I want to share our favorite seasonal family tradition with you – our advent calendar. It’s far from the typical advent calendar where you open a window and have a piece of chocolate. These little envelopes are filled with family connection, love, sharing, and adventure. My family loves them, even our teenager. They can’t wait to open the day’s envelope and even argue over who gets to open it.
Each year I take the envelopes that I saved the year before and fill them with activities for us to do throughout the holiday season. Most of these are simple. I like keeping things simple. Sing a song. Write a poem. Watch a movie. Listen to music. Then there are things that are little more complicated to do. Make snowflakes. Make a wreath. Make beeswax rolled candles. And sprinkled in here and there are just a few more complicated activities. Make cookies for the neighbors. Make holiday chocolates. Send up a wish lantern for the solstice. Then they are hung by tiny little clothes pins on a string of yarn enticing, warming little hearts.
My gift to you this season is everything you need to make your own, all compiled in one place. For all my diverse friends this can be used for Halloween, Ramadan, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Dawali, and more. Any time you would like a time of reflection and connecting with your family as you anticipate an event.
So here it goes:
If you want to just purchase envelopes instead of making your own, I found these or you can search “mini envelopes.”
To make your own you can buy themed craft paper and follow this video or this one.
And to fill your cards here are a few lists:
And here are some of our list
- make and enjoy hot chocolate
- sing holiday songs
- do an act of kindness
- make beeswax candles
- make a seasonal wreath
- write a seasonal poem
- make cookies for the neighbors
- watch the Nutcracker
- go see Christmas lights
- have a bonfire
- cut and hang snowflakes
- make window clings
- make holiday themed chocolates
- read a seasonal book
- make holiday garland (popcorn, cranberries, dehydrated oranges)
- have snowman pancakes for breakfast
- leave a kind anonymous note for someone
- watch a seasonal movie
- drive to see the Christmas lights
- make a cake
- listen to holiday music
- send up a wish lantern
- open one small gift
Love to you, friends, during this holiday season. <3
I love how simple and sweet most of these ideas are. They aren’t just typical ideas but still don’t take a ton of planning and supplies.
Thank you, Rebecca. That was the kind of thing that I was going for. We may be able to do a more involved activity every once in a while, but most need to be simple and doable for us to be able to do them.