How to make a sharing parcel with children (a reverse Advent idea)
Updated 30 October 2026 · By Rob and Chris, two Sheffield dads, and our families
With a grown-up, choose a charity or someone you know, find out what they need, and pack a few of those things with a cheerful note. If buying is not right for your family, giving your time or writing a kind note works too.
A reverse Advent calendar is the same idea across December: one item goes into a box each day, and the full box goes to the charity. For a food bank, a typical Trussell food parcel includes breakfast cereal, soup, pasta, long-life milk, tinned vegetables, tinned fruit, tea, biscuits, toilet paper and soap (from Lewisham Foodbank’s list). What is needed changes from place to place, so find your nearest food bank and check its list first.
- Time: about 15 minutes
- Ages: 3 and up, with a part for each age
- In the Famoo calendar as: A little sharing parcel
What do you need?
- A bag or box
- Things the charity or person has asked for, agreed with a grown-up
- Paper and pens for a note
How do you do it?
- Choose who to give to. With a grown-up, choose someone you know or a charity. Giving your time or a kind note is fine instead of buying things.
- Check what they need. A grown-up checks what the charity is asking for now, and when and where it collects.
- Make a short list. Choose a few things from their list. Check each one is in date and in good condition.
- Pack it. Pack everything neatly and add a cheerful label or note, following the charity’s rules.
- Drop it off. A grown-up arranges the drop-off. Talk about why you chose those things.
How can each age join in?
- Ages 3 to 5. Choose one thing to give and decorate the label.
- Ages 6 to 9. Read the charity’s list with a grown-up and plan a useful parcel.
- Ages 10 and up. Read the list with a grown-up and plan a small budget, or collect from family and friends.
Tip
Many supermarkets have a food bank collection point. Adding one thing to your weekly shop is an easy way to fill a reverse Advent box.
Plan 24 of these into your family’s Advent calendar with Famoo
Famoo has 46 activities like this one, each with picture steps, an elf helper who reads every step aloud, and a part for each age so brothers and sisters can do it together. Join the beta, choose your 24, and a new door opens each day in December.
Famoo is a family app for UK homes, in beta, so things may change. Find out more about Famoo.
