25 Advent Calendar Ideas for Teens They’ll Actually Enjoy

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Finding an Advent calendar for teens can be tricky. They’re too old for many of the Advent calendars designed for little kids, but they still enjoy having a fun way to count down to Christmas. These Advent calendar ideas for teens are designed to feel fun, age-appropriate, and easy for families to enjoy together.

Instead of simply filling Advent calendar pockets or boxes with another small toy or piece of candy, try adding Christmas activities for teens, special treats, family outings, and experiences. Teen Advent calendar ideas such as Christmas movie marathons, holiday baking sessions, scavenger hunts, and hot chocolate bars can turn the countdown to Christmas into a month of memorable family activities.

My kids are now 13 and 16, so my house is solidly in the teen phase. Every year I try to talk with them about what sort of Advent calendar they want. They have made two things clear:

• Chocolate is always appreciated
• They enjoy doing Advent activities, as long as they don’t feel babyish

I used that information to help form our family’s teen Advent traditions. Toward the end of November, I put together two Advent calendars for my teens. The first Advent calendar is a traditional wooden box I bought a few years ago. Each day in December leading up to Christmas has a small square box. I put a little piece of candy in each box.

The second Advent calendar for teens is a bit more time-intensive because it is activity-based. Over a decade ago, when my teens were itty bitty, I sewed a large Advent calendar. My goal was to help my preschooler visualize how many days there were until Christmas. There are 25 pockets – one for each day leading up to Christmas. We still use this as our Advent calendar for teens.

Honestly, it is enormous, the fabric was expensive, and it was time-consuming to create, so I recommend just buying a pocket Advent calendar. There are some great options available these days!

Each pocket holds a special Advent activity for the day. When my kids were younger, it was full of craft activities. As my kids outgrew the simple crafts, they stopped being interested in the Advent calendar. Last year they asked me not to bother filling every pocket with activities. Instead, we just sprinkled a few Christmas activities for teens throughout the month.

I thought that the Advent activity tradition was over, but last week my son told me that he changed his mind. He wants me to create a fun Advent calendar for teens. Challenge accepted!

25 Fun Advent Calendar Ideas for Teens

These are the Advent calendar ideas for teens that will fill the pockets of my family’s Advent calendar this year. Some of the activities are things we have done in the past, and some are new ideas. I ran the ideas by my teens, so these activities are truly teen-approved!

I hope this list is helpful for you as you create new Christmas traditions!

Creative Advent Activities for Teens

Decorate Gingerbread Houses

Every year I buy prebuilt gingerbread houses as soon as I see them in stores. This year I bought them well before Halloween. We never have much luck building the houses, but we do have fun decorating. Each teen decorates their own gingerbread house, and I love seeing their personalities shine through their choices. These become Christmas decorations in my kitchen all December.

There are a few ways to make decorating gingerbread houses fun for teens, and different from an activity for little kids:

• Make the house out of cake, using a gingerbread house cake pan
• Implement a color theme
• Provide professional decorating tools such as piping bags with a variety of tips, sprinkle tweezers, and palette knives
• Swap decorations – try using slivered almonds, powdered sugar, shredded coconut, and molded chocolate

Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Make a Christmas Ornament

I’m a sentimental ornament person, so I try to get my kids to make an ornament every year. I love pulling the homemade ornaments out of the box while decorating our Christmas trees. A few options teens will enjoy include:

• Mini terra cotta gingerbread houses
• Watercolor night sky
• Christmas ornament embroidery kit (My teens really love embroidering.)

Make sure to label the Christmas ornaments with the teen’s name and the year.

Make a Garland

I’m going to give my teens a ton of creative liberty with this Advent activity. They can make a garland any way they want. They might choose to add lights and ribbon to the greenery. They might prefer to string popcorn and cranberries. This candy garland would be a cute option too. Teens can responsibly handle a large needle, so they have plenty of garland options available.

Paint Holiday Coasters

Years ago, my kids began decorating tile coasters for me. Now we have a few for each season.

They love to update our Christmas coaster collection each year as their art skills improve.

Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Decorate a Tumbler

I’m really glad I asked my kids for input on the Advent calendar ideas for teens list because I would not have thought of this activity on my own. My daughter is really excited about it.

I’m planning to use this tutorial, but am undecided whether we will use glitter. We might just modge podge Christmas stickers and decals onto the tumblers and call it good.

Food and Baking Advent Activities

Fun Christmas-Themed Meal

Teens seem to love all things involving food, so I worked a few food and baking activities onto the list of Advent calendar ideas for teens. A Christmas-themed meal can mean a variety of things. There are lots of ways to have a Christmas-themed meal:

• Christmas tree cinnamon rolls
• Christmas pancake bar
• Christmas sandwiches
• Elf-inspired dinner

Try a New Christmas Cookie Recipe

Teens understand kitchen safety, are capable of research, and are full of creativity. This is a combination that lends itself well to trying new Christmas cookie recipes! I’m going to put each of my teens in charge of coming up with a new recipe. They can find a recipe already published or create their own. We all love trying new Christmas cookies.

Roast Marshmallows Over the Fire Pit

I’m always amazed at how much joy a simple fire pit brings. We always have a fun time sitting around the fire. I’m planning to have a collection of Christmas marshmallows (shaped regular marshmallows and Christmas peeps) to give this activity a Christmas flair.

We might even invite the neighbors to enjoy this activity too. Many of the Advent calendar ideas for teens are fun for all ages.

Make Christmas Pizza

My teens are always in favor of pizza. They would happily eat Christmas pizzas for lunch, dinner, or a snack.

This year we are going to try making Christmas tree-shaped pizzas. We will either free-form cut Christmas trees from pizza dough or use a large Christmas tree cookie cutter. Then everyone will decorate their pizzas with their favorite toppings.

Christmas Doughnut Bar

A Christmas doughnut bar was an activity that my teenagers specifically requested show up on this Advent calendar ideas for teens list.

The idea behind it is simple – I set out doughnut toppings, and everyone creates their own. I bake gluten-free doughnuts, but you could also use plain store-bought doughnuts.

Hot Chocolate Bar

A hot chocolate bar is always delicious, but I’m planning to have a hot chocolate bar available while my daughter is studying for finals. A sweet, festive drink seems like just the thing to drink while staying up late studying.

Our hot chocolate bar usually includes:

• Hot chocolate
• Coffee (regular or decaf)
• Peppermint extract
• Whipped cream
• Christmas sprinkles
• Candy canes

Make a Christmas Mocktail

Mocktails are really just fun festive drinks. They feel special, but they don’t take much effort or time to make.

I’m going to shop for ingredients based on this list of holiday mocktails. A few that sound really good are:

• Sparkling berry and pomegranate
• Cran-raspberry martini mocktail
• Ombre grapefruit mocktail

Make Christmas Custard

My husband’s great-grandmother used to make custard every year on Christmas Eve, earning it the name Christmas custard. It is essentially a Southern boiled custard but feels special because of the memories attached.

This became a tradition that has been passed down over the years. Now my teens help make the custard each year. The recipe is simple, but it does take a bit of time standing over a hot stove.

DIY Hot Cocoa Bombs

Have you tried the hot cocoa bomb trend? Last year I hunted down these sweet, chocolatey bombs last year . . . and then we didn’t like them. They were too sweet.

I’m hoping that we will like the hot cocoa bombs if we can control the ingredients. We will use this guide to DIY the chocolate bombs. It looks pretty easy!

Go Out for a Christmas Dessert

Go out for a special Christmas dessert and let your teen choose the treat! Visit a favorite bakery, ice cream shop, or dessert café for a festive way to enjoy a sweet treat together. This is one of the Advent calendar ideas for teens that is simple, but festive.

Christmas Activities for Teens

Christmas Movie Marathon

A few years ago my family decided to have an all-night Christmas movie marathon. We camp out together in the living room and watch Christmas movies all night. It is exhausting, but so much fun. This is one of the Advent calendar ideas for teens that has become an annual tradition.

Christmas Scavenger Hunt

I haven’t figured out all of the details yet, but I want to add a Christmas scavenger hunt to my Advent calendar for teens this year. I think I will come up with a list of items to find, and then we can break up into groups to find them. I want this activity to be done outside of the house to make it more challenging. Possible locations include:

• Downtown
• Shopping mall
• Around the neighborhood

Make a Christmas Playlist

Creating a Christmas playlist will hopefully be a fun family discussion about which songs to include. Everyone can add their favorite holiday songs and Christmas carols.

I think this will make us associate specific songs with specific family members for years to come.

Christmas-Themed Board Game

I wasn’t sure if playing board games was something my kids would want on the Advent calendar for teens list, but they both agreed it would be fun. Rather than play the same games we play all the time, I decided to splurge on fun Christmas games.

Last update on 2026-09-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

$10 Thrift Store Christmas Challenge

Give your teen $10 and challenge them to find the most fun, creative, or ridiculous Christmas item they can at a local thrift store. It’s a fun way to get out of the house, exercise some creativity, and see what holiday treasures they can find! My teens love thrift stores and love showing their unique finds.

Christmas Community Events

Attend a Local Tree Lighting Ceremony

If your town has a tree lighting ceremony, I recommend trying to go. We always pack hot cocoa and enjoy feeling like part of our community. I’m sure a great time will be had by all.

Go See the Local Christmas Parade

Christmas parades are fun. It is a great way to spread holiday cheer while cheering on the local dance teams, children’s sports leagues, and school bands.

If you think your family would like to add this activity to your Advent calendar for teens, make sure to gather the info as soon as possible. Some towns host Christmas parades incredibly early – late November or early December.

Visit a Historic Home

Historic homes tend to decorate for the holiday season using materials that are appropriate to the time period of the home. Find a historic attraction in your community and check its events calendar to see if there are any holiday tours.

Colonial Williamsburg is a family-happy place. We live about 3 hours away and go multiple times a year. All of the seasons are fun, but near Christmas is our favorite. The colonial homes are decorated with natural items like fruit and greenery. Strolling down the cobblestone streets and admiring the decorations always puts us in the holiday spirit.

Shop for the Food Pantry

We add to our local food pantry collection box pretty often, but I always make sure to involve the teens around the holidays. Sometimes we choose groceries based on a theme. Some themes include:

• Special holiday breakfast
• Christmas dinner
• Cookie baking supplies
• Fun (and yummy) lunches while kids are out of school for the holiday break

Give an Award to our Favorite Neighborhood Decorations

My neighbors put a lot of effort into their holiday decorations, and we decided that we want to reward them. We always look at the light displays as we go for moonlit walks, so why not let people know that we are enjoying the decorations?

We will put together a few gift bags with simple treats to use as awards. I’m going to stick to store-bought items because we don’t know every single neighbor, and I know I would feel weird about eating food made by strangers.

This is one of my favorite Advent calendar ideas for teens because it requires conversation. We need to discuss all of the potential winning homes. Another thing I love is that it encourages physical activity in a fun way.

Advent Calendars for Teens

If you’d rather purchase a ready-made Advent calendar for your teen, there are also plenty of options beyond the traditional chocolate calendar. Look for calendars based on your teen’s interests, such as beauty, snacks, puzzles, crafts, collectibles, or self-care.

Fishing Advent Calendar

Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Skincare Advent Calendar

Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Make Up Advent Calendar

Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Puzzle Advent Calendar

Last update on 2026-09-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Advent Calendar Ideas for Teens tips:

Keep a list of the fun Christmas activities. This lets you swap out activities easily. For example, if the forecast calls for stormy weather, it might be a good idea to swap a movie marathon for looking at Christmas lights.

Buy all of the materials at once. It is so much easier to find the energy for a new Christmas recipe if you don’t have to also go to the grocery store.

Many of these Christmas activities for tweens and teens can also be done in a small group.

I hope these fun activities help you have a wonderful Christmas season! You might even decide to keep a few as a new family tradition.

Keep reading . . .

• Awesome Christmas Homeschool Activities
• Christmas Books for Young Adults
• Christmas Doughnut Bar
• Christmas Activities for Tweens and Teens
• Christmas Unit Studies for Homeschool Lessons

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