As the holidays approach, you may be on the hunt for new ways to countdown to the big day with your kids. Today I want to share an easy and fun DIY Christmas countdown with books. This is a great way to build excitement as Christmas approaches and build some literacy into your day!
Christmas Countdown with Books
This post contains affiliate links. This means I may receive a small commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase after clicking on a link on this page. Read more here.
This year I was looking for a new DIY Christmas countdown for my four year old. Now that she is a little older, she is so excited for Christmas. Seeing the gleam in her eyes every time we talk about Santa is thrilling to me!
I scoured the internet DIY Christmas countdown ideas, but one idea that stuck in my mind was a book advent calendar. I have an aunt who does something similar with her class. She wraps a book for each of her students. Everyday, she pulls a name out of a hat and that student gets to unwrap their Christmas book and she reads it aloud to the class that morning.
This year, we’re going to do a similar Christmas countdown with books for my daughter. We’ll unwrap one book each day and read it. I would love to make this a special bedtime story, but I know she’ll be too excited to wait for the day. We’ll be lucky to make it past breakfast.
We also get her a toy advent calendar each year. I’m currently choosing between this one and this one. I just can’t help myself! I don’t think the toy advent calendars are a waste of money at all, because in the past, she’s played with the little toys in them for months! (We’ve had the Paw Patrol Advent Calendar and the Little People Advent Calendar in previous years).
Related Posts:
20 Heart-Warming Christmas Traditions to Start with Your Family
30 Perfect Stocking Stuffers for Babies
My Family’s Unique Christmas Tradition (Free and No Prep!)
25 Delicious and Kid-Friendly Christmas Cookie Recipes
Making Your Own DIY Christmas Countdown with Books
To prepare my Christmas countdown, I wrapped each of our Christmas books. I organized them from shortest to tallest and arranged them in the shape of a Christmas tree (I may have used more than 24. We have A LOT of Christmas books in our house!).
Where to Get Your Christmas Books
Personally, it was not a struggle finding Christmas books to include in my countdown tree. H has received (multiple) Christmas books each year since she was born.
Those books combined with some of my school books (kindergarten teacher) made 24 books for my tree and then some.
Actually, I may wrap a few more and start the countdown early. That’s how excited we are for Christmas!
If you don’t have a big stash of Christmas books, there’s no need to panic. You can get used Christmas books easily at your local secondhand store, OR buy them used on Amazon for fantastic prices (I think I saw one on for 11 cents yesterday).
Related Posts:
The Best Wooden Toys for Babies and Toddlers
Adorable DIY Ornaments for Baby’s First Christmas
Perfect Winter Gifts for Outdoorsy Kids
Top Book Picks for your DIY Christmas Countdown
It’s a great idea to use old favorites, but purchasing a few new ones each year can add to the excitement, especially if you include Christmas books featuring your kids’ favorite characters!
If you need some ideas for your Christmas Countdown, here 24 of my favorites!
Classic Christmas Books
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
The beautifully illustrated classic Christmas tale and Caldecott Award winner recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. This special anniversary edition contains a beautiful ornament and a downloadable audio edition recorded by Liam Neeson!
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
This book is meant for older kids (grade three to five, but older kids would love it as well). It is all about a family from “the wrong side of the tracks” who end up starring in the church’s nativity play.
The Herdmans’ high jinks are hilarious, but the ending is absolutely heart-warming and will remind you about the true meaning of Christmas. You will have a tear in your eye, or maybe a flood of tears by the end!
If this book seems like it might be too advanced for your little ones, there is also a lovely storybook version. Be sure to read the real thing when they’re old enough. You won’t regret it!
The Christmas Tree That Grew by Phyllis Krasilovsky
This book is not currently being published, but if you can score a used copy (there are several on Amazon!), you definitely should! This was a family favorite off ours growing up.
It’s all about a Christmas tree that grew so big that the family ended up cutting a hole in between the floors of their three story apartment, so that three different families could enjoy it together for Christmas.
This book will alight your child’s curiosity and imagination (and they may ask you to cut a hole in your ceiling haha). A beautiful story that will become a family classic.
Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree by Robert Barry
This is another classic Christmas story. Mr. Willowby cuts off the top of his too-tall Christmas tree, but doesn’t realize it will spread Christmas joy all around. This is a new story I’m adding to our collection this year and I can’t wait to read it to my daughter!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess
The original story of the Grinch is an undeniable Christmas classic. The beautiful story of Christmas redemption will warm your hearts! Kids love this story so much they often memorize it!
The Night Before Christmas (Little Golden Book)
There are so many versions of The Night Before Christmas, but this is my favorite. Little Golden Books are a throwback to my own childhood and I love sharing them with my girls!
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Little Golden Book)
The sweet story of Rudolph. Your children may have watched the movie and now they can fall in love with the book.
Christmas Books with a New Spin
Olive, The Other Reindeer by Vivan Walsh
Have you ever wondered about the line “All of the other reindeer” in Rudolph? This tells the story of a little dog named Olive that mistakes herself for a reindeer. Like Rudolph, he ends up saving the day!
Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner
This is the sequel to Snowmen at Night and Caralyn Buehner has written a whole series of snowmen books, another adorable winter story. Have you ever wondered how snowmen celebrate Christmas? The beautiful illustrations will spark your kids’ imagination and might encourage them to create their own Christmas-loving snowmen
SantaKid by James Patterson by James Patterson
This is a sweet book about Santa Claus’ daughter and the commercialization of Christmas. Trouble arrives at the North Pole when Warrie Ransom, the Big Boss of the Exmas Express Company decides to buy Christmas. SantaKid saves the day and reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas and the power of believing.
Santa’s Underwear by Marty Rhodes Figley
Santa misplaces his special Christmas underwear and searches for the perfect pair to replace them. This book will have your kids giggling all night long.
The Animal’s Santa by Jan Brett
This book is about a little bunny who doubts there is a Santa. He learns to believe in this story. As usual, Jan Brett’s illustrations are to die for!
Christmas Books Featuring Favorite Characters
Merry Christmas Mom and Dad by Mercer Mayer
Little Critter books are so adorable. See what adventures and mischief Little Critter gets up to as he prepares for Christmas Day!
Merry Christmas from the Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
A Christmas book featuring your child’s favorite insect, the Very Hungry Caterpillar. This book has gorgeous illustrations on each page thanks to Eric Carle’s signature style. A beautiful book to cherish!
It’s Christmas, David! by David Shannon
This hilarious picture book by David Shannon chronicles the high jinks of mischief of a little boy named David during Christmas. It is part of the David series, which are all equally amusing (and made my list of engaging picture books for struggling readers!) Your kids will definitely relate to David’s adventures. Bonus: this is a very easy reader and is the perfect gift to give to a child learning to read!
Merry Christmas Curious George by Margret & H. A. Reys
Curious George’s hilarious antics cause a stir on Christmas! A favorite character for young and old. George manages to get into mischeif while on a Christmas tree farm, in a children’s hospital and meets a jolly man in a red suit!
Bear Stays Up For Christmas by Karma Wilson
The Bear Series are great read alouds and this Christmas version is no different. The animals must keep Bear awake for Christmas and together they do all kinds of Christmas activities. Bear learns the true meaning of Christmas is giving!
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by Eric Litwin
Pete the Cat is the coolest cat around and has a great attitude to boot. If your kids love the other Pete the Cat books (and if they don’t, buy them-stat!), they will love this take on The Night Before Christmas. Pete the Cat saves Christmas after Santa gets sick. This edition comes with a downloadable song and a full sheet of stickers!
Clifford’s First Christmas by Normal Bridwell
Clifford the puppy helps Emily Elizabeth and family prepare for Christmas, but on Christmas Eve, he falls into Emily Elizabeth’s stocking! A jolly man in a red suit helps Clifford out!
The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving by Jan and Mike Berenstain
Remember reading the Berenstain Bears as a child? It’s so special to share the special books and characters you loved as a child with your own family. In this book, Sister and Brother Bear are so excited for the toys they will receive on Christmas, they forget about the true meaning of Christmas, until they learn a special lesson on Christmas Eve.
Junie B. Jones: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! (P.S. So Does May.) by Barbara Park
This is a beginning chapter book, perfect for children in grade one or two. It’s also a great book to read aloud to younger children. The chapters are very short and it has some picture supports as well. Junie is such a comical character, you’ll be chuckling along with your kids!
If your child is ready to start early chapter books, or if you read chapter books to them, the Junie B. Jones series absolutely can’t be beat! The stories are so funny I often burst out laughing while reading them out loud to me class!
More Sweet Christmas Stories
That’s Not My… Christmas Series by Fiona Watt
This is the sweetest set of touchy feely books. Usborne actually has a whole collection, and these Christmas-themed options are perfect for the holiday. Babies and toddlers will love the tactile pages, and the repetitive text makes it easy for preschoolers or kindergarteners to join in on the reading.
Why I Love Christmas Illustrated by Daniel Howarth
This lovely board book lists reason why children love Christmas in the own words. It has beautiful illustrations on each page. The perfect book to get your children excited for the Christmas season and also remember the small, sweet parts of Christmas. This book will last long after other board books have lost their appeal.
Merry Christmas, Little Mouse by Nancy Walker Guye
This is the story of a little mouse who knows that the spirit of Christmas is all about and teachers his friends about the magic of giving.
I am so excited to start my Christmas Countdown with books with my little ones. I hope you have as much fun with this sweet idea as I know we will.
Merry Christmas from my family to yours!
Which Christmas books are your favorite? Do you have any DIY Christmas Countdown ideas you’ll be doing with your family? Share them below!
I love this idea I might have to give this a try on Christmas! Such a lovely selection of books
Thank you! My little girl is so excited each morning (we started a few days early). I hope your little ones will be too!