47 Advent calendar ideas for teens that
Teenagers can be challenging to craft an Advent season around because of the crazy season of finals and their ever changing tastes. But as a mom, I still want this meaningful season to count. Here are some of my favorite ways to celebrate with my own teens.
Let me just start right here to tell you the one secret I have found to work every year, picking something they’re currently obsessed with and crafting an Advent calendar countdown around that! Without fail that’s the best way to have a Christmas countdown that they’ll be so excited to open every morning.
It works just as well for stocking stuffers as well:
- Stocking stuffer ideas for teen girls
- Unexpected stocking stuffers for high school boys
- Great stocking stuffers for all the teens you know
So this year it’s Magic The Gathering Advent Calendar for my son & a Taylor Swift merch Christmas Countdown for my daughter!
I’ll share how I’m doing both of those myself below, but first a list of great options to buy that I’m sure your teens will love to find behind the door each day leading up to Christmas.
Advent Calendar Ideas for High School Students
These fun advent calendar ideas are a burst of morning joy for your teenager who is probably stressed out right now with finals studying and all the seasonal chaos.
These would be perfect to do as a personalized idea and fill with anything you can imagine!
2. Neutral Colored Cloth Bags or houses on Mantel
This printable is affordable and they each could hold a little gift card! Love that idea for gifting gas money, coffee etc to my teens during the expensive holiday season.
4. Black Paper Bags with Stars
Make your Advent calendar to hang from a door for a fun take on the idea. This is PERFECT for any kids you might have in a dorm! Just use an over the door shoe holder and fill it with all their favorite things.
7. Envelopes
THis is a fun idea for including daily affirmations, or sweet compliment notes. Even poems or scripture would be a fun little gift to open everyday.
10. A beauty countdown is an easy win! And this cute Ulta one can be here in time for Advent to start.
Advent Calendar for Teenage Girl
And although the beauty advent calendar idea for teens is obviously first pick, here are a few other ideas that will harness their love of all things festive this season.
11. Colorfully fun
12. Hanging Gifts
14. Hot pink look
This would be fun for wrapping up small games and puzzles throughout the month
15. Charm bracelets
Such a fun way to celebrate the season is to create a bracelet made up of individual charms she gets to open everyday.
16. Tree Forest Idea
What To Fill Your Calendar With?
If you don’t go with a specific themed advent calendar, but just have a cute gift holder then here are a few filler ideas that are perfect for teenage girls.
17. Cute winter chapstick
18. Gift card ideas
19. Makeup Goodies, brushes or masks are great options.
20. Nail Polish
22. Fuzzy Socks
Teen Boy Christmas Calendar Ideas
Finding things to fill out the Advent boxes for your favorite teen boy that are festive without being too babyish is a challenge. These simple holding boxes and easy to purchase items will have him excited for the morning unwrapping.
24. Paper Houses
This candy and tool bar is a fun idea for any age boy at the house!
27. Lego
Although Lego might seem a little too childish for your teen boy, something about the nostalgic nature of it really helps them to get into this time of year.
29. Hanging Gifts
What To Fill A Highschool Boys Advent With?
Again, if you haven’t chosen a specific themed advent, here are a few filler ideas for teen boys that you can stick into any Advent calendar for your boy.
30. Colognes
A simple cologne goes along way with those teen smells & for a boy that really cares a sampling could be quite fun this year.
31. Gift cards
32. Unique candy & favorite snacks
If your kid loves to play you can get a huge set really affordably to give them a fun new dice everyday.
34. Sports accessories
Christmas Countdown Ideas for Teens
These Christmas countdown ideas are great ways to skip out on daily gifts and focus on the excitement of Christmas approaching.
Whether you do the full Advent season or just countdown the last 12 days. Either way every age is a fan of having a fun surprise waiting for them in the morning.
Pick a fun activities out to do with your teen throughout the month. Just be sure they’re simple enough not to stress everyone out. Maybe things like:
- Grab a coffee
- Watch a movie
- Eat a Christmas cookie together
- Take a walk to look at lights
This is also a super creative way to give your teen money, if they’d rather open that every morning.
39. Magazine or book countdown
40. Instead of a trinket, give your teen a burst of energy with this cute coffee calendar.
41. Candy countdown
One thing you love about your teen everyday! Because that’s probably the most wanted gift of them all.
46. A glitter village where you turn on one light everyday
47. An adorable countdown with jars and trees that you could fill with anything imaginable!
How To Make Your Own Personalized Christmas Countdown
Like I said at the top, my expert tip is to make your own Advent calendar based on what you’re kids are very into right now.
With new teens in the house, I bought them each a fillable Advent calendar this year that we will use & then I’m imagining one day I send it to them at the start of Advent when they’re away at college, to help them count down the days until coming home! At least that’s my sappy momma plan.
In the meantime the steps to make your own Advent calendar for teens couldn’t be easier.
- Pick out what you’re kids are most into right now.
- Find a way to translate that into something small and affordable and warp them up with day stickers or your own writing to count it down.
- Bonus points for including an affirmation, compliment or bible verse with each small gift.
For me this year it means, purchasing a couple decks of Magic the Gathering cards and splitting them up so my son can open a couple cards every day.
For the Taylor Swift Christmas countdown we are doing a mix of charms, stickers and small fun surprises.
What Is an Advent Calendar?
What is an Advent Calendar anyway? It’s a fun way to countdown the season, that’s what! A small item or devotional phrase is typically hidden behind a door on an Advent calendar each day to help countdown the days until Christmas. Calendars are traditionally rectangular cards or boxes with doors or windows that can be opened in order every day of Advent.
These can be hung on the wall or placed on a table. Behind each window of a calendar, you may find holiday treats, a Bible verse or devotion, a small toy or gift, or some other surprise.
When Do You Start the Advent Calendar?
Traditional Advent begins on Advent Sunday, the fourth Sunday before Christmas (or the First Sunday of Advent).
The typical Advent calendar, however, begins on December 1 right when our elf on the shelf ideas kick off and ends on December 24.
Starting at the first of the month allows you to easily countdown to Christmas. And if you go with a refillable Advent calendar, you can always add candy or personal items for the next holiday season.
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