Advent is a time filled with joyful preparations for Christmas, thanks to which the long December evenings take on a special character. Advent games are a great opportunity for a child to develop creativity and learn about Christmas traditions. How to prepare for this special time of the year, how to easily organize interesting Advent games for your child?
In today's article we offer ideas for handmade ones DIY advent calendars for a child, which can be prepared as a surprise or created together with your child. We also suggest what ideas for an Advent calendar for children will work if you do not want to buy a traditional calendar filled with sweets.
How to prepare with your child for the Advent period so as not to lose sight of what is most important?
Advent is a time that in the church liturgy covers 4 Sundays before Christmas Eve, but most families begin Advent preparations for Christmas on the first day of December. When getting ready for Christmas, what comes to our mind is primarily cleaning, shopping, decorating the Christmas tree, cooking traditional dishes and looking for ideas for an Advent calendar for children.
Such preparations are important, but in order not to lose the true value of Christmas, it is worth familiarizing children with the traditional idea of Advent, which should be a time of good deeds and resolutions thanks to which each of us can become a better person.
When preparing for Advent with your child, looking for interesting games and ideas for an Advent calendar for a child, we cannot omit what is particularly important for children during this period, i.e. gifts.
A gift is not only a material item, but also a kind word that we can give to someone, a nice gesture, that will bring a smile to the face of a friend or someone close to you (this may be one of the tasks in the Advent calendar).
Let's show children that time spent together and kindness are often the most valuable giftsthat we can give to another person, not only on holidays.
Interesting Advent games for childrenthat will bring joy to the whole family
The time of preparation for Christmas is a perfect opportunity to... diversifying winter evenings with valuable and developing Advent games for children. It is worth considering December attractions at the end of November. To make this task easier for parents, we have prepared a ready-made set of printable Advent games for children.
Here are some examples Advent games, which are worth preparing for children:
- Writing and decorating a letter to Santa Claus: This Advent game for children can be enriched with a gratitude list. In addition to the desired gifts, encourage your child to write/draw St. Santa also gives 5 things for which she is especially grateful.
- Making an Advent wreath: with 4 candles symbolizing the 4 Sundays of Advent.
- Preparing warming drinks together: e.g. cocoa with cinnamon, Christmas tea with raspberry juice. We can drink such a delicious infusion in December during Advent games for children. You can also prepare a drink in a thermos and go for a winter walk in search of Christmas decorations.
- Daily reading of a fairy tale related to Christmas traditions: in bookstores you can buy books that contain 24 short Christmas Eve stories.
- Christmas decorations: preparing Christmas tree decorations and Christmas cards together, and then decorating the Christmas tree, living room and windows with handmade decorations;
- Create a Christmas playlist with the most beautiful carols: Let's encourage the child to choose one carol, learn all the verses and sing it together during Christmas Eve.
- Making a Christmas lantern: ta Advent fun for children is related to the tradition identifying the birth of Jesus with the light that came into the world to enlighten the Gentiles. Even if the family does not participate in Advent rorates in church, it is worth making a paper lantern with your child to decorate the Christmas table.
- Christmas Gingerbread: baking and decorating gingerbread;
- Helping animals in winter: preparing treats for wild animals and birds (grains, carrots, etc.) and taking them to the forest or park.
We have prepared more ideas for Advent games for children in the Advent calendar project, which is waiting for you - ready to download and print.
Handmade Advent Calendar: what to wrap gifts in for each day of Advent?
One of the ideas for an Advent calendar for a child is to prepare it together with your child as part of Advent games. The calendar can also be a surprise that the child will receive from the parents 1 December.
A traditional, handmade Advent calendar should include 24 windows, bags or boxes — one for each day of December, until Christmas Eve.
How to prepare DIY child's advent calendar?
Gift bags
The simplest idea for a handmade Advent calendar for a child is preparing a long string and attaching 24 tiny bags to it (fabric or paper), on which we will write the numbers from 1 to 24 with a marker. In each bag we put a small gift or a printed idea for an Advent game for a child. The bags can also be attached, for example, above the fireplace or under the windowsill in the living room.
The second life of matchboxes
Another idea for a DIY Advent calendar for a child is attaching matchboxes covered with decorative paper to a large cardboard board. It is worth decorating the board and boxes with Christmas accents. We write a number from 1 to 24 on each box and put a small gift in it. Slightly larger, beautifully decorated 24 boxes can also be placed on the chest of drawers/on the windowsill in the living room and each day of Advent you can open one of them with your child.
DIY advent calendar ideas for kids: what apart from traditional sweets?
In stores you can buy ready-made Advent calendars for children filled with, among others, sweets, blocks, cars, play dough, cosmetics and hair decorations. If we are planning to prepare a handmade Advent calendar and we do not want to put sweets in it, we can replace them with:
- small puzzles;
- balloons and decorations with a Christmas motif;
- figurines, mini cars;
- ideas for Advent games for every day;
- Christmas stamps;
- tiny books;
- Christmas stickers;
- cinema tickets for a Christmas movie;
- colorful bath bombs.
These are just some examples of ideas for a DIY advent calendar for children. Every parent knows their child best and knows what small gifts they need the most joy.
