Christmas Book Countdown
I love having special holiday traditions with my family – those little things that we do to make memories with our kids.
For example, we have really enjoyed our Elf on the Shelf Tradition for instance (Check out our funny Elf on the Shelf ideas for dads here!)
If you’d like to encourage a love of reading in your children – you might fall in love with this literary Christmas idea….
12 Days of Christmas Book Countdown
The idea is simple.
One the 12 days leading up to Christmas, you place a new book under the tree, all wrapped up and ready to be opened come evening time. The kids will get to experience that giddy excitement over and over again (so fun!!)
Each evening have your child unwrap their book and sit down with them to read together. Turn off your devices, shut out the outside world for awhile, and just read. **The gift of your undivided time and attention is a bonus 😉

You can give a book to each child each night (although that could get expensive awfully fast around here) or gift a book that’s meant to be shared with the family. Books that focus on the meaning of Christmas would be a great way to go, as well as cozy classics that are just right for cuddling up on the couch together.
If you plan early, you can start picking up books at second hand stores, shop Amazon’s used book selection, or catch some great online deals. There are often a LOT of deals and coupons this time of year!
For a totally FREE version of this Christmas Book Countdown tradition, you can pick up a different book at the library each day.

Need some ideas of books to fill your 12 day countdown? We’ve got you covered 🙂
- The Polar Express
- Frosty the Snowman
- The Night Before Christmas Hardcover (Recordable Book)
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas
- The Littlest Elf
- How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas
- The Christmas Story
- I Spy Christmas
- Elf on the Shelf
- Dwarf in the Drawer
- The Berenstein Bears and the Joy of Giving
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
- Dream Snow – Eric Carle
- The Nightmare Before Christmas
- Olive the Other Reindeer
- The Wild Christmas Reindeer
- Dinosaur’s Night Before Christmas
- My Pen Pal, Santa
- A Creature Was Stirring
- The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree
- A Christmas Carol
- A Christmas Wish for Corduroy
- The Nutcracker
- Letters from Father Christmas
- A Night of Great Joy
- Room for a Little One
- Miracle on 34th Street
- The Story of Holly & Ivy
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
- The First Night
Printable Christmas Book Countdown Gift Tags
We’ve created these cute 12 days of Christmas gift tags for your book countdown. Just print below and enjoy! (You can even print on a sticker sheet…)



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Anything that can be destroyed WILL be destroyed!
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The resident Labradoodle, Miller got his name because Mom won and got to name the baby! Need something chewed up? He'll take care of it. Especially if it's expensive..