Farrar Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 Okay, I'm giving in and thinking about Christmas. It's hard not to with the kids practicing piano Christmas songs for lessons and one humming the Nutcracker and twirling everywhere. We have a small wooden advent calendar and I know the boys really like to open the doors every day. When they were little, it was perfect because I would just put a treasure hunt in there every day. It was part of our reading practice. The clues would be really easy sound out words and little pictures when they were in preschool (like "TUB" or "RUG") and slowly they became more and more elaborate as they got older until when they were 7 and 8 yo it was proper clues that were actual puzzlers. And the end would just be a little candy or sometimes something from the dollar bin like Christmas socks. But now they're 10 and they've outgrown it. I could just stick some chocolates in there, but I keep thinking there must be something better. I have no idea what I want to put in there... So... if you have an advent calendar, what do you stick inside? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 We keep it simple, rather than making it another gift-giving opportunity because we're celebrating the traditional, Christian meaning of Advent. The calendar is actually all about counting down to Christ's birth. We've done small candies/chocolates and Bible verses that tell the whole story of Jesus' birth from the Bible (Luke and Matthew), sometimes as a treasure hunt because that builds the whole anticipation thing, which is part of Advent. One year we did tiny items that give a hint about a part of the story we're reading that day. Of course, one can make it into whatever one wants, but then I'm not sure why it would be referred to as Advent. LOL Maybe notes of love and appreciation to family members? Names of family and friends to pray for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted November 8, 2014 Share Posted November 8, 2014 Another thread was started earlier today. Some good ideas can be found there. I put a craft tag with an activity in each pocket of our advent calendar. http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/533284-speaking-of-advent-calendars/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 I like the idea of an activity... but we tried that one year and it just felt like a lot of work. And baking more cookies should never feel like work. Plus it was hard to plan. My kids, unlike me, are decidedly not Christian (ds told me the other day he was Hindu... who knew?) so Bible verses won't work on them. I would like it to not be another gift thing really though. Maybe there really isn't anything better than chocolate. Maybe I just need to get better chocolates for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caclcoca Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 We mostly put "activity" type things behind our doors- family movie night, family game night, Christmas craft day, Daddy is bringing home pizza, going bowling, ice cream sundaes, or dollar movie theater. We have also put in chocolates, dollar bills, small erasers, Angry Bird pencil toppers. Last year I bought a Christmas puzzle early in the month for us to work. I need to start thinking about this year. We are so busy that the activities are getting harder to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Panic! The Advent calendar causes me so much stress every year...I'm definitely following for ideas. Is it really that time already?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeAndTheBoys Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 I posted in the other thread--we put tiny candies in it one or two years. 3 jellybean, 3 M&Ms, 3 Smarties, 3 Skittles (one for each boy). I just remembered that one year we put strips of paper with Bible verses to look up--I printed those off a website, seems like some were prophesies, then some led through the Christmas story. Nothing big, just a hey-let's countdown! moment each morning or evening. B--- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 I was thinking about buying a nice wooden advent calendar this year but it does seem stressful. What about a pieces to a lego set? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 I agree that the activities felt like work. :) They did here, too. We are more spontaneous with our activities, I guess. Are you sure the kids have outgrown the scavenger hunt idea? Maybe my 10 year is young (possibly!) but I think he'd still like that, especially if it's a tradition. We do chocolate in our wooden advent calendar. We order special chocolates for it - so it's a special treat. Full disclosure though: I ordered a Lego Advent calendar again this year, and a Schleich calendar for the little, so chocolate isn't going to be the only treat behind a door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madteaparty Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 I spent so much money on that damned thing. Truly with the activities and the magic. This year I bought a Lego one because I can't deal with the magic anymore. Anyway, basically I would assemble all the activities we'd normally partake in during December(tea at Bergdorf, ornament buying at Bloomingdales, a tour of the various Christmas trees, like the origami one at AMNH, ice scating, etc etc) and write notes announcing each one. If all fails, Ritter and Lindt each make little chocolate bars that are different at pretty). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyDay Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Legos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 We do Legos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Tharp Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 Huh. This should be a fun thing. We do the lego calendars and I usually fill up our "regular" Advent calendar with candy, but my boys don't even eat the candy and it'd be nice to get a little more creative. Here's one link I found: http://www.my-adventcalendar.com/ideas-kids.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 So if you do Legos, do you put them in little by little and the kids slowly put something big together? Or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted November 9, 2014 Share Posted November 9, 2014 I put notes in, but I don't plan out the entire month at once. Sometimes it is the day before. Stuff like: - bake cookies and deliver to neighbor - go to Starbucks for hot chocolate / apple cider - watch holiday pops symphony - watch holiday movie and eat popcorn - go shopping for Christmas gifts - drive around and look at Christmas lights - open a gift (I usually do this with Christmas books or movies I would have bought anyway) - go ice skating - make paper snowflakes I will sometimes search for ideas in places like Pinterest. Christmas is my favorite thing ever, so I make them things we would do anyway, kwim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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