Advent Calendars-non chocolate

[Tonicandgin]

Looking for a naice advent calendar for dd. Non-chocolate, any ideas?

amazon usually have nice ones

Playmobil? Plastic though, so maybe not naice enough!

I got a cute zhu zhu pets one from Amazon for about a tenner

We have a wooden one in the shape of a tree with drawers you fill up. There is a really nice Melissa and Doug tree with magnetic baubles, you cover a number each day. The Playmobil or Lego ones are nice, but a bit expensive. I am in the process of making advent bunting.

Phoenix Trading do some lovely ones. I can let you know more if you're interested.

WH Smith will have them

John Lewis have some pricey lovely ones. Little houses or boxes you could just put a chocolate coin in or something.

I was about to say John Lewis, they had some lovely ones last year.

Sorry - totally missed the bit about non chocolate! Anyway, you could fit plenty of other things in the JL one.

If you are crafty, you could make one. I did a wall hanging quilt with mini stockings.

I made one last year and put stuff like fancy hair bands, lip balms, mini note books, nail vanish remover, choc coins, the odd pound coin, erasers, high lighters, fancy pens, bookmarks, tippex, etc.

Each day they got about 3-4 little items. They will use all the stuff but did spend over £100 to fill as I had 2daughters but the advent ones like the Lego cost over £20 for each anyway so prefer to pay more for things they will use.

You could do some and put IOU's in them like taking them out for a milkshake, or taking them somewhere they want to go or to do etc

We have a home made multi pocket one. Some days there is chocolate, some days a "let's go to the park with wellies on and kick some leaves" note (my girls are 12 and 13 and still love this one!) , some days a 50p.

I always get the old fashioned glittery ones that you used to get at church, either from the Christmas Shop on Tooley St or from somewhere like that church on Sloane Sq which has a load of Christmas cards and whatnot for sale every year.

Sorry, that's a very London-centric answer!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/Christmas/2201758-Advent-calendar-ideas
Non-chocolate discussion here.

Phoenix cards do lovely card advent calendars. The dc have this, it was expensive but I love it no honestly I don't rearrange all the figures when they're in bed

www.lakeland.co.uk/40910/Bethlehem-Advent-Stable

We've got a little one with drawers that I fill every year (with chocolate coins as it happens) but I also buy one of the traditional glittery German ones every year too from a Between the Lines - they have a branch near me.

I've bought a couple from JL and a couple from paperchase.
IME the best selection usually comes from independent card and stationery shops...

Hi. I got a great megabloks (lego knock off) calender last year from The Works for about £6. My son loved it.

Or go for a diy option and make 24 mini crochet stockings and stringing them up like a garland.

I have a lovely hanging one that DM made from a kit (she sewed the fabric together to make the pockets basically, and stuffed and added rings to hang).

I am looking at lego as well, but it's €€€

Last year, I also got DD a simple pictures one from the Bible shop which was nice. Still a window to open each day but not chocs. (It's a local bible shop in Dublin city centre, but I'm sure there are religious shops in churches or high streets that would have similar, or online too).

WH Smiths definitely have them - saw them this afternoon

Spiral

Paperchase have a nice simple one.

usbourne colour in advent calendar

This folds out and you open a door and colour in a section each day then at the end are left with a lovely coloured in Christmas scene! Something different!

How old is she and what sort of thing are you after? I'm doing advent type letters this year here and I like the idea of putting activities and jobs in to an advent calender but can't seem to be organised enough to do it. Though the kids would love it.
The colouring one sounds good!

Hanging stockings sounds fun too. Doubles up as a lovely decoration!!

Sellmer Verlag are a German company that make lovely, traditional glittery calendars. Link to shop

This one Christmas in the forest is my favorite.