Printable Advent Colouring Calendar for Kids (UK): A Colouring Page a Day

Pennaby · 13 November 2026

A colouring page a day is one of the simplest Advent calendars you can make. There is nothing to fill, nothing to eat and nothing to tidy away except the crayons. Each morning or after school, your child colours that day’s picture, and by Christmas Eve you have 24 finished pictures to show for it. This guide explains how to set up a printable Advent colouring calendar at home, what works for children aged 3 to 7, and how to make it last through wet December afternoons.

Why a colouring Advent calendar works

It is calm. Colouring is a quiet, sit-down activity, which can be welcome in a busy, noisy month.
It is low-cost. You need paper, a printer and crayons, most of which many families already have.
It builds a routine. One picture a day gives children something to look forward to, and counting the pages helps them understand how many days are left.
It is flexible. If you miss a day, you can catch up with two pictures the next day without anything going to waste.
It ends with something to keep. The finished pages can become a garland, a wall display or a small book for grandparents.

How to set it up

1. Print the pages

Print all 24 pages at the start, or print a few at a time if your printer is slow or you are short of ink. Standard 80gsm printer paper is fine for crayons. If your child likes felt-tip pens, a slightly thicker paper helps stop colour bleeding through. Choose the paper size your printer uses: A4 in the UK, or US Letter if you are printing elsewhere.

2. Choose how to present it

Staple it into a book. Put the pages in order, add a cover, and staple down the left-hand side. Children can turn to the next day each morning.
Pin it up as a wall calendar. Stick the pages in a grid on a wall or door with low-tack putty, and colour the one for today. This looks lovely as the wall slowly fills with colour.
Make a garland. Peg each finished picture onto a string across a window or mantelpiece, adding one a day.
Use envelopes. Fold each page into a numbered envelope so there is still something to “open” each day.

3. Keep the supplies in one place

A shoebox or tub with crayons, a pencil, a sharpener and a glue stick saves hunting around every day. Chunky crayons are easier for three- and four-year-olds to grip. Older children may want colouring pencils or felt tips.

What works for ages 3 to 7

Ages 3 to 4: big, bold pictures with thick outlines and simple shapes work best. Expect scribbles outside the lines, which is normal at this age. Five or ten minutes may be all they want, and that is fine.
Ages 5 to 6: children often start to colour more carefully and choose colours on purpose. They may enjoy writing the day number or their name on each page, which is good practice for Reception and Year 1.
Age 7: simple pictures can still be fun if you add a challenge. Ask them to add a background, draw a snowy scene around the picture or design a matching card. They may also like helping a younger sibling.

If you have children of different ages, give each child their own set of pages so nobody has to wait their turn.

Tips for wet December afternoons

December in the UK often means early darkness and plenty of rain, so a colouring calendar can be a handy indoor activity.

Save it for the right moment. Some families colour first thing in the morning. Others keep the day’s picture for after school, when children need a quiet wind-down.
Turn it into a cosy session. Put on Christmas music, make a hot drink and colour together at the kitchen table.
Add an extra. On a long rainy weekend, follow the colouring with a related activity, such as cutting out the picture to make a card or a hanging decoration.
Talk about the picture. Ask questions like “What is the snowman thinking?” or “Where is Santa going?” to build language and storytelling.
Do not force it. If your child is not in the mood, skip a day and do two tomorrow.

Pair it with a countdown chart

A countdown chart helps younger children see how far they have come. Our free printable Christmas countdown has spaces for 1 to 24 December, so your child can tick off each day once that day’s picture is coloured. Grown-ups can also use the to-do list for presents, cards and food. Read how to use a printable Christmas countdown for ideas on filling it in.

If you would like to mix colouring with other things, such as a lights walk, a library trip or baking, our guide to Advent activity ideas for toddlers has 24 simple ideas. Colouring days slot in easily between the busier ones.

Our Advent Colouring Countdown printable

If you would rather not hunt for 24 separate pages, our Advent Colouring Countdown (£1.37 on Payhip) is a ready-made set. It includes:

24 numbered Day pages, from Santa and reindeer to a snowman, gingerbread man, robin and Santa’s sleigh
Bonus Christmas Eve and Christmas Day pages
A “My Christmas Countdown” star chart to colour in each day
A cover page and a “This book belongs to” page
Thick, bold outlines and one picture per page, designed for ages 3 to 6
Both A4 and US Letter PDFs, so you can print at home

It is a digital download, so nothing is posted and you can print it straight away. You can print copies for your own family or your own classroom. The illustrations were created with AI assistance and checked and edited by hand.

For extra Christmas activities, our Kids Christmas Activity Pack has 8 pages of colouring, dot-to-dot, a word search and a maze, which suits older siblings. You can download it from Gumroad.

Prefer a printed book? A paperback version, My Little Advent Colouring Book, is coming soon to Amazon.

Quick checklist

Print 24 pages (or a few at a time) on A4 or US Letter.
Decide on a book, wall grid, garland or envelopes.
Gather crayons and supplies in one box.
Print a countdown chart to tick off each day.
Pick a regular time, such as after school or before bed.
Keep the finished pages for a display or a keepsake.

Looking for more festive ideas? See our free Christmas activities for kids and colouring books for toddlers.