Every year we insert some acts of kindness into our Advent Calendar. I want the kids to really grow up learning to give back. We are so blessed and they receive tons of treats and gifts throughout the holiday season so this is a nice way to give back. Don’t worry, I still ALSO add a few fun surprises and goodies.
This Advent Calendar allows you to surprise your kids with treats, but if you don’t want them to just eat chocolate every day (we all get enough of that this season), this gives you other options! It also instills the ACTIVE learning of giving back. I make sure that when we do things like pick up colouring books for the children’s wing of the hospital, they come with me, pick out the supplies, and bring them to the hospital donations office as well.
When we go through toys to donate I explain to them what they’re for and that some kids don’t get many (or any) gifts during the holidays. They carefully select things that they no longer play with or that they know will get more use by other children and it really makes them think about the whole process in an empathetic way.
I’ve created a PDF document with 28 different options for acts of kindness that you can download and print yourself, should you want to participate. Most of them cost nothing and are simple to execute. Choose the ones that will work for you and your family, and place them into your advent calendar. You can also make some of your own to include, of course.
If you have fun family events (such as visiting a tree farm or Christmas market, going to the Polar express, etc) you can also insert those into the correct days. It’ll remind your kids of the fun to come! For example, every year we go for a drive to look at Christmas lights. We call it our very own “Polar Express”. We bring popcorn and hot cocoa and the kids wear their PJs and snuggle with their favourite stuffies. For that date, I make little homemade tickets and the kids get so excited!
Pop your acts of kindness into the advent calendar alongside a little chocolate or treat and voila! Easy-peezy. I simply hung small fabric bags from baker’s twine to a birch branch for this whimsical look. The fabric bags can be found at the craft or dollar store. I hot glued on some ribbon, yarn, embellishments, and numbers and then accessorized the top with fresh greenery and sparkly star and snowflake picks.
I find it really helpful to print off a blank calendar to record what I’ve put into each date so that I have a heads up for myself of what’s to come, particularly if we are doing something bigger like visiting an animal shelter or hospital that day.
This year, I’m pairing our acts of kindness with some candy canes, vegan gummies, and fidget toys/pop-its. I’ve also thrown in one Maileg mouse for each kid that will be lined up with the date that I reveal their Christmas dollhouse.
You can download my Acts of Kindness printable here if you would like to join in!
I’d love to be tagged on Instagram (@squishandsprout) to see your families executing these! Use #squishholidaykindness when you post!