Advent is that special time where you count down the days until Christmas. Advent calendars are great for kids not only to get excited about Christmas, but to also encourage the spirit of love and giving during this time of year.
There are many different ideas for creating your own advent calendar or purchasing one from your local retailer. No matter which you decide, it’s the idea of preparation for Christmas and keeping the spirit of Christmas alive in your children – our future generation.
HABA Advent Calendar
HABA is the company that makes these cute Christmas themed advent calendars specifically for children. The design of the advent calendar is of a Christmas tree with boxes on the tree with a surprise for a child hidden inside. Each day leading up to Christmas, a child can open the day’s box for a special surprise toy.
The toys can be collected daily to resemble a nativity scene with animals, and the other animals can be played with. It’s a nice surprise each day as your child wonders, which animal will appear next!
Lego Advent Calendar
This is the year’s most popular advent calendar for kids who love Legos. The Lego advent calendar is in the form of a city, which your child builds as the days move closer to Christmas. The Lego building includes a calendar with a cover. Your child will lift the cover of that particular day and push out the window underneath to reveal a new mini character.
Each day, the city begins to take shape to reveal a full Lego city in the end. So when Christmas arrives, a new imaginable city of Lego figurines is displayed in a city.
Traditional Advent Calendar
You can recycle one of your other advent calendars from years past, or if you are crafty, you can sew 25 little pockets on a piece of fabric. On the top of the fabric you can sew velcro to create a flap that you can hang over a Christmas decorated hanger that you and your children can design together.
Have your children participate in this activity by creating all the days of the advent calendar on thick paper or index cards cut into two inch pieces. Let your children decorate the calendar with all the things that they relate to Christmas – Christmas trees, snowmen, snowflakes, etc.
Now, when the children are fast asleep, on small pieces of paper, write down some sayings, quotes, or activities that you and your children will perform on that day. Try to relate the activity to something that exemplifies the meaning of Christmas, such as kindness, patience, love, and giving.
Family Advent Calendar
You can either purchase an advent calendar, or go to a craft store and design your own special advent calendar, making it a family project. Let each member of your family decorate the calendar and place the numbers of days on the calendar.
Behind each day, enter a family activity that everyone has to do together. So many times throughout the year, family time is left behind and work and kid activities take precedence. Make advent a special time of family activities, even if it’s just watching a Christmas movie together.