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It is a really popular tradition to have an advent calendar that you begin on December the 1st. Some think it is just for children however many adults love the opportunity for an advent calendar and a nice little surprise each morning. Traditionally it might have been the chocolate advent calendar you had, where each day you opened up a door and there was a nice little chocolate treat. But things have moved on, and there are so many other thighs you could do. Here are some of the best advent calendar ideas that are a little different.
- Advent calendar ideas for the children
- Advent calendar ideas for the adults
- A boozy advent calendar
- A beauty calendar
- The Body Shop: Box of Wishes Advent Calendar
- The Body Shop: Box of Wonders Big Advent Calendar
- The Body Shop: Box of Wishes & Wonders Ultimate Advent Calendar
- Other options you might not be aware of
- General advent calendar ideas that will work for anyone
- Win a Lights4Fun Townhouse Wooden Advent Calendar
Advent calendar ideas for the children
Children love an advent calendar. It is a nice and easy way for them to count down to the big day and when Father Christmas will be making a visit. But, if you want to step away from the traditional chocolate advent you might buy in the shop, here are a couple of other suggestions that you might want to try.
A toy advent calendar
A great option is to consider a toy advent calendar and there are so many now to choose from. You can find that there are toy advent calendars that will suit a theme or specific TV show or characters that your child may like. Playmobil also does great advent calendars, especially a Christmas-themed one, where you can collect little things each day and build up a display that they can then play with. Another option is a playdough advent calendar or ones specific to younger children whereas here as a parent you might not want them to have sweets or chocolates. A toy advent can be so exciting for your little ones.
Roblox Blind Multipack Advent Calendar
Make the holiday season even more exciting with the 24 door Roblox Advent Calendar. Countdown to Christmas by opening up a door each day to find new holiday-themed Roblox characters and accessories! Mix and match parts to build your own unique Roblox character. Deck out your figures with the included accessories. Each package comes with two redeemable codes to unlock exclusive virtual items on Roblox. Collect all your favourite Roblox figures today!
Retailers: Amazon, Smyths, Toymaster, Very.com, Studio, ABGee, Selfridges, Game
Age: +6
A book advent calendar
Another option to think about would be a book advent calendar. There are two ways you can do this. You can buy one where there will be small books in a pocket each day ready for your little one. Or you could look at buying some Christmas books either searching in charity shops or buying them over the course of the year, and then wrapping them individually and numbering them for your little ones. It is a nice way to have some reading time with your child before bed.
Disney Princess Storybook Collection Advent Calendar
Count down to Christmas with all the Disney Princesses! With 24 books to unwrap this festive season, enjoy a magical tale every day in the run-up to Christmas.
Retailers: Ryman, Amazon, The Works, eBay
Ages: 4-6 years
Create your own with sweets and chocolate
If you still want to give your child a sweet treat then instead of buying one you can create your own with sweets and chocolates. You could buy ornaments with little doors or a fabric advent calendar that you hang up and reuse each year.
Townhouse Wooden Advent Calendar
A charming Christmas piece for your home, a townhouse advent calendar is a must for displaying as part of your festive decorations. Built from wood, the advent calendar features 3 drawers to hold your festive chocolate or sweet treats that you can top up throughout the countdown to Christmas (perfect in case you have any children who like to raid their chocolate calendars). Also includes 2 number tag hooks for you to count down the days to Christmas, something the children will love to help change over each day.
Retailers: Lights4Fun
Advent calendar ideas for the adults
As adults, we don’t want to have to miss out on all the fun. So there are a few options that you might want to consider for yourself this year.
A boozy advent calendar
Many people love an alcoholic beverage at Christmas, and now you can get advent calendars dedicated to your favourite drinks. There are wine advents, prosecco, and even gin advent calendars that you could have – or how about a BrewDog Advent Calendar?. This is a lovely way to build up a little collection to enjoy over the Christmas period.
A beauty calendar
One advent calendar that has massively grown in popularity recently is a beauty calendar. There are some incredible ones that have over £500 worth of products in them, and companies like Liberty London and The White Company are always hugely popular. You can get more budget-friendly ones such as the Cath Kidston Beauty Advent Calendar that still work out worthwhile, ones specific to skincare or makeup. The options are endless and you are bound to find a beauty calendar that you will love.
The Body Shop: Box of Wishes Advent Calendar
Small in size but packed full of treats – the Box of Wishes Advent Calendar contains skincare, face masks and beauty tools. Hydrate with our Shower Gel before nourishing your skin with Body Butter infused with Community Fair Trade Mango Seed Oil from India.
This calendar celebrates the women of Chhattisgarh, India, and through Mango Seed Oil, The Body Shop continues to support them with job prospects and opportunities for independence.
Retailers: The Body Shop
The Body Shop: Box of Wonders Big Advent Calendar
Here to help you buff, slather and moisturise head-to-toe, our Big Advent Calendar is packed with 25 surprises, including some full-sized favourites. Unwind with our bestselling Face Masks, refresh with our zesty Shower Gels and nourish with indulgent Body Butters made with Community Fair Trade shea butter from Ghana.
The Box of Wonders celebrates the women of Tamale, Ghana supporting them with healthcare and education projects.
Retailers: The Body Shop
The Body Shop: Box of Wishes & Wonders Ultimate Advent Calendar
The Body Shop Ultimate Advent Calendar is bursting with full-sized bestsellers, exciting new products, beauty tools and everything you need to nourish your body and soul. Scrub, soften and slather your way to your most beautiful Christmas yet with Sheet Masks, Body Butters, and Body Scrubs.
Made with Community Fair Trade recycled plastic, this calendar supports the waste pickers of Bengaluru, India with a fair wage and improved working conditions.
Retailers: The Body Shop
Other options you might not be aware of
There are also other advents that you can consider such as healthy treats and even socks. A quick look online will highlight some of the more unique options to consider.
General advent calendar ideas that will work for anyone
Lastly, there are other advent calendars that could work well for children, adults, or as a family advent. Here are some of the suggestions that you might want to try.
A random acts of kindness calendar
If you have your own advent then instead of filling it with chocolate you could fill it with random acts of kindness suggestions. It might be things like donating to a food bank or litter picking. Search online for some ideas to fill yours.
A reverse advent calendar
A reverse advent calendar is usually done in November, but you could do it in December if you wanted. Each day instead of taking something you put something into a box such as a food staple or toiletries. You can then donate your box of goodies at the end of the month to your local homeless shelter or food bank.
Things to do for the whole family
Finally, fill your own advent days with things to do as a family. A sleepover in the living room, a movie night, or even an afternoon baking. Take time to plan your activities so that they fit on relevant days etc.
Wentworth Puzzles: Advent Calendar Puzzle – Santa’s Workshop
Whilst you might be mistaken in thinking that completing jigsaw puzzles is something that is relegated to young children or at your grandparent’s house, they can, in fact, be really good fun. Count down the days to Christmas by completing a fun and engaging ‘Stand-up’ character Christmas jigsaw puzzle. Make the age-old ritual of the advent calendar part of your loved ones’ cherished memories with this charming wooden keepsake.
Retailers: Wentworth Puzzles – Check out their Christmas Jigsaw Puzzles collection.
Hopefully, this has given you plenty of ideas for advent calendars this year.
Be sure to check out our other Christmas Gift Guides!
Win a Lights4Fun Townhouse Wooden Advent Calendar
To help you in the countdown to Christmas this year, we are fortunate enough to have Lights4Fun Townhouse Wooden Advent Calendar to giveaway.
PRIZE: Townhouse Wooden Advent Calendar
To enter complete the Gleam widget below, all entries are optional and each one completed will gain you more entries into the random draw.
Lights4Fun Townhouse Wooden Advent Calendar
