Mudpie Fridays >> Advent >> 50+ Advent Calendar Fillers For Boys

50+ Advent Calendar Fillers For Boys

Both the boys have their own advent calendar – wooden fillable advent calendars. We brought heirloom ones from Fortum and Mason when they were born. The reusable advent calendar was one of their first Christmas gifts. I hope one day they may pass them down to ther children. Consequently, I am always on the hunt for perfect advent calendar fillers for boys. As they are getting older their idea are getting wackier! If you have older children then you may be interested in our advent calendar filler ideas for teenagers.

The boys do normally need reining in a bit from their marvellous ideas. This year Charlie has requested something that grows. While Harry is really happy with lego. But rather than just buy lego advent calendars and dismantle it and pop them in his calendar. I have decided to buy one larger kit and then break it down. Charlie has also requested advent calendar scavenger hunt clues. Honestly, he likes to keep me on my toes and seems to forget that I work full-time! What the boys do not know is that we have a little travel surprise planned which also has to be taken into consideration with the advent planning.

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Advent Calendar Fillers For Boys – what do we put in?

When we fill the boy’s advent calendars I tend to keep it to one type of thing. So last year Charlie requested glass animals. I find this is a great way to keep the cost down as you can bulk buy. Plus with all the other Chrstmas shopping that’s going on, I don’t really have time for planning 24 additional small advent calendar gifts. Or more little gifts if you are buying advent fillers for more than one kid and a husband to plan for too.

Most of the fun ideas on the list below sort of fit into that category. As far as you can buy multiples. Although you can easily mix and match and buy different things if you like. I have tried to keep the list flexible as possible. And this is not on a long list of things to buy on Amazon. Like many of the other lists of advent calendar fillers for boys, I have found. Instead, I am hoping these suggestions will make your holiday season easier and take some of the stress away.

I also tend to add a piece of chocolate to each little box or yummy treat. Just something small and have in previous years when they were little included Christmas activities. A fun way to get them excited for a special Christmas day out and into the Christmas spirit. Whether that is visiting the Christmas lights, a Christmas market, or visiting Father Christmas, plus many of the smaller activities fall in with our Christmas traditions as a family. Such as making paper chains, painting ceramic baubles, cutting down our Christmas tree or having a mini Christmas photo shoot.

50+ Advent Calendar Ideas for Boys

So in no particular order here are our advent calendar fillers for boys. Do let me know in the comments below if you think I have missed any small items that you have used in the past.

Bouncy balls
Semi-precious gemstones
Lego set broken down
A board game (such as scrabble)
Metal puzzle games
Pokemon figures
Chocolate coins or sweet treats
Foam flyers – such as planes
Mini glass animals
Tiny photos of family or loved ones
A jigsaw – puzzle pieces
Dares
Bookmarks
Stickers
Mini science experiments or instructions for
Keyrings
Temporary tattoos
Pin badges
Rubbers or erasers
Actos of kindness
Flashlights or things needed for scouting
Book tokens or clues for books that are hidden around the house – Christmas books
Trading cards
Fidget toys
Parts from an electronics kit
Mini dinosaurs
Collectable mini toys
Toy cars
Mini pinball mazes
Marbles
Hot chocolate bombs
Different types and colours of putty
Slap bands
A bedtime pass so they can stay up late
Mini candy canes
A visit to see Father Christmas ticket
Fingerboards (like mini skateboards)
Attraction tickets – such as theme parks
No tie shoe laces
Balloons
Element of a magic show kit
I owe you tokens
Nerf gun bullets
Indoor fireworks (for older kids)
Slime
Activity tokens
Construction vehicles
Glow sticks
Fidget spinners
Camp blanket patches
Reindeer Food – for Christmas Eve

The boys always have so much fun with their Christmas countdown calendar at Christmas time. Although when they were little we did have to only fill one date at a time. Otherwise, we would end up with an empty advent calendar pretty quickly.

Where to buy advent calendar filler for boys

As I alluded to working full-time means I need to be clever about finding time to buy small gifts for the advent calendar. Buying one gift and breaking it down makes online shopping really easy. But if you are thinking of buying individual gifts then you may want to consider some of the below. They are great for a child’s advent calendar this Christmas season.

Baker Ross – They sell a wide range of mini toys. Normally in packets of four to six. In previous years I have used their mini lego toys to fill harry’s calendar. They also tend to have a sale on during the run-up to Christmas and offer discount codes if you spend a certain amount.
Ebay – It is great for second-hand toys. Such as toy cars. One year I managed to get the whole set of Dusty McQueen off of ebay for around £20. Which makes it a much more sensible price for filling an advent calendar than buying new. But I have also noticed that sellers are also creating advent calendar kits. Where they will sell 24 little items to go in calendars. Useful if you really have run out of time this year. Also good for the more usual things such as glass animals.
Amazon – I tend to buy ours from Amazon. Especially if it is a single toy. I normally do it around Black Friday. Although I normally have a good idea before this of what I am looking at to make sure I really do get a deal.
The Works – If you prefer to shop in the high street then they usually have a few little things which you can include.

Different types of fillable advent calendars

As I mentioned the boys have wooden advent calendars. But there are lots of different options to make your own DIY advent calendar.

Mini Boxes – each with a number on them. Tend to come flat-packed and are a good option if you are travelling for Christmas. Or looking to keep the cost down. They can be reused just like wooden ones.
Paper Bags – I am actually using these in conjunction with the wooden calendars this year. As we will not be able to take our advent calendars away with us. I have brought some simple kraft brown paper bags and will roll down the top and use a number sticker to secure them.
Hessian Bags – I love these. They are normally tied with red ribbons and hung from a beam or a branch. Such a natural feel and is easy to make yourself. Also slightly easier as you can vary the sizes and so not have to worry too much about finding the right size advent calendar gift ideas.
Mini stockings – Well what do you do with all the baby socks? You could turn them into an advent calendar with iron-on glittery numbers. Which is such a cute idea as they are a perfect size. Or if you prefer your Chrstmas decor to be matching then why not make your own out of felt? I did this and they hang over the place. Although we very rarely fill them with anything now.
Paint your own wooden advent calendar – This time of year you can usually find one in your local craft shop. Failing that online with Hobbycraft. Although I have found that the boxes tend to be quite small and so can be limiting for advent calendar fillers.