Create a Christmas Book Advent to celebrate the season this year and create a new favorite tradition in your family! Every night unwrap and read a different storybook. Ideas for wrapping and list of recommended books. This post contains affiliate links, which help to support this blog. Thank you!
Here’s the general idea: Every day leading up to Christmas, the kids get to open up one wrapped Christmas story that we will read together before bedtime. The final book that we open on Christmas Eve is the Bible from which we read the Christmas story together. I wrap up all the books with numbered tags, so we know which one to open each day, and then tuck them into a basket under the tree.
To make your own Christmas book advent, you will need 24 Christmas, holiday, or winter-y books. If you are building your book collection you could even start by doing the 12 days leading up to Christmas. We do NOT buy all new books every year. The first year we already had a fairly good collection of Christmas books, but I think I still had to buy about eight new books. If that is too much of an upfront expense, you may want to look for books at thrift stores or borrow books from your local library.
This year I bought three new books to throw into the mix, but the other books are all books we already had in our collection. If you are looking for books for your Christmas advent, here are some of our favorites you may want to check out:
- The Jolly Christmas Postman
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- A Wish to Be A Christmas Tree
- Olivia Helps with Christmas
- The Polar Express
- Bear Stays Up for Christmas
- The Night Before Christmas
- The Little Christmas Elf
- Disney Christmas Storybook Collection
- The Sweet Smell of Christmas
- Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale
- Mortimer’s Christmas Manger
- Merry Christmas, Curious George
- Sofia the First Holiday in Enchancia
- The Twelve Days of Christmas
- Ten on the Sled
- Olive, the Other Reindeer
- Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree
- The Christmas Wish
- Samurai Santa
Check out some of my other Christmas ideas:
Comments + Project Love
Rachel H says
I love this idea! It is so easy to incorporate into your normal routine, but by still making it a little extra special. {and that's a great list of books!}
Peggy Zortman says
Absolutely wonderful idea! Thank you for sharing.
Rachel // Maybe Matilda says
Fantastic idea! I'm going to check out some of those books–I'd love to do this next Christmas with my kids.
An Inviting Home says
So fun and I can only imagine how excited your kids are…yay for it finally being Dec. 1st! :-)<br /><br />~Sarah
Rachel Baumann - Fifty Two Weekends says
great idea! Half.com is another great place to buy used books, too!
Kylie Rose says
Oh, Alexis, I LOVE this idea! Seriously, precious. I can't wait to have a family to celebrate something as fun as this! What a cute mama you are.<br /><br />xo,<br />Kylie
Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says
we love books! i adore this idea- the gift that keeps on giving!
michelle@decorandthedog says
Such a great idea! Great book list as well. I need to add a few to my nieces' collection!
Amy W says
Love this!
Andrea || life love larson says
This is wonderful and meaningful! I love it and will be stealing this idea from you!! Great tradition to add a new book to the mix every year! xo
Amy @ Homey Oh My! says
The BEST tradition. I remember thinking that last year as well. Hanging up the numbers is such a genius way to make this an advent!
Ursula Rosien says
Super thankful for featuring me! I've been following your blog for a while and it is an honor to be on your homepage 😉
Shannon says
Well yours is way more stylish than mine, but we love the Christmas book advent too! The kids take turns picking a wrapped book from our basket each night. It's a fun tradition and the boys remember their favorites and try to find them. 🙂
Jennifer BNHblog says
This is such a great idea and so pretty, too. Kids love opening presents, period!
Krista thehappyhousie says
Beautiful Alexis!!
Krista thehappyhousie says
Sorry, that published before my comment was done. What a special idea and tradition:)
Katie Nathey says
Alexis, I think this is such a beautiful tradition and one I will definitely keep in mind for when we have a family! Thanks so much for sharing!
Canary Street Crafts says
We started doing this last year too and it's such a great tradition! My kids love it!!
Carrie @ lovely etc. says
I love this idea! I am definitely going to try this next year when my little one is a little bigger. And the ribbon with numbers is a great visual too – love it!
kristi dominguez says
This is such a COOL idea, Alexis! I love that you use the same books year after year. So fun to be on this tradition tour with you!