SMALL GIFTS ADVENT CALENDAR FOR A 2 YEAR OLD

With a new baby coming any day now I wasn't sure if I want to make an advent calendar for Sasha this year. But I realized that there are even more reasons to make the calendar for her to smooth this transition from being one child to a big sister. Sasha has a very outgoing personality but at the same time, she needs a lot of attention. I hope she will enjoy getting small little presents on each day of December.

You see it absolutely right, this calendar has 31 days instead of 24. The reason is simple: I grew up in Russia and we don't celebrate Christmas as big as here (by the Orthodox calendar it falls on the 7th of January), but we DO celebrate New Year's Eve in style. It's a celebration of the year and we believe that how you celebrate the new year will define how the year will go. It's very symbolic and many believe in a fresh start, the rebirth of sorts.

Either way, I want Sasha to grow up knowing Russian customs, the importance of New Year's Eve night and who Granny Frost is(our version of Santa Claus). That's being said, the decision to continue the advent calendar till the 31st of December came naturally.

Find how to make RUSTIC SIMPLE LAST MINUTE ADVENT CALENDAR HERE

IDEAS FOR NON-CANDY ADVENT CALENDAR FILLERS FOR 2 YEAR OLD

Bows or other hair accessories
Jingle bells
Socks
Kissable chicks lip balm (we love this one from Burt's Bees)
Small animal figures
Crayons, pencils, chalks
Christmas erasers
Balloons
Small cars
Mini-puzzles
Stickers
Bubbles
Toothbrush
Books
Buttons
Silly Bandz
Finger puppets
Magnets
Christmas scented hand sanitizer (I found it in Target in $1 section)

TIPS HOW TO FILL IT UP

The best thing about making an advent for a 2-year-old is they aren't spoiled yet and will be equally happy to get a Christmas eraser and a super expensive toy. They probably will drop them both within 10 minutes so there is no point to get too fancy with presents for an advent calendar.
Even if you don't have ideas for every day, don't worry. You can make it "as you go". This is also a great way to see what makes your kid super excited and add more of those things.
If you want to get something that doesn't fit into the small bag, you can put a plan or map inside and make a scavenger hunt out of it (for example, it could be an image of a toy where the gift is hidden)
You can get a lot of finger puppets, cars, etc. and put one in each bag. Then later make a theater performance with all available toys or use them all in one play.

I'm always on a lookout for new ideas and would love to hear what you put inside your advent calendars. If you want to make an advent calendar that includes crafts ideas instead of small gifts, check my blog ADVENT CRAFT/ACTIVITY CALENDAR FOR A 2-YEAR-OLD