Putting the calendar together
Gather the books first and decide the order: something short for school nights, a longer read for the weekends, the Christmas stories close to the 24th. Type the titles in that order and print. Cut out the tags, fold each one on its dashed line with the number in front, and punch the hole through both layers.
Wrap the books one at a time and tie on the tag whose back names the book, so the numbers and the parcels never get mixed up. Stack the parcels in a basket or under the tree, or hang the small ones from a string with clothes pegs. Each morning or evening the child finds the parcel with the day’s number.
The tags carry the weekday too, which helps with planning: a Friday or Saturday book can be the long one. If you are making other things for December, the paper chain maker counts down the same days with one loop a day, and the photo advent calendar puts a family photo behind each number.
Questions
What is a book advent calendar?
Instead of chocolate behind a door, a child unwraps one book a day in December, usually from the 1st to the 24th. The books do not have to be new: library books, books from a swap or a charity shop, and favourites from the shelf wrapped again all work. Many families read the day's book together at bedtime.
How do the tags work?
Each tag is a strip you fold in half. The front shows the day's number, large, with the weekday and the date. The back carries the book's title, printed upside down above the fold so it reads the right way round once folded. Tie the tag to the parcel through the punched hole, and you can see at a glance which parcel is which without unwrapping anything.
Do I need 24 books?
No. Set how many days you want, from 1 to 31, and the first day. Fewer books than days? The tags without a title print a line to write on, so you can add a book later or fill a day with a family activity. For a calendar that ends on Christmas Day, set 25.
How many tags fit on a page?
Twelve, four across and three down, on US Letter or A4. A 24-day calendar is two pages of tags, plus the reading list if you keep it. Print at 100 per cent; card stock makes tags that stay flat on the parcels.
What is the reading list for?
It lists every day with its date and book, and a box to tick when the book has been read. Children like crossing them off, and it reminds you next year which books you already gave.
Is anything uploaded from this page?
No. The tags, the list and the PDF are made in your browser. Your book list is kept in this browser for next year, and no request carries it anywhere.