Chocolate advent calendars are lovely, but the chocolate is usually gone by breakfast. A virtual advent calendar gives children something to do each day of December instead, and a lot of them work for the whole family. Here are the best ideas.
A 25 Door Escape Room
The December Dilemma is our advent calendar escape room. Grumble the elf has locked Santa’s workshop, and one door opens each day from 1 December. Behind each door is a short puzzle room to solve, and the story builds all the way to Christmas Day. It suits ages 6 and up, so younger children can play with a grown up and older ones can do it on their own.
It is one of the easiest ways to make the countdown feel special, and it costs less than most chocolate calendars.
A Kindness Calendar
Write one small kind act for each day on a slip of paper: make a card for a neighbour, help with the washing up, phone a grandparent. Put the slips in numbered envelopes and open one each morning.
A Christmas Film Calendar
Pick 24 family Christmas films and draw one each evening. Short films and specials count on school nights.
A Riddle A Day
Pick 25 Christmas riddles, write each one on a card and open one every morning before school. We have a list of Christmas riddles for kids you can use.
An Activity Calendar
Bake gingerbread, make paper snowflakes, write to Santa, walk round the street to look at lights. Plan them around your week so busy days get the quick ones.
Mix And Match
The best calendars mix a few of these. A door of The December Dilemma in the morning, a film or activity in the evening, and the odd bit of chocolate in between.
Find out more on our virtual advent calendar page.
