Not feeling a store-bought advent calendar this year? You’re not alone. Over the years, our family has had so much fun coming up with meaningful, creative Advent Calendar alternatives. This is your gentle reminder that Christmas memories don’t have to come with dollar signs attached.
These little traditions are easy to adjust for any age and can be as simple or elaborate as your energy allows (because let’s face it, December is full!). Let’s embrace true magic over “more” this holiday season.
For Babies & Toddlers
At this age, the magic is truly in the moment. We like to write surprise games or daily themes on slips of paper and tuck them into our felt advent calendar.
And let’s be honest, if plans went sideways (nap schedules, weather, toddler moods…), I’d just “read” a new idea that worked better that day. The beauty of this version is how flexible it is!
Ideas We’ve Loved:
- Reindeer headbands (for everyone!)
- Glowsticks in festive colors
- LED fairy lights to decorate a room together
- Dance Party (bonus points for turning it into a tea party)
- Hot cocoa afternoon
- Backyard s’mores
- Paper chain crafting
- Dried fruit garlands
- Red and green playdough (try adding peppermint or cinnamon scent!)
For Kids Ages 4 and Up
Now that my daughter is five, missing a day feels a lot harder (learned that one during last year’s flu week!). At this stage, we focus on simple, can’t-miss activities. Things that don’t add stress but still bring joy and connection.
Memory-Making Advent
Each day, we snap an instant photo of a holiday memory and add it to our felt advent calendar pockets nightly. By Christmas Day, we have 24 memories captured in our own little storybook of the season.
Craft Days
I like to have a small stash of craft supplies ready for creative days:
- Wooden holiday houses to paint
- Small gem art kits
- Felt or fabric ornament sewing projects
And of course, we also plan for our homemade gift days:
- Ornaments for grandparents
- Holiday photo frames
- Yearly memory calendars
- Jam or butter jars for family and teachers
Baking Days
Because really, this is what I want every day!
- Cookie decorating afternoon
- Gingerbread house day
- Cupcakes with festive toppers
Bigger Adventures
Some of our Advent days are larger outings, but these certainly don’t happen every year.
- The Nutcracker Ballet
- The Polar Express train
- Santa’s Village or Ice Castles
- Jordan’s Enchanted Village
But don’t forget it, the simplest memories matter most:
- Decorating the tree
- Lighting your village
- Watching your favorite Christmas movie
- Reading a holiday story before bed
- Coloring Christmas pages together
- Snap a photo, breathe it in, you did it, Mama!
Bonus: Small Surprises
If you’d still like to include a few tangible treasures, here are some easy favorites that fit perfectly into small advent pockets:
- Small crystals or gems (we love hunting treasures at A Crystal Mine in Westborough, MA)
- Mini “Barbie Land” dolls and accessories
- Marbles (divide a fun set, and maybe a marble run waits under the tree!)
- Mini dinosaurs or animals
- Tiny superheroes
- LEGO figures
- Mini cars
Whether you fill your advent with adventures, crafts, photos, or simple paper notes, what your kids will remember most isn’t the “thing.” It’s you. We are in charge of the magic, and we can put a lot of pressure on ourselves. But I am here to remind you that a marshmallow mustache and the photo to prove it will last longer in your hearts than anything you could place in your Amazon cart.
