Make A Family Advent Calendar

December 12, 2019

Making Christmas traditions that your family will cherish forever is a wonderful way to spend the season, and we love family time advent calendars that allow you to make memories together.

A family time advent calendar is all about replacing the chocolate, cartoon-themed advent calendars that explode across our supermarkets with some real and meaningful activities that will always be remembered. A family time advent calendar creates an opportunity to do something special every day in the run up to Christmas, reminding yourself and the children what it’s all about and making this time more enjoyable for everyone.

How To Make A Family Time Advent Calendar:

1. Make your calendar. There are a huge range of fabric advent calendars with pockets available, or you could make your own if you’re handy with a sewing machine. You might prefer a string with numbered envelopes hanging along it, or even a wooden display with boxes or tiny shelves to fill. Use your imagination and create something that will become a family tradition for years to come.
2. Add gifts. If you’re planning to add small gifts or sweets to any of your pockets or envelopes, you can do this in advance to make your calendar look more exciting, but don’t risk it if the temptation may be too much! If your children are very young, or simply can’t contain their excitement, it may be better to add these each evening for the next day. You can tie gifts into the activity for the day, or even include items that you already own, such as Christmas storybooks or themed cookie cutters.
3. Select your activities. Make a list of 24 activities and write each one on a slip of paper or a star shaped piece of card to tuck into a pocket or envelope. Some of your activities can be family traditions such as decorating the Christmas tree or going to the theatre, but they don’t all have to be expensive treats. Simple activities such as reading a Christmas story, baking cookies or drinking hot chocolate by the fire will bring delight to your children and allow you all to share in the Christmas magic.
4. Be versatile. It is great to have your activity slips pre-written to make the busy evenings in December a little easier, but it may help to avoid numbering them in advance, so that you can substitute an easier option for a planned activity if circumstances change. If you’re all struggling with a winter bug, for example, a wintery walk might be better postponed, allowing you to indulge in watching a Christmas film together while you recover.

Are You Looking for a Family Break in Ireland?

In the depths of winter, it can help to have a family trip to look forward to in the springtime. At Trabolgan Holiday Village, we spend the winter improving our facilities and preparing for our first guests of the year, and we’d love to share our new look with you next year.

We’ve got accommodation and entertainment to suit every taste and budget, and we’ve designed our entertainment programmes to ensure there is something for everyone. You can book a week, weekend or midweek break at Trabolgan, and we have package deals available throughout the year. Simply call our reservations team on +353 (0) 21 4661551 or visit us online now.