Advent calendar for kids: 24 filler ideas (not just chocolate)

An advent calendar is a countdown to Christmas: it has 24 windows, one for each day from 1 to 24 December, and each day the children open one. The classic format has chocolate, but a homemade calendar can hold much more: small objects, notes with family plans and the odd surprise with their name. Here are 24 ideas arranged by week, spread out so the excitement does not run out halfway through the month.

Before you start: the rule of thirds

Split the 24 windows into three types, in roughly equal parts:

• 8 small treats: things that fit in the window and cost little.
• 8 activities: a note with a plan for that day or that weekend.
• 8 "special" surprises: spread across the month, with the biggest on the 24th.

The activities are what children remember most afterwards and what costs least. Put them at weekends, when there is real time to do them.

Week 1 (1 to 7 December): starting with excitement

1. A welcome note explaining how the calendar works, plus a small sweet.
2. Christmas stickers to decorate their notebook or their door.
3. Plan: put up the tree together, letting them hang the first decoration.
4. A Christmas sock to wear for the rest of December.
5. Plan: write the letter to Father Christmas or to the Three Kings. There is a free printable template.
6. A tree decoration with their name, so every year they hang "their" decoration. There are ideas in our collection of personalised Christmas decorations.
7. Plan: family Christmas film night with popcorn and blankets on the sofa.

Week 2 (8 to 14 December): getting hands-on

8. Plan: bake Christmas biscuits. Put one of the cutters and the note with the plan in the window. There are ideas in 12 Christmas cookie cutters.
9. A short Christmas story to read that night.
10. Felt-tip pens or crayons for the crafts of the coming days.
11. Plan: a Christmas craft, such as salt dough decorations or a paper garland. Here are some Christmas crafts to make with children.
12. A small torch and a plan to go and see the Christmas lights in your town.
13. A small jigsaw puzzle with only a few pieces, suited to their age.
14. Plan: phone or video call the grandparents to sing them a Christmas carol.
15. A fillable letter with their initial, with a couple of sweets inside. Once empty, it can be used to keep their treasures. See the fillable letter.

Week 3 (15 to 21 December): thinking of others

15. Plan: fill a bag with toys or clothes they no longer use, to donate.
16. An envelope and a stamp to send a card to someone in the family.
17. Plan: make the place cards for Christmas dinner with each guest's name. There are ideas in Christmas place cards for the table.
18. A Christmas hat or headband for Christmas dinner.
19. Plan: wrap a present together for someone else in the house.
20. A simple card game for holiday afternoons.
21. Plan: board games night, now that the school holidays are starting.

Week 4 (22 to 24 December): the final countdown

22. A "pretend" lottery ticket you draw yourselves, to watch Spain's Christmas Lottery draw together that morning (it is held every 22 December).
23. Christmas socks or pyjamas to wear for the first time the next night.
24. The final surprise: something with their name that stays in their bedroom, such as a personalised children's letter or a name plaque for their bedroom door. As it is the last day, it can go outside the calendar, wrapped next to the window.

How to make a homemade advent calendar

There is no need to buy one. Three formats that work with things you already have at home:

• Numbered envelopes hung from a string with pegs. It is the quickest and takes notes with activities.
• Matchboxes or small boxes covered and numbered from 1 to 24, stacked in the shape of a tree.
• Fabric pouches tied to a branch. They can be reused every year.

A trick that saves trouble: prepare all 24 windows before 1 December and keep the activity notes in order in a separate envelope. If a plan does not suit one day, swap it for another without the child noticing.

Frequently asked questions

When does the advent calendar start?

The advent calendar used at home starts on 1 December and ends on the 24th, so it has 24 windows. Liturgical Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, but family calendars almost always count from 1 to 24.

What can you put in a children's advent calendar apart from chocolate?

Stickers, coloured pencils, short stories, tree decorations and notes with family activities, such as baking biscuits or seeing the Christmas lights. Activities are what children remember most and they cost nothing. Spread them over the weekends.

How much should you spend on an advent calendar?

It is up to you. If a third of the windows are activities and another third are treats costing one or two euros, the whole calendar can cost less than a single toy. Save the budget for the surprise on the 24th, which is the one that creates the most excitement.

How do I make a homemade advent calendar?

With 24 envelopes, small boxes or pouches numbered from 1 to 24. Envelopes hung from a string with pegs are the quickest format. Prepare all the windows before 1 December and keep the activities in order so you can swap them if needed.