Ideas - Advent Calendar

[templaura]

Hi :)

I was gifted a beauty advent calendar last year so I kept it to reuse it this year for my girls, it has good size compartments and thought it would be a cool idea to have personalised one instead of just chocolate.

Now the time is getting closer, I'm stumped for ideas to fill 24 days with two items (one for each of them). I will put little chocolates in for a couple of the days, maybe a couple of fidget toys as they like them, but I'm getting really stuck for ideas now!
My daughters are 11 and 6, they both enjoy crafts, surprise boxes, gaming (Roblox). My eldest loves to read, cats, drawing. My youngest loves barbies and the outside world.
I'm obviously restricted by the size of the drawers (some are bigger than others, but none are massive) and I don't want to spend hundreds as it's an advent calendar! At the same time though I want to make it really special for them both.

Does anybody have any suggestions at all? I'm grateful for any which are offered.
Xx

I've filled my 9 year olds one with little crystal point necklaces, matching points and smooth stones and a couple of bracelets for later days.

We've had pocketed advent calendars for years now
I tend to pick a theme and loosely base items on that
I have boys who are currently 7 & 15 but we've been doing them since they were wee.
Some previous themes

Lip balms
Stationery
Novelty Pens (youngest is currently obsessed with handwriting)
Lego figures (some real mixed with dupes from wilko)
Biscuits (eldest is a biscuit fiend)
Star Wars figures
Pokémon / bear / collector cards
Fidget puzzles
Chocolates & gold coins
Sweets & candy canes
Lollies (loads of different ones)
Christmas decorations

I'm not sure how big the space is but I came to suggest Lego figures (though my kids have a Lego obsession!!)

Depending on age, little pots of playdoh

Hair pins / grips / bobbles etc

Christmas socks...

A key ring for their school bags

I but this question a few weeks ago and being a MIL I got shouted down and told to butt out of what should let the parents do advent calendars.

so with the risk of being shouted at again I’ll tell you what I’m doing for my granddaughters

if you look on Amazon you can get charm bracelets, not expensive just novelty ones, I thought maybe day 1 the bracelet and everyday after a charm. https://www.amazon.co.uk/DERAYEE-Christmas-Calendar-Bracelets-Countdown/dp/B0C9M4X4XR/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3JIUAH656USOA&keywords=charm+bracelet+advent+calendar&qid=1700058627&sprefix=Charm+%2Caps%2C142&sr=8-3

or tree decs to place on a tree
https://www.amazon.co.uk/NUOBESTY-Christmas-Ornaments-Miniature-Decoration/dp/B07ZCD65XJ/ref=sr_1_15?crid=363SP3FPAVT4&keywords=advent+calendar+fillers+for+kids&qid=1700058531&sprefix=Advent+calander+fi%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-15

I considered tattoos/stickers/chocolate sort of things,

what I went for was a nativity set. One item per day with baby Jesus Christmas Day. The girls will take turns unwrapping the little figurines and placing on the scene https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CJTLS4SV/ref=sspa_dk_detail_4?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0CJTLS4SV&pd_rd_w=1xrqc&content-id=amzn1.sym.67430c1d-696a-45e1-be6b-972213775cc6&pf_rd_p=67430c1d-696a-45e1-be6b-972213775cc6&pf_rd_r=PTSZVGHV21YJ2XTZ4WA6&pd_rd_wg=X6z57&pd_rd_r=2ba86de4-452f-443c-88bf-725884f7eec9&s=officeproduct&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9kZXRhaWwy

Badges
Little cat figurines for you eldest
Barbies clothes/shoes/accessories, unpackaged and wrapped small for the youngest.
Art sets can be unpacked and a small individual item gifted each day, for example a set of rubbers might do several days
Paperclips
Googly eyes
Bath bombs, lip balm
For items that don't fit in the boxes you can put a note in and either have a treasure hunt to find it or if you have several do a lucky dip where they choose which one to open?

Buy a lego kit and split it up into 24 collections of bricks, so they can build a little every day

I'm doing activities for mine. I'm writing the activities on gift tags

• Christmas bingo (bought from the works)
• Christmas colouring (as above)
• go to Lidl to choose some food to donate to food bank
• watch Elf (or any other films)
• go and look at Christmas lights

Etc

Balloons
Xmas stickers

Oh yeah one year I made sew on "hey Duggee" patches and we sewed them all on a camp blanket - I've since bought iron/sew on patches from Amazon for party bag fillers
which was a whole lot easier

Got some fab enamel pin badges for next to nothing in home bargains sewing section which went down well