This year I made a home made calender for the first time! I have been wanting to do it for some time, but never found enough time to prepare. Actually, this year I did not have much time to prepare either, but it turned out this is done pretty fast. I had already been saving empty toilet paper rolls for a while, inspired by all different things I had seen you could use them for on Pinterest. So I improvised, drawing numbers in different ways on all of them and hanging them up on a thread beneath our "Santa shelf". Good thing is that you don't have to be sure what to put in them until the last moment and improvise day by day. I do not want them to eat candy everyday (already a bit ruined though, since they also got a chocolate calender from their grandmother), and I don't want them to expect a gift every day and become spoiled. So our calender is a mix of sometimes small gifts, tasks, treasure hunts and once in a while a treat. For those of you looking for ideas, here are some I have so far been using:
- Put up Christmas window decorations in your rooms.
- Cut a snowflake from a paper and put up in your window.
- Make a drawing and give as a gift to your grandfather (visiting that day).
- Sing a Christmas song for our guests.
- Do something nice.
- Make a Christmasy pearl decoration for the tree.
- Treasure hunt. Map of the house with a hidden gift.
- Family hug.
In a few I have been adding small gifts, for example I found I package of ten finger animals at Ikea that fits perfectly, everyday there is a new animal.
Interestingly - they are as happy about doing a Family Hug, as they are for a treasure hunt leading to a gift!
