Random Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar

Twine, clothespins, and mini envelopes. I love the simplicity of our Advent Calendar this year.
And to tell you the truth, I think this is the BEST one yet.
I don’t know about you but all too many times in the past (especially when they were younger), I’ve used Advent as an excuse to gift things to my children. Things like making a special craft, watching a Christmas movie, enjoying a sweet treat, or taking an evening stroll to view Christmas lights. Sure, we also read bible verses and sang Christmas Carols but there was always that feeling that somehow, I was feeding the “me” mentality in my kids. And that was so opposite of what I really wanted to teach them about Christmas!
Now while there’s nothing wrong with any of the activities I mentioned and we absolutely look forward to doing all of those things each year, this year, I wanted our Advent focus to be all about GIVING, not getting. 
Each envelope contains a simple act of random kindness. And when I say simple, I mean simple because really, it doesn’t have to be BIG to be meaningful, does it? It’s the little things that matter the most. 
Here are some examples of what the girls will unwrap each day:

• Give a compliment to someone.
• Make a hug coupon and mail it to a friend or family member.
• Open the door for someone today.
• Smile at everyone you see.
• Let someone go in front of you.
• Buy a hot chocolate and bring it to a friend.
• Make treats for the neighborhood kids.
• Candy Cane bomb a parking lot.
• Make your siblings a gift.
• Write the mailman a thank you note.
• Return shopping carts.

When I introduced it, the girls really loved the new spin on the Advent Calendar and they were even excited to come up with a few good ideas of their own. We’ll see if it turns into a new tradition for our family. So far, it’s a winner!