Most years we've had an Advent calendar in the house for the kids. Over Thanksgiving weekend I went rummaging in my closet for the one we've used most recently and pulled it out. I know many people do all kinds of things with their calendars. Some families put small treats in pockets for the kids, or they move a little figure along, but ours is just the old fashioned kind with tiny paper doors that have small pictures pasted behind them. Landen enjoys the "where's Waldo" hunting that is required; we've discovered that he has the best eyes in the house for looking.
Then I saw a suggestion on Facebook that really appealed to us: a reverse Advent Calendar. The idea is to collect food or toiletry items and add them to a box, one each day. By Christmas the whole box can be donated to a local food pantry. I shopped for items, found others on my shelves, and put them in a place where Landen can choose the item for the day. After he opens the window on the paper calendar, he picks something to add to the box. He really likes doing this; we rarely have to remind him. But one day, as he added a package of cookies, he asked, "Did you get me one, too?" This whole project gives us a chance to talk about food insecurity in our community, and about how easy it is for any one of us to come up with small ways to help our neighbors.
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