Advent calendars are a fun way to help your kids count down the days until Christmas. As a single parent, remember that you don't have to spend a lot of money on a fancy Advent calendars that house gifts for each day of December. Instead, make a simple Advent calendar from scratch. It will serve its purpose of counting down to Christmas Day, and putting it together will be a fun family activity for your kids. Here, you'll find a list of simple Advent calendars that are inexpensive to make:
Hershey Kisses Advent Calendar
(c) 2007 Jennifer Wolf, licensed to About.com
Help your kids count down the days until Christmas with this yummy homemade Advent calendar. Simply fold Hershey kisses (or any other festive chocolates) into plastic Saran wrap. Then tie each treat off with a piece of ribbon. You can even put notes inside each section, so that the Advent calendar includes 25 reasons why you love your kids, or 25 reasons why you're proud of them. In this way, the calendar serves two purposes - counting down to Christmas Day, and reinforcing to your kids how much you love and care about them!
Paper Chain Advent Calendar
(c) 2007 Jennifer Wolf, licensed to About.com
This is another easy Advent calendar for children. Simply make a paper chain out of 25 strips of red or green construction paper. (Or consider using strips of old wrapping paper!) Inside each link, you could even write a verse that tells part of the Christmas story. Or, to encourage your children to think beyond themselves, consider writing an idea inside each link for a mini-service project. For example, one day's project might be making a Christmas card for someone in a nursing home. Another day's project might be clearing off the snow from your neighbor's car. Be creative and see what ideas you come up with for supplementing this simple children's Advent calendar.
