As well as the sewn advent calendar (the big reveal is tomorrow!), we have a book advent calendar. Last year was the first year of us doing it (having been inspired by Pinterest), and as we were on a fairly tight budget we started buying early.
Basically our aim was to find 24 Christmas/winter themed stories so that they had 1 per day. We already had a few-Stick Man, the Gruffalo’s Child and so on, but 24 still felt like a lot. We scoured car boot sales and managed to source a lot of them over the course of the summer for around £5 in total (many for as little as 10p each). Sadly, some of them really had seen better days, which we only realised last year when we actually did the book advent calendar for the first time. (They were pop up books, and the mechanisms were all torn and broken.) We were very lucky that the children received several festive books last year from relatives so we saved them for this year’s calendar once they had read them. I also picked up a set of 5 ‘free’ when I bought the books for the party bags for my son’s birthday party. (I had a discount code which reduced the total by more than the cost of the set of books, well worth using!) That means that this year’s selection is a little bit different to last year’s, which is an added bonus and should mean they don’t get bored. We have a lovely mix of winter stories and a few religious books which recount the Christmas story in a child friendly way.
Mr Craft and I have spent this evening wrapping the books and labelling them. (I saved last year’s labels, which I die cut from scraps of Christmas card making paper and attached using raffia string.) They look lovely by the fire place, all festive and ready to open. The Christmassy stories really help get us in the festive mood. (The other bonus is that there is no opportunity for bedtime procrastination spending half an hour choosing a book as each nights bedtime story is ready and waiting!)
It looks like the book advent calendar will be a tradition in our house for at least a few more years. I still love Christmas stories as an adult, and I’m hoping the children will feel the same as they grow up.
What family traditions do you have in the run up to Christmas? Do you have a special way of celebrating advent?
What a lovely idea, we had a pile of Christmas books which came out for Advent, but no where near enough for one each day.
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Thank you, it took some doing to put together but we can keep them and just add in a couple of new ones each year. 😊
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That is a terrific idea. I will need to look out some Christmas type books for my granddaughter. If I start this year it will be ready for next year. Thanks for a great idea.
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Thank you, it’s worth doing as you can save the books for years to come, and then pass them on as a ‘lot’ to someone else who would love them after. 😊
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What a brilliant idea. Sadly, I live too far away from my grandchildren to be able to do this.
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Thank you, sorry to hear you live so far from them.
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Mumswaby, you are never too far away for this one! I lived in Germany when my oldest child (now 23) was born. Our families were in America. My mother bought a tape recorder and started talking and reading books (from her local library) on tape for my son. Every month or so, we would get a new tape. She so wanted him to recognize her voice on the phone calls. He did!
You have the internet (you commented on a blog!)…you could Skype every day for story time.
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What a gorgeous idea, I was going to suggest Skype too. It’d be magical. 😊
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What a lovely idea!
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Thank you 😊
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Genius! Adding to the Christmas fun, but also a cunning strategic move!
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Haha, yep, occasionally I do plan ahead! 😂
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I love that idea!
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Thank you, it’s going down very well with the kids. 😊
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I’m gathering so many ideas for if we are successful. Thus is definitely on my parenting to dos. My other must was an idea I read about where when a baby is christened, instead of traditional presents guests are asked to bring a book which is special to them (new or their own copy) with a little dedication, meaning throughout its life the child will have meaningful books to read x
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What a gorgeous idea. We really do treasure books here, I have a Christmas book which I’ve had since primary school and I still enjoy it now. Wishing you all the luck in the world. X
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Thank you xx
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We do the same tradition.
Cannot believe Christmas is two weeks away!
-Cristy
http://www.happyfamilyblog.com
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It feels so near and yet so far away!
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Now this is a most wonderful idea Mrs C… 🙂 Brilliant..
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Thank you, I can’t take credit for the idea but it went down well with the children. I’ll be sad when they don’t want it any more!
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I think it could run on an on.. and gave me an idea for next year too 🙂 So thank you xx
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We keep changing and adding books as the children get older, it’s lovely x
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🙂
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