Alternative to Lego advent calendar? Ideas please

[Squirrelfruitandnutkin]

The dcs have had a Lego advent calendar for the last couple of years. Tbh last years was a bit lame and looking at the contents online this year doesn’t look very exciting either. The Star Wars version looks even worse.

Anyone got any good recommendations for an alternative?

We got a playmobil one once and that was pretty good.

The Playmobil ones look pretty cool. I think we are going to go for the Haribo one from Wilkos (£5) though. Or I could freak my kid out by getting a simple cardboard one with a picture of Baby Jesus on (oh her face on Dec 1st would be classic)

You could make your own with a set of Lego and envelopes or one of those diy advent calendars

I have made my own last few years. One year I bought play mobile nativity set and split into bits.

Other years I did Littles pet shop characters, barbie clothes.

This year will be lol dolls and accessories.

You can buy hanging advent calendars with pockets for only a few £.

Wilko do their own Lego version called blox. Might be a good alternative.

Just a basic chocolate one. Kids are happy with that!

We've had a wooden one from John Lewis for donkey's years. I used to put little toys and things in, but now they're older it tends to be naice chocolates interspersed with the occasional novelty eraser, £2 coins, "IOU a chippy tea" vouchers and stuff

I make my own for dds. We've done Lego minifigures, mashems, yo Kai watch discs, Pokemon cards, shopkins figures, Moshi monsters, stationary bits all in the past. I buy from eBay in bundles - as I'm opening to split I usually buy second hand as long as it's in excellent condition. Never costs more than £15 for 48 things (one each for each day for both dds)

At the beginning I will give them an empty chocolate tub or other box to keep the bits in each day. The advent calendar was from tiger a couple of years ago - cost about £10 and it's a huge felt one that hangs up 😁

Seconding the wilkos blox one. Very cheap and really .

My friend had a good idea to get a Lego set (possibly Xmas themed) and photocopy each stage of the instructions, find those pieces and present one lot each day. Sounds an awful lot of work to me but she said it's been excellent in the past

If you're really into Lego I would caution against the blox stuff as it doesn't connect as well to normal Lego. Ds casts his out as "fake Lego" or "fego " as it's known in our house

Thanks all!

I was hoping for a ready made —lazy mum— set! 😂
Playmobil only suits one of them, as I have a ds and a Dd Lego is something they both agree on and share happily.

Maybe sweets and bits and bobs is the way forward, but when I’m stuck for ideas/ time I have a tendency to spend more which really shouldn’t be necessary. Then I feel wasteful/guilty ! 🤦🏻‍♀️

Thanks for the idea though!

And yes blox or fake Lego is not tolerated in this house 😬 By the dcs or dh! 😂

There are one's that do stickers, or stationary, shopkins, all sorts of stuff.
I just googled their interests and lots came up in different price ranges

Play doh

Smiggle do one - I'm considering it for DS who's had the Lego one for the past 2 years. He gets it as part of his November birthday present. Though I'm also on the lookout for something a bit better. He's getting to an age where he'll be a bit grumpy if the contents are deemed a bit too 'girly' (despite my efforts to not make girly or boyish a thing)

Oops - forgot link [https://www.smiggle.co.uk/shop/en/smiggleuk/advent-calendar-uk-2018]

Try not on the high street. I’m looking at ones for mine. Thinking the Rudolph one with balloons for his nose that you get to burst every day!

I saw one advertised the other day which had fossils and semi precious polished stones in it, with an information card for each one. I thought that was a brilliant idea, I would have loved that as a child. Unfortunately the ad was in an email which I’ve since deleted so I can’t be any help with where to buy one.

I found it www.notonthehighstreet.com/auntiemims/product/gemstone-geological-advent-calendar

However at £50 it’s rather steep for an advent calendar.

Going back to older Lego calendars is possible - Amazon and Smyths usually have a bunch of previous years. Agreed that this years Star Wars and City calenders do look a bit crap.

Just been in Ikea and they have really cute sets of 25 animal themed small paper fold up boxes - fox rabbit etc.

We had a playmobil one last year and they were so whiny and ungrateful each day that this year we are doing one for a food bank.

My friend had a good idea to get a Lego set (possibly Xmas themed) and photocopy each stage of the instructions, find those pieces and present one lot each day. Sounds an awful lot of work to me but she said it's been excellent in the past

This is a fantastic idea and Lego release a new set each year so you can do this every year going forward.

Something like this could go under the tree when finished?

shop.lego.com/en-GB/Winter-Holiday-Train-10254

Popinabox have just released a pop mini Harry Potter one. It’s pricey at £50 but is good value when you consider they are usually £5 each for the blind boxes