Advent Calendar Idea Using The Christmas Story

I know we are thinking about Thanksgiving now, but I wanted to share this because December 1st will be here soon!

If you like doing Advent calendars with your kids, you might want to try something a little different with it. I shared this a couple years ago but wanted to share it again for anyone that missed it.

It is an Advent Calendar that has the Christmas Story divided into 24 sections. Each day, you reveal a portion of the story. On Christmas Eve, you and your kids can read the whole story together.

Many Advent calendars have a gift or trinket each day, so this is a great way to keep the meaning of Christmas alive and have less toys and clutter in the house!!

For a free printable of the numbers and of the Christmas Story already divided into 24 equal parts, visit the original Advent Calendar of The Christmas Story post.

Happy Thanksgiving 🙂

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Advent Calendar of The Christmas Story

As we are about to enter the season of Advent, I thought this would be a good year to start using an Advent calendar to prepare for Christmas.

One of the traditions I’d like to ensure in our home is to incorporate the Christmas story throughout the holidays. I realized I probably knew T’was the Night Before Christmas better than I knew the actual Christmas story and I wanted to change that.

For this Christmas Story Advent Calendar, we are going to reveal a bit of the story each day until Christmas Eve when we will read the whole story together.

This version is really easy. All you need is:

• Green and red card stock cut into 3 x 5 pieces
• Decorative paper clips (see previous post here for tutorial on them) or clothespins
• Ribbon
• Removable hooks or nails
• Glue
• Christmas story and number print outs (included for you below)

I used several sources to write out the Christmas story in 24 small chunks. I even sent it to my pastor to make sure I  told the story correctly and biblically 🙂 I attached it below, so the hard part is done for you. I also attached the numbers typed out to make it even easier. Just print and cut.

The Christmas Story-printable

Advent Calendar Printable Numbers

Cut out the numbers and the portions of the story and glue them onto your cardboard pieces. The number on one side and the corresponding story part on the back.

Next, put two hooks or nails on both sides of your fireplace (or wherever you like, especially if you use your fireplace a lot).

Attach a strip of ribbon to each hook and hot glue a bow onto the hooks for decoration.

Then using your decorative paper clips or clothespins,

hang your story cards along the ribbon with the numbers facing outward.

Then, beginning December 1, simply turn one card over each day to reveal a portion of the Christmas story.

On December 24, your whole story is revealed and you can all read it together as a family.

I hope you have fun with this idea. We can’t control how society is commercializing all of our holidays, so it’s up to us to keep the true meaning of Christmas alive.

xo