How to Make a Good Deeds Advent Calendar

It is getting to be that time of year when children everywhere will be asking again and again, "How many more days until Christmas?” Take the opportunity to help your kids pass the days and teach them the real meaning of Christmas. You might be pleasantly surprised when your children actually get excited as they anxiously learn what charitable endeavor or random act of kindness they will be participating in next.

Things You'll Need

• Large square or rectangle of felt
• Scraps of fabric
• Glue
• Scissors
• Paper
• Marker
• Pen

Instructions

1. Cut the paper into 24 3-by-5-inch or smaller pieces. You can use colorful construction paper, scraps of printer paper or whatever you have on hand.

2. Write a good deed on each piece of paper. Have your children help you come up with ideas, so that they take ownership and get more involved. Some possible ideas include: visiting nursing home residents, paying the toll for the car behind you or buying groceries for a family that is struggling.

3. Cut 24 squares or rectangles from the scraps of fabric. They should be small enough to all fit on your felt "calendar," but large enough to hold the slips of paper folded in half or quarters.

4. Number the pieces of fabric 1 to 24 using the marker. Place glue on three of the four bottom edges of the fabric pieces and glue them in order to the felt calendar. The edge that does not have glue should be at the top, so that you have 24 pockets.

5. Fold up the slips of paper and tuck one inside of each pocket. On December 1 have your children pull the slip out of the pocket and perform the written act of kindness together.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't worry if you are on a tight budget. Good deeds don't have to cost a cent! Use your imagination to come up with free (or cheap) acts of kindness, such as shoveling snow, caroling at a hospital or delivering a plate of homemade goodies to a shut-in neighbor.

• Before you perform a good deed, consider whether it might offend the recipient. For example, delivering groceries could embarrass someone. If that might be the case, try to do your good deed anonymously.

Resources

• Good Deed Ideas