Ideas to go in Advent Calendar Please

[PeekABooPinky101]

Apologies in advance, as I am sure this has been done before, I've had a quick look but couldn't see it.

Dd is 2.5 at Christmas, I've made her an advent calendar. I don't want to fill it with just chocolate - I've got some nice tags and ribbon to pop in the non chocolate pouches.
What can I put on them?

I've done a letter for Santa one, a Christmas Eve one, I'll do one for going to see Santa when I figure out whenwe are going " and a couple of other general ones to fit in with the lead up to Christmas - but what else can I do wise and experienced world of mn.

[HeyMicky]

I did the same last year, similar age. I put sticker sheets, some craft stamps, some hair clips, and a few chocolates of course. I also bought a baby doll feeding set and broke it up - so a bottle one day, a bib another, bowl another and so on. The 24th had some whizzy light up Santa pen I bought at the pound shop

[paulapompom]

They are lovely ideas from both of you. Makes me wish my twins were little again. (Instead they're 18 and want Benefit make-up ).

Some bubbles might be fun, yes to stickers a little teddy or cuddly toy.

[InkleWinkle]

Bubbles are good.
A Christmas book
A new bauble for the tree
A trip round the neighbourhood looking at Christmas lights

[PeekABooPinky101]

Stickers, great idea! She'd love that. And bubbles too.
I could look for a few other crafty things too.

I love the idea of the dolls feeding set - she already has one but I could look for something else that could be split and put in.

Brilliant. Thank you!

[PeekABooPinky101]

Inkle the tree decoration is a good idea, I wanted to try and get her special one each year so popping it in the calendar is a fab idea.
And the trip round to see Christmas lights - something I used to do when small and loved it.

[TelephoneTree]

She might be a bit young yet but how about Elfie's Christmas Letters? Also - 24 books (from charity shops) - one for each day of advent. You can wrap them up for extra excitemnt!

[attheendoftheday]

I've done finger puppets one year (get sets of 10 from Amazon or eBay for less than £1). I did plastic animals and dinosaurs one year (I got mine from a charity shop, but loads or tubs around to buy). A set of 10 tiny My Little Ponies from eBay (new but shipped from China) was only a few quid, they'd work well. I often save discarded tat from party bags through the year and stick that in too.

Otherwise my go tos are hair bands/clips, stickers (cut up a bit sheet to cover several days), a balloon, bubbles and the occasional choc.

[Everydayaschoolday]

I got this for our advent drawers. 24 ornaments - it was meant for Advent Calendars :) www.paperchase.co.uk/24-wooden-ornament-tree.html

[Everydayaschoolday]

Apologies, there are 20 decorations on that tree. So I'm going to make 4 of the drawers 'special' ones, maybe a £1 coin.

[PeekABooPinky101]

I had no idea about Elfies Christmas letters - I love that, and might save it for another year when she understands it all a bit more - she has just started to recognise Father Christmas!

Finger puppets are a brilliant idea - maybe some Christmas ones to help with the build up.

I love that little tree, I almost like it so much I could get it for the dining room...

You are all full of great ideas- thank you.

[AlwaysUnsure]

I've done this for the past 2 years (DD 4.5 DS 2)
I've put in Christmas clips bobbins etc from Claire's. The odd chocolate then an activity for other days - so
A visit to Santa
Write letter
See lights
Draw a pick of a snowman/Santa (I had picked up a small box of Christmas crafts)
Make Christmas cards
Make jingle bracelets - pipe cleaners with bells from the craft kit threaded on. Wrap around wrists and ankles and dance to Christmas music
Watch a Christmas movie (at that age maybe just a Christmas themed favourite show)
Read a Christmas book
Anyway you get the idea. It was a big hit.
This year I've gotten the playmobil Christmas scene and I'm splitting it between the days.

[PeekABooPinky101]

Finger puppets ordered and hair bits planned to get during the week to add in too. Brilliant.
Only trouble is I have to wait for her to use it!!

[MERLYPUSSEDOFF]

You have to get a magic painting book. They're the law according to my twin boys. I did this one year and used envelopes for each day. Cost a bomb
Yo yo
popping frog / bug thing
bouncy ball
kids nail varnish
bubble bath for xmas eve
expanding flannel
kinder egg
pants
slipper socks
crayons
snow globe
wind up toy animal thing
spinning top
funky pencils
Look in the party bag items. Lots of my stuff was second hand - macdonalds toys in bag from bootsale etc

[Chillywhippet]

My word. What a generous bunch!

My advent activities include - get the tree, decorations up, bake biscuits, make/write cards, read a Christmas story, decorate cake, go shopping for a present for dad/nan/dog, see a film, go to carol service, pantomine, see santa, iceskating, go for a winter walk and collect greenery for the table and mantelpiece, get your room ready, lay the table on Christmas Eve for Christmas dinner etc.

So mostly things we are doing anyway, just in a calendar. Sometimes I buckle and get a picture or chocoalte or Lego or boots calendar as well .

[PeekABooPinky101]

Merly I shall look up the magic painting book!

Chilly I have done a mix - frozen chocolates from the 99p shop - got Some tags from eBay for 3.50 which I can use the remainders on gifts Christmas and through out the year, they are plain with a heart cut out. - these have the decorate the tree, letter to Santa etc on. The finger puppets eBay again, 10 for 1.98. So so far not too bad!

Thank you all - we're going to have some very lucky small people in the lead up to Christmas [santa]

[Fueledwithfairydustandgin]

I bought a pack of melissa and Doug farm magnets and he will get a magnet each day and have bought a couple of extra treats for the other few days. Didn't end up costing too much

[evelynj]

I've started my list- I find pencilling in the weekends where you can add activities is good & work from there.

The favourites round here are going to the zoo to wish all the animals happy Christmas (20 mins away & we have annual passes) & Picnic tea under the Christmas tree-dc get incredibly excited about this one.

Also walk in the dark with finger lights, hot chocolate, star gazing, magazine treat, putting Christmas bedding on & early on making them choose some toys & taking them to charity shop, (reminds mine not to get their expectations too high everyday & that there's jobs to do!)

[Dustybinlydia]

BiddyPop wrote a fantastic list of ideas for activities, on this thread.

Obviously, your dd may be a little bit young for some of them, but it's great for inspiration

[00100001]

A (deflated!) balloon
Crayons
Hair clips/bobbles
Magnets
Little bouncy ball
Celebration/heroes individual chocs
Breadsticks
New cutlery
Small pack of bubbles

[00100001]

I once put in a couple of sugar snap peas that morning

[00100001]

Sorry, seemed to have forgotten to PST that we do this every year.

Would never out socks/pants etc waaaaaay too big!

A dried apricot went down a treat one year!

[PeekABooPinky101]

Dusty thank you for that link! Loads of ideas to do now - and not just advent related.

Looking forward to getting it properly sorted now.... How long is it until I can use them?!

[MERLYPUSSEDOFF]

I nicked a load of 1/2 A4 sized envelopes from work, glittered them up, and hung them from the stairs. (we had 48 !)
Lots of stuff was bought as a packs of 10 from poundland and split up. Socks and pants they needed anyway. I also got magic gloves from £1 land. It DID cost a bomb, and I haven't done it since, but they loved it.
I may do it this year if I am inspired enough. They are nearly 8 though so I don't think a magic colouring book will cut it? Might do the IOU's for some.

[StDogolphin]

A recipe to make together.

A trip to somewhere Christmassy, our local National Trust house does a nice trail.

Ticket to see a child friendly show, the Snowman or something aimed at little ones rather than a big panto.

[MaryPoppinsPenguins]

I do this, it's my favourite part!

I put a letter in each day from the elves that gives us something to do, watch a Christmas movie, write a letter to Santa, go to a panto, go to the zoo and wish the animals merry Christmas, visit Nanny, decorate the tree, make a Christmas card for daddy...

And I put in chocolate coins and little bits and bobs like Disney fridge magnets and hair clips.

This year every day is having two Tsum Tsums! I've been collecting them for about six months and next week I'll have 48, one for each child everyday. They're going to be SO excited :)