24 Advent calendar filler ideas for small pockets

Use these 24 flexible activity ideas instead of tiny gifts. Edit a note or leave a day blank, arrange the notes around your December plans, then print 24 cut-out cards on two pages in A4 or US Letter. Try one folded slip first because pocket sizes differ. Prefer a ready-to-print list? Download the 24 activity notes to print and cut.

Plan and print your 24 activity notes

Edit a note, leave a day blank, or move notes to match your December plans. Printing makes two pages of 12 cut-out cards. Pocket sizes differ, so try one folded slip before preparing the full set.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8

Day 9

Day 10

Day 11

Day 12

Day 13

Day 14

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20

Day 21

Day 22

Day 23

Day 24

24 paper notes for Advent calendar pockets

Write one prompt on each slip. The wording is deliberately flexible: choose what suits your plans, and leave out anything your household would not enjoy.

1. Choose a holiday song to play together.
2. Share a favorite December memory.
3. Pick a Christmas story to read or listen to.
4. Draw a tiny ornament on scrap paper.
5. Make one paper-chain link.
6. Choose a decoration and tell its story.
7. Share a joke, riddle, or word puzzle.
8. Think of one kind thing to do for someone.
9. Cut a paper snowflake or draw one instead.
10. Choose a holiday film for an evening that works.
11. Write a short seasonal greeting for someone.
12. Notice winter details on a walk or from a window.
13. Choose a board or card game already at home.
14. Make a gift tag from a scrap of paper.
15. Invent a two-line rhyme about a winter day.
16. Tell someone about a holiday food you remember.
17. Invent a winter character and give it a name.
18. Choose where one decoration will go.
19. Make a three-word Christmas story together.
20. Pick a favorite photo or decoration to look at.
21. Write a thank-you note or message.
22. Take a picture of a detail you want to remember.
23. Repeat the favorite activity from an earlier day.
24. Share one moment this season you want to remember.

Put the notes in an order that works

Before filling the calendar, look at the December dates. Add anything already on the household calendar first. Put an outing or an activity that needs preparation on a day with room for it. Use the quick prompts for busier evenings, and pair any weather-dependent plan with a home alternative. That way, the note can still be a pleasant surprise without making the day harder.

Fold each slip small enough for the pocket you are using. Pocket sizes differ, so try one blank piece of paper first rather than assuming a particular note or object will fit.

Two Sewadora calendars with 24 numbered pockets

Choose a design you like, then check its personalization options on the product page. Try one folded slip in your calendar before preparing the full set.

Looking for a calendar? Browse all six personalized Advent calendars, or explore the full Christmas collection. To compare pockets, name placement and fabric before you pick one, see how to choose a personalized Advent calendar.

Related: Advent calendar ideas for adults · Advent calendar ideas for a toddler.