One of the traditions I want to pass to my children, that they will enjoy and remember is a really, really special advent calendar. Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with a store bought calendar and I have used them in the past, but I wanted something meaningful that my children would remember and maybe one day use for their own children. I also wanted something that allowed me to choose the ‘reward’ and that they would have to think about instead of every day, prizing open the tiniest piece of cardboard to reveal yet another poor quality chocolate!
I put a lot of thought into this and researched options on the internet. My favourite idea was a large, embroidered Christmas Tree shaped wall hanging beautifully decorated with all manner of little Christmassy icons. It had 25 little pockets all hand decorated with colourful numbers and Christmas characters. I could put a little treat or a note or some treasure in each pocket. This was going to be a project of mine that I could create for the children to enjoy which would become one of their traditions. It was going to be magical!
Aaaaaaand cut to the scene of a busy mum of 3 children who did not find time to brush her hair this morning let alone embroider an elaborate Christmas tree shaped advent calendar…! So, reality check. What DO I have time to make…??
The Treasure Hunt Envelope Advent Calendar as I so called it. It’s super easy, cheap and can be quick to make – depending on how fancy you choose to go!!
All you really need are 25 envelopes, some small notes or bits of paper for the clues and some treasure! You can display the envelopes any way you want. I’ve used a long piece of string with little pegs to secure the envelopes. But if you’re short on hanging space, you could stand the envelopes along a mantelpiece, display them on a spare table or even place them on the Christmas tree.
First, you need to number your envelopes. I printed off a set of numbered labels and cut them out. Then I punched holes in the envelopes and labels and tied them together with matching thread. But this was quite tedious and fiddly so a simpler option would be to glue the labels or numbers directly onto the envelopes – there are loads of ideas and printable options on the internet. Or even better…you could get the kids to decorate the envelopes – a great pre-Christmas craft project!
Now for the clues. I do a new clue each day, so don’t seal the envelopes when you hang them. This way, I can keep track of where to hide the treasure. Last year, we missed a day and I got terribly confused about where I should be hiding the next days treasure…. It’s quite a routine to get into though. I have forgotten on the odd day…. I wake up in a cold sweat at 4am remembering there is no clue and no treasure. I get round this by assuring the children that the clue will still be there after school and they can look for it then. Gosh, I’m good.
And lastly for the fun part…the treasure!! The real beauty lies here, because it can be absolutely anything you choose. Some of the best for us have been experiences like going berry picking, taking a picnic to the beach or going on a bike ride – really simple, easy things to do that the kids love and that means we get to spend time together.
The other thing we always take time to talk about and reflect on are all the other people out there who are much less fortunate than we are. It’s such a valuable lesson to teach children, especially at Christmas so one of the ‘treasures’ is usually choosing a toy and a book each to give to a children’s charity. I also throw in a few sweets or chocolates….because I can!! I hide the treasures or the ‘Experience Vouchers’ in these bags that I made, but you can use anything.
So..it’s a bit late for this year, but give this a go next year – the children will love it!
Merry Christmas xx
