Advent calendar filler ideas

[GinSolvesEverything]

One of my kids unearthed a felt advent calendar and I'm all inspired to fill it with fun christmassy things - some chocolate I'm sure, but I am also looking for ideas that aren't candy.

Difficulty is that kids (older primary) are in long days at school as both DH and I work full time, so activities/treats need to be either quick ones, or something that can be saved until the weekend.

Will include one to choose and decorate the tree, make some cookies, make mince pies etc.

Any other ideas??

My child is a baby but later on I'd add the following : Hair ties, puzzle games, notebook, gelpens, salted nuts, chewing gum, tea bags, slime, playdoh, card game, personalised Christmas baubles

I’m planning to do this next year as advent calendars have cost a small fortune this year! I’m thinking of these kinds of things- mini toiletries, lip balm, mini hairbrush, small notebook, bath bomb, scented pens, novelty erasers, bouncy balls, yo-yos.

We have mini tree decorations and a twig thing (twigs stuck in a plant pot & all sprayed gold) that they hang the decorations on. They are 15 & 11 now so aren't that interested but they always get hung up.

Loving the idea of stationery and bath bits, thanks!

We tend to do activities for ours, but if you are looking for 'stuff' then:
The Works have got some value packs of Christmas-themed erasers (and pencils/pens);
Dunelm Mill have packs of christmas bath sqirters;
Superdrug have snowball bath fizzers.

When DC were that age we did one filled with:

semi precious stones like you find in NT gift shops (boys - they loved collecting stones)
mini Lego figures/any other craze that's going round
bath bombs
a cute/funny Christmas decoration
mini sparklers
festive pencil ends/erasers
glow in the dark sticks
light up finger rings
as well as the usual chocolate, sugar mouse etc

My DM is doing the same for my DS (teenager ) she is filling it with a few coins of various values (& some chocolate ones) and a few 'challenges' - ie: 'clean grandma's car and we will take you out for a pizza'. Obviously easier if you have the funds to do this and an only grandchild !

Honestly? I wouldn’t bother with things like pencil toppers and other tat, it will probably be enjoyed for half hour at the most. I would print out and cut up little Christmas poems or traditional facts about Christmas (doesn’t have to be religious) maybe facts about how other cultures celebrate. There’s a thread over in chat about consumerism and how it’s all just getting out of hand. I remember when advent calendars were just a picture scene behind the door and that was an amazing treat. Please leave the real treats for Christmas Day and make it even more special. I don’t want an argument though, it’s each to their own. Just a suggestion. My daughter asked for a ‘toy’ advent calendar and I just cringed, what’s with wanting everything all the time and no loving what we have?

I've bought one with drawers to fill for DS (2) - I'm going for a mixture of chocolate, playdoh, Duplo animals (a set he was getting for Christmas anyway) and some tree decorations as we get closer to Christmas.

For older kids, I'd consider Lego, hair clips, tree decorations and maybe challenges: things to find out about Christmas, or Christmassy things to spot (eg which supermarket has a polar bear outside, etc - I'm making this up off the cuff but you get what I mean).

You could also have a promise of a special hot chocolate out/at home, and/or picking a Christmas film?

Xmas socks and hairclips.

Decorations they can add to the tree.

Just thought of some more. Recipes to make give gingerbread, mince pies etc.
Hot chocolate sachets and marshmallows.

I do chocolate most days then every few days do a blind bag or kinder egg or similar .

I have some shopkins figures, hair bows, little sweets and am planning on writing some tasks to do like collecting pine cones that we can then stick in a bow and put essential ioils on - or a promise to watch a xmassy dvd, or to go and take some xmas pudding to the foodbank, go and take a star off the giving tree in town (to buy a gift for a child under SS) that kind of thing.

I'm planning on every other day being a task/giving thing

I have hair clips, Pokemon figures, nail polish, pencils with a novelty topper, slime pots, fake tattoos and a couple of bigger items such as new hats and books in mine (but they are things that I would have got anyway). I put the bigger items nearby and put a clue into the calendar.

We've done a variety of things over the years, only fill with chocolates (if we even bother with that, as they often get gifted choc advent calendars from family as well), and then an activity or similar. I got loads of ideas from Pinterest, and combined them with things we'd be doing anyway - so carol concerts, making Xmas cookies, celebrating my birthday (!) etc. You need to be careful that you put things into appropriate days (like you, when they're at school for long days, there isn't really then the time to spend hours baking cookies, but on the weekend, there's more time, so that kind of thing would go into a weekend date).

However, when I increased my hours, I just couldn't bring myself to do something EVERY DAY, when I was also trying to get myself organised for Christmas, so we simplified things a bit, and the children ASKED for sums and riddles last year. I think we each took 6 slips of paper and had to think of something to put on them, so it split the responsibility as well (anything so the pressure isn't all on ME to make the perfect Xmas...).

I don't do small gifts for each year. DD gets a jewellery one (bracelet with charms) and we have a chocolate family one.

When DD was younger we alternate between a Playmobil/Lego one and chocolate and then she would get a small gift each Advent Sunday.