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1 October 10, 2016 blogging

Awesome toy advent calendars your kids will love

Kids love toys.

If your kids love toys and you want to get them an advent calendar that makes their face light up every day for 24 days, a toy advent calendar is a safe bet.

There’s almost an option for every favorite toy a kid has. Here’s a look at some of them.

2016's Awesome Toy Advent Calendars


Lego-Branded Advent Calendars

There are so many Advent Calendars for Lego-lovers. I kind of love these (a lot) because it forces kids to make something. They can be pricey, though, so shop early! Or maybe get them after the season for next year if there are any left. Let’s take a look at some of the more common types.

Lego City Town Advent Calendar Building Kit

This Lego City advent calendar is awesome on so many levels. It’s legos. It’s a holiday scene. It’s affordable. And it’s the one I opted to get for my son this year.

What’s included?

  • 2 Firefighters
  • 2 Ice Hockey Players
  • A Volcano Worker
  • A Volcano Adventurer
  • A dog
  • Santa
  • The rest are a combination of seasonal or city buildings, vehicles, and items (including a Christmas Tree!)

Love it? Buy the Lego City Town Advent Calendar (pictured above) on Amazon. You can also still purchase previous versions of this calendar that come with different scenes. Click here to view on Amazon.

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar Building Set

OMG. Star Wars Legos are the best. So popular. So fun. If there’s one thing I know about Star Wars it is that kids who love the series never outgrow it. So this is something that has the possibility of being a true annual tradition. Now I’m kind of wishing I didn’t get the Lego City Town set and bought this one for my Star Wars-loving son.

What’s included?

  • 8 mini figures (including a Battle Droid and holiday-themed exclusive)
  • 10 vehicles (which are all Star Wars-related except for the sleigh)
  • 6 Star Wars-related weapons…

Love it? Buy the Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar Building Set (pictured above) on Amazon. You can also still purchase previous versions of this calendar that come with different scenes. Click here to view on Amazon.

Lego Friends Advent Calendar Building Set

So one set explores another galaxy, one set keeps you chilly outside, and this set helps you stay warm inside. The Lego Friends Advent Calendar set is all about what’s happening around the Christmas Tree in the living room. One feature this Lego set has that the other doesn’t is an interactive-online tool. Visit the Lego site each Sunday before Christmas and on Christmas Eve to get instructions on turning the pieces opened into another mini build. Cool.

What’s included?

  • 2 mini figures
  • The rest are buildable surprises including things like a Christmas Tree, musical instruments, DJ table, hamster, gifts, fireplace, snowman, and ice skates.

Love it? Buy the Lego Friends Advent Calendar Building Set (pictured above) on Amazon. You can also still purchase previous versions of this calendar that come with different scenes. Click here to view on Amazon.


Mega Bloks Advent Calendars

Like Lego, there are several options for Mega Blok fans.

**Please note that there have been several reviews stating how hard Mega Bloks are to put together. If you’re familiar with the brand and still enjoy them, then you may still want to purchase a Mega Blok Advent Calendar set. Otherwise, it’s probably best not to use this time (and 24 days) to find out if you like them.

Mega Bloks Minions Movie Advent Calendar

These little guys have so much personality. I love that they can possibly wreck havoc on your Advent Calendar Plans… ha ha. This cute set is sure to bring a smile to any kid’s face.

Mega Bloks Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Advent Calendar

The ninja turtles dare you to add a little ninja and turtle to your holiday season. I guess because I’m pretty sure that there is not a lot of either. But, that’s ok. Kids Love them.

Mega Bloks Monster High Advent Calendar

If you love Monster High nothing will stop you from making them part of your holiday celebration. Nothing.

What’s Included in Mega Bloks Advent Calendars

There is no specific breakdown of what is included. You can expect 24 themed and holiday-related Mega Bloks.

Ready to purchase? Click to purchase the Minions, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or Monster High on Amazon. 


Other Toy-based Advent Calendars for Kids

Disney Tsum Tsum Advent Calendar

I’m not sure when Tsum Tsums were first introduced, but – wow – my kids love them. These little creatures are stackable and the tsum tsums that come in this package can be stacked with plastic tsum tsums purchased separately.

What’s included?

  • 18 Tsum Tsum figures (6 each of small, medium, and large)
  • 6 holiday themed accessories
  • 6 seasonal headpieces

Love it? Buy the Tsum Tsum Advent Calendar (pictured above) or another version now on Amazon.

Crayola Christmas Countdown Activity Advent Calendar

I love getting crafty around the holidays and that is why I love this set. Crayola just knows what they’re doing.

What’s included?

  • 17 Coloring projects that include special holiday-themed activities.
  • 2 Model Magic Ornaments
  • 3 Finger Puppets
  • 3 Paper Ornaments
  • Gingerbread House
  • Christmas Tree

Love it? Buy the Crayola Christmas Countdown Activity Center (pictured above) on Amazon.

Fisher Price Little People Advent Calendar

Little kids love little people, so what better way to get the little loves in your life interested in the advent season than the Little People Advent Calendar?

What’s Included?

  • 7 Little People including Santa & Mrs. Claus and a snowman
  • 3 Little Animals
  • The remaining are Little Accessories (including some holiday-themed ones)

Ready to buy it? Go to Amazon and put it in your cart.

Thomas the Train Minis Advent Calendar

Kids love Thomas the Tank Engine. These minis are just as cute as the larger sizes. And all 24 doors open to a mini-train. No other fillers!

What’s Included?

  • 6 Exclusive Holiday-themed minis
  • 18 Thomas & Friends minis

Want to make a Thomas fan happy? Buy this advent calendar on Amazon.

Playmobil Advent Calendars

Oh, wow. Playmobil has a lot of options for Advent Calendars. I’m just going to list them here. There aren’t any lists of what’s included, but Playmobil knows how to do awesome.

  • Christmas on the Farm
  • Christmas Room with Illuminating Tree (pictured above)
  • Dress Up Party
  • Christmas in the Forest (larger pieces in this set make it ideal for toddlers)
  • Royal Ice Skating Trip
  • Pirate Treasure Island
  • Police with Cool Additional Surprises
  • Fire Rescue Operation with Card Game
  • Dragon’s Treasure Battle
  • Unicorn Fairyland
  • NHL Rivalry on the Pond
  • Pony Farm with Great Additional Surprises
  • Forest Winter Wonderland
  • Princess Wedding

Whew!

Barbie Advent Calendar

Barbie Advent Calendars don’t come with 24 Barbies, or even one barbie. Instead, they come with 24 accessories. One dress for your barbie, one or two accessories for the child opening the gifts, and the rest are accessories like shoes and handbags.  There are several options available, so take a look at the accessories to get one you prefer. Here are the options based on the color of the accessories. Click on the link to visit Amazon and see the different options.

  • Barbie Advent Calendar with red, pink, white, and silver accessories.
  • Barbie Advent Calendar with pink, purple, and red accessories (pictured above).
  • Barbie Advent Calendar with red, pink, white, and light turquoise accessories.
  • Barbie Advent Calendar with pink, blue, and silver accessories.

Angry Birds Advent Calendar Game

If your kids have the patience of an angry bird, it may be better to skip this particular Advent Calendar. Why? Because the ultimate goal is to build a game. So, if they love to play games this could be a great fit. Since Angry Birds is, basically, knocking pigs off their ledges, expect several days of ledge opening. Still, this could be an Advent Calendar that continues to bring fun after the holiday season is over.

What’s Included?

  • 1 Launcher
  • 2 Angry Birds
  • 2 Pigs
  • Mission Cards
  • The rest are blocks to build the the game with

Ready to bring the app to life? Get it on Amazon.

So many options! Did you find one you know your kids will love?

Toy Advent Calendars kids will love

0 October 9, 2016 blogging

Fun ways to incorporate advent calendars into your holiday plans

One thing I learned while living in Germany is that you can never have enough advent calendars. And with all the fun options out there, I imagine it would be hard to stop at just one… or two… so, here’s my suggestions of when to advent calendar, and what to advent calendar with.

***Please note: these are aimed at kids, but can be adjusted for anyone.

Advent Calendar wake-up

You’ll have 24 opportunities to wake up your favorite celebrators until Christmas Day. At which point, they’ll be waking you up! Use this time to try your different ring-tones, horns, or sing a different song. Every day it’s something different and they won’t know what to expect.

Advent Calendar Breakfast

Remember that scene in Forrest Gump with all the shrimp? Maybe you can become the Bubba Gump of eggs. Or french toast. Or cereal. Or any combination of that.

A million breakfast ideas on Pinterest.

Advent Calendar Inspirational Quote

Nothing like starting the day with a nice, inspiring quote.

Here are some quotes to get you started.

Advent Calendar Toy (ie. the getting ready bribe)

Ok, maybe this one is more serious. Maybe you start the day with a lego or playmobile toy. The promise of opening up this advent calendar may be just what you need to get  your kids to get ready for the day.

I wrote a post about toy advent calendars.

Advent Calendar Lunch Box Joke and Messages of Love

I’m assuming that there’s a lot of going to school going on this month. Kids have to eat lunch and since their lunch this month coincides with your need to live an Advent Calendar life – it only makes sense that they get something funny in their lunch box. (And only because the inspirational quote was earlier in the day.)

Your go-to resource for lunch box notes for Christmas.

Advent Calendar Chocolates

So easy. Pick a traditional chocolate advent calendar or one from their favorite brand. They’ll be glad to be home to eat it all.

So many options on Amazon.

Advent Calendar Activity

This is when the visits to Santa, or the cookie baking, or ornament making happens. Make it quick, folks, we have more things to advent calendar.

I’ve written some posts on activity-based Advent Calendars for kids.

Advent Calendar TV Show or Movie

There are a million TV episodes and movies that are available for families to watch. Pick your 24 favorites and have at it.

Here are some movies from Amazon.

Advent Calendar Books

Most schools require 30 minutes or so of reading each night. Finish the night with a story from your favorite Christmas book.

There’s at least one post about Advent Calendar Books for kids on this site, with more to come.

Advent Calendar Pajamas

Except, don’t really end the night. Have you seen how many cute pajama options are out there for kids in the holidays? One is not enough. Three is not a crowd. Twenty-four. Twenty-four pajama jammy jams to brighten your holiday season.

I’m a fan of the classics by Hanna Andersson.

Simple Advent Calendar Activity

Do the holidays seem too commercial and overdone? Do you feel exhausted with the need to keep up and make this season magical? No fear, this simple advent calendar opposes those things and fills one of your dozen or so activities with something meaningful. But, seriously, hurry it up… it’s getting late and we have to do this all again tomorrow.

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0 October 9, 2016 blogging

Awesome classics for a Christmas book advent calendar

24 Books suggestions for a book-based Advent Calendar

The Christmas book advent calendar is one of my favorite traditions. I haven’t always used 24 books because that gets expensive fast. Instead, I just did what I could until I finished out the collection last year. My plan moving forward is to replace some of the baby board books with story books, remove some of the lamer books, and just adjust each year as needed.

advent-calendar-planning-4
I created this Free Download of a Christmas Book Inventory. Now you can put your books away between January and November and still know what you own/want.

Recommendations for a Christmas Book Advent Calendar

If you’re looking to start or enhance your collection, here are some recommendations.

Oh, and in the spirit of giving here’s another free printable. It’s a tracking/planning thing for your book advent calendar. Why? Because I like to know what book I’m reading that night, and I think you will, too! (click on the image to download).

advent-calendar-planning-1

Please note: These links take you to Amazon.

Classic board books for the Christmas Advent Calendar

From personal experience, I say keep your supply of board books for the book advent calendar low. There are a ton out there and a post dedicated to just board books is coming soon. In the meantime, here are some classics that will make your kids happy year after year.

  • Baby Touch and Feel Christmas by DK. I don’t know about you, but to this day it takes great restraint to pass up touching a touch and feel book. And it really doesn’t get much better than a touch and feel Christmas. Right?

  • My First Christmas by Tomie dePaula. I always wondered what my kids thought of the holidays when they were babies. This book introduces them to the sites and sounds of the season, and, will be fun for them to look back on as they get older.

  • The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman. Nancy Tillman has a way with making things special. Personally, I want that feeling around in my Christmas season.

  • I Spy Little Christmas by Jean Marzollo. Normally for these types of things, I highly suggest sticking to a story. Something to read. But the I Spy series is just too fun and is another way to spend quality time before bed doing something fun.

  • A Christmas Carol: A BabyLit Colors Primer by Jennifer Adams. This may be the ultimate story for Christmas. Introduce it to them while they’re young and find ways to introduce them to different versions of this tale as they grow older.

Classic storybooks for the Christmas Advent Calendar

As kids grow, their focus grows and we can move away from the board books and into story books. These are my top picks.

  • The Christmas Story by Jane Werner Watson. This classic Little Golden Book tells the story of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. The reason for the season.

  • ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas Another classic that should always fill the 24th day slot in a Book-based Advent Calendar. The particular one I selected here is a recordable Advent Calendar. My husband’s grandfather recorded it for us several years ago. It is such a treasure to hear his voice every year.

  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. Can’t talk about Christmas without reading about Cindy-Lou of Whoville.

  • Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Robert L May.We all know the song, now we get the illustrated story to go along with it.

  • The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Kids and adults are drawn to this story. Read the book before watching the movie or before heading out to your local Polar Express Experience.

  • Frosty the Snowman by Walter Rollins and Steve Nelson. This classic song in book form is a quick read for busy nights.

  • Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffman. There are many versions of this story in different forms. This one was illustrated by Maurice Sendak (of Where the Wild Things are fame). The story has vast appeal to kids – whether they want to see the ballet performance or not.

  • The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Nothing compares to our first time experiencing snow. Do that with the little boy city-dweller main character in this classic.

  • The Christmas ABC by Florence Johnson. Use the alphabet to learn about the sites and sounds of the season.

  • The Littlest Christmas Elf by Nikki Shannon Smith. Kids love seeing a little elf working and parents love seeing his persistance. Such a heartwarming classic.

Christmas chapter books for the Christmas Advent Calendar

I’m keeping this selection of stories short because chapter books often mean more than one night of reading. These are just a sampling of classics, but you can change it up every year. My suggestion is to pick one chapter book, read it the first night, and read it along with one of the shorter options every night until it’s done.

  • A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Since they were introduced to this as a board book, might as well get the real version, too. This illustrated version is sure to captivate.

  • The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. We read this because the play is very popular in my city. It’s a fun book and helps parents appreciate what happens to put on a play.

  • Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien. These letters, as the title explains, are letters from Father Christmas. Take time to read one or more a day and enjoy the beautiful illustrations.

  • Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I wasn’t introduced to Little Women until my 20s, but I swore I would make sure my kids knew about it earlier. I love this book. It’s one of the only books I’ll buy multiple versions of, but my favorite is from my old hometown favorite illustrator Rifle Paper Co.

New classics for the Christmas Advent Calendar

I don’t really have a rhyme or reason for the following selections. The classic options below are, I feel, books we could’ve come across in our own childhood. These books are just newer. I stayed away from books that feature popular characters or series (so no Mickey Mouse or Llama Llamas), but those will appear in a list soon. No worries. And now for the new classics.

  • The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert. Honestly, I really just love the photos.

  • A Wish to be a Christmas Tree by Colleen Monroe. This sweet tale of an old pine tree who wishes to be a Christmas tree, and the forest animals who try to make his dream come true.

  • Night Tree by Eve Bunting. A heartwarming peek into a family’s tradition of decorating a forest tree.

  • When Santa was a Baby by Linda Bailey. Imagining Santa as a baby is everything you thought it would be, while also remaining a complete surprise.

  • Samurai Santa: A Very Ninja Christmas by Rubin Pingk. Graphic novel fans will love this story about a ninja who wants a snowball fight, but his ninja friends want to stay on Santa’s nice list.

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0 October 9, 2016 blogging

Simple Advent Calendar Activities for a Meaningful Season

There are so many ways to approach advent calendars. My favorite is to use it to plan things I wanted to do anyway. I’ll admit, though. This can make for a busy season fast.

So, what about those of us who prefer a quiet, reflective season? Well, use your advent calendar as a reminder to slow down instead of to speed up. I love these “simple” advent calendars because they take the commercialization out of it and make it about… well, anything you want to make it about.

For the purpose of this website, though, it’s all about the kids and family. Here I have a list of 24 family-focused, memory-making activities. I’m sure you’ll treasure the results.

  1. Sit by the candlelight. Background story: I was talking to one of my friends in Germany and she mentioned her favorite memories from growing up. In her family, which happens frequently in Germany, they use real candles on their Christmas tree. They would light the candles and enjoy each other’s company. We might not feel comfortable with real candles on a tree in the US (I’m not even sure if they sell the clips to do that here), but we can turn on our tree’s lights and lights candles in a room and enjoy it.
  2. Lay under the tree and look up. This is another tradition I learned from other people. In my family, we always had gifts under the tree so we couldn’t do that. If you hold off on putting gifts under the tree, though, you can gift your family with one of the coolest ways to see their tree. Make sure the lights are on!
  3. Make a thankful ornament. Don’t overthink it. Grab a sheet of paper and a pen. Write down what you’re thankful for, roll up the paper, tie a string around it, and hang it up. A simple, yet memorable ornament.
  4. Talk about Christmas pasts. Kids love hearing how their parents celebrated the holidays and parents love hearing what some of their kids favorite traditions are about. Pick a night to turn every distraction off, and have a conversation.
  5. Walk around the neighborhood. Yes, it’s colder than usual, but there’s something special about enjoying your neighborhood’s decorating efforts from the sidewalk instead of the car. You get to see the little details you might miss on a drive. Plus, you get to hear the hum of the lights.
  6. Make the Christingle. What’s a Christingle? <<Click to read more.<< Basically, use an orange, fruit, and nuts to create a candle. Now, this was never a tradition in my household growing up. However, living in Germany we’d celebrate Nicolaus Day. In our city that meant that Nicolaus walked around town handing out bags filled with an orange, fruit, and nuts to kids. I don’t know if the intention was to make the candle, or eat the treats, but either way… what a cool thing!
  7. Stroll around the city streets. Whether you live near a big city, or a small town with a nice main street, spend an early evening walking around. Many businesses will have fun decorations. One of my favorites that I saw recently was in Rock Hill, SC. The main street windows are painted with scenes made famous from a local artist, the guy who created Kellog’s Snap, Crackle, Pop for Rice Krispies.
  8. Hike in nature. My guess is most parks and nature areas don’t have holiday-specific decorations. That’s ok, though, because this is the natural decorations of the winter season. Completely customized to your local area. And it changes every day. Enjoy the crisp air and take a hike.
  9. Listen to Christmas music. There is one time a year Christmas music should be listened to and this is the season. Challenge yourself with finding new favorites by tuning in to a local radio station for several hours, or finding something on Spotify. Every year I discover a new music, and often the new music has been around for decades.
  10. Keep a family Christmas Journal. A few years ago I came across a cool memory journal. The idea was to attach your annual Christmas card on one side and answer some questions on the other side. The problem was that I don’t always do Christmas cards and it would drive me crazy to have some blank years. And so it’s a Christmas Journal. Take a photo of the family in front of something holiday-y (your tree, decorations, or one one of your outings listed above), print it out, and answer the questions. (Here’s a free and simple download I created for your own Christmas Journal.)
  11. Enjoy a hot drink with some Christmas cookies. Maybe you love making cookies and this is a great activity for you. Or maybe you don’t and this stresses you out a little. Don’t let. Just go to the closest grocery story, go to the bakery section, and pick up some nicely decorated treats. Then go home, make some coffee, hot tea, or hot chocolate, and enjoy the taste of someone else’s hard work with your family.
  12. Play a board game or learn a new card game. There are plenty of Christmas-themed games available these days. You don’t need those. Just play a family-favorite or grab a deck of cards and learn a new game.
  13. Go bowling. Or if the weather permits, go miniature golfing. Do a fun activity outside of the house that isn’t directly related to Christmas. Doing something that the whole family will enjoy keeps in the spirit of the holidays while letting you take a break from the red and green.
  14. Put a puzzle together. If space allows, start this early in the season and allow the puzzle to be something the family comes back to frequently. While board games and card games usually mean there’s a sense of competition, this is a common goal for the whole family.
  15. Get crafty – part 1. Pull out your art supplies. Cut, draw, paint, and glue bits and pieces together to make cards for family members. Send them out or save them to deliver in person.
  16. Get crafty – part 2. Make some decorations for the home. My favorite is a “Merry Christmas” sign. Cut out each letter of the words and then string them together. It’s not perfect? Well, perfect! Or cut some snowflakes out of coffee filters.
  17. Hide the Christmas Pickle. Warning: the tradition of the Christmas Pickle may not be an actual, dating-back-many-centuries tradition. It may be completely made up. But, isn’t that where all traditions kind of start? Anyway, the idea is you get a pickle ornament, hide it in your tree, and the first person who finds it wins. Does it have to be a pickle ornament? No. But, the green ornaments are harder to find in a tree. And there you go – a new tradition.
  18. Hang mistletoe. And let what happens, happen.
  19. Learn about how Christmas is celebrated in another country. I love learning about other countries, so this is a natural fit for me. Every year pick a country and learn about how they celebrate the season. You can make this as simple as you want (read about it), or get somewhat complicated (recreate a popular holiday dish or craft), or make it fully immersive (go to the country). Don’t know where to start? Look at your own heritage and go from there. Here’s an awesome link to help.
  20. Jingle some bells. Or just make some music together. Gather instruments you have (bells, piano, or just your hands to clap) and sing your favorite carols. Alternate between songs that should be sung as loud as possible (be considerate of neighbors) and quieter favorites.
  21. Donate your time to a good cause. Pick an organization (or two) that you, as a family, want to volunteer with for the season. Call them to find out what you can do to help. For a large variety of ideas, check out this link for finding volunteer activities during the holidays.
  22. Make your own garland. Either make a paper chain garland or a very traditional popcorn garland and string it around the tree.
  23. Put on a family holiday show. Everyone in the family has their own talent and now is the time to showcase that talent. Take turns acting out scenes from favorite movies and plays, singing songs, dancing, baton twirling, or tae kwon do moves. This activity will change every year and is open to make it as big or small as your family sees fit.
  24. Read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Prepare for the end of the advent calendar, and the beginning of Christmas Day with a reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.

And there you have it – 24 amazing, yet simple and meaningful activities for your advent calendar.

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0 October 5, 2016 blogging

Budgeting for a D.I.Y. Advent Calendar

budget-tips

Financially, it’s very easy for things to get out of hand when building a DIY Advent Calendar. With 24 containers to fill, even a budget of $1 per filling adds up fast.

There are many different ways to approach filling the Advent Calendar containers with a budget in mind. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

*For the purposes of this post we’re focusing on advent calendars that have fillings. For ideas on Flat Advent Calendars, come back soon.

The cheapest way to fill an Advent Calendar

Search the internet for cute, free printables for Advent Calendars. These can range from things like scripture, holiday quotes, the nativity, jokes, songs to sings, and more. Print them out and create a chain link display that acts as a vessel. Easy and decorative!

Here are a few to get you started:

  • Add a Pinch’s Advent Calendar Printable has 30 different activities to give you some options. Best of all? It’s free!
  • Activities for Kids uses bible verses in their awesome printable chain link Advent Calendar.
  • Mum in the Madness suggests 50 Acts of Kindness for kids which, if you ask me, is probably one of the most thoughtful ways to celebrate the holidays.
  • Red Bird Blue’s adorable Christmas story with illustration download is a winner.
  • Ellie Petrov has plenty of suggestions to go along with her cute blank printables. Pick the items that fit your family and fill it in.

Other cheap options for filling an Advent Calendar

  • Candy from a larger bag of candy
  • Toys that are meant to be given as party favors
  • Crayons with printed coloring sheets, I love these from Pink Stripey Socks which can be turned into ornaments.
  • Stickers!

My favorite way to approach filling an Advent Calendar

As you know, I love my calendars and I can easily find reasons why I should have several different ones going on throughout the season. However, combining a few of the ideas above to create ONE Advent Calendar helps keep costs low while keeping fun high.

HOT TIP:

Make activities you were planning on doing anyway part of your advent calendar fillers. Keep a calendar next to you and use an index card or fancier to write the activity. Or just include the tickets to the event if you have them.

Free DIY Advent Calendar Planner

If you aren’t doing the same filler for every day, this planner can help you figure out what to put when. I also like to keep it handy in case I have any last minute changes I need to make for some of the activities. Because, yes, a last minute change to visiting Santa sometimes happens.

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Download it today and get started on planning your December!

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0 October 5, 2016 blogging

Planning an activity-based Advent Calendars kids will love

Activity-based advent calendars are so fun. And kids especially love them. This is a cool way to plan things to highlight the magic of the holidays.

As a mom I love them because it forces me to plan things in advance that highlight the magic of the season.

Thinking of what activities you could possibly add to the activity-based advent calendar? The answer’s simple: All of them!!!

Step 1: Plan the bigger activities for your advent calendar

First, think of some of the bigger activities that you know you’re already going to do. Here are some to help get you thinking:

  • Get the tree! Whether it’s a trip to the tree farm, the tree store, or the storage unit – make getting the tree an activity.
  • Decorate the tree!
  • Decorate the interior of the house!
  • Decorate the exterior of the house!
  • Drive around and look at lights!
  • Make some cookies!
  • Go to a Christmas Party!
  • Drink some hot chocolate!
  • Watch a Christmas movie!
  • Go to a Christmas event nearby!
  • Sing some holiday tunes!
  • Visit Santa!
  • Write a letter to Santa!

To help sort those items, download the advent calendar planner by clicking on the image below (no sign up needed!)

Free Download DIY Advent Calendar Planner

Step 2: Fill in the calendar with smaller activities

Keep your schedule and time in mind, and start filling in the calendar with smaller activities.

  • Find a Christmas craft or two you want to do and get to work. When in doubt, make a card using red and green markers.
  • Try a new hot chocolate or cookie recipe.
  • Take photos in front of the tree or the house.
  • Build a snowman if weather allows.
  • Read a holiday book.
  • Go see a performance by the local community theater group.
  • Get tickets to a musical performance.
  • See the nutcracker.
  • Attend an Afternoon Tea, or make your own at home.
  • Buy and wear a Christmas Sweater.
  • Wear matching PJs.
  • Donate to your favorite organization.
  • Volunteer for your favorite organization.
  • Practice a random act of kindness (or more), this list from We Be Wiebes is an awesome way to start.
  • Check your local community events for new or old traditions to practice.

Step 3: Get what you need to make it happen

Some of the items on the list above, like “sing a Christmas Carol” can be done on the spot with little planning.

Other items, like going to see a production of the Nutcracker, need some advance planning. You need to find out when it’s showing and buy tickets for the show.

And, still, other activities may need even MORE work. Finding a local charity that is seeking volunteers may require advance registration and/or training. Christmas crafts need to be found, purchased, and planned.

Your second download for this post is something to help make sure you’re have everything in place to make each container activity go off without a hitch.

advent-calendar-planning

Step 4: Commit to your plan

You’re ready to go! Commit to your advent calendar activities (use the calendar above to fill in your final activities).

Hot tip!

Keep your D.I.Y Advent Calendar planner ready so you know what to expect each day. If there’s an unforeseen circumstance, you can be ready to make last minute changes. Have an easy back-up ready to go and you’re all set. Crisis averted.

Step 5: Prepare the display

Fill in some kind of card for each activity for the actual advent calendars. Here are some of my favorite ways to do that:

  • This coffee filter advent calendar is a (somewhat) easy and fun way to display the advent calendar. By scrumdillydilly.
  • This adorable paper bag with black stencil numbers advent calendar is perfect. The blog is in another language, but the photo makes it easy to figure out how to do it yourself. By gotlandsliv.
  • This tutorial for a Valentine’s Day countdown can be easily transformed into an Advent Calendar with red and green envelopes shaped into a Christmas tree. By Brit + Co.
  • This toilet paper roll and felt creation takes a little more work, but the cute elf at the end makes it worth it. By Canadian Living.
  • And finally this Slovakian blog has a ton of ideas. The site is, of course, in Slovak, but you can use their images for inspiration. By sDetmi.

That’s it! Five steps to a fun-filled, activity-based, unique-to-your-family advent calendar. If you end up making anything, let me know in the comments.

Activity-Based Advent Calendars Kids Will Love

0 October 3, 2016 blogging

What are the parts of an Advent Calendar?

Let me be honest with you guys here – we’re going to be discussing a lot of Advent Calendars on this site. Because of this, I thought it might be easier if we had a glossary of terms to discuss the different parts of the calendar.

On a quick search of google, I noticed that there aren’t any easy to find resources of what the different sections of the Advent Calendar are called. They probably exist within some manufacturing or major creation site, but those must be trade secrets. So, for now, I’m going to use the following terms when discussing advent calendars on THIS site. I’m going to work my way from the inside out. If you don’t know what I mean, don’t worry. Just follow along and you’ll get it.

But first…

There are two basic types of advent calendars. One of which is a calendar with something to open for the receiver to get a gift of some sort. The other option, the simple advent calendar, focuses more on the countdown. This could include moving a clothespin over the dates and more.

The Parts of the Advent Calendar

I made this advent calendar after I found a cool assortment of clips and ornaments that came in a group of 24. The activity fillers inside each container were filled with things like: drink hot chocolate, sing a holiday song, read ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’, I opted out of including the number on the outside because I didn’t want to distract from the aesthetic.

  • The filler: This is the meat of the advent calendar. This is what people are getting excited about when they are wondering what they’ll get each day. Fillers can be further broken down into types:
    • An actual item: Like a toy or a piece of chocolate
    • An activity: Maybe there’s a piece of paper inside with a quote, joke, or activity to do that day
    • A combination of actual items and activities are also possible.
  • The container: The filler goes inside the container. Sometimes the container isn’t an actual container, but a window to open holding the filler. Other good containers are boxes, bags, and tubes. Typically the different containers compliment each other for each calendar.
  • The countdown: A big question is whether to start with the number 24 and use it as a countdown until Christmas, or to start with number 1 and count-up. I’m calling it a countdown because I like it, but please start with number 1 and continue until you finish on 24. Countdowns are printed or attached to the container so that you know which container to open each day.
  • The vessel: The whole grouping of containers are contained in the vessel. Sometimes this may be one large box with 24 little boxes for each container. But it could be anything. You could keep it simple and just but each container in a large box, or string them for display. Or you can get really fancy and shape the vessel’s containers into the shape of a Christmas tree.

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The Parts of an Advent Calendar

I talk about Advent Calendars a lot on here. How'd you guess? I also talk about the different parts of the advent calendar a lot. To help, I've come up with a little "glossary of terms" for the 4 mail parts of the calendar. Here's the illustration that mentions them: the filler, the countdown, the container, and the vessel. Read more about it on this post. The Parts of the Advent Calendar
advent-calendar-planning-2

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