Advent calender ideas

VfM4meplse

I've been mulling over buying a wooden advent calendar to be passed down the generations as life moves on. Something like this:



My question is, what would you fill them with? I am loathe to pop a sweetie in each drawer but even less inclined to buy plastic junk "toys", its bad for the environment. Wise thoughts and dares might appeal to older children and adults, but what would suit younger children (I guess ages 2-10 is when they find Christmas really exciting). I'm trying to avoid anything that encourages material expectation, am starting to wonder whether pieces to complete a jigsaw puzzle might be a good idea? Or clues to some kind of "treasure hunt" that gets rewarded in one day on 25th December.

Any other suggestions? Or is the idea just a waste of money?

THIRZAH

I still fill an advent calendar for my DD and she's grown up-I enjoy doing it.
This year she's getting some small Christmas tree ornaments-just one in each drawer-I've knitted a couple and bought some from Tiger.I've got a pencil sharpener and rubber also a pack of pretty buttons since she's into crafts.The other drawers will be chocolates.

The jigsaw puzzle sounds like a good idea. You could hide one or two things that won't fit into the drawers-books perhaps-and put a clue in the drawer.

aurorahelios

When my daughter was younger I would sometimes put small craft items in such as glitter. We would save them up during the week and then make a Christmas craft at the weekend.

MallyGirl

my 13 yo got a similar advent calendar last year filled with all sorts of little trinkets, make up samples, a few chocolates, a couple of coins. She loved it and is looking forward to using it again this year, which reminds me - I must contact the MIL to see if she is providing the contents this year as she was the one who bought it!

Brambleberry

I second the idea of a mixture of treats, the odd chocolate coin is nice to find. Perhaps you could also include several small things that are nice on their own, but also build up into a set of something, like matching rubber/pencil sharpener/mini pencils for example?

I also quite like the quilted advent calendars you can make from a printed piece of cotton that is all pre-measured, they are good for starters and they are easy to store. JL used to sell them off the roll in their fabric depts.

Ballymackeonan

How about a selection of beads - you could then have a session making up into jewelry - like bracelets by stringing on elastic etc?

VfM4meplse

Ballymackeonan wrote: »

How about a selection of beads - you could then have a session making up into jewelry - like bracelets by stringing on elastic etc?

I had the seed of a similar idea but quickly discounted it, thinking of that the last thing I wanted to encourage is a penchant for Pandora! But this sounds like a much better way of doing it, I loved sparkly things as a little girl and I'm sure our will too in time

Callie22

I don't know how big the drawers are but could you get a small wooden nativity set and put a piece in each drawer? You could then build up the scene each day and it would be a nice keepsake.

VfM4meplse

Callie22 wrote: »

I don't know how big the drawers are but could you get a small wooden nativity set and put a piece in each drawer? You could then build up the scene each day and it would be a nice keepsake.

I woud love to, but unfortunately her daddy is not a fan of JC

Callie22

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I woud love to, but unfortunately her daddy is not a fan of JC

Ahh, no problem. Maybe something like Playmobil figures? Or some bits of lego? Or bits to make an angel for the tree? Or a little tree ornament?

nowakee

I love you wooden Advent calendar idea with drawers and had something like it as child, past down from my mother.

Not quite as nice as your elaborate advent calendar idea is the sugar free photo calendar for Advent, in which 24 little doors conceal selected memories in photographs.