Advent Calendar Ideas for Giving
During the Holiday Season, I want to be an example of more giving than receiving, so I love to include many giving activities in our advent calendar. We love to do special things for those people who help make our lives easier as well as giving to make things easier for others.
Whether you are incorporating these Advent Calendar Ideas into your Activity advent or just planning a few special days during the holiday season, most of these require a minimal amount of planning and really make the season special.
Too late for advent? No worries! Many of these make great activities to do with your kids over the Winter Break.
Giving activities for our Activity Advent Calendar:
1. Make an ornament or small gift for neighbors.
This has become a nice tradition over the years. I love to put the emphasis of the season on giving. We have made pipe cleaner trees, tea cup candles, cookies, mini milk carton houses, and felted soap.
2. Make, shop for or plan teacher gifts
Being a teacher myself, I know the power of even the smallest of gifts for teachers. Even as my boys enter middle school and high school, we still give gifts to ALL their teachers. We always shop for(or make!)teacher gifts and include as many other school staff members as we can..the office staff, school nurse, etc.
3. Tip a server a bit extra
I love the idea of giving a huge tip to a server at some point during the holidays. This is a win-win, because we get to go out to eat, too. It leaves us with such a great feeling that even crowded malls and long lines can’t take away.
4. Decorate an outdoor tree
This year we are going to decorate an outdoor tree(with some of our extra decorations) that is along one of our favorite public walking paths. Its sure to bring a smile to folks out for a stroll in the woods. You can find cheap decorations at thrift stores or make your own biodegradable decorations for the birds!
5. Make a gift for the birds
I love the idea of making a bird feeder as a gift for the birds! We’ve strung cheerios, spread bird seed and lard on a bagel and dipped pine cones in peanut butter and seeds. It really is nice to think of our feathered friends this time of year.
It’s also fun to put pieces of yarn on a tree. Not only does it look colorful, it provides nesting material for a warm and cozy winter.
6. Visit an Animal Shelter to Spread Cheer
There are many ways you can spread cheer to an animal shelter:
- Providing old, clean blankets to keep animals warm
- Calling ahead to check what the shelter’s needs are – could be cleaning rags, cat food, or toys.
- Offering to clean cages or walk dogs.
- Making flyers to advertise a new litter of pups or kittens around to local businesses.
7. Donate food to a little free pantry
Little Free Pantries are popping up all over the place and provide a nice option for people who are food insecure. This can be an easy way to give back to people right in your community.
Check their website for a pantry near you and bring a bag of groceries. This is a fun thing to do with your kids – they can shop for non-perishables they think kids would like.
8. Make cards and bring them to a local senior center
Nothing brings cheer to a senior center faster than something created by the youngest generation! Your kids can create some holiday themed cards or artwork and write simple messages on them. Deliver them to a senior center to distribute or look for an event where kids can hand out the cards and visit with some of the seniors.
9. Do a Random Act of Kindness
These can be fun and add some real excitement to the season. There are so many ways to surprise someone with a lovely gift. Hand flowers to a stranger, bring donuts for the office staff at school, Hand out $5 gift cards to the librarians, leave dollar bills in a few books at the book store for some lucky soul.
Help, I can’t add one more thing to my list!
Filling an activity advent calendar may seem stressful. After all, the holiday season is already jam packed with commitments and to-do’s.
Figuring out how to fill your own advent calendar with 24 more things to do may seem like a chore. There are lots of ways to plan activities to make things easier and more enjoyable for you.
Start small and go simple
The first year we had an activity calendar we only did about a week and a half of activities. We started on the 13th instead of the 1st. That suited my then 1 and three year old just fine!
You could have activities every other day or just on weekends. Try repeating activities–we have several nights of family games and holiday movies throughout the month.
Use what you already have planned.
When I sit down to plan our activities, I look at what we already have planned and write those in first.
I include trimming the tree, our annual trip to decorate gingerbread houses at the Art Institute, and the boys’ cub scout trip to visit a local retirement community.
Every day does not have to be a surprise.
Say no to other commitments.
If planning activities for your family makes you say no to other commitments, it’s already doing you some good.
Spending time with your family, making memories of your own is what is important. We keep our commitments few and plan for lots of down time.
Just go outside.
Many of our activities involve getting outside.
After all there is no bad weather–only bad clothing!
We bundle up and take hikes in the woods, walk around our local arboretum, and go play at our favorite playgrounds(they are empty!)
Plan what YOU want to do.
Make sure you make it enjoyable for yourself and plan for the activities that you want to do.
I love doing puzzles with my kids, so I make sure to get in at least one or two puzzle nights during the month.
I also love a picnic dinner by the tree. We turn all the lights off, leave on the tree and plant ourselves in front of it for dinner.
Have your kids plan some of the activities.
Kids usually come up with really simple ideas.
Mine always ask for extra screen time–which in our low screen household is a huge treat.
They often request a read aloud from the stack of holiday books we have out this time of year. My kids also love hot cocoa (easy!) and sledding and night hikes thru the neighborhood sporting their head lamps.
Kids remember time spent with you.
What kids really want is your time. These activities can slow your family down, start wonderful traditions, and teach kids what the holidays are really all about.
Check out my Advent Activity Pinterest Board for loads of other ideas.
Whether you’re an activity advent calendar veteran or not I’d love to hear some of your favorite things to do and how you make this month super special for your family….have at it in the comments!!
Did you see my Gift Guide for ADHD Boys? It has lots of great ideas to make your gift giving easy – and how to keep
