Advent Activity Jar

This year I wanted to start some Christmas traditions with my family. Our Advent calendar is full of activities rather than sugar, and will hopefully be an exciting thing for Emma and Harry to do each morning during December.

I saw this gorgeous example on the Just a Girl blog and thought it would be perfect for us.

With the activities written on paper inside each matchbox, I can easily change activities depending on the weather or what ever else is going on (including everyone's behaviour and my own sanity!) I've made a list of which activities are in which box, and stuck the list inside the pantry. I also knew it would come in under budget - I asked around for matchboxes, had paper already lying around etc etc. Here's ours...

 
Rather than a jar, I used our salad bowl! It's easier for little hands to search for the right number, and less likely to get broken (I hope!). 

It was harder than I thought to come up with ideas - most calendars seem to be filled with lollies or toys. I wanted this to be about the things we can do together, so here's our list...

• Decorate the tree
• Read a Christmas book
• Colour a Christmas picture
• Write a letter to Santa
• Buy / borrow, and listen to, some Christmas music
• Make a Christmas card for Emma and Harry's friends
• Make a Christmas treat for a friend
• Make Christmas decorations
• Get a photo taken with Santa
• Hang our Christmas Stockings
• Have a picnic in the park
• Make a Christmas treat
• Make a Christmas picture for someone and post it to them
• Buy a gift and place it under a charity tree
• Borrow a Christmas book from the library
• Make popcorn and watch a Christmas movie
• Go to a Christmas Fair
• Go to the Carols
• Buy our dog a Christmas present
• Wrap some presents
• Camp out under the tree
• Drive around and look at the Christmas lights
• Make a Christmas card / place card for Gran
• Leave a treat out for Santa

I'm excited about starting - Emma is already asking about our tree, so December 1 here we come!