Advent is getting closer and closer and the excitement increases with each passing day. The Christmas countdown begins in a few weeks and both children and adults are really looking forward to it. For the very little ones, who certainly have no memory of the previous year, this time is even more special.At 3 years oldChildren already have a greater understanding of the world and can better understand the idea of Advent. Therefore, from this age onwards, it is high time to familiarize the toddler with customs such as the Advent wreath and the Advent calendar. We have collected many ideas for the 2021 Advent calendar for 3-year-olds here - from crafting to filling. Be inspired and make the first preparations for this year's Advent season!
Advent calendar 2021 for 3-year-olds: What to fill the compartments with?
Advent calendars come in different shapes and sizes. Before you buy the right model orcraft yourself, you first have to clarify what you want to fill the calendar with. As a rule, small gifts, sweets, Christmas decorations and other little things are included to get the child excited about the coming celebration.
If you fill the Advent calendar with larger gifts or gifts with an irregular shape, then you should also plan slightly larger boxes. Therefore, it is worth getting the filling first and then buying or making the calendar. Otherwise, finding gifts that all fit in the same boxes would be much more complicated.
Advent calendars filled with chocolate and other sweets can be found in abundance everywhere. However, there are so many nicer things that you can hide in the small boxes. We have created some lists with other filling ideas that are great for 3 year old children.
A tip in advance so that the Advent calendar doesn't cost a fortune: Set a budget. Since you need a total of 24 gifts, set a maximum price per day, for example a maximum of 5 euros. Of course, on some days (e.g. Advent Sundays) the gifts may be slightly larger and more expensive, but try to make up the difference with a smaller gift on another day.
Edible filling for the Advent calendar for toddlers
There doesn't always have to be chocolate behind the doors of the Advent calendar, especially for small children. But that doesn't mean that you have to completely miss out on some of the delicacies in the Advent calendar. Here are some ideas for other edible fillings:
- Muesli bars
- Fruit bars
- small bag of dried fruits
- Fruit puree in a squeeze bag
- Pretzel sticks or pretzels
- Christmas cookies, gingerbread, cinnamon stars and other Christmas sweets
- Mini Kekse
- a tangerine
- Fruit gums
- Dextrose lollipops
But that is only part of the possibilities. Of course, you can also put a surprise egg or a little chocolate Santa Claus here or there in the calendar if you want. The most important thing to remember about edible fillings is that everything is individually packaged and cannot spoil in the box or bag. Fill items that perish more quickly, such as fruit or homemade pastries, into the first few days of the calendar.
Christmas filling ideas for children aged 3 and over
To get the whole family in the Christmas spirit, you can also hide small Christmas-themed gifts behind some doors. Some ideas that 3-year-old girls and boys will look forward to include:
- Christmas socks
- Shirt with a Christmas motif
- Santa hat
- Accessories for making Christmas cookies such as sugar decorations, a Christmas cookie cutter or a small rolling pin
- Christmas tree hanger
- Christmas balls to decorate yourself
- Christmas hair accessories for girls such as hair ties, hair clips or headbands
- Luminous stars for the ceiling
- Christmas decorations for the children's room
Fill Advent calendars for 3-year-old girls and boys with toys
This is, without a doubt, the best filling for the calendar for 3 year olds. The little ones will feel like it's their birthday every day. Because for small children, the gift doesn't have to be big to bring joy. Here are some examples:
- Accessories for the children's kitchen or the general store such as wooden fruit or vegetables, kitchen utensils, calculators, food made of wood or felt, children's tableware, cutlery and the like
- Toy characters such as animals, dinosaurs, popular characters from children's films or series such as Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, etc.
- Racing car or other toy vehicle for boys
- small plush toy
- colorful spinning top
- Musical instrument for children, e.g. E.g. rattle or flute
- Mini puzzle or puzzle cube for 3 year olds
- Lego or Lego Duplo figure or parts
- Memo game
- Magnets with animals or other figures
- Soap bubbles
- Badetier
- Flummy
- Fidget game
- Radio play on CD
The variations are simply endless! When choosing, pay attention to your child's interests and a smile on their face is guaranteed. The toy not only has to fit in the calendar compartment, but also has to actually be used afterwards.
Mini books for the Advent calendar for 3 year olds
Small format books are a great filling for the Advent calendar! You can choose between short Christmas stories, mini coloring books, books for learning numbers and letters, puzzle books and many more. The main thing is that the books are interesting, age-appropriate and fit into the Advent calendar.
Small gifts to get creative
By the age of 3, the majority of children are fascinated by crafts and painting. So why not encourage these popular activities with some appropriate gifts? After all, the run-up to Christmas is the perfect opportunity to get togetherTry out different craft projects with the childrenand make atmospheric Christmas decorations. Here are a few little things with which you can fill the 2021 Advent calendar for 3-year-old craft enthusiasts.
- Colored pencils or crayons
- Eraser with a funny motif
- Breath stick
- first children's scissors
- Stamp
- Playdough
- Sticker book
- Glitter glue stick
- Motif puncher
- Adhesive tattoos
Advent calendar with shared activities instead of gifts
In recent years, Advent calendars with vouchers for shared activities have become very popular. This can also be a good idea for children who don't play with toys that often. The joint activities are also very popular with small children, because often all they want is to spend more time with mom and dad. Here are a few ideas for wonderful experiences that you can hide behind the Advent calendar doors.
- Window pictures for Christmascraft
- Visit a Christmas market
- Bake Christmas cookies together
- Build a gingerbread house
- Sing Christmas carols
- Make tree decorations out of salt dough
- Paint with finger paints
- Make and send Christmas cards
- sledging
- Build a snowman
- Drink hot chocolate
- Reading Christmas books
- Visit an indoor playground
- Decorate the Christmas tree
Since toddlers can't read yet, you should read the activities to them. The little ones will still be really happy to take the pieces of paper out of the Advent calendar and find out the next activity.
Whether you choose a variant with shared experiences or with small gifts is up to you. Another cool idea would be to mix the two and make an Advent calendar that offers a lot of variety.
Make an Advent calendar for 3-year-olds: cool ideas to try out
If you would like to make a very special Advent calendar for your three-year-old, then we have some great ideas for you. You can use simple household materials such as empty paper rolls as well as special boxes or packaging to creatively wrap the gifts. Get inspired!
Make your own toilet roll Advent calendar
Some of the easiest and funniest DIY Advent calendar ideas are those made from toilet paper rolls. The empty toilet rolls can be wonderfully upcycled to create pretty bags or compartments for the Advent calendar.In this articleWe have provided some exciting DIY projects with instructions for you. But this Advent calendar has one disadvantage - only small gifts fit in it.
Advent calendar 2021 for 3-year-olds make crafts with boxes
Another super simple idea would be to buy 24 boxes and use them to create an original Advent calendar. The boxes can all be the same or have different sizes, the main thing is that they can be decorated in any way you like. For example, how do you find these colorfully decorated mini houses? You can use the cardboard boxes again after Advent or simply keep them until the next Advent season.
Make a simple Advent calendar for children out of bread bags
It probably couldn't be easier. For this idea, all you need is a basket and several bread bags that you fill with the selected contents and then number. Simply pack larger gifts in suitable boxes and put them in the basket as well.
For small children who love animals, you can decorate the bread bags appropriately. These cute owls, for example, are very easy to make: you fold both ends of the bag down to make a triangle, then fold it down again. Glue on a round piece of pattern paper for the body and two large paper eyes and you're done!
Advent calendar made of cones – enchanted forest or gnome
If you make some cones in different sizes out of green cardboard, you can make this original Advent calendar yourself. The small gifts, treats or notes are then simply hidden underneath.
Another cool idea would be to make elves or little Santa Clauses out of the cones for the Advent calendar.
DIY Advent calendar for toddlers made from paper cups
You can also make the 2021 Advent calendar for 3-year-old children using paper cups, baking paper and some string. To do this, poke two holes above the bottom of each cup and thread them onto a string. You then pour the contents into the cup and close the opening with a round piece of paper and a rubber band. Finally, hang the finished Advent calendar on the wall. And now the Advent season can come!
