I came home from the store on Thursday with some bad news for my kids. Christmas music was playing. It’s still August, Y’all! You can’t even get away with that in July. Kids in the South just went back to school this week!
Aside from not wanting to step foot in a store for another couple of months, it was a good reminder that we didn’t get the following blog post out last year. And it’s a good idea to get it up soon because those of us who are “planners” are already probably thinking that far ahead even if we aren’t all homeschoolers.
I wasn’t planning on posting this so early, but I saw someone this week posting about a “sells-out-fast” Advent calendar. So here I go, rushing the season, too.
If it’s too early for you. Just bookmark it or put it on your calendar to visit again round about November 1.
We are not a big candy family. And I get upset with little toys that get forgotten and left around the house to step on. Sometimes I'm also the one who deals with the tears when the cheap toys break.
Here are a few alternative Advent calendars that don't fill your kids with sugar or your house with junk. Let me know if there's a new one I need to add to my list! We love trying new things!
Christmas Tangrams
Tangrams are silhouette pictures that can be made from set shapes. Our kit is German. I haven't found a similar one in America, but you can buy and cut some out from TeachersPayTeachers. You don't have to be a teacher. Print on cardstock or laminate to last longer. Make fun envelopes numbered for 25 days.
Jacquie Lawson
This computer calendar is such a hit. We've done it for years. We buy one for our family and take turns throughout the day. Some parts, like opening a new present, I require them to do together. That alone teaches patience and unselfishness, a critical part of the season.
Seek-and-Find
Sometimes my parents and I take turns making scavenger hunts for the kids to do. One for our tree. One for theirs. My parents have a Christmas Village. Because each person sees something different, all the adults make different lists (one might say “Find Four Dogs” or “What is the artist painting?”. To keep it from getting too boring, we don't schedule them all back-to-back.
We’ve also had one for the decorations in our neighborhood and have a family walk to find them. Drive to another neighborhood and do it again. You can get lost from now until Christmas looking at all the free lists online.
Another seek and find activity is a candy cane hunt. We have some beautiful ones my mom macramed before I was born. Sometimes we hide them in the house. Sometimes we hide them outside.
I've done this with stickers, too.
Lego Challenges
You can find a huge selection online. Some free, some pay. You can even make your own. New to Lego Challenges? It’s simply a list of things to build. Maybe every day your kid builds a part of the nativity scene. Maybe a new ornament.
Game night!
Here's a great way to play all the games in your house and see if any need to go away to make room for new games arriving at the end of Advent. This one requires parents to be present the entire time, so build it into your schedule. You can choose fast games like Scatergories or Boggle. Save the chess set for the weekend.
Don't have 24 games in your house? The Internet has a collection of minute-to-win-it or would you rather games.
Christmas Book Unwrap
This doesn't work so well in our family because we go through too many books. However, I've read where parents wrap books (Your library and Thriftbooks are great resources.) and the kids get to open one a night to be read together. Don't worry if you think your kids are too old for picture books. You can appreciate many of them at any age for their artwork, message, or humor.
Christmas Around the World
Especially in homeschool circles, there are many plans out there that teach Christmas traditions around the world. (They aren't specifically written as Advent Calendars; so you'll have to figure out how to break them up.) Find one or pick a country and start googling together on your own. My children shocked their Swedish uncle by saying “Got Jul!” to him last year.
Learn a Carol
Try to learn the words to a new Christmas song every day. One verse, all the verses. Whatever time you have. Sing together. Know them all in English? Learn them in another language. O Tanenbaum anyone?
Coupons
Simple coupons, bought or homemade, can give children something to look forward to. This one is easily adapted to what your family likes to do.
Christmas Advent Calendar Coupon Ideas (In no particular order)
- Hot chocolate night
- Stay up late for popcorn–maybe string some?
- Choose tonight’s soup
- Cookie making day
- Trip to the mall/Target to buy presents
- Build a Fort
- Visit to a new insanely decorated house
- A Christmas dance (Home or elsewhere)
- Sleep under the tree
Bonus: Here is a downloadable Advent Calendar Coupon PDF that you can print and fill in with your ideas.
Hopefully something here will fit your family and add a little extra excitement to your holidays. . .and hopefully that can wait until at least sometime in November.
