Stuff for reusable advent calendar

[NeverHadANickname]

Does anyone have any ideas for what to put in a reusable advent calendar? I have a wooden one with little doors that I do for my (will then be) 4 year old, but suggestions for all types and ages would be good!

Why do they have to be different jokes or riddles? Surely the 8 yo can't recall the exact jokes told when he was 2, 4 and 6 ?

Speak for yourself about the £1 advent calendars being more exciting than the chocolate you could put in the resumable advent calendars. My lad loved finding a mars mini or a chocolate lime or whatever.

Yes, much more fun if they aren't all the same boring and not particularly nice chocolate. DD always especially liked it when she got a marzipan fruit.

I probably wouldn't go for a starburst or single M&M, tbh. Agree that even a four year old might be a bit underwhelmed.

As pp, I fill ours with the same 24 little decorations each year. It's easy for me, reassuring familiar for kids, doesn't keep ruining the planet and has become an unplanned family tradition.

My boys will be 6 and nearly 4. So far I have some mini figures to split between them (onbuy do great Ninjago etc knock off bulk buys about 20 for around £8), some Playmobil figures and accessories e.g. a deep sea divers helmet which can fit on their current figures, tools to add to sets etc, these came from a bundle from vinted, jumping beans, second hand hex bugs again from vinted, bath fizzers I bought in a buzz lightyear set I've split up, some Christmas mini springs I found in the works sale for 50p (so 12.5p each!), Those throwing paper snaps things (a box split between them) I will add the odd chocolate coin. I try to get them between free and max £1 per item really.

I now have soon to be 1 year old to figure out though who is still abit of a baldy so no hair clips for her 😂

The excitement of getting 1% of a share bag of sweets per day... Woooo one magic star every day, full of Christmas joy and spirit and so much better.

I honestly don't know any 4 year old declaring 'mama this kinnerton paw patrol advent calander chocolate is beyond dire, next year I require only hotel chocolate'... instead they are just happy to get chocolate in the shape of Marshall wearing a Santa's hat.

We did this & I would put in notes...today we will sing a Christmas carol, go & find a new decoration on the Christmas tree, go look on your bed (which had new Christmas duvet) etc, as well as chocolate coins, Lindt chocs etc...DS loved it! Lego mini figs or similar are great for this.

Yes, it is full of Christmas joy and spirit because somebody took the trouble to choose things their child would like and made the effort to present it in a fun way. A four year old may not notice but as they grow, they definitely will.

Some of my DD's most treasured possessions and memories are things she got in her advent calendar from years ago. A necklace that she wears all the time, a tiny teddy bear, the time she had to collect 24 letters over the month and rearrange them to find the hiding place of a bigger present, the year she started learning a foreign language that she was really into and all the stuff was themed, the set of tiny lipsticks she is still using two years on and lots more. She talks about this stuff at nearly 17. It's made some very happy memories for her.

You, on the other hand, sound thoroughly miserable.

I'm delighted that I didn't just chuck a £1 calendar in the shopping trolley at the supermarket.

Never understood the point of commenting on a post like this just to tell people they are doing it all wrong but you crack on.

And Magic Stars, really? Is that your concept of nice sweets? I feel sorry for your children.

Chocolate coins with the odd mini Lindt thing. Foil can be recycled. The actual advent calendar I made from old Xmas socks and bits of material, felt and thread I already had.

They're teens and love it coming down from the loft each 30 November.

I put notes in each day, which say the Christmas activity that we’ll be doing that day. From making decorations to seeing Christmas lights, to making Christmas biscuits to singing Christmas songs or doing a Christmas jigsaw. If there’s anything that we have planned like seeing Santa or events at school then those will be in there. I keep a list of what is on which day and can move things around as required. Costs very little money as we reuse things year after year and the crafty stuff we have lasts for multiple years. I put a chocolate coin for each child in random days with the note (not every day). It’s a lovely tradition which they love.

What I’ve done over the years
pokemon characters
Books
craft kits / activities
small figures that make up a larger scene
Baking kits
small Lego sets
stationery
socks (for the older ones!)
aftershave / perfume

Maybe it wouldn't be as exciting for a 4 year old but we put our tree decorations in most boxes ready for next year. Our toddler is only 2 though! I didn't want to put any tat I'm so it seemed an obvious idea, especially as he won't remember them. Other than that I think we put some bubbles in.

A 4 yo would be just as happy with a mini milky way from a draw as a cheap star shaped chocolate covered with a paw patrol piece of cardboard that's identical to the chocolate shape their sister's Hey Duggee calendar the same day.

Our girls 12 & 9 have had one for years and they get little gifts a lot like the ideas other have mentioned, but also crafts / movie nights, etc. They always get their xmas bedding one day, xmas tops another, xmas books, a new decoration on the day we put up the tree and any xmas outings will have a little note. I have a box to put things in that don't go in the little drawers but a lot of it is stuff we get out every year and reuse it's just a lovely way to spread it out and not end up with loads of little bits just to fit the drawers

I'm not in the UK so can't recommend one specifically. We only put one in at a time because my little one does like checking the other doors 😁

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions! Also, I have done this since before he was born, it was for my husband at that point, and really enjoy it so I'll definitely continue.

I'll read the thread again and make a list but I like the ideas of temporary tattoos, socks and Lego which he isn't in to yet but I hope to get him some at some point. Last year we mainly did notes and chocolates.

We should update the thread with what we buy and then in December show what we did and what was a hit.

I think 1 at a time is best too. If my child is anything like me he will peak!

Thanks for doing this thread, I think I will save it also DS is only 1 so we will have many years ahead. I'm hoping to avoid that elf! I'm hoping by the time he can ask it's a thing of the past.

I always wrapped the stuff up so DD couldn't look! A bit of tissue paper is fine.

We do a chocolate a day, usually from a bag of little shaped santas or snowmen or something from aldi (for the benefit of a PP, similar to what is in a cheap calendar, but nicer chocolate, and a bit less plastic in the single bag than the plastic tray that fills the bought calendar).

Every few days there will be a note about what we are doing that day, such as putting up the tree, Xmas movie night, trip to see Santa, drive around to look at the lights, and a couple of times there’ll be directions to find supplies for card/decoration making, the Christmas cookie cutters, or their Christmas jumper for school christmas jumper day.

I love the tradition of our wooden calendars. They were first Christmas gifts for our DC and arrive to much excitement with our (well behaved) elf. Oldest DC is 6 and so far has never expressed an interest in the shop bought calendars. If she did I’d buy her one, but she’d know it was from us, from a shop. It lacks the magic of a chocolate appearing each morning that she knows wasn’t there the night before. I did treat her to a playmobil toy one last year (it came with a house which I’d wanted to get her for Christmas anyway), but she knew it was an early Christmas gift from us and she wouldn’t be getting one each year. To be honest I’ll be unlikely to do it again. She was really impatient at the start wanting to just play with it with all the bits, and then pretty underwhelmed towards the end.

Oh my goodness , there are so many lovely ideas on this thread!

Just wondering if you guys have one calendar per sibling, or if they share the one calendar? I can imagine it getting a bit tricky fitting two gifts in each pocket, not to mention confusion over gifts if they are different due to age gap....

I have just decided to buy one - it's a Fabelab one, so looks sizeable (80 x 50cm) - we have a 5yo and a 1yo, so the little one isn't ready yet anyway - but was thinking of getting her her own one for next year. I am an only child so only just starting to figure out how this whole sibling thing works :)

We have a calendar each (similar, but not identical)

Can we include some suggestions for older please? DD is 22 and still loves hers.
I have in the last couple of years put:
Gin miniatures in different flavours
Bath bombs
Chocolate
Hair bobbles (she' an aircraft engineer, long hair, always needs bobbles!)

But I'm out of ideas for this year as (a)she's gone off gin & bath bombs) & (b) see,s to have better control over the bobbles. She also doesn't have her ears pierced or wear much jewellery.

Also - The Range have a couple of really nice permanent ones this year, with decent sized drawers, and reasonably priced. I think both were around the £20 mark.

Crikey. I just buy a tub of Quality Street or similar and put two in for each day (one for each DD.)

Also keen on more suggestions for older children. DD is 17.

I got a set of mini lipsticks that I split up one year and put in which were really cute. She is still using them!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09DPM5YMH

Also single eyeshadows and coloured cartridges for fountain pens have been a hit in the past.

I also got some mini jars of jam one year.

We do a ‘song advent’ ( my DC actually came up with the idea!). Each year we cut up 24 bits of paper and the 2 DC get 12 songs each. We then distribute randomly. I add a chocolate each and also some other bits and bobs on random days instead of the chocolate - not for a 4 year old but gems and fossils have been a hit, also did little tree decorations one year.

They take it in turns to open and we play the song that morning at breakfast.