Our holidays center a lot on family activities. Instead of gifts and goodies, I printed little cards for the advent pockets. Each one lists something we can do together each day. Some have “choose a special Christmas goodie” though. Most of the activities are ones we already attend or do anyway, so it’s a no brainer to include them. It’s just fun for Ella and Madi to be surprised when they pull out the card each day. And it simplifies our holidays to break the list down to daily activities.
Here’s our list:
Decorate your tree
Go to the Festival of Trees as a family
Go on a wagon ride through the lights at Thanksgiving Point
Shop for gifts for other children (FSTC Santa’s Workshop)
Unwrap a book to read
Have hot cocoa and cookies with our neighbors (Neighborhood Service Project)
Open your special ornament and put in on your tree
Make a craft with Mom
Write a letter to Santa
Go to the Christmas party at church
Go to Temple Square to see the nativity
Go sledding with Dad
Have a family Christmas movie night with treats
Choose a special treat
Shop for a gift for your preschool party
Have FHE with our BYU friends
Ride on the Polar Express
Have lunch at a special restaurant with our family
Wear new jammies to bed
Have FHE with your cousins
Decorate cookies
Read the story about the birth of Jesus
*Update: I've had a lot of inquiries about where I got the advent calendar. My son bought it for me at Pottery Barn Kids. They discontinued it for awhile, but brought one back that's very similar. Hooray! Check it out here.
Love this! We've been doing a "Christmas List" this year... crossing off stuff as we do them... but we love the advent and will start it next year with our little boy.
ReplyDeleteLove your advent calendar!! so cute!
Very cute advent calendar! Thanks for the great idea. Where did you find the advent calendar?
ReplyDeletejust found it at pottery barn kids!
ReplyDeleteHi!! I'm looking for a punch with that shape. Do you know where can I find it? thank you so much
ReplyDeleteHello, what a wonderful idea! I am definitely getting inspired for some activity list for december! thank you for sharing..
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea!
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing advent calendar idea, thanks for posting it!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU!!! I have been looking everywhere for a good list of things I can put in our advent this year. LOVE all of your ideas and you seriously just helped me with a big check off my list of things to get done :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a GREAT idea! Thanks for sharing. . .I think we'll definitely do something like this this year :)
ReplyDeleteHi dear...
ReplyDeleteI'm a brazilian mom... and I really loved your advent calendar... here, the calendar isn't a tradition, but I think it's so cute, lovely and 'warm' ;)
of course, because the weather (in december is ssoooooo hot) somethings 'll be different... but the magic is the same...
some words I didn't undarstand, could you help me?
*Have FHE with our BYU friends
what is FHE an BYU?
and in you list there is just 21 activities... Am I wrong????
if you prefer, answer by e-mail: oblogenchante@gmail.com
thank you so much for this idea!!!!
brazilian hugs
Love this! The last two years we started doing something similar but I'm always looking for new activity ideas. We included some simple ones as well. Since all the grandparents live in other states, we've had, "Call Grandma in KY and sing a Christmas Carol." A fun one to include.
ReplyDeleteSo much fun! I shared it on my business facebook page and I'm going to share it with my Religious Ed parents too!
ReplyDeleteI found this at a perfect time, as I wanted our advent to focus on activities this year, too. Thank you so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSUCH a good idea! My hubby will be home for 2 weeks for Christmas and I wanted to do something little for some added fun on our vacation. This would be perfect with some more mature things added instead :)
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great idea! I love it. And Paty incase you haven't gotten an answer, FHE stands for Family Home Evening. It is something we do as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Each Monday we are asked to have a family night, time with just our family. Usually family night includes talking about a gospel topic and just having fun together. BYU is a University here in Utah, Brigham Young University. Hope that helps you understand it a little better.
ReplyDeletePaty,
ReplyDeleteYou also asked why I only had 21 activities for our advent calendar. That's because some things we repeat, like "do a craft with Mom" or "go sledding with Dad." Those are the two our daughter would choose to do every day! Enjoy your warm weather in Brazil.:)
Kitina,
ReplyDeleteI actually just printed out the cards rectangular and used a corner rounder punch for the corners. I like the way it looks. You can get a corner rounder at any craft store.
Thanks for a great blog
ReplyDeleteBest Christmas Decoration ideas
That is a really cool idea and love your activities! Its about the little things and those times together! Love it!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this idea!! I have an advent calender and I have always put candy treats in the boxes. I'm trying to live a more healthy lifestyle, and trying to teach my kids to do the same. This will help with that goal. What a super way to do special things together, and make memories that last! This is the best treat. Thanks again. :)
ReplyDeletesee how we suggested your card idea
ReplyDeletehttp://www.justforthefamily.com/7/post/2011/11/chrismas-advent.html
I love this! And your cards are so cute. Can you tell me how you created them? Just printed them off the printer and cut them? Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bonnie. Yes, I just printed them and cut out, then used a corner rounder punch on the corners. Super simple.
ReplyDeleteKim,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the activity list...I was making my advent tree with a similar theme and saw your list and borrowed a few great ideas! I linked back to you from my post:
http://ladyjcreations.blogspot.com/2011/12/advent-tree.html
Thanks for your advent ideas! Hope it's okay if I use one of your photos on our facebook fan page for our link up party on Saturday? I'll delete at your behest. Love your post either way :D
ReplyDeleteI love this!!! Though it's a few years off for me to enjoy this with my little one, I can't wait and I love all the ideas you shared!
ReplyDeleteI love this so much that not only will be adopting this as our family tradition, I absolutely had to feature your idea (along with a link to you) in my post about advent calendars!! You can check it out here http://simplylivinggreen.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for something that I know our family will look forward to every year!!
Maureen
This is a gorgeous advent calendar. I have been trying to find one that focused on "messages" and this is the one! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis is a gorgeous advent calendar. I have been trying to find one that focused on "messages" and this is the one! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteOMG, I just came across this via Pintrest and I do this too!! (Have been since my oldest was very little). I make the little cards and put them in a felt pocket Advent Calendar from Garnet Hill. So funny -- my kids lovvvee "calendar" as they call it and it really is such a special time for us, focusing on family activities instead of presents or chocolate every day. Just had to tell you -- I thought I was the only one! :)
ReplyDeleteJust came across this on pinterest - and I am a Ridiculous perfectionist and have never found an advent calendar I like. And am too putzy to design/execute a DIY one. I think this beautiful family tradition is one it will be my pleasure to borrow and make 'our own'.
ReplyDeleteVery kind of you to share this - it's a keeper and I will pin directly from your site, and refer folks there!! Wonderful post :-)
Just came across this on pinterest - and I am a Ridiculous perfectionist and have never found an advent calendar I like. And am too putzy to design/execute a DIY one. I think this beautiful family tradition is one it will be my pleasure to borrow and make 'our own'.
ReplyDeleteVery kind of you to share this - it's a keeper and I will pin directly from your site, and refer folks there!! Wonderful post :-)
Thank you so much for these ideas. I can't use all of them but it is a start. I have been looking for some thing to fill our advent calendar - it is wooden with little doors. I wanted activities and not candy to go in it. I have been looking for ideas and never found the right one until now. Its so simple. My boys are older and they don't want to do silly things anymore - but they still like doing things as a family and this will be perfect come December!
ReplyDeleteLOVE this idea!!! It brings the family together for Christmas. I love it so much I am sharing it with my readers in my annual Christmas in July series. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteJust saw this on Pinterest, and I LOVE IT!!!! I hope I remember this come November. :)
ReplyDeletegreat idea! love those activites instead of candy on the advent calendar! thank's
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant idea! Found you on pinterest!
ReplyDeletelove it! We do our's in little numbered boxes on the Christmas tree. I love your list and will be stealing some for this year, thanks!
ReplyDeleteSaw this post on Pinterest. Love your activities and even picked up an Advent tree of my own. TFS
ReplyDeleteI love my Advent Tree. Haven't found any others I like better. Have fun!
DeleteThese are so cute! Now I just have to find the time to make the calendar *sigh*
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel! That's why I asked for one for Christmas. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea! I love this idea!
ReplyDeleteThanks! My Ella has already asked a few times to get our advent out.
DeleteWhat in the world is FHE?
ReplyDeleteFamily Home Evening. It's a Mormon tradition that on Mondays you stay home with your family and do a family activity together.
DeleteBeen looking for a non-candy. non-gift advent idea and thanks to you I've found it! But being that I have a newborn and 2 toddlers, I have zero time to make it fancy. So for those others who are looking to make it quicker, I'm just writing mine on some strips of paper and making a paper chain and will probably hang it in the wide doorway between our dining room and living room. Some other ideas I have so far are put out bird feeders for the birdies, deliver cookies to the neighbors, cut paper snowflakes. Can't wait to start with the kiddos!
ReplyDeleteA newborn and two toddlers? Wow!
DeleteKaylee, FHE stands for Family Home Evening. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hold a family night (FHE) every Monday night. It's a time to learn gospel principles and have some fun family time together. It's a great tradition to start in any family. Here's a link with ideas of how to have a sucessful Family Home Evening.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.lds.org/topics/family-home-evening?lang=eng
Thanks, Beth. :)
DeleteLove this - shared it in this Advent Calendar post: http://kids.baristanet.com/2012/11/10-amazing-advent-calendars/
ReplyDeleteLove it!!
ReplyDeleteI love your idea of putting activities on a card, than just goodies and treats! I just ordered my tree from Pottery Barn Kids, and have yet to receive it. To get a head start on my list, I wanted to know the size of the cards, or puncher. This way, I'll have the activity cards ready before my tree arrives. Thanks for your help!
ReplyDeletelove it! Do you have a file to share with your activity cards?
ReplyDeleteHi! I love the activity cards, do you have them saved as a document? Would you be willing to email them to me? I would love to use them at Christmas time, my email is mommydana805@gmail.com. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLove your cute little cards? Do you have a file or template that you could share?
ReplyDeleteDo you remember what size cards you used for the calendar? I just ordered mine and would like to make the cards before it gets here. Thank you! Great idea!
ReplyDeleteWould love the printable of your cards. Thanks! What a great idea!
ReplyDeleteI love this! This is a fun list of activities!
ReplyDeletedo you have the printable file for your activity cards?
ReplyDeleteAwesome fun activities! I do candy riddles with my kids just to help their critical thinking but fill their bellies as well. I can post a few here for you: Candy Riddles
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