Ideas for advent calendar for 7 year old DS

[ILoveGroot]

I have a fill your own advent calendar, but am struggling to think of ideas to fill it! So far I have thought of:

• lego or fake lego minifigures
• superzings or other blind bags
• fake tattoos
• little stationary things like erasers

Can anyone think of anything else?

Stickers
Sweets
Match attax cards if he likes football
Those little sliding puzzles that make a picture
Yoyo
Bouncy ball

Advent is equivalent to Lent - a time of spiritual preparation for (respectively) the birth and resurrection of Christ. It is a time for ditching material goods and focusing on more important things, such as the state of your soul, and your relationship with God and your fellow humans.
I don’t quite see how stuffing an Advent calendar with presents contributes to this process?
Surely it just makes Christmas Day less special for your DS, if he’s been receiving gifts every day for a month beforehand?
Traditional Advent calendars built up the anticipation of Christmas by simply having a picture each day that gradually told the story of the Nativity, culminating on Christmas Eve with the stable scene. I think that’s more in keeping with the season.
If you’re not a Christian, then one wonders why you are marking Advent with a calendar at all? Just buy your DS as many consumer goods as you like, on random days in December!

We do similar, we have a hanging bag for each day of December on a rope thing that goes over the fireplace.
Sometimes I put sweets in, little mini figures, stickers, stationery bits etc just small bits I pick up or can be split down over a few days but I also put our Christmas activities in i.e. notes that say today to visit Santa, go buy the tree, watch a Christmas film etc

Wow @Babdoc what a lecture!

Some great ideas thank you, love the idea of bouncy balls, DS loves them

Wow @Babdoc you TELL the OP

We do this for my DD.

Every year I struggle to fill the boxes and keep it original.

The boxes are small so a lot of the time I was writing on pieces of card and my DD was reading the cards then I will giving her the gift.

Last year here are some of the things I can remember.

Nativity scene figures (found a China set in b and m)

I O U days, I.e a movie night, a trip the park, friend sleeping over, a mini mani pedi etc

Chocolate coins

Lip balms

Bath fizzers

A Ferraro rocher

A pound coin

Pens

Colouring books

Marbles

Fun size sweets

Face packs

Hair accessories, lip balm, but I also do notes for a clue to a box which might contain all the Xmas story books, or Xmas bedding, or tickets to something, or an ingredient to the days craft or bake activity. Sometimes I also do free printable activities like those folding fortune tellers with Xmas jokes.

I try and keep bits of tat from discarded party bags through the year to put in the advent calendar. Other staples here are:

Stickers - often cut up a sheet to cover a few days, often from a forgotten magazine bought during the year.
Wind up toy - I bought a box of 20 from Ali express a few years back and use a few each year.
Badges
Little figures - i got a pack of 24 pokemon figures last year which I still have some of.
Stationary - I like Ali express for this. Things like post it notes or a multicolour pen.

I do include a few bigger items that don't fit in the actual calendar, basically things I would have bought in December anyway like decorations (I have some stick on snowflakes for their bedroom window), a Christmas jumper if they need a new one and a Christmas book to read.

Party popper, mini slime, yoyo, kinder egg?

Road stickers only £1 on Wish, handy if he’s into toy cars.

I usually buy whatever Christmas set Lego is offering - Gingerbread house, Santa’s village etc and break it up into 24 parts. Much more to do than their naff advent calendars.

This year I'm filling my ds advent calander up with a mix of hot wheels cars and chocolate. I have previously done Christmas themed stationery, Christmas decorations, Lego and playmobil.

Fab ideas thanks. Love the idea of a bigger lego set split into little bits! 🎄🎄🎄

A bit random, but I put fossils in a few days for DS. Also, a set of little dinosaurs split up, bath slime, hot wheels cars, novelty sweets (like that lolly you get that's a whistle).

Last year I just went for a playmobil one, as I felt I'd spent a load of time and effort and it wasn't really worth it as they would prefer one I'd bought. However, DS (6) surprised me recently by being able to name (and locate) most of the stuff from the year he was 4.

I am assuming Badoc also has a nativity scene in their house where the 3 kings start off somewhere else and move every day as they progress to the stable for 6th January

My Mum wouldn't even have a Christmas tree if she had her way (Pagan roots of bringing in greenery into the house) but luckily for us my Dad was not Catholic and our house looked like he had bought the entire contents of the Christmas decoration aisle. It may not have been classy but we absolutely loved it. It made us happy, obviously it was tempered by the Christian charity and mass on Christmas morning, just like mass every Sunday to connect with God.

Anyway, OP, you could add little notes for activities you will do that day such as watching films, playing a board game, doing a Christmas jigsaw, making mince pies or cookies, going to see Christmas lights in the neighbourhood etc. It doesn't have to be a gift each time, it can just be a special moment.

I usually go for the budget friendly option of buying a tin of chocs when they are cheap at Halloween and stashing them to put in the refillable advent calendar as I have 3 dc.

But I do like the idea of a DIY Lego set one. You'd have to pack it according to the instructions to make sure its buildable.

@Babdoc

Advent is equivalent to Lent - a time of spiritual preparation for (respectively) the birth and resurrection of Christ. It is a time for ditching material goods and focusing on more important things, such as the state of your soul, and your relationship with God and your fellow humans. I don’t quite see how stuffing an Advent calendar with presents contributes to this process? Surely it just makes Christmas Day less special for your DS, if he’s been receiving gifts every day for a month beforehand? Traditional Advent calendars built up the anticipation of Christmas by simply having a picture each day that gradually told the story of the Nativity, culminating on Christmas Eve with the stable scene. I think that’s more in keeping with the season. If you’re not a Christian, then one wonders why you are marking Advent with a calendar at all? Just buy your DS as many consumer goods as you like, on random days in December!

Imagine coming on to a thread just to lecture someone about your beliefs. 🤣🤣

I always get my son a new tree ornament, usually related to his current favourite Disney film (it's a Jack Skellington one this year!), a helium balloon, a Christmas figure set that I separate. I avoid sweets or chocolate as he gets given loads of chocolate advent calendars from family members.

Fab ideas

Babdoc I celebrate an unashamedly unchristian Christmas. Just like I imagine you celebrate Easter without worshipping Eostre. Isn't it lucky that we all get to choose how to celebrate?

There is no "should" about how to celebrate any aspect imo and people can choose what works for them and their families. We dont find that an advent calendar (in truth the several advent calendars we have) detract from Christmas at all.