Advent Calendar for Teens: Kindness Ideas

This advent calendar for teens is filled with acts of kindness that young people will love. Print it out for free and fill your holiday season with purpose!

Possibly my most popular holiday post of all time is the Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar.

I created it when our kids were little and filled it with very holiday-centric ideas, each meant to bring joy to others and to our family as we performed these little acts of kindness.

We have done it ourselves each year since the kids were little, and I’ve loved it. But lately, I’ve noticed that we needed something different and I thought maybe you did too.

Psst — before we share the new advent calendar, be sure to sign up below for my VIP group, where I’ll send my very best holiday ideas straight to ya.

What’s in the Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar?

In the calendar that I created years ago, there are all kinds of fun and festive things to do to brighten your neighborhood at Christmas.

Each day held a different idea of things that my then 1- and 3-year olds loved to do.

Bake cookies together and deliver them to a friend, draw holiday chalk art for the neighbors, deliver candy canes, and so on.

And now that they’re older (even though they’re far from teens!), I can sense that those kindnesses aren’t the way that they like expressing themselves any more.

So I got to thinking that it would be cool to create this same acts-of-kindness idea for older kids, so that they can take part in the spirit of the season in the ways that would resonate with them.

And the advent calendar for teens came to life!

How is the Advent Calendar for Teenagers Different?

This new set of printables for our Acts of Kindness advent calendar is differen because it was written with teens and pre-teens in mind.

Each kindness takes less than five minutes, and is crafted for older kids (dare I say young adults?).

There are a few digital kindnesses thrown in (text a silly photo to somebody to make them smile), but often they encourage kids to get off of a screen and interact IRL.

Some of the ideas will challenge kids to get slightly out of their comfort zone, and some may be simpler.

As with our last calendar, there are a few extra ideas that you can leave out if they don’t suit your children.

Variations on This Advent Calendar

I’ve also created two new downloads that you can use with this advent calendar idea!

You can download another set of cards here, meant for kids. Each idea is designed to teach empathy and consideration.

And a third set of cards is here, meant for adults. Each idea takes less than two minutes to accomplish.

Easy Acts of Kindness for Teenagers

If you want to know exactly what’s in the advent calendar for teens, here are the daily kindnesses in list form.

1. Tell each of your teachers thank you today.
2. Text a friend something kind.
3. Offer free babysitting to a neighbor or family member.
4. Write a letter to a long-distance relative.
5. Help put up some Christmas decorations.
6. Suggest a family game night this evening.
7. Do an extra chore today.
8. Offer to help clean up a neighbor or friend’s yard.
9. Invite somebody to sit with you.
10. When you notice a classmate or friend doing something well, tell them out loud.
11. Make a meal or snack for your family or friends.
12. Ask your parents how you can help them today and then follow through.
13. Spend some extra time playing with your pet.
14. Wish somebody a good morning.
15. Offer the person behind you in line to go ahead of you.
16. Write a good review online for a restaurant you love.
17. Say hey to somebody you don’t usually talk to.
18. Write a christmas card to someone you haven’t seen in a while.
19. Text a silly picture to somebody and make them smile.
20. Tell somebody one thing you admire about them.
21. Volunteer to help a teacher with a task they need done.
22. Hold the door open for the person behind you.
23. Write a quick note of appreciation to a coach, teacher, or school staff member.
24. Offer to take a photo of a family member or friend who looks great.
25. Tell people to “have a good day” when you say goodbye.
26. Ask someone how their day is going.
27. Set a good example in a challenging moment.

Supplies You’ll Need

You don’t need much to create this!

Just a computer and printer, along with our printable templates below.

You might also find that having a paper cutter is very helpful in cutting out the cards.

Finally, you’ll want white cardstock and washi tape if you plan on displaying them as shown here.

How to Print and Create our Advent Calendar for Teens

These files come as free printables for you to enjoy! Enter your info below to download the cards for the Advent Calendar for Teens.

And if you’d like to download the envelopes that go with them, you can get those in this post.

You’ll also find instructions for creating the advent calendar here.

How to Display Your Kindness Advent Calendar

There’s no wrong way to display your advent calendar, but I do have a few ideas to make it cute and festive.

If you like the version below, hanging from the gold ring, you’ll find instructions on how to do that here.

For younger kids or for a family who loves color, you can use this felt hanger. The cards are created to be just the right size to slip into each pocket.

Or to keep it simple, you can just use some colorful washi tape and tape them to the wall in a grid like we did here. It looks very cool and can add to your holiday decor.

For an extra touch, you can add sprigs of faux greenery here and there.

I hope this idea brings you closer to your teenager this holiday season as you share kindnesses within your family and with others! xoxo

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. This means that I receive a small commission should you make a purchase via one of these links, at no additional cost to you. Thank you as always for your support!