The last three years, we have reused a playmobil advent calendar for DD - it's a santa's workshop one. She doesn't open it as an advent calendar - we've borrowed an Estonian tradition where the elves deliver a small gift every day during December if you've "been good", and it goes in her stocking to find each morning.
This year, DS will be old enough to join in for the first time, which I'm looking forward to. We'll alternate the calendar gift with a chocolate coin or something, so they get to share it.
However... I'd really like to swap the workshop theme to something a bit more related to the holiday. We're not particularly churchy, but I think it's important that the kids learn that Christmas wasn't invented by/for FAther Christmas...
Coupled with the fact I've been wanting to add a nativity scene to our Christmas decorations for a few years now, but money has been tight. This year feels like the year I'm ready to make the change!
Has anyone seen any nice 24 piece nativity scenes that I can use as their advent calendar? I saw this on the Lakeland website but the price tag made me do a little sick in my mouth - but it's going to be used for years so maybe I should just suck it up? www.lakeland.co.uk/40910/Bethlehem-Advent-Stable