We love Advent Calendars at our house! This tradition started long ago when I was a child and has now continued with my children. Their adorable, focused faces, looking for today's special, little box priceless and their smiles when putting together a new Lego figurine or finding today's new tea selection, or my son's favorite last year when each day offered a new piece to create an actual, working radio by Christmas is simply magical! This is a tradition we would never do without, however, to balance these new, daily gifts, we now also do a "Reverse Advent Calendar" where every day, from December 1st through the 24th, we each put an item into a dedicated box for this year's donation.
The Reverse Advent Calendar is truly wonderful because it reminds us all about the importance of giving back. Each day, we all pick a lightly used and still-in-great-shape item we believe someone might want or need; then we place them in our donation box and put a heart or smiley face on our calendar. We choose something we may not have used in a while or something we love and simply want to share with others. The kids love searching their rooms for something to share with another child their age. Some days, it's a toy, some days, a book, a shirt, or even a prized stuffy.
Other items we've included:
- new toothbrushes & toothpaste
- school supplies
- clothes
- board games
- non-perishable food
- gardening supplies
- tools
- blankets
- winter clothes, scarves, hats & gloves
- furniture
As much as we love our Advent Calendar tradition, this Reverse Advent Calendar is even more special to us now and we couldn't think of enjoying one without the other.
Be sure to tell local businesses and events you found them
on Macaroni Kid Greater Woodbridge
and make sure to tell all your friends!
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