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It’s that time of year when you put up the tree, decorate it in a fun way, and place small gifts under it. As my children huddle around the fireplace on Christmas morning, I can’t help but feel the warmth of their smiles and the joy that fills the room.
However, before the big day, there is a tradition in our house where we give our children cool advent calendars. Whether you have a tween girl or big kids, advent calendars are a fantastic way to start the countdown from December 1st to Christmas Eve.
You can purchase a refillable advent calendar from a nearby store or make one at home. My children aren’t big fans of the sweet treats found in store-bought advent calendars, so every year, I like to make my fun calendar at home with little boxes filled with daily surprises.
Making an advent calendar at home can be fun. However, after placing several sweet treats, you may run out of ideas. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. As mothers, taking care of the little kids can be tiring, and you may not have the time to brainstorm.
If you’re searching for fun Christmas advent calendar ideas, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve put together a list of different things that you can place in your DIY fun calendar.
Whether you’re looking for homemade advent calendar fillers for your little kids, teenage girls, or young boys, I’ve got some awesome advent calendar ideas that will make this Christmas season special.
The Best Advent Calendar Ideas for Kids This Holiday Season
Advent calendars are one of those Christmas traditions that children look forward to. You cannot replace the feeling they get every day when they open the little boxes to reveal the sweet treats.
Whether your little one is a Star Wars fan or you’ve got a couple of chocolate lovers in your house, there are better ways to fill up your advent calendar than what you would find in the store-bought ones.
Make this holiday season memorable for your little kids with these fantastic advent calendar gift ideas:
Food and Drinks
Most advent calendars have daily surprises that consist of sweets and chocolates. However, if you’re making your fun calendar at home, there are other food and drink items that you can hide in those little boxes.
Here are a couple of food and drink items that are great options to consider for this year’s advent calendar:
● Candy cane
● Lindt truffles
● Cake batter
● Sugar cookie
● Peanut butter cups
● Chocolate truffles
● Skittles
● Juice concentrate packets
● Rock candy
● Tootsie rolls
● Lollipops
● Tic Tacs
● Dried fruits
● Beef jerky
● Drink mix packets
● Biscotti
My daughter has a sweet tooth, and I remember how her face would brighten up as she would open the little boxes to reveal the different things hidden in them.
A DIY advent calendar has become a fun tradition in our home during the holiday season, and this year, I’ve switched it up by adding toys and other mini-gifts alongside the sweet treats.
Toys
I understand how important it is for mothers to keep an eye on their children’s daily sugar consumption. Replacing food and drinks with toys for your holiday advent calendar is also a great way to surprise the little ones.
If you’re looking for advent calendar ideas, here are some gifts that your children will enjoy:
● Slime
● Whistle
Art and Craft Supplies
Can you feel the magic of the holiday season? It’s time to get creative, as fun advent calendars shouldn’t be limited to food, drinks, or toys. You can also add crafts and art supplies for your little kids.
Last week, when my child was playing around with her crayons, I realized that I could add cute little pastels or coloring pencils to her calendar next year.
There are lots of crafty things you can purchase from the dollar store this holiday season. Here are some advent calendar filler ideas for art and craft supplies:
● LED Christmas lights
● Pencils
● Pencil sharpener
● Paint brushes
● Metallic pen
● Small glue sticks
● Craft stamps and flowers
● Ribbon
● Stencils
Head over to your local dollar store for some fun finds. I’m sure you’ll find something cool for your little ones.
Hygiene, Health, and Beauty
If your little kid prefers health, hygiene, or beauty products over art supplies, you may want to fill up their cute advent calendar with the following items:
● Bubble bath
● Toothpaste
● Vitamins
● Rings
● Earrings
● Bracelet charms
● Lip balm
● Gift cards
If it weren’t for the chocolate lovers in my home, I would’ve preferred making a beauty advent calendar filled with hygiene and beauty items.
Baking and Home Items
Is your tween girl into baking? Does your child enjoy decorating their living space?
I’ve got a lot of reusable advent calendar ideas for this section, some of which include the following:
● Keyring
● Seeds packet
● Plug protectors
● Colorful rubber bands
The Best Advent Calendar Ideas for Tween and Teens This Holiday Season
Shopping for small items for a child’s advent calendar is so much fun than filling up a teen advent calendar. My teenage kids are a little bit picky when it comes to gifts, so it takes me a while to shop for them.
If you’re struggling too, here are some advent calendar ideas to surprise your tweens and teens:
Chocolates
Chocolates are one of the best advent gifts for tweens and teens, especially if they have a sweet tooth!
The best advent calendars are the ones with a lot of variety. I like to place mini-versions of my children’s favorite chocolates, which is a fantastic way to build anticipation for Christmas Eve.
Candy Cane
Whether you have a tween girl or teenage boy at your home, adding different types of candy canes to the advent calendar is a fun way to celebrate the 24 days of Christmas.
I remember how my child’s face lit up with happiness when he saw this fun treat in his Christmas advent calendar last year. He embraced the spirit of the season and anxiously waited for Santa Claus to leave his small toy under the tree.
Nail Polish
Young girls love playing around with nail polish to change their looks and stand out among their social circle. I see my daughter getting ready every day to look her best and impress all of her friends.
You may want to consider adding nail polish to the fun advent calendar this year. It is a fantastic idea for advent gifts for tweens and teenage girls.
You don’t need to spend too much money to bring some of these advent calendar ideas to life. Visit your nearest dollar store and thank me later!
Body Shop Products
Whether you have a tween girl or a teenage boy at home, I’m sure that they would love trying out an organic face wash or a hand scrub.
I highly recommend checking out Body Shop for advent calendar filler ideas. It has natural products that are animal cruelty-free and good for your child’s skin.
Lip balm, hand wash, face wash, face scrub, shampoo, conditioners, and body butter are some of the best products from Body Shop, and it’s a great way to fill up the DIY advent calendar.
Christmas Tree Decorations
You can fill an advent calendar with decoration items, which your children can use to decorate the Christmas tree.
Most people end up spending a lot of money on reusable advent calendars, but it’s essential to stay within your financial means. Since you’re already going to be decorating the Christmas tree, why not use decor items as fillers?
Decor items are the perfect advent calendar fillers. Your teenage girls and boys will be happy opening every little box, as it’s the surprise element that kids love the most. Plus, decorating the Christmas tree will be a fantastic activity for the whole family!
LED Christmas tree lights, sparkling fairy, ornament hooks, a tree skirt, a tree topper, and garland ribbon are some of the different decor items you can put in the advent calendars.
Electronic Items
If you have the budget to splurge on electronic items during this holiday season, there are a lot of different things you can purchase for the advent calendars.
Older kids love gadgets and gizmos, so here are some advent calendar ideas you may want to consider:
● Batteries
● SD cards
● USB
● Tiny earphones
● Phone charger
● USB cables
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re making a beauty advent calendar or a wooden advent calendar filled with chocolates and other sweet treats, DIY reusable advent calendars are great, as you can use them during this holiday season and the subsequent years (Don’t forget to fill them up with gifts!).
Christmas holds a special place in my heart, as the entire family works together to keep the holiday traditions alive. I hope that this blog post gives you enough interesting ideas to help you fill your very own advent calendar.
