DLTK's Holiday Crafts for Kids
Advent Calendar

You can arrange this from 24 down to 1 (a countdown) or from 1 up to Christmas.  I always do it from 1 to Christmas as it encourages the kids to count the days that are remaining until Christmas -- it never hurts to sneak in a bit of counting practice *grin*.

Let the kids break into one of the cups each day until Christmas.

Materials:

• toilet paper rolls (13)
• scissors,
• glue,
• construction paper,
• black marker
• small wrapped candy
• Optional:  paint
• Optional:  bow

Instructions:

• Cut 13 toilet paper rolls in half.
• Paint the toilet paper rolls or cover them with construction paper.
• Cut circles out of construction paper (just trace around one of the largest toilet paper roll ends to get the size of the circle). 
  • You can fold the paper in half a few times so you get more than one circle at a time.
• Glue a circle onto one end of each tp roll half.
• Let dry.
• Drop a small candy into each little tp roll cup that you've created.
• Glue a circle onto the top of each tp roll half.
• Let dry.
• Use a black marker to write the numbers 1 thru 25 onto the closed tp roll cups.
• Tape two pieces of construction paper together to make one large sheet (or use a piece of poster board).
• Arrange the cups in whatever way you wish and glue them onto the poster board (we just made a rectangle, but you could arrange them into a Christmas tree shape, a candy cane shape or a wreath shape).
• Add a bow if desired.

Printable version of these instructions