5 Kick-Ass Advent Calendar Ideas

If you celebrate Christmas, the countdown is on until the "best day of your kid's life". It started shortly after you polished off the rest of the leftover turkey and right before you made the trek outside to cut down the tree. If your kids are old enough to get excited about Christmas, then they are old enough to appreciate an advent calendar.

An advent calendar is a device that counts down the days until Christmas. In it's basic form, it is a cardboard like box with 25 perforated windows numbered "1" through "25". Each day, you can open another window or door. They can range from cheap plastic or cardboard all the way to expensive wooden boxes with hinged wooden doors.

But if you have had any experience with these things you will know that they tend to be fairly lackluster. At best, some have individually wrapped chocolate. At worst, they only reveal some boring illustration from the Bible or some image of a folk art Santa Claus. Where's the fun in that? I'm convinced the only reason why the kids don't complain is they are afraid Santa won't come if they complain.

Never fear noodads. If you want the countdown to be fun, you could try one of these unconventional advent calendar ideas:

{mosnooad}25 Days of Balloon Popping
Although your kid's experience with balloon popping is typically reserved for trauma on the way home from a birthday party, they would no doubt get a kick out of purposely popping balloons. Blow up 25 red and white balloons and write "1" through "25" on them with a Sharpie. Buy a Christmas themed poster and cover it up with the balloons. Every day your kids can pop the day's balloon slowly revealing the Christmas image in the background. The slow reveal will really get them excited (ala the scene in Major League) and the balloon burst will start each day off with a bang.

Special note: 25 days a lot of time and some of the balloons may start to deflate. You will need to replace these balloons after the kids go to bed so make sure you buy enough extras.

25 Days of Breakfast Toppings
If you are like my family, you have a core menu for breakfast. For us, it is either oatmeal, mini pancakes, or cold cereal as the main course. Stock up your pantry with various fun toppings for breakfast. Each day, the new "Topping of the Day" can be revealed and mixed in with the breakfast. Sample toppings could include: chocolate chips, marshmallows, whipped cream, sprinkles, cherries, strawberries, nuts (if not allergic), various candies, etc.

25 Days of Family Game Night
Of course your kids will like family game night. The real question will be if you and your wife can tolerate it. Here's a scoop, make a rule that you cannot repeat the same game twice. That way you only need to sit through the hell called "Candy Land" once. This particular idea can also be used as leverage. Reveal the day's game and make a stipulation that it won't be played if there isn't cooperation throughout the day. If you're lucky, your kids will go aggro on Candy Land day.

25 Days of Gingerbread House Decorating
I don't care if you are 5 or 50, it is fun to make little edible houses. Why not decorate all December long? Start by baking sheets of gingerbread after Thanksgiving. You could do one big house as a family or do individual ones for each member of the family. Every day reveal a new ingredient/decoration to place on the house. Come Christmas morning, you have a fully decorated cookie house!

25 Days of Fear Factor
Think you are da man and have the stomach to prove it? Well, put yourself to the test with Fear Factor style eating challenges every day until Christmas. Make a series of cards with random ingredients written on each one. Have each kid pick a card every morning. (The more kids, the worst for you.) For example: your daughter can pick "tuna" and your son could pick "chocolate" and you have to chow chow that concoction. You're kids will get so into it you could close your eyes and swear that you were back at the frat. Bon appetite!

Why not try one of these advent calendar ideas this year? It's mid-december guys: you don't have too many days left. So start popping, topping, spinning, decorating, or gagging today!

Good luck noodads.