Advent Calendar DIY.  Every year we put out an Advent Calendar for the kids.  It is just like the one I had growing up, but this year I decided to change our traditions a little.  I want my boys to be kind, and give more of themselves.  So, we will have two Advent Calendars this year, one will be a daily giving calendar, the other will be a fun one.  

My Coca Cola crate from Crates and Pallet (available on Wayfair) is perfect for an Advent Calendar, with 24 spaces for bottles or small DIY boxes, there is a space for each day of December leading up to Christmas.  I made the boxes for each day with my Cricut Explore Air 2.  Each box was filled with a piece of candy, and a good deed or activity to do.  Then, I taped the boxes with washi tape, and added a tiny little bow to some of them.

Some of the activities are simple like adding quarters to vending machines or taping pre-paid Redbox codes to the rental machines, others are more of a challenge, like doing their brothers chores.  Finally, some are family activities like working at the soup kitchen or bringing cookies to a hospital, fire station, police station, or nursing home.  I even left some as free choice, hoping to encourage the boys to think openly and do kind acts on their own.  I left the last one as your choice, but I think I will make it MY choice.  Last year on Christmas Eve, we went to the mall and gave each boy $5 to spend on a stranger however they saw fit.  One bought 2 coffees at Starbucks, one bought toys at the Disney Store, another bought some cookies, and another paid for the mall train for a family.  We all had so much fun that day, I want to do a repeat! 

I designed 24 printable cards with pre-made activities, as well as a page of blank ones for you to customize on your own with or without your little ones.  

I have read that it takes 3 weeks to create new habits, so I am hopeful that after 24 days of giving back in small ways, the boys will want to continue it on their own.  

 

You can download the pre-made activities as a group, and, or the single page blank.  Please remember, free printables are for personal use only.  They cannot be edited, altered, or resold.