Kindness Advent Calendar

Discover ways to help animals behind every door of our Kindness Advent Calendar – from learning about pets, to looking out for wild animal friends. Will you try one kind act a week, one every weekend, or all 24? Every kind act counts!

Want to tick off the acts as you go? Download the printout below.

Download your checklist

Start the calendar!

Want to share your kind acts with us?

Spread kindness even further by sharing your wonderful acts on social media (with a grown-up’s help), using #RSPCAKindnessAdventCalendar. Find us on Facebook: @RSPCA and Instagram: @rspca_official. You can also email us your pictures at: animalaction@rspca.org.uk

By sharing your tasks, you could win a fantastic bundle of prizes from the RSPCA shop, worth over £150! To enter, your grown-up simply needs to fill in this form.

Want to share your kind acts with us?

Make a wildlife pit stop

Turn an ordinary pile of sticks or logs into a wild animal haven! Check out this video with Mya-Rose Craig to find out how. And, for more wintry wildlife tips click here.

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Natural materials such as sticks and logs

Find out about animal heroes

Meet RSPCA rescuers who help animals in trouble, from swans to pigs, in this video! Then learn what it's like to work as a wildlife vet nurse with Ana Baptista. Could you do a job helping animals in the future?

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Internet-connected device; pen and paper if you want to take notes

Start a Christmas coin trail

Ask your school or community group to sign up for a coin trail to raise money for animals. Ask friends and family to donate coins, and lay them side by side in a trail. A trusted grown-up can help donate them!

Time: 30 mins to plan; longer for a group event
Equipment: Coins, space and an adult’s help

Learn to speak dog

Discover how to read a dog’s body language with our guide. Can you spot the signs that a dog is relaxed, or worried? Learning to understand dogs helps us know when to play, when to give them a gentle fuss and when they need some space.

Time: 5–15 mins
Equipment: Internet-connected device

Make wildlife-friendly reindeer food

Glitter can harm wildlife, so try making a treat that Rudolph and his friends will love. Mix together small amounts of wild bird seed, rolled oats, cranberries and dried mealworms. Wild birds will love to try some straight away! Store the rest in a sealed container, ready for Christmas Eve.

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Ingredients listed, and a container

Become a winter wildlife detective

It’s the weekend! If you’re heading outside with your family, see how many wild animals and signs of life you can spot. Look for birds, squirrels, fallen feathers, or footprints in the mud. Draw or take pictures of your discoveries!

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Notebook and pencil and/or camera

Make a small pet-care poster

Make a poster for your window or school reminding people that small, furry pets need cosy shelter. When it’s below 15°C, guinea pigs need to move indoors. Rabbits don’t mind the cold as much, but need moving inside when it’s near freezing.

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Paper or card, colouring pencils

Add kindness to your Xmas list

Upgrade your Christmas wish list! You could ask for an Animal Action magazine subscription – our fun magazine for under-12s (grown-ups can find out more here). Or, add an animal-themed book or a reusable water bottle for wildlife walks.

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Paper and pencil

Get ready for the Big Garden Birdwatch

Tell a blue tit from a great tit (and more) using the RSPB's bird guide! Look out of a window and write down which birds you spot. The RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch starts in January. You can sign up with a grown-up from today!

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Notebook and pencil, internet-connected device.

Write a thank you message to someone who helps animals

Write a short letter or email to your local vet, someone you know, or our animal rescue team at the RSPCA, thanking them for their kind work.

Ask your grown-up to help you send emails to: animalaction@rspca.org.uk and letters to: Kindness Advent Calendar, RSPCA, Parkside, Chart Way, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 1GY.

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Paper and pencil, envelope and a stamp, or an internet-connected device

Give your home a pet-safety check

With a grown-up, move chocolate, mince pies and Christmas pudding out of the way, as they can make pets sick. Look out for dangling decorations too. Can you spot one thing to move somewhere safer?

Don’t have a pet? Spend extra time getting ready for tomorrow’s challenge!

Time: 5 mins
Equipment: None

Take the litter challenge

With a grown-up, protect wildlife by collecting 10 pieces of litter. Be careful not to disturb leaf piles – you could wake up sleepy wildlife! Your grown-up can find safety tips here.

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Thick gloves, rubbish bag and optional litter picker (your grown-up can browse them here).

Make Christmas treats for pets

Try making Christmas treats for dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. Choose a recipe from this list and check every ingredient before you begin.

Don’t have a pet? Gift your treats to someone who does (just tell them what’s in them).

Time: 30+ mins
Equipment: All ingredients listed on the recipe page!

Make a wildlife rescue box

Get ready to be an animal hero! Join RSPCA supporter and presenter Aneeshwar Kunchala and make your very own wildlife rescue box. Never try to rescue a wild animal yourself – always tell a grown-up, who can contact a vet or the RSPCA for advice.

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Items listed in the guide

Spot the draughts

Help save energy (and the planet!) by checking for cold draughts around doors and windows. If you have a pet, make sure their bed is warm and sheltered. You can block draughts with towels, or your grown-up can add foam strips.

Time: 5 mins
Equipment: Rolled-up towels or foam strips

Make a caring Christmas card

Write a list of five things that help your pet feel happy and healthy (find inspiration here). If you don’t have a pet, you and your grown-up can check if your nearest RSPCA centre or branch has a wishlist on their website, or ask if they need anything.

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Paper and pencil

Make a caring Christmas card

Spread your love of animals! Make a festive card for a friend or family member. Try drawing a rescue pet, or your favourite animal. Add a fascinating animal fact to brighten their day!

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Paper or card, colouring pencils; optional recycled decorations

Donate to your local charity shop

See whether you have clean, good-quality toys, books, clothes or games you no longer need. With a grown-up,look up your nearest RSPCA charity shop, and check the donation guidelines before taking your donations along!

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Old books, toys or games

Plant bulbs for spring

Did you know you can plant bulbs that will help pollinators next year? Find a pot or patch of ground and get planting (check the instructions on the packet!). Insects especially love native flowers like bluebells.

Time: 30+ mins
Equipment: Suitable bulbs, pot or garden space, compost and gardening gloves

Take the wildlife photo challenge

Head outside and take a photo of a wild animal, animal footprint or another sign of nature. You don't need a fancy camera – a phone or tablet is perfect (you could even draw your animal). Remember to always keep your distance.

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Camera or phone, or paper and pencils

Give back to birds

Did you see the bird treat recipe we shared on World Kindness Day? Now you can keep helping birds with RSPCA ambassador Mya-Rose Craig. Watch her share safer ways of feeding them (try net-free fat balls!) and learn where to hang feeders.

Time: 15-30 mins
Equipment: Suitable food, bird feeder (optional)

Give pets a peaceful Christmas

The holidays are here! It can be a busy time, so make sure your pet has a quiet place to retreat to. Keep their routine as familiar as possible and remind everyone to let them rest undisturbed.

No pets? Check tomorrow’s window and start planning your wildlife pit stop!

Time: 5 mins
Equipment: None

Make a Christmas pet toy

Follow this guide to make an easy pet toy! Tuck your pet’s favourite food inside a cardboard tube, then fold the ends and let them find the treats inside. You could give some to a friend with a pet (telling them what you’ve put inside).

Time: 15–30 mins
Equipment: Cardboard tubes and suitable pet food

Get ready to share Christmas Dinner

Did you know badgers and dogs can eat bone-free, plain, gravy-free turkey and cooked carrots (your grown-up can find more tips here). Remember to leave some out after your festive feast tomorrow. And don’t forget Rudolph! Leave a small amount of reindeer food in a bowl before bed.

Time: 5 mins
Equipment: Your homemade reindeer food, a bowl, safe leftovers

Whether you made a pet feel safe or encouraged others to care, every kind act matters. Check the video below for a very special thank you.

Check back on 24 December for a special message

Here’s a special message from us

Thank you for being an animal hero! By taking part in our Kindness Advent Calendar, you’ve helped make this a season of kindness for animals. Here’s a message to say well done, and Merry Christmas.