Advent Calendar Filler Ideas Everyone Will Love!
Our observation of December and the festive season has changed over the years. We first adopted a Christmas box tactic to deliver Christmas pajamas to our kids to wear all month long instead of the somewhat traditional Christmas Eve gift. In the Christmas box, we’d include a mug and hot chocolate, a festive book, a movie, and little things to add holiday cheer throughout the month. Glimmer and Glisten, our Build a Bear reindeer, delivered our box on December 1st. Then, a few years ago, we switched things up, and now Glimmer and Glisten bring our Gathre Advent calendar, which has 24 pockets, one for each day up until Christmas day. We love the versatility of the pocket-style advent calendar with the option to fill one pocket per day or all 24 at once.
If you’re looking for small advent gifts or ways to highlight already-established family traditions, I have some ideas for you!
Advent Cards
Create your own set of advent cards. I created mine and printed them as durable 5×5 press prints to reuse yearly. Each card has a simple activity that helps us feel like we’re doing something special each day. Think about what traditions you already have and write them down. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to fill up 24 or more cards.
Handwrite your own or use software like Canva to create a printable file.
Candles
There are many reasons to light candles during December! Expand your knowledge of global December holidays and celebrations by learning about Advent, Santa Lucia, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Then, add some candles to your advent calendar and share your knowledge!
Or find yourself a delicious seasonal scented candle to burn as you go about your holiday festivities. There’s nothing cozier than lighting a candle and settling down on a chilly night to craft, watch a festive movie, read, or snuggle!
Heirloom
I love the idea of including our family heritage in the advent gifts. Learning about our roots is as great a gift as any. A small nativity, music box, candle carousel, book, or trinket would make the perfect advent addition. Perhaps a festive heirloom or trinket from somewhere you traveled this year would be a great addition. Pack it away with the holiday decor, and everyone will be delighted and nostalgic when it’s unpacked year after year.
An ornament or decoration
Pick a decoration that represents something your kid has enjoyed this year. Of course, Hallmark has tons of options, but small shops offer unique, customized ornaments that are absolutely precious too. Support small business owners by shopping small or local. Put out feelers via social media or check out Etsy to find and share your own independently owned favorites.
Imagine leaving home when the time comes with your Christmas stocking and a collection of ornaments that represent your childhood. Magical.
Tip: Pick an ornament that represents what they dressed up for Halloween that year.
Chocolate coins
You can’t go wrong with chocolate coins in the advent calendar. This time of year, chocolate coins can traditionally represent the three bags of gold Saint Nicholas provided as dowries for three women. Chocolate coins can also accompany a dreidel.
We love See’s Candies chocolate coins and festive sweet treats.
A book
Whether you do 24 days of Holiday books or just one carefully selected book for the season, storytime is extra cozy and nostalgic this time of year. We have a box of holiday books that comes out every year with the tree and decorations. It’s so fun to look through and read them together throughout the season. Read more about building your seasonal book library here.
Check out Wonderbly customized books for an extra special holiday surprise.
A recipe
Who doesn’t have a favorite holiday treat? Correct me if I’m wrong, but those treats often come from a tried-and-true family recipe. Pop a new recipe in your advent calendar and make it together, or make a copy of a family recipe and make that.
Our family loves homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting for breakfast on Christmas morning. Add the recipe or a hint like festive sprinkles to your advent calendar and then go about baking them like you would have anyway.
Tip: Kill two birds with one stone and check out The Tomte Cake. Read the book, bake the cake, start a tradition!
A Card Game
Pop a little card game into your advent pouch, then play it together for family game night. In a previous post, we shared these 4 quick play card games we love to play as a family:
- Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza – You can snag the festive Santa Cookie Elf Candy Snowman version of this card game here.
- The Game
- Over Under Ostrich
- Happy Salmon
A Craft
There are many options for small, advent appropriate crafts. Provide the materials and add them to your calendar pocket for a craft day.
Get ready for a list! But also check out Pinterest, where there is no shortage of ideas and tutorials to help you through.
Make (and send) holiday cards
Cut out paper snowflakes
Make airdry clay or salt dough ornaments
Paint rocks
Make a wreath or mini wreaths
Small Legos kit
Make picture frames out of popsicle sticks
Decorate cookies
Gingerbread houses
Print gift tags to color
Make stained glass sun catchers out of tissue paper and contact paper.
Build peanut butter cup trees
Make pipe cleaner angels
Make origami stars
Make paper ornaments
Make angels out of wrapping paper tubes
Make a paper chain Christmas countdown
Tip: We love sharing our keepsake crafts. Create simple crafts that can be mailed in a first-class envelope as an extra treat along with your holiday cards. If you have a craft cutter like a Cricut or Silhouette to help with these projects, you’re golden!
If all else fails, our kids have never complained about finding a little candy cane or sachet of hot cocoa in their advent calendar. It’s always a treat just to be counting down the month. A slip of paper with a holiday movie written on it to watch that night is as fun and special as anything else!
