I love advent calendars. There is just something magical about opening that little window or drawer. And it helps the children know how many days are left until Christmas.
This past week I’ve been shopping for advent calendars and have been amazed at the variety. Some cost a few pennies and some are heirloom quality that cost more than our entire Christmas budget!
The simplest calendars are really just Christmas countdowns. One idea is to make paper chains with the number of days left until Christmas written on the paper link. A paper plate can be turned into a Santa face, a sheet of paper can extend the beard. Each day the child gets to glue a cotton ball on until Santa’s beard is complete.
You can find paper calendars with all sorts of scenes printed on them. Each day either opens a window or reveals a little more of the scene.
Other advent calendars have pockets for hiding tiny treasures. My mother-in-law has a cute one she’s had for years. I’ve seen all sorts of directions for sewing them out of felt and fleece. My sewing skills are pretty much limited to buttons though.
You can buy all sorts of wooden calendars with tiny drawers and cupboards to open. Some have scenes painted on them, some are in the shape of a tree. Or you can make your own version. I saw a very cute calendar made of match boxes, and another made from the tiny jewelry gift boxes. A plastic tool sorter with tiny drawers would work great. You could put stickers or glue paper to the outside of each drawer.
Another fun idea I saw was to cut up paper towel tubes into small segments. You stuff the tube with a treat, then cover the top with tissue paper. The child breaks the paper each day to find the treat inside. Tiny paper cups would work for this too, they just wouldn’t stack as easily.
Our grocery store is selling chocolate advent calendars. Each day the child opens the window to find a tiny chocolate. Yum.
I still haven’t decided what we will do this year, but I do know I’ve had fun looking.
Also See:
The Homeschooler’s Advent Calendar: Crafty Activities at Families.com
Christmas Tradition and Advent Calendars