Advent Calendar for GivingMany people use Advent calendars for giving small gifts and treats daily to their youngsters. Others have activities that are tucked into each day, for the child or family to do that day. It occurred to me that a wonderful Advent idea would be for a child or children to make a gift or ornament each day to be given to someone else. There are many small gift ideas that could be done by a child, or with a little help from an adult. The craft materials could be gathered ahead of time and put into a ziplock bag for each individual craft. Or a batch of cookies could be made, with some to be shared. The finished crafts could be accumulated over the Advent season, and a day or two before Christmas could be taken to a nursing home, or to a shut-in to brighten their Christmas. Another way to do a giving Advent, would be for the child to choose each day a person for whom he or she would like to make a gift or do a good deed. This would get the child thinking about others who may really need a gift or a good deed, and the child would have the great feeling of having done something for someone else. There are many people a child could give to: a relative, sibling, friend, teacher, mailman, neighbor. The wonderful result of an Advent Calendar for giving would be that a child would be focused on giving to others rather than what he/she will be receiving. Here are a couple of links with ideas to get you started. Look for age appropriate Christmas tree decorations your child can make. There are links for Christmas crafts for kids of all ages. Look through these ideas for gifts kids can make for everyone. Return to top of Advent Calendar for Giving Return to Advent Calendars Return to Craftlinky Home |
