A book advent calendar is 24 wrapped books, one opened each day from 1 December to Christmas Eve, and you can make one at home without buying 24 new books. Mix books from your own shelves, the library and friends, wrap and number them, and save the most special one, a book that’s about the child, for the 24th.
It takes an evening to put together, and it turns December into 24 small surprises. Most of the books are probably in your house already, so it’s one of the easiest Christmas traditions to start. If you’re still choosing the main present, our guide to personalised Christmas gifts for kids has ideas by age and by who’s giving.
The short version
- Gather the books, mixing new, old and borrowed.
- Check the mix of short books, longer ones and Christmas stories.
- Plan the order, with short books on busy days.
- Write a list of which book is which number.
- Wrap and number them.
- Put them out on 30 November, with the special one kept for the 24th.
What is a book advent calendar?
A book advent calendar swaps the chocolate behind each door for a wrapped book, opened one a day through December. You can buy one ready-made, as a boxed set of small books, or make your own with books you choose.
We’d make our own every time, for two reasons. You choose every book, so it fits the child. And you can mix in books you already own, which keeps the cost down and means the calendar can be as long or short as you like.
What you need
You need books, something to wrap them in, numbers, and somewhere to keep them. That’s it.
- Books. Around 24, though a shorter calendar works fine (more on that below).
- Wrapping. Brown paper, newspaper, last year’s leftover paper, or fabric bags. Reusable bags save time if you’re doing this every year.
- Numbers. Tags, stickers or a marker pen, 1 to 24.
- A home for them. A high shelf, a crate on top of a cupboard, or a basket by the tree if your children can wait.
Mixing new, old and borrowed is half the fun.
How to make one, step by step
- Gather the books. We’d start with your own shelves and pull out anything that hasn’t been read for a while. An old favourite feels new again once it’s wrapped. Then top up from the library or a swap with friends. Charity shops are good for second-hand books too (op shops in Australia and New Zealand, thrift stores in the US).
- Check the mix. Lay them all out. Do you have some short ones, some longer ones, and a few Christmas stories? If you’ve got a reluctant reader, add comics, joke books and books about the things they love.
- Plan the order. Look at the calendar for December and spot the busy days. We’d put short books on school nights and busy days, and the longer ones at weekends and in the holidays. Save the Christmas stories for the last week, when everyone’s in the mood.
- Write a list. Before you wrap anything, write down which book is which number. It takes two minutes and saves you unwrapping the lot to find the library book that’s due back.
- Wrap and number them. Put each book’s number where it’s easy to see. Older children can help decorate the tags, as long as they don’t see what’s inside.
- Put them out on 30 November. Set them up the night before the first door, so the first morning of December starts with a pile of parcels.
What to put in a book advent calendar, by age
The right books depend on the child’s age, and we reckon a mix of types keeps it interesting all month.
Ages 0 to 2
We’d go for short, sturdy books with big pictures. Board books, touch-and-feel books, lift-the-flap books and books with rhymes all work. For this age the calendar is really about the reading together, so a book they’ve had since summer is just as good wrapped up as a new one.
Ages 3 to 5
Picture books, look-and-find books and rhyming stories. This is a good age for books with something to spot on every page, because the hunt makes a short story last longer. Add a counting book and a book about something they’re obsessed with, whether it’s dinosaurs, diggers or horses.
Ages 6 to 9
We’d mix longer picture books with short chapter books, joke books, comics and non-fiction. A book of facts about space or animals can be a better day than another story. If they’re reading on their own, let them read a page or two to you.
Days without a book
Not every door has to be a book. We like a few non-book days, because they keep it fresh and make a 24-book target easier:
- a bookmark you’ve made with their name on it
- a voucher for a bedtime story read by Grandad on a video call
- a small torch for reading under the covers
- a note saying today’s the day you’re going to the library together
How to keep the cost down
Books from your own shelves cost nothing. You’ve probably got more books than you think, and every one of them can be a door.
A few other ways to keep it affordable:
- Use the library. Check how long you can borrow books for, then give the library books the early numbers so they’re read and back on time.
- Swap with friends. Two families each wrap 12 books from their own shelves for the other’s children. Both get 12 books they haven’t read.
- Go second-hand. Charity shops and school book sales often have picture books in good condition.
- Make it shorter. A 12-day calendar from 13 December to Christmas Eve still feels like a countdown. So does one book every Sunday until Christmas.
Day 24: save a book that’s about them
The book for Christmas Eve deserves the most thought. It’s the last door, and it’s the night before the big day.
A book with the child in it makes a lovely last door. In My Way Home, the child travels around the world and the story brings them back to their own home town and country. That feels right for the night before Christmas. My Secret Unicorn suits a pony-mad child: they rescue a hurt unicorn and find out their own horse is magical. In both, Teddy hides on every page, so there’s a game in it too.
Write a message for the front, so the last door carries your words too. Something like ‘Sam, you’re the hero of this one. You’re the hero of ours too. Dad.’ is short enough to read aloud before bed.
If you’re on a tight budget, the free personalised digital edition of any of our books works too. Wrap a note that tells them their story is waiting on the tablet.
Common mistakes
Plan the order and you’ll avoid most of these.
- Long books on school nights. A 40-page story at 7.30 on a Tuesday is a battle. Keep those for the weekend.
- Losing track of the order. Without a list, you end up unwrapping three parcels to find the library book. Write the list before you wrap.
- Taping wrapping paper to library books. Library books have to go back in good condition, so use paper bags or fabric for those, and mark them on your list.
- Opening the best one first. Children ask, and it’s tempting. Hold the special book back for the 24th.
- Making it a chore. If you miss a night, open two the next day. Nobody’s counting except the children.
How The Kids Book Company helps
Every one of our books has a free personalised digital edition through the Free Book Project. It’s made in under five minutes, and you don’t need a credit card. You create an account with your email so we can send the file. We think it’s an easy way to give a day 24 book with the child’s name in it.
If you’d like a printed book for the last door, you can add a personal message, and we print it into the front of the book for free.
Create their free book.
Related questions
Is there an advent calendar for books?
Yes. You can buy boxed sets of small books with one to open each day, or make your own by wrapping 24 books and numbering them. Making your own lets you choose every book and use ones you already have.
How many books do you need for a book advent calendar?
The classic version uses 24, one for each day from 1 December to Christmas Eve. You don’t have to buy them all: mix books from your shelves, the library and friends. A 12-day version from 13 December works well if 24 feels like too many.
Can you use library books in an advent calendar?
You can. Wrap them in paper bags or fabric rather than taping paper to the covers, and give them the early numbers so they’re read and back on time.
What’s a good book to open on Christmas Eve?
Something special that they’ll want to keep. A Christmas story works, and so does a book that’s about them, with their name in the story and a message from you at the front.
Where can I buy a book advent calendar?
Bookshops and online book retailers sell ready-made book advent calendars in the run-up to Christmas, usually as boxed sets of small books. If you’d rather choose every book yourself, making one at home takes an evening.
