When we do advent calendars we have a tradition of doing an activity every day as a countdown to Christmas. I also like to put in a piece of candy or stickers, or a small toy. Here are some of my go-to toys to stick in an advent calendar. They are small so they can fit in a little box and most are very inexpensive. These also work great as stocking stuffers. I place an order of these kinds of toys a few times a year. I’m always happy to have them around for last minute surprises. What are your favorite small gifts for kids?
1.Flashing Reindeer Nose
Chloe Moon
November 27, 2012
Oh I wish I had a little one or even a niece or nephew to make one for!! These are ideas are too cute! =)
Ergo – Blog
Stefania @ Revitalize with Stefania
November 27, 2012
These are awesome!
http://revitalizewithstefania.blogspot.com/
Rebecca
November 27, 2012
This is great! So is that rug. Can you please tell me who makes it? Thank you!!!
Ana
November 27, 2012
I include: small candies, rubber balls, whoopie cushions, plastic bugs or dinosaurs, mini parachuters, glow bracelets, kazoos, decorative rings, shiny beaded necklaces, decorative erasers, temporary tattoos or stickers, etc. Great for advent calendars, surprise eggs at Easter, pinatas, Halloween, and more. The monster finger puppets are a personal favorite. 🙂
The party aisle at Target is a great source for prizes if you’re looking for inspiration. Also, party stores or dollar stores, and the dollar bins at the craft store. I’m gonna have to hunt down some mustaches for my next project – so fun!
Julie
November 27, 2012
I prefer cohesive toy sets for advent calendars. The kids build toward something that way, and the toy has somewhere to live at the end (wherever you store the rest of that particular type of toy). To that end I prefer to buy a small Lego, duplo, or playmobil set and let the kids build the set as the days go on. The reason I prefer that type of set is that I dislike ending up with bins full of disjointed cheap toys… My children are enamoured of the small trinkets for three seconds and then they end up in a landfill.
Emily
November 28, 2012
Oh man, we had tons of those monster finger puppets kicking around the house when we were kids. My mum used them for story time at the library too. Seeing them here is such a flashback.
-Emily
http://from-small-beginnings.blogspot.ca/
svenja
November 28, 2012
such cute ideas 🙂 i linked your advent calendar with the trees on my blog.. i just loved the idea so much. have a look 🙂
Svenja
This girl loves to talk
November 28, 2012
http://thisgirllovestotalk.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/sewn-brown-paper-advent.html
I finished this one yesterday -I filled a sewn paper advent with christmas jokes and tiny silver ornaments
Last year I used those squinky toys (little soft plastic people/animals) that come in a plastic ball… they fit perfect, along with plastic animals.
Since I have four kids I find it VERY hard to fit ‘four’ of something in each pocket.
sometimes we have to resort to tiny candy, stickers and very tiny toys. We’ve done having a turn each per day but I often would forget whose day it was! and fights would happen!!
Elena
November 28, 2012
Cute ideas!!
laure
November 28, 2012
Nous, on a mis des bonbons !!!!
C // Project Mintbean
November 28, 2012
Love those fake mustaches! … Though, I must admit, I’m not really feelin’ the Snaps. Growing up, my brother used to throw them straight at me when nobody was looking, so I’ve grown to have negative feelings about those things 🙁
MelissaT
November 28, 2012
I struggled to come up with an idea for this one. I don’t want to hand out candy. I don’t want a bunch of trinkets to clutter up my little house. I decided to let the kids discover a piece of our Playmobil nativity set each day.
I thought that be a fun way to talk about Jesus’s birth story and be something we could do again each year. We’ll see how it goes!
rachael
November 28, 2012
i remember those finger puppets from when i was younger! haha. what a great idea for kids.
Cheers a Party!
November 28, 2012
Oh my, can’t decide which ones I’d love for myself: the necklace, the monster finger puppets, or the cubebot! Such cute finds!
Elena @ Randomly Happy
November 29, 2012
You’ve got some great ideas here. I like to mix it up a bit and add ‘experiences’, written on pieces of rolled up paper. Things like building a Christmas fort, making Christmas cookies, watching a favourite Christmas movie (like Elf). It’s cheap, build great memories, gets me into the spirit more 🙂
x Elena @ Randomly Happy
Maureen
November 30, 2012
Thanks. Julie, for making a good point. All I can think of when I see this post is landfill, landfill, landfill. 🙁