How to Make a Christmas Countdown Paper Chain With Kids

What you need

• 24 strips of paper, roughly 1 inch wide and 8–9 inches long (a letter-size sheet cut lengthwise gives about 8 strips)
• Red, green and white paper, or plain paper the kids color first
• A glue stick or clear tape
• A pen or marker to write numbers and ideas
• Ribbon or string to hang it, and a small sign for the top (optional)

Step by step

1. Cut the strips. A grown-up does the cutting with scissors or a paper trimmer. Preschoolers can help by coloring the strips first.
2. Number the links from 1 to 24 and add an idea or a joke to each one (ideas below).
3. Make link 1. Bend the strip into a loop with the writing on the outside and glue or tape the ends.
4. Add link 2. Thread the next strip through link 1, loop it and glue it. Keep going in order up to 24.
5. Hang it with link 1 at the top, close to the sign or hook.
6. Tear off the bottom link each morning starting December 1. Link 24 comes off on December 1 and link 1 on December 24, so the number on the last link always tells you how many days are left.

16 easy activity ideas for the links

1. Make a paper snowflake with a grown-up
2. Read a Christmas story
3. Sing a song loud, then quiet as a mouse
4. Build a blanket fort
5. Go look at Christmas lights
6. Have a freeze-dance party
7. Bake cookies with a grown-up
8. Draw a picture for someone you love
9. Give someone a big hug and a compliment
10. Help set the table
11. Make a card for a neighbor
12. Do a winter puzzle or a coloring page
13. Play a family board game
14. Have a pajama breakfast
15. Count the ornaments on the tree
16. Choose a toy to donate

8 kid-friendly Christmas jokes for the other links

1. What do snowmen eat for breakfast? Frosted flakes!
2. What do you call a cat on the beach at Christmas? Sandy Claws!
3. Why did the gingerbread man go to the doctor? He was feeling crummy.
4. What do elves learn in school? The elf-abet!
5. What is a snowman’s favorite game? Freeze tag!
6. What do you call a reindeer with no eyes? No idea! (no-eye-deer)
7. How does a sheep say Merry Christmas? Fleece Navidad!
8. What goes “oh, oh, oh”? Santa walking backwards!

Mixing activities with jokes keeps it light: on busy evenings the link just says something silly, and nobody feels they “missed” a day.

Variations by age

• Ages 3–4: use picture links (a cookie, a star, a book) and let them tear off the link with you.
• Ages 5–6: they can count the remaining links each day, which is great number practice.
• Ages 7–8: let them read the joke aloud to the family at breakfast, or write their own links.
• Classroom: make one chain for the whole class and let a different child tear off the link each school day.

Our printable countdown paper chain

Our Christmas Countdown Paper Chain (11 pages, ages 3–8) has 24 links in color plus the same 24 links in black and white to color, each with a date and either one of 16 easy activities or one of 8 kid-friendly jokes. It also includes 8 blank links for your own traditions, a “Countdown to Christmas” topper sign and an instructions page. Download the free sample below (the how-to page and links 1–8) to try it first.