Filling up the Advent calendar

[rosao]

We have a beautiful reusable Advent calendar that I want to fill with festive activities and things to do rather than chocolates.

My plan is to put tokens in each pocket and they will be exchanged by dc for the activity.

I've already got our actual days out planned and booked so I'm looking for low key, budget friendly ideas. So far I've got making Christmas cards, gingerbread house on there. But I'm struggling 🎅🏼.

If you do something similar can you share your ideas? Or even just what christmassy things you do during December.

Going on a walk to look at christmas lights on peoples houses
Hot chocolate and a Christmas film
Making snowflakes / paper chains

• outdoor winter picnic? Flask of hot chocolate (plus marshmallows etc to add) or warmed apple juice an essential. Mulled wine for you?!

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2023/01/winter-picnic-ideas/

https://theladybirdsadventures.co.uk/winter-picnic-ideas/

A lot depends on the ages of your DC, but maybe:

• torchlit walk/stargaze?

• an evening of Christmas stories and themed boardgames?

• go and look at the best lit-up/decorated homes? Or by bus/car, if none local...

• cosy Xmas movie night, with themed snacks?

• family kitchen disco to Xmas hits?

• make simple Xmas decorations?

e.g.

• https://www.firefliesandmudpies.com/scrap-ribbon-tree-ornaments/

https://blog.vickybarone.com/2012/12/06/popsicle-stick-christmas-ornaments/

Maybe a couple of Random Acts Of Kindness in the mix as well:

• bake and decorate Christmas cookies for a neighbour/your postie?

• make one of these DIY orange or apple bird feeders?

https://thimbleandtwig.com/easy-homemade-bird-feeders-for-kids-to-make/

• donate a book/small toy to local charity shop, or take an old fleecy throw/towel/cosy blanket to local animal rescue?

Sorry, not sure why my post formatted so spaced out!

Not sure how old your Dc are but I always put a Christmas stamp & pencil/pen in for writing a letter to Santa on the 1st.
I also print colouring/wordsearchs from various sites for Dc to do. (Dc3 is obsessed with wordsearch/word puzzles so she loves this).
I tailor the stuff to our days, busy school days when I know they’ll be tired it’s a simple colouring activity, or game.

Baker Ross is good for cheap and easy crafts

I do this with my DC. Their favourite ones are

Decorate an orange with cloves and a ribbon. They bloody love sticking cloves into oranges!

Taste test. I give them each a jelly bean/crisp/chocolate (there are lots available this time of year)and they guess the flavours. The one that gets the most flavours correct wins eternal glory. This year I've got a pack of various jelly beans and I've been collecting festive bags of crisps.

Festive baking. Yule log or something

I'll also add in trips to every Christmas fayre we can manage.

I used to put Christmas quiz questions in... Ask mum for a Christmas word to spell, what was given on the 5th day of Christmas in the song , what were the names of the three wise men, name 5 traditional Christmas foods etc.. I also kept all the jokes and questions from Christmas crackers and used them in the advent calendar drawers the following year. Plus a sweetie 😁🎄