What can I put in advent calendar boxes for DD5 and DS7??

[FusionChefGeoff]

I got a beauty calendar last year and saved it full of good intentions to reuse it as an advent calendar for DC but I'm struggling to think of any ideas apart from chocolates!! I'd like to avoid making it 24 boxes of plastic shite.

Has anyone done any good themes or bigger gifts which can be broken down into smaller parts perhaps??

I've thought I could maybe do some chocolates and say make 1 in 5 a decent gift if that makes it easier but, ultimately, I'm hoping that someone else has already done my thinking for me and I can just sweep in and claim all the glory this year

have a look at this list. when it mentions stuff like 'get the tree' you write it on a small note, and can pop it inside the square along with a chocolate

Maybe you could get a 24 piece jigsaw puzzle and put in one piece each day alongside a chocolate obviously! Put the pieces in in an order that they can be joined together each day iyswim.

I thought about a jigsaw! But then we're doing a trip to Legoland as a present so thought I'd use a 'make your own' jigsaw as the reveal for that actually on the day - perhaps with the final important piece (the word 'Legoland!' hidden somewhere. I think if it was spread out DS would guess and take the element of surprise away.

I like the idea of treat coupons - might do some that are about getting out of chores too!!

Magic expanding flannels (Wilko has them)
Cress seeds
Lego minifigures
Playmobil figure blind bag
Balloons
Hair clips and scrunchies
Hot chocolate sachet
Stickers

If they are into lego, you could get a set each and break it out into a handful of steps per day? Maybe every other or every third day, with chocolate or other things in between.

A joke. My kids love it and prefer it to a toy one.

One likes Lego a lot more than the other! But perhaps if it was a joint enterprise the younger one might get more into it.

Love the joke idea.

I think it might be a rotation:

• a thing
• a promise voucher
• a joke
• a bit of Lego

Should I give them a small sweet / choc every day or work a larger treat into the rotation do you think???

Depends on the size of the boxes...

Jokes
Balloons
Hair bobbles
Bath crayons
Puzzle pages
Key rings
Small stationery (runners, sharpeners, sticker sheets, notepads, fin paper clip etc)
Finger puppets
Small sweets (like haribo 10p bags/refresher chews)
A "voucher" for cake/doughnuts/treat at a café
Hot chocolate sachet
A note with a dare/challenge (eg jump out and scare someone today)
Lego mini figures or the like

I did a tiny sweet every day, then some days with bigger chocs / sweets. That went down well. (I went totally OTT and It was a massive hassle. This year I'm just buying one.)

This is first year with an BC almost 2 and 4 yr olds. We have things like find Christmas lights (either a local attraction or garden centre or walk around the houses!), Sing Xmas songs, watch a Xmas film, make mincemeat, then make the pies, make cards, then "be an elf" and deliver the cards. Be a reindeer (got reindeer hair clips), visiti Santa grotto, playgroup Xmas party. With a few presents along the way

Have a rough plan but not putting them in box until night before as I can judge their energy/enthusiasm and mine! Plus if something does crop up we can jiggle it about.

I collect together all the Christmas related books and DVDs, write the titles on bits of paper and put some of these in the drawers.

I have done little tree decorations, Lego mini figs (buying cheap job lots on eBay), make your own Lego advent calendar by buying bigger sets and separating them, Christmas pencils and rubbers, Christmas stampers (you can buy a big box cheap that'll last a few years worth!) Christmas pin badges....

This year I have some little Lego bits and a multipack of Christmas socks. I might add a couple of pens then it'll be sweets.

£1 or £2 coins.
Stickers.
Bath chalks.

In the past I've used:
Hair clips
Christmas brooch
Rubbers
Pencils
Mini stationery
Chocolate coins
Kinder bars
Lego mini figures - fake eBay
Second hand playmobil people
Key rings
Stickers
Craft bits - e.g. Christmas stick on craft bits or sequins
A little note to say where something larger is hidden or some sort of treat.

I've never done a themed one but there's a thread about a Harry Potter themed one that sounds sweet.