Advent Bingo: A Free 24-Square Christmas Countdown Card for Kids and Families
Advent bingo is a Christmas countdown on one card: each of the 24 squares is a small, cozy thing to do, like "sing a carol," "drink hot cocoa" or "do something kind," and you mark one square a day from December 1 to December 24. Fill a line for a little treat, and fill the whole card by Christmas Eve. Below is a 24-square list that prints as 5x5 cards with a free center, plus a gentle faith version for families and Sunday school.
The button opens the generator with all 24 squares loaded. Pick the Red & Green theme, make one card per child and print.
▶ Make these advent bingo cards
How advent calendar bingo works
A 5x5 card has 25 squares. Take away the free center and you get exactly 24, one for each day from December 1 to Christmas Eve. That makes it a perfect advent calendar bingo card:
- One square a day. Each morning (or after school), pick any square on your card and do it together. Then mark it.
- Bingo for a line. Five in a row, across, down or diagonal, wins a small treat like a sticker or a candy cane.
- Blackout on Christmas Eve. If you do one square every day, the whole card is full on Thursday, December 24.
Every card uses the same 24 squares, but the generator mixes up where they go. So siblings each get their own card and race to a line, even though they'll all finish on Christmas Eve.
Advent 2026 dates
Advent begins on Sunday, November 29, 2026, the fourth Sunday before Christmas. The 24-square card runs from Tuesday, December 1, through Thursday, December 24, like a classic advent calendar. If you're printing in late November, you're right on time.
| Week | Dates | Squares to mark |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Tue Dec 1 to Sun Dec 6 | 6 |
| Week 2 | Mon Dec 7 to Sun Dec 13 | 7 |
| Week 3 | Mon Dec 14 to Sun Dec 20 | 7 |
| Christmas week | Mon Dec 21 to Thu Dec 24 | 4 |
Six plus seven plus seven plus four is 24, so the last square gets marked on Christmas Eve.
24 advent bingo squares
These are small and doable on a school night. Most take ten minutes or less, and many cost nothing at all.
Cozy at home
- Light a candle (with a grown-up)
- Hang a wreath
- Hang the stockings
- Drink hot cocoa
- Bake cookies
- Decorate the tree
- Christmas pajama night
- Watch a Christmas movie
Make something
- Make a paper snowflake
- Make a paper chain
- Make an ornament
- Make a Christmas card
- Write a letter to Santa
- Wrap a gift
Kindness and family
- Do something kind
- Call a grandparent
- Donate a toy
- Thank a helper
- Play a family game
Look, listen and wonder
- Sing a carol
- Read a Christmas story
- Look at Christmas lights
- Spot the brightest star
- Find the shepherds in a nativity scene
Faith-based advent bingo for church and Sunday school
For families and classes who want to keep the focus on the Christmas story, use the faith version (the second button under the list). It has 24 squares about the Advent wreath and the Nativity: the purple and pink candles, hope, peace, joy and love, Mary, Joseph, Bethlehem, the manger, the shepherds, the angels and the wise men.
In many churches, the Advent wreath has three purple candles and one pink (or rose) candle, with a white Christ candle in the center lit on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Many also give each week a theme, often hope, peace, joy and love, though the order and colors vary from church to church. In 2026, the four Sundays of Advent are November 29, December 6, December 13 and December 20.
A sweet way to play: light the candle for the week, mark the matching square, and read a few verses of the Christmas story together. Our Nativity bingo for church kids pairs well for a Sunday school party.
Advent bingo for kids
- Let kids pick the square. Choosing what to do today is half the fun.
- Use stickers to mark. A star sticker on each square looks great on the fridge.
- Keep treats small. A line earns a sticker or a candy cane; blackout earns choosing the Christmas Eve movie.
- Busy night? Pick an easy one. "Drink hot cocoa" and "sing a carol" take five minutes.
Little ones who can't read yet can still play. Read the square out loud and let them point to it. For more holiday cards they can play anytime, see Christmas bingo for kids.
Advent bingo in the classroom
School usually ends before Christmas Eve, so teachers can shorten it. Run a class card from December 1 to the last day before break, mark one classroom-friendly square a day ("make a paper snowflake," "sing a carol," "do something kind") and celebrate a class blackout at the holiday party. Remove any squares that don't fit your school, like the letter to Santa or the faith squares, and add your own, such as "read a winter book." On the last day, a round of Christmas bingo makes a great party game.
Common mistakes
- Picking big squares. "Go ice skating" is lovely, but it won't happen on a Tuesday night. Keep most squares small.
- Using more than 24 words. For a "one square a day" card, you want exactly 24 on a 5x5 with a free center, so every card has every day.
- Starting late and giving up. Missed a few days? Double up on a weekend. It's a countdown, not a test.
- Forgetting the free center. It's a freebie for everyone, and a nice "Day 0" to mark when you hang the card up.
▶ Make these advent bingo cards
Frequently Asked Questions
What is advent bingo?
It's a Christmas countdown on a bingo card. A 5x5 card with a free center has 24 squares, one for each day from December 1 to 24. Each day you do one square, like sing a carol or bake cookies, and mark it. A full card means it's Christmas Eve.
How does advent calendar bingo work?
Hang the card up on December 1 and pick one square to do each day. Five in a row earns a small treat, and if you mark one square a day, the whole card is full on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, 2026.
When does Advent start in 2026?
Advent begins on Sunday, November 29, 2026. The four Sundays of Advent are November 29 and December 6, 13 and 20. A 24-square advent bingo card runs from December 1 to December 24.
Is there a faith-based advent bingo card?
Yes. The faith version has 24 squares about the Advent wreath and the Christmas story: the candles, hope, peace, joy and love, Mary, Joseph, Bethlehem, the manger, the shepherds, the angels and the wise men. It's great for Sunday school.
What are good advent bingo squares for kids?
Small, doable things: drink hot cocoa, sing a carol, make a paper snowflake, write a letter to Santa, do something kind, call a grandparent, read a Christmas story and look at Christmas lights.
