36 Advent Calendar Gift Ideas You Don’t Want To Miss

Advent Calendar by @Numero 74_Official & Photograph by @sesandjen

A sweet treat is nice to have every once in a while but enjoying fun and meaningful experiences as a family is where the holiday spirit really comes to life. That is where the memory making happens. We have put together a list of 36 ideas you can tuck into your advent calendar this holiday and pssst…. some work great as stocking stuffers too. Woot woot! They are broken up into 5 categories Create, Do Good, Gift, Enjoy and Experience.

CREATE

1. Make a gingerbread house.
2. String popcorn or make pom-pom garland. We especially love the wooden pom-pom maker by the Pom Maker 
3. Make Holiday Ornaments as gifts for grandparents, aunts & uncles and teachers.
4. Make smores over an open fire.
5. Cut paper snowflakes.
6. Send a letter to Santa Clause. Boddington’s Studio has this amazing ‘Letter to Santa Kit’ and the kids will even receive a response from Santa himself! 
7. Roll up your sleeves for a Christmas themed science experiment. There are some fun ideas here.

DO GOOD

1. Surprise your neighbors, mailman or local fire department with some homemade holiday cookies.
2. Have the kids choose toys to donate.
3. Feed a stray cat.
4. Volunteer as a family at your local shelter to feed the homeless.
5. Leave some spare change in a vending machine to make a stranger smile.

GIFT

1. Dumyé Doll Accessories: Bear Hug, Charm, Stepping Out or Petite Dumyé doll dresses all make for a sweet treat
2. Temporary tattoo or stickers - Meri Meri has some super cute ones. 
3. Finger puppet – We especially love Claudia Marie's wool felted creatures 
4. Hair bow for the holidays
5. Lottery Ticket
6. Fun Socks
7. Jump Rope – We are fans of this carved wooden one. 
8. Lip Balm or Nail Polish 
9. Mini Flower Press

ENJOY

1. Share a holiday Joke.
2. Share a favorite picture of your child and the story that goes along with it.
3. Tell your child something you love about them or what you think makes them so special.
4. Share a poem with them and if it captures the spirit of the holidays… that is even better!
5. Surprise Hug Card – AKA they will be attacked by your hugs 10 times that day and they will never see them coming. Get ready to laugh… a lot.

EXPERIENCE

1. Sing Christmas carols in bed at bedtime.
2. Go to pick out your Christmas tree or if you have it already - decorate it!
3. Drive around the neighborhood looking at Christmas lights.
4. Read a Christmas book.
5. On Christmas eve sprinkle reindeer food in the garden to help Santa find your house. We love this magical reindeer food. 
6. Surprise them the day their Grandparents get in town to celebrate the holidays.
7. Visit Santa for pictures.
8. Dip into a warm bubble bath. We love this Santa bath bomb by Lush. 
9. Watch a Christmas movie.
10. Sip hot cocoa with yummy marshmallows.

Have we missed anything?! What are you putting in your advent calendar this year? Let us know in the comments below.