Shining children’s eyes: 24 ideas for the Advent calendar

Published on 05.11.2023 from Roland

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24 Advent calendar ideas for children - mostly free and guaranteed plastic-free ;)

We've had them all! The store-bought Advent calendars with toys, sweets or puzzles. The Advent calendars with little books and the ones with craft kits. And the elaborately homemade Advent calendars with toys and craft supplies, with chocolate, biscuits, socks and cute hair clips. Once even with self-sewn bags and self-glued boxes made from decorated toilet paper rolls or matchboxes.

And you know what? Every Advent calendar was loved by the children.

Advent calendars are great!

All the calendars were really great because the days leading up to Christmas were an experience. Getting up every day was a highlight! I know parents who were sometimes woken up at 4 a.m. by their excited children to open the next door. Crazy? Yes. Cute? Of course! (Well, I looked at it later in the day from a distance and after a few cups of coffee.)

How is it going for you?

Advent calendar with time instead of stuff

This year we wanted something without "stuff" - simply because the toys and craft supplies are piled up to the ceiling. Because there are presents at Christmas anyway and also because we didn't want to spend November again buying all sorts of little things for 2 children (so 48 little things in this case). The goal: great family moments, a few nice memories and pictures and at least one activity that has the potential to become a future Advent tradition. That's the ultimate master plan.

Let's get started: 24 great ideas for the Advent season with children!

Collected from our personal bucket list, from ideas that we have come across over the year, "stolen" from acquaintances and friends, from our own childhood and - of course - seen on Instagram & Co. and thought to be great! Here are our 24 ideas for the pre-Christmas period:

donate something (food donation to animal shelter / gift package for needy children & families / women's shelter / homeless shelter / etc...)
go on an excursion , e.g. puppet theatre / cinema / indoor playground (1000s of ideas on familienausflug.info )
Bake cookies together (recipe for indestructible cookie cutters HERE !)
Print out your favorite (series) heroes as coloring templates
Forest Safari (which Animals/ trees/ tracks you have seen, collect a pine cone...)
Feeding birds : Make bird food ( more info HERE ) or buy and hang it up
City safari (public transport / how many buses / parking meters / decorated Christmas trees seen?)
Advent party - turn up the Christmas songs and sing along! Plus punch and cookies
Watch Christmas movie
Visit the Christmas market
Take a night hike with flashlights
Making paper stars
Organize a games afternoon
Decorate your apartment for Christmas
Geocaching - download one of the free apps and off you go!
to visit a museum
create a " we've never done that before" moment
Declare a day to be Yes Day (could be good. could escalate.) Do you know the film ?? 😄
xMas around the world : find out how Christmas is celebrated in other countries / cultures
Discover new books in the library at your leisure
Baking / decorating a gingerbread house
create the best children's punch recipe in the world
Build a cave
Have a sleepover party

We also find this very nice:

Spending time with someone you haven't seen in a long time
Painting pictures for the retirement home

(Our list is without rating - it is neither ordered nor sorted alphabetically 😉)

How do you like our suggestions?

By the way, the children don't share our enthusiasm 100% and insist on a few things. So much for the master plan. thhihihi

PS our kids want time AND stuff ;)

We will probably write the best and most practical activities mixed with a few small things on small pieces of paper and put them in toilet paper rolls (which we will decorate nicely - so we will do crafts again. Phew 😂)

I wish you a wonderful pre-Christmas period - whether you make your own or buy an Advent calendar. Don't stress yourself out with all the appointments that pile up during Advent anyway. ✌