Advent calendar ideas without chocolate or sweets
Updated 30 October 2026 · By Rob and Chris, two Sheffield dads, and our families
Swap the chocolate for three kinds of door: something to do together, something small to keep, and something to give away. Most of the 30 ideas below cost nothing, and in our homes a whole 24 days came in at a few pounds with a couple of small bought things for the weekends.
- Cost (rough guide): free if you stick to things to do and give, a few pounds with small extras
- Ages: 3 and up. For younger children, see our toddler Advent calendar ideas
- Each day: 2 to 20 minutes
- Printer: optional. The 24-day plan below can be copied by hand
What can go in an Advent calendar instead of chocolate?
Pick from the three groups below. A good mix is mostly things to do, with a small thing to keep on weekends and a thing to give once a week. Costs are rough guides for UK shops and will vary.
Things to do together
| Idea | Ages | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| A Christmas lights walk: spot a star, a tree and a wreath | 3 and up | Free |
| Paper snowflakes, with a grown-up for the scissors | 4 and up | Free |
| A Christmas joke to read out at tea time | 4 and up | Free |
| Freeze dance: stop like a reindeer when the music stops | 3 and up | Free |
| Add a link to a paper chain each day | 3 and up | Free |
| A ticket for a family film night with popcorn (popcorn for 5 and up) | 5 and up | About £1 |
| A ticket to bake biscuits together at the weekend | 4 and up | About £2 |
| Write or draw a letter to Santa | 4 and up | Free, plus a stamp if you post it |
| A board game night, children choose the game | 5 and up | Free |
| A ticket to stay up 15 minutes later | 4 and up | Free |
Small things to keep
| Idea | Ages | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| One piece of a 24-piece jigsaw a day, finished on Christmas Eve | 3 and up | £2 to £4 for the jigsaw |
| A sheet of stickers | 3 and up | 20p to £1 |
| A Christmas pencil or rubber | 5 and up | About 50p |
| A bath crayon or bath bomb (check for skin allergies) | 3 and up | 50p to £1 |
| Christmas socks | Any age | £1 to £2 |
| A tiny notebook for drawing or lists | 5 and up | About 50p |
| A Christmas book you already own, wrapped again | Any age | Free |
| A Christmas colouring sheet, folded small | 3 and up | Free |
| A packet of seeds to plant in spring | 4 and up | 50p to £1 |
| A tree decoration they choose and hang | 4 and up | About £1 |
Things to give
| Idea | Ages | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| One item for a food bank box (see our reverse Advent calendar) | 3 and up | 50p to £1 |
| A kindness coupon for someone in the family | 4 and up | Free |
| Make a card for a neighbour | 3 and up | Free |
| Choose a toy to pass on to a charity shop or toy appeal | 4 and up | Free |
| Put out seed or a halved apple for the birds | 3 and up | About £1 |
| A thank-you note for a teacher, the postie or the bin crew | 4 and up | Free |
| A coin in a charity tin when you are out | 3 and up | Whatever you choose |
| A ticket to choose tea tonight | 4 and up | Free |
| Make a hot drink for a grown-up (with help near the kettle) | 6 and up | Free |
| Phone or video call a grandparent and sing them a carol | 3 and up | Free |
The 5 minute version
If it is 30 November and you have nothing ready: grab 24 envelopes or paper bags, write one idea from the lists above on each scrap of paper, number them 1 to 24, and peg them on a string or drop them in a bowl. Put the quick ones on school nights and the bigger ones on weekends. Done.
A ready-made 24-day plan with no chocolate
Quick ideas on school nights, bigger ones at weekends, a thing to give every Sunday. December 2026 starts on a Tuesday, so the weekends are marked.
| Day | What | You need |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Open the first piece of a 24-piece jigsaw | A jigsaw, pieces wrapped or in envelopes |
| 2 | A Christmas joke at tea time | Nothing |
| 3 | Add a link to a paper chain | Paper strips and tape |
| 4 | Freeze dance | Music |
| 5 (weekend) | Paper snowflakes | Paper, scissors and a grown-up |
| 6 (weekend) | Make a card for a neighbour | Paper and pens |
| 7 | A sheet of stickers | Stickers |
| 8 | Christmas colouring sheet | A printed sheet and crayons |
| 9 | Put out food for the birds | Seed or a halved apple |
| 10 | Write a letter to Santa | Paper and pens |
| 11 | Christmas socks | Socks |
| 12 (weekend) | Christmas lights walk | Warm coats |
| 13 (weekend) | One item for a food bank box | A tin or packet from the cupboard or shop |
| 14 | A ticket to choose tea tonight | Nothing |
| 15 | A thank-you note for a teacher | Paper and pens |
| 16 | A Christmas pencil | A pencil |
| 17 | Phone a grandparent and sing | A phone |
| 18 | Stay up 15 minutes later | Nothing |
| 19 (weekend) | Bake biscuits together | Biscuit ingredients |
| 20 (weekend) | Choose a toy to pass on | A bag |
| 21 | Board game night | A game you own |
| 22 | A tree decoration to hang | A decoration |
| 23 | Family film night | A film, and popcorn for 5 and up |
| 24 | Last jigsaw piece, and a kindness coupon for everyone | Paper and pens |
Get the Famoo app Family life, sorted together. The family calendar, jobs and lists, shared by everyone at home.
app.famoo.app
Keeping it safe
- Young children put small things in their mouths, and anything smaller than a 2p coin can choke a young child. Our own rule of thumb for under 3s is a little stricter: leave out anything that fits through a toilet-roll tube, such as rubbers, hair bobbles, coins and small figures.
- Button batteries in toys and lights can cause severe internal burns if swallowed. Check the battery cover is screwed shut, and if you think one has been swallowed, go straight to A&E or call an ambulance.
- Swallowed magnets can stick together in a child’s intestines, and balloons are a choking risk to children up to 8.
- Check any food or bath product for allergies. The NHS says not to give whole nuts or popcorn to children under 5.
- A grown-up helps with scissors, the oven and the kettle.
Questions parents ask
What can I put in an Advent calendar instead of chocolate?
Mix three kinds of thing: an activity to do together, like a lights walk or a joke at tea time; a small thing to keep, like stickers, socks or one piece of a jigsaw; and a small thing to give, like a tin for a food bank box or a card for a neighbour. Most of these cost nothing.
How do I make a no-chocolate Advent calendar cheaply?
Use envelopes, paper bags or a jar, and fill most days with activities on slips of paper, which are free. Save bought things for weekends, and rewrap books and decorations you already own. A 24-piece jigsaw, one piece a day, costs a few pounds and lasts all of December.
Will my children be disappointed without chocolate?
Some might, at first. It helps to involve them in choosing some of the doors, to keep a small treat they love for weekends, and to make a few days a surprise. In our homes, the children came to look forward to the doing more than the eating.
Are non-chocolate Advent fillers safe for toddlers?
Only if they are big enough not to be swallowed. For under 3s, leave out anything that fits through a toilet-roll tube, anything with a button battery or magnet, and whole nuts or popcorn. Things to do together are the safest fillers of all.
More ideas from Famoo
- Advent calendar ideas for families
- Make your own Advent calendar, with free printable slips
- 46 Christmas activities with full steps
Want a door to open for you each day?
In Famoo, your family’s Advent calendar opens one door a day with that day’s activity, picture steps and a part for each age, so brothers and sisters can do it together. No chocolate needed.
Famoo is a family app for UK homes, in beta, so things may change.
Where this comes from
Each fact on this page links to one of these. Everything else is our own view from our families.
- NHS, Baby and toddler safety, checked 30 October 2026
- NHS, Preparing food safely for babies, checked 30 October 2026
- Child Accident Prevention Trust, Safe from choking, checked 30 October 2026
- Child Accident Prevention Trust, Button battery safety, checked 30 October 2026
- American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, Choking prevention for babies and children, checked 30 October 2026
