Advent calendars?

[lemondrop]

I'd like to do some kind of countdown/advent calendar with DD. I saw the chocolate ones in the store (there's a small chocolate for each day). But I don't think she needs that much chocolate and they have peanuts. I've also seen the cute wooden ones with little doors at Target, but I can't decide what to put in them besides candy. She's 2.5, but I'd like it to be something that can evolve with her.

What do you do/have you done?

[dowagercountess]

I have been struggling with this too - Trader Joe's has cheap ones, but I would like a neat one for her.

[sarahbear]

I am also looking for a good one. Pottery Barn Kids has several large ones with pockets big enough for little gifts. They are a bit expensive, so I haven't bought one. I think $69.

[Kore]

Not at all age appropriate, but this one has nail polish. I want!

sephora.com/caviar-mini-mani-month-216-value-P375906

[lemondrop]

Nov 11, 2012 16:24:09 GMT -5 Kore said:

Not at all age appropriate, but this one has nail polish. I want!

sephora.com/caviar-mini-mani-month-216-value-P375906

Haha. Not age appropriate, but I have seen this and it was so cute.

[sarahbear]

I don't know how crafty you are (I'm not) but I just did a google image search for advent calendar banner and there are some really cute ideas. One uses small decorated holiday bags clipped to a line with clothes pins. Your daughter could even decorate the bags this month to use in December.

[snipsnsnails]

We have a wooden nutcracker with the tiny doors that open, but instead of a gift, last year we did Christmas season experiences in each one that were specific to that day. Some of the things were: Read a Christmas Book Together, Bake Christmas Cookies & Decorate, Go to a Christmas Tree Lighting, Ride on the Santa Train as a Family, etc.

They were big and little things, but we opened them each morning and go to anticipate what we were doing. And a few times I did throw in a little gift and the card for that day said, Open a Small Xmas Surprise

[vicky]

H, my little man child, gets a Lego advent calendar from his mother every year. They're adorable and build a little winter village by Christmas Day. They also have Star Wars ones.

[ladystardust]

I like the idea of advent calendars but think that 25 chocolates or little gifts seems like a lot. I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was a really cute idea: aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.com/2010/12/mommy-week-diy-advent-for-children-via.html

Basically you put a different Christmas ornament in a little pouch for each day and each day the child gets to open one and put it up on the tree. I think they also suggest putting part of the Christmas story in there as a teaching tool for the story of Jesus, but if you aren't that religious you could just leave that part out. I just liked it because it would still be fun and exciting for the child without candy or a bunch of little toys.

[lemondrop]

sarahbear- I just did a Pinterest search and found similar options. I think DD and I are going to check some out tomorrow.

Snips- I also saw the experience idea on Pinterest. I think we'll do that because it will be a good kick in the pants to actually get out and have some fun.

[ginger]

Stickers!

M completely flips for stickers.

[janiejones]

I saw on pinterest 25 books wrapped up, and you get to open a read a new one each night. I am guessing you could save the books year to year, and it would be a fantastic tradition.

[coribelle26]

I saw something similar on pinterest - glue a cotton ball each day to build Santa's beard. crafts.kaboose.com/santas-beard-advent-calendar.html

[janiejones]

Or, there are some just decorative things, like a santa that needs 25 cotton balls on his beard. When the beard is full, it's christmas time.

[ginger]

Awww. I like the book idea, but I can't imagine buying 25 books at once. I'm hyperventilating thinking about it.

I haven't been able to find any wooden ones. I'm really glad you guys posted Target has them.

Dave's mom used to glue hershey's kisses to a piece of poster board in the shape of a christmas tree.

[janiejones]

Nov 11, 2012 17:02:33 GMT -5 ginger said:

Awww. I like the book idea, but I can't imagine buying 25 books at once. I'm hyperventilating thinking about it.

I haven't been able to find any wooden ones. I'm really glad you guys posted Target has them.

Dave's mom used to glue hershey's kisses to a piece of poster board in the shape of a christmas tree.

Thrift stores, dollar stores, and some you already own could make up part of the 25.

[cleo29]

I have a cloth one that you take out a quilted "toy" and put in the correct day until you get to Christmas eve.

[nsl]

Nov 11, 2012 16:56:55 GMT -5 ladystardust said:

I like the idea of advent calendars but think that 25 chocolates or little gifts seems like a lot. I saw this on Pinterest and thought it was a really cute idea: aubreyandlindsay.blogspot.com/2010/12/mommy-week-diy-advent-for-children-via.html

Basically you put a different Christmas ornament in a little pouch for each day and each day the child gets to open one and put it up on the tree. I think they also suggest putting part of the Christmas story in there as a teaching tool for the story of Jesus, but if you aren't that religious you could just leave that part out. I just liked it because it would still be fun and exciting for the child without candy or a bunch of little toys.

We had one like this growing up, only the ornaments were for pinning to a little felt tree at the top of the calendar. I haven't found any like it since having my own kids, though. Right now we're planning to get the Star Wars one.

[papie]

We have a little wooden one. I put chocolates, jelly beans, stickers.

[cmh06]

My friend buys a bunch of small gifts and little gift bags. She ties the bags to the banister going up the stairs and her kids get to open a bag each day.

[drrn04]

We have one that is a big felt christmas tree, and each day you pin a different ornament on. My grandma made it and we used it growing up. The ornaments are tiny little detailed felt things like a santa, a hippo, train, snowman, baby jesus, star, etc.

It must have taken for.ev.er to make because of all the tiny cut-out pieces, and the whole thing is only about 2 ft tall. But you could do something similar on a larger scale w/ ornaments and gifts. Just get a bunch of different colors of felt, cut into big squares, circles, strips, and glue the 24 ornaments/presents together. Each day you could pin a new one on/under the tree, and you could reuse it year after year if you put it on a backing or something.

[regencygirl]

We have this one from Lillian Vernon

www.lillianvernon.com/Product/ChristmasTreeCountdownCalendar

DS loves it, and there's no need to put anything in it. For him, it's just a nice visual way of seeing how many days are left until Christmas.

[dcannie]

i looooved the chocolate ones as a kid. i looked to get myself one last year but couldn't find any.

[cleo29]

Nov 11, 2012 17:55:16 GMT -5 dcannie said:

i looooved the chocolate ones as a kid. i looked to get myself one last year but couldn't find any.

I saw a ton at Giant today. Also, if you know of any German type stores, they will have them.

[jenna]

I plan to do activities in mine.

pinterest.com/pin/214061788507976438/

pinterest.com/pin/214061788507991517/

[candreco]

I try to do a mix of things, and put cards in the pockets (we have a hanging one) that I tell DD are tickets for different things. Cards are for treats (small holiday toy or holiday book, hair clips, etc), activities (decorate cookies, go look at Christmas lights, holiday thing at church, buy gifts for our Christmas family, make ornaments to give to Grandmas), new ornament to put on the tree, stuff like that.

A lot of the activities are stuff we do anyway, but it makes it more special if it comes from the calendar. It also helps me work out when we do stuff if I have to put the cards in the calendar.