12 Simple 1st December Box Ideas For Kids (That they’ll Love)

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The December 1st box tradition is becoming popular around the world. 

Some parents who previously gave their children Christmas Eve boxes are now switching over to the 1st December box. And for good reason.

With a 1 December box, you and your kids can enjoy the goodies and activities inside the box for a longer period. 

For example, you can wear your Christmas-themed pajamas for much longer without feeling weird.

Your kids will enjoy the gifts all season long as opposed to just during Christmas when the season is ending. Stretching the Christmas fun just a bit longer!

That said, if you want to give your kids a box on the first day in December, you most likely are wondering what to put in said box.

In this post, I’ll highlight 12 cool things to put in your 1st December Christmas box. 

Don’t feel under pressure to put in everything, you can pick one or two ideas and run with them.

These ideas are achievable and, more importantly, will create a memorable December, one your kids will never forget.

Please note that this article may contain affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure at the bottom of this page.

#1. Advent Calendars

Advent calendars are perfect for a 1st of December box. There are all sorts and all kinds

The popular book advent calendar is a simple and easy-to-implement 1st December box idea.

You can go the simple and inexpensive way by just buying an Advent Calendar Book Collection on Amazon which contains 24 books for each day leading up to Christmas.

OR

Buy one of these POPULAR (for good reason) Christmassy books with only 24 chapters to read one per night:

OR

Buy 24 different books and wrapping paper. 

Wrap 24 books for nightly reading leading up to Christmas. Store them in a personalized (or plain) box under the tree.

Each night, unwrap a book and read as a family by tree light. Optionally, use distinct wrapping for “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to read on Christmas Eve or number the books for each day.

Cheap ways to make this method work are to:

• borrow some books from the library,
• wrap books you already own or
• buy a few new books each year, then have Santa’s helpers take the books away on Christmas Day to return them the next year.

A fun angle is adding Christmas-themed coloring books as well like this really cool one.

If you live in the UK, definitely take advantage of The Works 10 for £10 Christmas book sale. It’s such a good deal!

I got The Polar Express and The Snowman and The Dog for my ones this year.

Some other great Christmas books babies and toddlers love are:

• ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas
• All I Want for Christmas
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• That’s Not My Elf
• The First Christmas
• Make and Play Nativity
• A Christmas Carol
• The Gift of Nothing

RELATED:

Gift Ideas For Baby's First Christmas

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#2 Festive Kids Beddings

I LOVE Christmas and now that my kids are old enough to understand Christmas more, I’ve started to pass on the Christmas spirit.

One way to make your Christmas magical for kids is to buy fun Christmas bedding.

This year, I got these glow-up Christmas duvet that I’m positive will make Christmas so much special for my little ones.

These Grinch ones are so festive and have really good ratings as you can see in this video. A great addition to your first of December box, for sure!

If available, go for the brushed cotton duvets/comforters as they’ll keep your littles extra cozy!

Don’t forget Festive Throws or Blankets, they are perfect to add on your children’s beds.

#3. Christmas Plate and Cup

Get your kids a fun Christmas plate and cup set to use all month long.

This is a cool December box idea that will definitely score you points with the kiddos.

You could buy a bottle instead of a cup- but that’s up to you really. There are several of those around especially on Etsy.

#4. Christmas PJs

Is it really Christmas without Christmas pjs? Well, I guess sometimes, Yes!

This is the first year I would be getting pjs for my boys, many because in the past, I was just never that organized – the Last-minute Christmas mom – that was me!

Anyways, Christmas pjs are an excellent choice for your December box. You can easily get cheap but cherry ones if you plan early – lots of shops do a 2-for-something deal.

Add these Xmas pjs to your kids’ boxes so they can wear them all through December and get much more use!

#5. Christmas Jumpers/Sweaters

Still keeping with the Christmas clothing theme is the Christmas Jumper.

Include a Christmas jumper or sweater into your Kid’s December box so they have it well ahead of Christmas Jumper Day on December 7th or National Ugly Sweater Day on December 15, 2023!

#6. Christmas Earrings and Charms

If you’ve got older kids, festive earrings and charms are a great choice!

There are tons of fantastic options available on Amazon. These are some of my personal favorites!

#7. The Jesse Tree Advent Calendar

If you are a person of faith, then this will be perfect for your family. 

The Jesse Tree Advent Calendar is a lovely Christmas tradition that helps tell the story of the Bible from Creation to Christ’s birth (the first Christmas). 

Jesse was the father of King David in the Bible, and Jesus came from the lineage of David. Hence, the name of the tree.

The Jesse Tree is easy to put together. All you need are different bible passages and symbols that talk about the main stories leading up to Jesus’ birth.

Then you hang these symbols as ornaments on your Christmas tree while reading the bible verses. 

You can either buy the ornaments or make laminated printables to hang on your tree like this one.

And if you are a craft-loving family, you can totally DIY it.

SEE: Kid-Friendly Homemade Christmas Gifts

#8. Paint Your Own Christmas Ornaments

Need activities to keep your toddlers and older kids busy this Christmas, then you should definitely get a set of paint your own Christmas ornaments.

They are made of high-quality polished wood with smooth, rounded edges so are safe for kids and a set usually comes with the ornaments, paints, glitter, and brush.

You can get from many shops here in the UK – The Works, Home Bargains, and Poundland all have them!

Or get some on Etsy – like I did, or even on Amazon for that last-minute shopping hustle!

This is such a cool 1st December Christmas box idea.

#9. The Giving Box

I love the idea behind this box.  Instead of filling your 1st December box with things or activities for your kids to enjoy, consider encouraging them to donate stuff.

These could be things they’ve outgrown or don’t use anymore.

If your kids are old enough, you can use the giving box as an opportunity to teach your kids the importance of giving.

After all, Christmas is all about giving. God gave Jesus, His most begotten son to die for us. That’s why we celebrate Christmas.

So, how does the giving box work? 

Each day from the first of December till a few days to Christmas you donate 1 thing to your box.

It could be toys, books, canned food, clothes, anything really. Then go give to a shelter or charity.

Alternatively, when you do your weekly shop, you could add items to your giving box to be donated to your local food bank the week before Christmas. 

Leaving a nice little note inside the box is an extra-special gesture that will warm the heart of whoever gets your box.

It’s important to find out what’s acceptable to donate to any of the good causes you choose. Also, contact your chosen charity to find out if they have particular items of need on their wishlist.

And while it’s ideal for you to drop off your donations before Christmas, you can still drop them off after Xmas and into the New Year as most charities will always need donations all through the year.

This tradition is very similar to the reverse advent calendar where instead of receiving a gift, you donate an item each day.

#10. Other Christmas Clothing and Accessories

Christmas Pajamas and cozy Christmas socks can never get old. There’s just something warm and fuzzy about wearing matching Christmas jammies.

For babies and toddlers, Christmas-themed onesies, vests, baby grows, bibs, socks, headbands, and hair bows are great!

The beauty of having Christmas clothes and accessories in your 1st of December box is that you have all month to wear them. 

If you want to get more wear out of your Xmas PJs, then get winter-themed PJs so you can wear them throughout winter.

Check out these 'most likely to' Christmas phrases to print on your holiday shirt.

#11. December Bucket List

Having a list of activities to do throughout December is such a cool idea.

Many kids will look forward to each day’s activity. It’s a fun and memorable tradition to start if you can keep up with it.

Your December bucket list ideas don’t have to be over the top. You can easily incorporate things you’d do anyway. Things like visiting Santa’s Grotto, baking cookies, and putting up and decorating your Christmas tree.

The only difference now is that instead of these things happening randomly, they’ll happen on scheduled days. This makes it all so exciting for little kids to look forward to.

To make this even more fun, why don’t you make these ideas into a pretty printable and add them to your kids’ boxes?

Here are some simple ideas to add to your December bucket list.

• Put up Christmas lights 
• Bake cookies
• Color in Christmas Coloring books
• Fun kids activity printables and worksheets
• Make DIY ornaments
• Christmas Movie night 
• Volunteer at a soup kitchen
• Go to Santa Wonderland or Santa Grotto
• Visit a Christmas tree farm to get a tree
• Build and decorate a Gingerbread house 
• Go sledding if it snows
• Go to the ice rink 
• Drive around to look at Christmas lights
• Decorate the Christmas tree
• Celebrate St. Nicholas Day
• Have a Grinch Day
• Write a letter to Santa
• Sing Christmas carols
• Read a chapter a day from the Bible from the gospel of Luke starting on December 1st.

SEE ALSO: Christmas Gifts Moms Will Adore

#12. Shepherd On The Search

Shepherd on the Search is a Christian alternative to the Elf on a Shelf based on the four books of the Gospel. 

The Shepherd on The Search activity box is a fun family activity that celebrates Jesus’ birth. It comes with an activity, a book, a plush shepherd, and a nativity box.

The Shepherd goes on a daily search in December to find Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus. Every day has a Bible verse, some questions, and an activity. 

It’s a good way to keep Christ in Christmas. Although, some parents complained that there’s a bit of disobedience in the story so watch out for that.

CHECK: Christmas Stocking Stuffers For Dads

Other Things To Put In Your 1st Of December Box

Some other stuff to add to your 1st December box are Christmas movies, Christmas ornaments, a special Christmas stuffie, a felt Christmas tree for babies and toddlers, coloring books, a sticker activity book, and hot chocolate bombs.

Wrapping Up 1st December Box Ideas

I hope you got some great ideas of what to put in your 1st of December box. 

If the thought of planning for 24 days in a month feels overwhelming for you, why not try out a Christmas Eve box instead or start a simple Christmas Adam tradition?

Wishing you a happy December, one filled with the fondest memories and love!

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