Well, I retrieved my advent boxes from last year and surprised the kids with them today. Now I just have to think of all the activities to go in them! Here is my starting list:
- Make ice-cream
- Visit a different beach for shell collecting fun
- Treasure hunt (as in put the first clue in the box and have them find a little treasure somewhere in the house/yard)
- Make Christmas decorations for our Christmas tree branches (some dead branches I ripped off a shrub in our yard - I am not setting up the big tree this year as we won't be here for the day)
- Go to a fancy cafe for afternoon tea (hmmm, still thinking on this one....)
- A picnic in a park/at the beach
- Themed country food days (only a couple - don't know if I could organise more than that)
- Make a cup and button game (suspend a ribbon with a button on one end from the bottom of a cup and they have to try and catch the button in the cup)
- Various baking exploits (incl. gingerbread men)
- Go bowling
- Visit friends
and probably lots of recycled ideas from last year. What do you do for an Advent calendar?
This is a terrific idea! I am going to store this in my 'use someday' file, for when the baby gets a little older! You are so creative!
ReplyDeleteMy fiance and I do an activity advent calendar:
ReplyDelete~make hot cocoa
~watch a Xmas movie
~wear a Xmas sweater (or shirt or PJs or underwear)
~go see Nutcracker
~go ice skating
~drink egg nog (or egg nog lattes)
~write/send holiday cards
~breakfast in bed
~holiday craft night
It's so much fun! I like the matchbox idea!
Here is our advent list for the year. The kids have loved this idea so much that they request a similar countdown before their birthdays and vacations!
ReplyDeletehttp://bylittlehands.typepad.com/by_little_hands/2009/11/christmas-countdown.html
i was at a winter art show here in houston and a crafter made so many variations of the match boxes...different types of themes...they were all so pretty. she said that could be used like cards. they were so dainty and were still able to hold trinkets and notes. i love the idea
ReplyDeleteThat is such a good idea! I was just thinking of some kind of boxes to make for next year... because our ready calendar with chocolates was disaster, chocolates fallen down on the bottom and twice my daughter woke me up with big cry that the chocolate was gone... No more ready advent calendars for us. Wish I saw that post before.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!!!
Margot