With the 1st of December only a few days away I thought you might like to see how I prepare an Advent Calendar for my Granddaughters, Isabelle and Charlotte.
There are lots of options for pre-made advent calendars and it’s great to see so many that aren’t just chocolate and candies these days. Not that I have anything against chocolate and candies, but I like the idea of showing kids that there are lots of other ways to celebrate special occasions, it doesn’t always have to be about sweet treats.
Image sources: everydaymadeeasy.com, howdoesshe.com, thechristmascart.com.au
The history of Advent calendars
Before we dig in, I was intrigued myself to know a little more about the tradition of the Advent Calendar and thought you might to. According to doinghistoryinpublic.org, the advent calendar originated in Germany in the early 1800’s where they would mark the days of the Advent period by adding markings to their home or burning a candle to represent each day of Advent.
Whilst the history of the Advent Calendar is rooted in religious traditions, it has certainly become a common way of extending the wonderful spirit of the Christmas season throughout December, regardless of a person’s faith.
Not surprisingly, I am a bit of Christmas Crazy. I love making Christmas a special time for my grandchildren and one of the ways I do this is by building their excitement with their Advent calendar. It takes a bit of planning, but once I have picked up the little gifts, which I generally do as I am out shopping anyway, it only takes me an hour or so to finalise, which I do whilst watching a bit of TV at night.
I start preparing for the girls Advent Calendar in about August just by keeping my eyes open for any little books, puzzles, games or novelties that either I know they love or have a Christmas theme. For example, early in the year as I was going through a checkout, I saw these little eggs with the LOL and Paw Patrol characters, which they love, so I grabbed a couple, and I couldn’t go past these cute reindeer lollipops.
I also like to include some activities they can do with Mum and Dad (aka Mel & Jake) like a family movie night, a Gingerbread House kit or baking some Christmas Cupcakes. And whenever I can, I also like to make it a practical, and yet fun gift for the girls, so a cute Christmas t-shirt or Christmas hair clips or ribbons, are also a regular part of their Advent calendar.
The steps I take when planning Isabelle’s and Charlotte’s Advent Calendar are outlined below. Now, of course, most of these steps are just good old common sense, and you might have some other ideas that work better for you and your family. If so, I’d love to hear them, so please be sure to get in touch and let us know.
1. The first thing I do is print out a blank calendar for the month of December. I use my Google Calendar to do this.
2. I then mark any dates that I know the girls have a special event on. For example, this year Charlotte has her first dance concerts on the 1st & 15th of December and every year it’s Mel’s birthday on 16th December and Isabelle’s birthday on 22nd December (yes, this is a particularly busy time of the year!).
3. I also ask Mel if they have any other special dates that I may not know about, like their pre-school party or maybe a sleepover at one of their other Nanny & Pop’s houses.
4. Once I know these dates I think about what activities or gifts would be good for those specific dates so that they don’t become too difficult for Mel & Jake to accommodate, or might actually be perfect for them. For example, with their pre-school party date, I buy them an inexpensive Christmas outfit or t-shirt to wear to the party, on Isabelle’s birthday I try to find a game or some easy Christmas craft that they can play.
5. I always start the 1st of December with their personalised bauble for the year and I always finish with their Christmas Eve Box which includes some PJ’s, cookies for Santa (and them!) and then I look for other inexpensive items like a fun cup, bowl, and plate set for their Christmas morning breaky, a Christmas book and/or movie, etc.
6. As quite a few of the gifts are too large or awkward to go into the pockets of their advent calendar, I wrap, bag or box them and add a gift tag with the number of the day that the gift applies to.
7. I found this awesome Advent Calendar at Kmart a few years ago. I liked it because the pockets are quite a good size and it is designed that suits Mel & Jake’s house so they are happy to have it hanging around for the month. To make it extra special I top it off with a Personalised Plaque. This year I attached a couple of Angels to it that carries over from their room décor this year!
8. Then, when it’s all ready to go I put it all in a box and take it to Mel & Jakes and let the fun begin!
Advent calendars are another great way to share the spirit and joy of Christmas. I have so much fun every year putting this special Christmas treat together for my special little girls. I hope that you have found this helpful and that it might inspire you to do something similar for your family (if you aren’t already!).
The Christmas Cart stocks a wide range of personalised keepsakes and festive décor pieces that are perfect for creating a beautifully stocked Advent calendar. Explore the website, check out our blog and visit the Inspiration Gallery for lots of Christmas inspiration and ideas.