25 Days of Joy: A Family Gardening Advent Calendar
Some of the links on this website are affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products I genuinely trust and believe will bring value to my readers. Also, some of the content was created with strategic use of AI tools. For more information, please visit the Privacy Policy page. Thank you for supporting my blog and helping me continue to provide valuable content.
Introduction 🌸
The garden may rest in winter, but joy still grows.
In this season of quiet light and hopeful waiting, 25 Days of Joy: A Family Gardening Advent Calendar invites you and your loved ones to slow down, create together, and find beauty in small, intentional moments.
Advent, like the garden, is a season of preparation and wonder — a time to plant joy in small ways, to nurture gratitude, and to remember that even in stillness, God is at work.
This guide offers 25 simple, meaningful activities inspired by nature, homesteading, and the rhythm of the soil. Each one is designed to bring your family closer to one another, to creation, and to the Giver of all good things.
“The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.” — Psalm 24:1
The Heart of the Season ✝️
Advent teaches us to wait with hope, to watch for light, and to celebrate the quiet miracles already unfolding.
Just as bulbs lie hidden beneath the soil, preparing for spring’s bloom, our hearts, too, hold seeds of joy waiting to grow. These 25 days invite you to tend those seeds — through beauty, giving, creativity, and connection.
You don’t need a large garden or perfect weather. You only need a willing heart, open hands, and a few minutes each day to cultivate joy together.
Day 1: Make a Natural Garland
Gather pinecones, evergreen branches, and dried citrus slices to make a fragrant garland for your doorway or mantel. As you work, thank God for how beauty and simplicity steady our hearts in busy seasons.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time.” — Ecclesiastes 3:11
Affiliate ideas:
- Natural jute twine for stringing your garland
- Dried orange slices or dehydrator trays for making your own citrus slices
Day 2: Create Homemade Bird Feeders
Spread peanut butter on pinecones, roll in birdseed, and hang outside. Watch winter birds gather and talk with your kids about caring for creation.
“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap… and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” — Matthew 6:26
Affiliate ideas:
- Natural cotton garden twine for hanging feeders
- Wild birdseed blend
Day 3: Plant a Winter Herb Garden
Pot parsley, cilantro, or chives on a sunny windowsill. Remind your family that life keeps growing, even in quiet seasons.
“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” — 1 Corinthians 3:7
Affiliate ideas:
- Small terra cotta pots or countertop herb planters
- Indoor herb starter kit
Day 4: DIY Beeswax Candles
Roll sheets of beeswax around cotton wicks, or melt beeswax to pour into simple molds. Light one during dinner or prayer time as a reminder that light always arrives in darkness.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:5
Affiliate ideas:
- Heat-safe pouring pitcher for melting wax
- Beeswax candle-making kit (pre-cut sheets + wicks)
Day 5: Decorate a Tree for Wildlife
Choose a small outdoor tree or shrub and decorate it with popcorn garlands, dried fruit rings, and unsalted nuts. Watch birds and squirrels come feast. Talk about generosity.
“You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” — Psalm 145:16
Affiliate ideas:
- Stainless steel kitchen shears for food prep and trimming twine
- Cotton kitchen twine (for stringing popcorn/fruit)
Day 6: Start a Windowsill Microgreens Garden
Sow fast-growing seeds like radish or arugula in a shallow tray. In 10–14 days you’ll have nutrient-dense greens for sandwiches and soups. Celebrate small growth.
“Do not despise these small beginnings.” — Zechariah 4:10
Affiliate ideas:
- LED grow light bar for low-light winter windows
- Microgreens starter kit with trays and seeds
Day 7: DIY Seed Bombs
Mix clay, compost, and pollinator-friendly wildflower seeds into small balls. Let them dry and tuck them into stockings or gift baskets. You’re literally gifting spring.
“Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.” — Psalm 96:12
Affiliate ideas:
- Air-dry clay for forming seed bombs
- Native wildflower seed mix for pollinators
Day 8: Craft Natural Wrapping Paper
Spread out kraft paper and decorate it with potato stamps, pressed leaves, or evergreen sprigs tied with twine. Talk about giving with intention, not just consumption.
“A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” — Proverbs 11:25
Affiliate ideas:
- Biodegradable twine or raffia ribbon
- Recyclable kraft paper rolls
Day 9: Bake with Homegrown Herbs
Stir rosemary, thyme, or mint into simple breads, cookies, or butter. Let the house fill with warmth. Before you eat, pause for gratitude.
“Give us this day our daily bread.” — Matthew 6:11
Affiliate ideas:
- Herb stripping tool / herb scissors
- Quality baking sheet set or loaf pans
Day 10: Gift a Potted Plant
Plant an herb, succulent, or small houseplant in a repurposed pot. Have the kids paint or decorate the pot and include a handwritten blessing or verse. Deliver it to someone who could use encouragement.
“Encourage one another and build each other up.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:11
- Acrylic paint pens for decorating pots
- Small succulent assortment / mini herb plants
Day 11: Make Citrus Pomanders
Press whole cloves into oranges to create natural pomanders. Place them in bowls around your home. As you work, name things you’re thankful for — let gratitude scent the air.
“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.” — Psalm 107:1
- Decorative wooden bowls for displaying pomanders
- Whole cloves in bulk
Day 12: DIY Festive Plant Markers
Use smooth rocks or scrap wood to create garden markers for spring. Write plant names, but also write words like “Hope,” “Peace,” “Joy,” and “New Life.”
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him.” — Romans 15:13
- Weatherproof paint markers / oil-based paint pens
- Smooth craft stones or wooden garden markers
Day 13: Create a Compost Jar
Start a small “learning compost jar”: veggie scraps + leaves + a little soil in a clear jar with air holes. Watch how old things quietly become nourishment. Talk about redemption.
“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new.’” — Revelation 21:5
- Mini indoor compost starter / bokashi-style kit
- Countertop compost pail
Day 14: Bake Homemade Bread
Make a simple loaf as a family and eat it warm with butter or jam. Break and pass it at the table as an act of togetherness, not just dinner.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” — Psalm 34:8
- Danish dough whisk (kid-friendly to use)
- Dutch oven for rustic bread baking
Day 15: Set Up a Cozy Outdoor Fire Pit
Bundle up, bring blankets, pour cocoa in mugs, and sit under the night sky by a small fire. Share highs and lows of the year. Let stillness be part of worship.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10
- Insulated stainless steel camp mugs for cocoa
- Portable outdoor fire pit bowl
Day 16: Plan Next Year’s Garden
Sit down together and sketch what you hope to grow next year. Let each child “claim” one crop or flower. Pray over the page — ask God to bless even what you can’t yet see.
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” — Proverbs 16:3
- Colored fine-tip pens for mapping beds
- Family garden planner / binder
Day 17: Donate Fresh Produce or Homemade Goods
Share your canned tomatoes, jam, pickles, dried herbs, or even fresh eggs with a neighbor or local pantry. Remind your children: we give because we’ve already been given so much.
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” — Acts 20:35
- Reusable produce bags for gifting herbs or lemons
- Mason jars with gift tags
Day 18: Watch a Nature Documentary Together
Pick a film about bees, soil, oceans, forests — pause and talk about what amazed you. Let awe lead to worship.
“Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them.” — Psalm 111:2
- Popcorn kernels + stovetop popcorn popper
- Cozy sherpa throw blanket for family movie night
Day 19: Write a Family Gratitude List
Gather around the table and list big blessings and tiny mercies from the year. Hang the list somewhere visible so gratitude becomes part of the room.
“Give thanks in all circumstances.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18
- Magnetic clip board or wooden clipboard stand for display
- Kraft paper roll / jumbo notepad for a family gratitude poster
Day 20: Host a Nature Scavenger Hunt
Head outside (yard, park, walking trail) and hunt for pine needles, feathers, acorns, seed pods, animal tracks. Help kids see that even winter is alive with story.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” — Psalm 19:1
- Small canvas field bags for collecting treasures
- Kids’ outdoor explorer kit (magnifying glass, binoculars)
Day 21: Prepare a Garden Journal
Make or decorate a garden journal for the coming year. On the first page, write a family “word of the year” — like Abide, Rooted, Peace, Generosity.
“These things I remember…” — Psalm 42:4
- Washi tape / sticker pack for kids to decorate pages
- Leuchtturm1917 notebook or other blank journal
Day 22: DIY Birdhouse or Bug Hotel
Use scrap wood, bamboo, or clean cans to build a small shelter for birds, bees, or ladybugs. This is hospitality, garden-style.
“Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” — 1 Peter 4:9
- Small child-safe woodworker tool set
- DIY birdhouse kit or mason bee house kit
Day 23: Plant a Tree or Shrub
Choose a tree or native shrub that feeds birds or pollinators. Plant it together as a living promise: our care today blesses tomorrow.
“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” — Isaiah 61:3
- Child-size gardening gloves
- Native pollinator-friendly shrub or berry bush
Day 24: Decorate the Garden with Solar Lights
Wrap solar string lights around a fence, trellis, or bare branches. Step outside after dark and soak in the quiet glow. Let it remind you that light always finds its way in.
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” — Isaiah 9:2
- Weatherproof garden stakes for pathway lighting
- Outdoor solar string lights
Day 25: Have a Family Feast with Garden-to-Table Dishes
Cook a meal that includes anything you’ve grown, preserved, or sourced locally. Sit and eat slowly. Speak blessings over one another. Thank God aloud for His provision.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” — Psalm 34:8
Affiliate ideas:
- Linen table runner or cloth napkins for a simple, heartfelt table
- Wooden serving board / charcuterie board for shared snacks
Family Reflection 🌿
Each of these days plants something more than a craft or a task. You are planting legacy.
You are teaching your family that creation is a gift, that giving matters, that presence matters, and that joy is something we practice — not just something we feel.
Whether you finish all 25 days or just a handful, pause and notice what changed. Did conversations slow down? Did laughter come easier? Did gratitude come up more than once at the table? That’s fruit. That’s harvest.
“The joy of the Lord is your strength.” — Nehemiah 8:10
Journal Prompts ✍️
- Where did you see joy growing in your family this season?
- Which simple moment surprised you with the most beauty?
- How did you see God’s presence in nature, giving, or togetherness?
- What seed of practice (gratitude, generosity, stillness) do you want to carry into the new year?
- Which day’s activity do you want to make a tradition?
Grace Note 🌷
“Joy takes root where gratitude is planted.”
May this Advent season draw you closer to the beauty of creation, the warmth of family, and the quiet joy of God’s presence.
As the garden rests beneath winter soil, may your home become a place where light, love, and wonder keep growing.
Free Printable ✨
Download: 25 Days of Joy Advent Calendar Companion Pages
Includes:
- Family gratitude + memory log
- “Light in the Darkness” reflection page
- Favorite Day of Joy tracker (kids can circle or draw their favorite days)
Related Garden Wisdom 🌻
- Preparing Your Garden Heart for the New Year
- Faithful Rest in Winter Gardening
- Christ in the Garden: The Gift of Renewal
- Harvest of the Heart: Gratitude and Gentle Review of This Year’s Garden
Podcast & eBook Mentions 🎧📖
🎙️ Check out the The Rooted in Grace Podcast for soul-centered gardening that heals the body and the soul.
📖 Rooted in Grace: A Christian Guide to Intuitive Gardening — Explore how faith, gratitude, and creation weave together in every season of the garden and the heart.
