Our choose-your-own-adventure Advent Calendar means I get to plan a fun surprise each day
My friend, the very creative Wendy Copley, created a clever advent calendar for her children and unknowingly changed the course of my own children’s holiday traditions. Instead of candy or a tiny photo, we now look forward to experiences and challenges! Whoa, right? Before you freak out with the new assignment I just gave you, let me tell you this:Â it can be as easy or hard as you make it!
Before I tell you that my family is only altruistic and kind, I will have you know that we usually also supplement with a LEGO advent calendar (prices are a bit obscene already) and an olde time paper advent calendar from my mom. The boys take turns who opens which one.
This Choose-Your-Own-Adventure calendar has two big benefits over all other holiday countdown traditions:
- It focuses on experiences over stuff. Yes, Virginia, we DO things together.
- I change it according to my mood and available time.
Allow me to explain. The drawers are empty boxes, waiting for you to fill them with chocolate (sold separately, natch) or your own activity suggestions. After reading Wendy’s instructions, I purchased a wooden drawer advent calendar and stuffed it with her printable daily holiday challenges. On any given December Sunday, I might update the selections for the week or I might switch out the mystery box with the activity I want to do right after breakfast before they open it up: Take a bubble bath or Decorate the Christmas tree? Hmmm, what do we have time for? I also keep a pen on hand to fill in the blanks.
Each year, my kids look forward to the holiday activity — drink the good hot chocolate or drive around to see Christmas lights? — almost as much as the LEGO thingie.
See my print outs up top? Good enough, right? Here are Wendy’s printables. Hop on over to her post, advent crazy, to download the pages to make your own activity-based advent calendar. Find more inspiration on this kindness countdown to Christmas.
Look for other cute drawer and pouch advent calendars on amazon. Here are some that I like based on cuteness and likely durability.
Felt Santa Claus advent calendar is yours for the filling for ~ $20
Boxy tree advent calendar full of surprises for ~ $25 (ok, you could load it with candy)
This gingerbread one costs ~ $40
[Photos by me, amazon, and Wendy Copley]
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