Exciting Advent Calendars

I know what you are thinking. That I am a little late in the game to be talking about advents. And you’re right? Except that if you missed Dec. 1 as the date to get started on your calendar, there is another option. How about a 12 days of Christmas countdown? Or you could do what we usually do and just do a few days each night until you catch up.

I was reminded the other morning of why we do a Christmas countdown. It was the morning after we had set up the tree, and the first word out of my son’s 2-year-old mouth as he stirred from his night’s sleep was, “Santa?” He wanted to know if he had come. He was sad that he hadn’t. Anytime someone would come to the door, he would ask if it was Santa. I knew he needed a visual way to see how much longer until Santa would come. I printed out this cute Santa printable (Target also has something similar in the Dollar spot section), and each day we glue on one cotton ball. When Santa’s beard is complete, we know it is time for him to come!

I know I’ve talked a lot about my Scriptural-based advent calendar that I love, but I want to share a fun idea that my little sister, Shanda, came up with to countdown to Christmas with her very young and rather rambunctious children. I love that it is something that anyone can do, and you should be able to put it together rather quickly!

She simply blew up a bunch of red and green balloons and tied them to a ribbon and strung them along a wall in her living room.

She wrote numbers on them with permanent marker. Each night they pop a balloon. Inside each balloon is a Christmas joke. I’m not sure where she found them all, but the one I heard was pretty cute! UPDATE: Shanda shared the link to the Christmas jokes, and even better, they have a free printable that works perfectly for this! Go Here.

I think it just kind of happened that she had a wall hanging strung behind the balloons, but it would be cute to have  a “Merry Christmas” garland or something behind the balloons, so not only do the balloons disappear each day, but the message appears.

Kind of like this advent calendar that my sister, Trina, sewed. It has a hidden message that is revealed as the days pass.

Now, excuse me while I go fill up my own advent calendar with goodies. Better late than never, right?