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Original poster

Will a 2 year old understand an advent calendar?

31 replies

AutumnLea · 25/08/2023 17:09

I've started planning/buying for Christmas super early this year. Dc will be 2 and as of right now (21mo) would have no clue, it would be meaningless and pointless.

I really wanted to get a fabric one and put a Christmas activity in each day but not sure if I should wait until next year.

Did your 2 yr old understand something like that? I don't know how much will change in the next 3 months and he's a bit of a late developer anyway.

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mynameiscalypso · 25/08/2023 17:12

My son was just over 2 when he had his first proper advent calendar (he'd had ones the years before but mainly for me to eat). He definitely got it and loved finding the numbers each day. I think it was a Brio train one and he was very pleased at getting a present every day.

Windowcleaning · 25/08/2023 17:14

Why not? I would get a cardboard open windows one and save anything more complex for when he's older, but a lovely thing to do.

Ostryga · 25/08/2023 17:15

Whatever you do don’t get a chocolate one until they’re 5. Learnt that the hard way with daily frigging tantrums about not getting a chocolate as soon as they wake up for months. I was quite the grinch after that!

Daily activities sound lovely but I think at 2 you could skip the advent ‘gift’ and just get a lift the flap one. Dd loved those (after I’d been burnt by chocolate ones!)

pilates · 25/08/2023 17:15

Agree with windowcleaning

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AutumnLea · 25/08/2023 17:28

Ah ok it's not an insane thing to do then. Just had a look and haven't seen those cardboard ones before. I'll shop around a bit and choose a nice one, quite like this pop up tree one

..but, no chocolate ✔️

Thanks all Smile

Will a 2 year old understand an advent calendar?
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pilates · 25/08/2023 17:33

That’s a lovely one op. Made me feel nostalgic mine are 19 & 22 😞

ChristmasCwtch · 25/08/2023 18:14

I bought a lovely wall hung fabric advent calendar when my eldest was about 2… I quickly realised that I’d have to fill it each morning, instead of in one go 😂

He loved it and quickly got the concept!!

letmesailletmesail · 25/08/2023 18:26

DD was 26 months when she had her first one. It spent ages curating it. Delightful activities for the days I was off. Christmassy hair grips and things for nursery days and, once a week or so, a chocolate coin. After the first chocolate coin, she had a tantrum every morning that there wasn't a chocolate coin. After four mornings of that, she got a chocolate coin every day and whatever else I'd planned!

BaconWaffles · 25/08/2023 18:42

I got one for my niece that age, but made sure to get on that wasn't just random windows all over, but one that was little boxes lined up in order, so that she started to get the idea of counting down/waiting for something (she was only just 2). I don't think without the visual representation of the ones she'd opened, and the ones that were left to open, with a clear distinction between them. She might have been able to find the numbers on a mixed up one, if reminded what was next, but it wouldn't have had the same meaning as she didn't really have a concept of how many days 25 was or that it was getting closer or anything.

My nephew had a random one, with chocolate, and he ate all the chocolate the first day when he accidentally got hold of it (and he was older than 2) and it had to be refilled with something else. (It's not a thing where they live, so I posted them to them). It also became just an activity that you do before Christmas, and then something that is gone once Christmas is over, so while he vaguely associated it with the time before Christmas, it didn't have the idea of building up to something in quite the same way, other than just 'lots of windows opened now', rather than seeing the last few days counting down.

Original poster
AutumnLea · 25/08/2023 18:43

I should probably give him a bit more credit to be fair, was convinced he wouldn't understand presents last year but he did. Might put little Christmas cookies in.

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AutumnLea · 25/08/2023 18:45

This fabric one is the one I originally was going to get

Will a 2 year old understand an advent calendar?
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ColeslawSandwich · 25/08/2023 18:47

This might sound a bit meh but when DD was that age I printed out a pic of Santa and he had numbers 1-24 on his beard. Then she stuck a cotton wool ball to his beard each day - it was really a countdown to Christmas rather than an Advent calendar but she loved it.

Original poster
AutumnLea · 25/08/2023 18:48

ColeslawSandwich · 25/08/2023 18:47

This might sound a bit meh but when DD was that age I printed out a pic of Santa and he had numbers 1-24 on his beard. Then she stuck a cotton wool ball to his beard each day - it was really a countdown to Christmas rather than an Advent calendar but she loved it.

That's cute

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AutumnLea · 25/08/2023 18:49

Actually just found one where you move the star along each day that might be good

Will a 2 year old understand an advent calendar?
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ColeslawSandwich · 25/08/2023 18:49

Something like this

Will a 2 year old understand an advent calendar?
Original poster
AutumnLea · 25/08/2023 18:50

AutumnLea · 25/08/2023 18:49

Actually just found one where you move the star along each day that might be good

Aah but it's not in order. Sorry getting carried away 😩

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AutumnLea · 25/08/2023 18:51

Thanks some great ideas I'll keep looking 👍

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headcheffer · 25/08/2023 19:19

Mine was 2.5 last Christmas and she loved her chocolate advent calendar so much! A top tip is to use it to get them doing a bit of morning routine they complain about - brushing teeth, getting shoes on, wearing a coat or whatever. Make it the rule that once they've got their shoes on or hair brushed etc they can open their advent calendar. When the new year rolled around we swapped it for getting a multivitamin gummy every morning once DC are fully dressed!

Windowcleaning · 25/08/2023 20:33

I really like the idea of making Santa's beard through December by sticking a cotton wool ball a day for a two year old.

Mine are teens now but they still love their one chocolate coin a day in the advent calendar that I made out of old Christmas socks and other bits when they were little.

Save the fabric one with a pocket a day for when he's a little older and go with gluing cotton wool when he's two!

LizzieSiddal · 25/08/2023 20:38

My grandaughter was just two last Xmas, she had a chocolate one and to avoid any misunderstanding and issues DD kept it out of sight and brought it out after tea each night, then put it away again.

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AutumnLea · 25/08/2023 21:20

Because there are so many good ideas here I've decided to do 3:

A printable Santa beard for upstairs - he can stick on the cotton wool when he gets up.

The cardboard one I found earlier for the front room - we can do that one after breakfast and it will have a small treat.

And I've ordered this www.notonthehighstreet.com/jonnyssister/product/personalised-handmade-felt-christmas-advent-calendar fabric one for in the hallway where we can get our activity for the day on our way out.

Thanks again everyone I'm really happy with that.

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wellingtonsandwaffles · 25/08/2023 21:44

Don’t do chocolates for a couple of years! It was such a struggle! Suddenly they could have “chocolate at breakfast”, but then could see it all day and want it all day, every day! Once 4/5, much better! My son enjoyed one where you open the door each day and reveal a bit of the picture, and another with stickers to make the nativity

HAF1119 · 25/08/2023 21:51

I did fabric with activity or a little gift from age 2, he didn't really 'get it' fully in terms of it being a countdown to Christmas but oddly when the fabric bags came out the next year when he was 3 he saw them and said 'advent calendar' straight away so he must have had some memory and understanding of it that I didn't know which made me glad we did it :)

110APiccadilly · 25/08/2023 21:54

DD was just over 2 last year and I made a little line with a paper decoration to peg on it every day so that we'd filled it by Christmas. She enjoyed it, I don't know if she really "got" it, but we had fun.

Hibernatalie · 25/08/2023 23:40

Mine just got stressed out they couldn't open them all at once tbh. They are the perfect age for them now at 7 and 5.

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