | Pick a country from an atlas and make a one-page fact sheet |
| Memory page | Draw one favorite moment; a grown-up writes the label | Draw three moments with a sentence for each | Write the year as a list of headlines |
| Cardboard-box day | Decorate a box and play inside it | Build a ship or house with a door that opens | Design a build with a moving part, like a drawbridge |
How do I balance rest and outings?
After weeks of lists and late nights, slow time is worth protecting. A few simple rules keep the twelve days restful:
- The rule of two. No more than two busy days in a row, and every outing is followed by a quiet day.
- One pajama pass. Any family member may call one extra rest day, no explanation needed.
- Pick six, not twelve. Traveling or hosting? Keep days 1, 2, 4, 7, 9 and 12 and let the rest go.
- Let days float. If the weather turns or someone gets sick, swap days around. The list is a menu, not a test.
Behind on your countdown? Our guide to starting an advent calendar late has catch-up options, and these twelve days are a natural place to finish a countdown that ran long.
How do I close the season on day twelve?
Give the last day a small ritual so the season ends with a feeling instead of a thud.
- Ornament stories. As each ornament is wrapped, the person who picked it, made it or received it tells its story in a sentence or two.
- A note to next December. Each family member writes or draws one hope for next year, seals it in an envelope and tucks it in the decoration box, marked "Open December 1."
- One thank-you for the season. Go around the table and name one moment from the past two weeks you want to keep.
Planning ahead for next December? The Around the World Advent Calendar Passport is a 24-day countdown, not a 12-day one: a printed passport and stickers mailed to you, plus a printable parent guide. You supply your own 24-compartment calendar, and the listing shows what arrives and when. Prefer a free plan? Start with our Christmas countdown activities list.
Every activity here is screen-free by design, though screens are fine too. If your list runs out, our screen-free activities for kids has more.
Make it magical with Wonderkin
Wonderkin Adventures is a small shop run by a working mom and veterinarian who loves her daughter. Our Advent passports are printed and mailed to you, with a separate printable parent guide, and you bring the 24-compartment calendar. When you start planning next December, explore the Advent calendars collection.
Questions parents ask
When are the 12 days of Christmas?
Traditions count them two ways: December 25 to January 5 (the Lutheran and Anglican count), or December 26 to January 6, which ends on Epiphany. Either way, they follow Christmas Day rather than lead up to it. The weeks before Christmas are Advent, a separate countdown.
What can kids do on the 12 days of Christmas?
Keep it small: one 10- to 30-minute activity a day, such as thank-you notes, a family map day, sorting toys to donate, a cardboard-box project, goal setting and a memory page. Mix in two or three rest days so nobody burns out before January 6.
Do we have to do all 12 days?
No. Treat the list as a menu. If you are traveling or hosting, keep six anchor days (a rest day, thank-you notes, a map day, goals, a memory page and the closing ritual) and skip the rest. A missed day does not make a failed tradition.
Can we use this plan if we do not celebrate Christmas?
Yes. Most of the days, including map day, goals, a memory page and cardboard-box play, work for any winter break. The twelve-day count simply gives two weeks a gentle shape, so swap in your own traditions wherever they fit better.
How do I keep the days from feeling like chores?
Let kids choose the order and trade days, keep every activity under 30 minutes, and join in yourself. Protect at least two rest days, and give each child one veto they can use without explaining. The goal is a calm landing, not a perfect list.
