Looking for unique, non-candy, advent calendar ideas for kids? Skip the chocolate this year and grab our FREE adventure advent calendar printable below. You'll also find a variety of advent calendar ideas from handmade craft projects to adorable store-bought options.
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When I was in first grade, my parents went to Europe for three weeks. They returned at the beginning of December, and one of my gifts was an advent calendar. It was a prized possession.
The calendar wasn't filled with chocolate but beautifully designed. Each box had a small image of a toy behind the flap. That small & simple pleasure brought me great joy as a child. As an adult, I am always utterly disappointed by the chocolate filled advent calendars available for my girls. So, a few years back I bought a reusable felt Christmas tree advent calendar.
This year our advent calendar is going beyond chocolate.
I have been looking for a way to make our family advent calendar something truly memorable.
I've read about putting in bible quotes or having your family write things they are thankful for and inserting the notes into the compartments, or giving holiday stickers, but nothing felt quite right...
Then suddenly it clicked —
Time with your family is a GIFT . . . Give them the gift of your presence this year.
We decided to do a calendar focused on family fun!
In other words, we've created a...
Holiday Adventure Advent Calendar
I wrote a list of holiday activities to do with the kids and made printable "Holiday Adventure Cards." I am excited to share the printables with you!
Below you'll find FREE downloadable files for:
- Holiday movie advent calendar cards
- Holiday activity calendar cards
- Fill in the blank holiday adventure advent cards *So you can customize them!
I recommend using card stock or photo paper when printing, if possible. But truth be told, traditional printer paper works great too because you can fold the notes up!
FREE Advent Calendar Ideas For Kids Printable Cards!
Click the links below to open and then print your Adventure Advent Printables.
Don't have an adventure calendar yet?
You'll find some cute store advent calendars below along with a few ideas for homemade advent calendars too!
Advent Calendar Ideas For You!
Looking to buy a fun holiday calendar for your family? Below are a few of my favorite places to shop for Christmas countdown calendars.
The most adorable advent calendars you can order online I found at:
- Pottery Barn
- Pottery Barn Kids
- Target
- Amazon
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Homemade Advent Calendar Ideas
If you want to do a holiday adventure calendar, but prefer a homemade advent calendar, these DIY projects could be fun! Just write your daily adventure on the strips of paper when creating these kids' projects!
More Advent Calendar Ideas: Etsy Holiday Goodie Bags
Looking for something in the middle — not from a chain store, but not homemade (by you!) either? Etsy has some wonderful goodie bag options to use for your Christmas countdown. These three adorable options were featured at the start of the post!
- Farmhouse Christmas Burlap Bags
- Reusable Christmas Natural Bags
- Recycled Craft Paper Advent Calendar Bags
Super Simple DIY Advent Calendar Idea
Don't let buying or making a calendar hold you back from enjoying the pure joy of an advent calendar this season. I can guarantee you could grab twenty-five white business envelopes and write numbers on them with a red marker and your child will still be thrilled. So simple, so sweet.
Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season!
P.S. This was just too cool not to share...
LEGO Advent Calendar
Wha-what?!!? LEGO Calendars?!?! So neat.
- Countdown to Christmas with the LEGO City Calendar, featuring buildable surprises, exclusive elements, and eight minifigures
- Open a window every day to reveal 24 different LEGO City-themed gifts
- Features 8 minifigures, including a police officer, robber, astronaut, and a surprise holiday-themed minifigure
- Enjoy 24 days of LEGO City building fun
There are so many cool varieties!
LEGO Christmas Countdown Calendar Options
- LEGO Star Wars Christmas Countdown Calendar
- LEGO City Calendar Minifigures Small Building Toys, Christmas Countdown Calendar for Kids
- LEGO Friends Advent Calendar
See them all here...
Pin it for later:
Sorry friends, it seems these goodie bags are no longer available. I hope you find the Etsy suggestions helpful!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
