Advent Calendar Without Chocolate: 13 Ideas for Kids and Adults
Harriet Ashdown
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Published
Chocolate behind every door is the classic. But by mid-December, nobody wants to see another piece. And when grandparents, godparents and school all add a calendar of their own, it quickly gets too much.
Then there is the sugar. The WHO suggests keeping free sugars to about 25 grams a day for extra health benefits. Milk chocolate is roughly half sugar. A few doors in, the daily treat already uses up a good share of that.
So a calendar without chocolate is no sacrifice. Here are 13 ideas for kids and adults, each with a rough cost estimate. A tip before you start: mix three or four ideas. 24 times the same thing gets boring.
- Little experiences and vouchers
- Tea, coffee and spices
- A story in 24 parts
- Craft and art supplies
- Travel-size toiletries
- Seeds, herbs and bulbs
- A digital advent calendar
- A puzzle or building set in stages
- Riddles and a treasure hunt
- Savory snacks and deli treats
- Good deeds and small challenges
- Photos and memories
- Useful things for every day
1. Little experiences and vouchers
Time together is the best present. It also takes up no space in the door. A voucher for breakfast in bed, a film night or ice skating is enough. Kids love small privileges, such as "stay up half an hour later tonight".
There is research behind this. Across four studies, experience gifts brought giver and receiver closer than material gifts, reports the University of Toronto on a paper in the Journal of Consumer Research. Mix big and small vouchers. Save the big ones for the weekends and Christmas Eve, and keep the other days small.
Rough cost for 24 doors: next to nothing if you write the vouchers yourself. More if you add a few paid outings.
2. Tea, coffee and spices
24 teas to try make the simplest calendar without sugar. It does not clutter the shelf, it gets drunk. Coffee fans enjoy small bags from different roasters. Keen cooks like spices they would never buy for themselves: cinnamon flowers, tonka beans, cardamom.
Ready-made tea calendars appear in shops every autumn and are often cheap. Filling one yourself is more personal: one tea a day, plus a line on when to drink it. Best for adults.
Rough cost for 24 doors: ready-made tea calendars are cheap. Filled yourself with good tea or coffee, a fair bit more.
3. A story in 24 parts
A Christmas story that goes on by one chapter a day soon becomes a ritual. Kids look forward to the evening all day. You can buy advent story books with 24 chapters. You can also split a favorite book into 24 parts, or write your own story with the children as the heroes.
It also means more reading, and that matters. Only 34.6 percent of 8 to 18 year olds in the UK said they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2024, the lowest level since the survey began in 2005, according to the National Literacy Trust. One chapter at bedtime takes ten minutes. In December it becomes a fixed date.
Rough cost for 24 doors: the price of one book. A story you write yourself only costs time.
4. Craft and art supplies
Stickers, modeling clay, glitter pens, washi tape: craft supplies are cheap. They fit into any bag. And they really get used on long December afternoons. For kids from about three.
A common thread makes it special. For example, one part a day for a craft project that is finished on Christmas Eve. Or supplies for homemade Christmas cards to send to the grandparents. If you do not want to pack it yourself, pick a ready-made craft calendar.
Rough cost for 24 doors: low to moderate, whether ready-made or packed yourself.
5. Travel-size toiletries
Hand cream, lip balm, bath salts, a face mask: trial sizes are made for an advent calendar. They suit women and men alike, only the scent decides. Several natural skincare brands sell ready-made calendars.
To cut plastic, choose solid soap, shampoo bars or bath bombs. It adds up: containers and packaging made up 82.2 million tons of US municipal waste in 2018, more than a quarter of the total, according to the EPA. Wrap the doors in fabric bags or numbered boxes. They last for years.
Rough cost for 24 doors: moderate if you pack it yourself. Ready-made beauty calendars often cost more.
6. Seeds, herbs and bulbs
A packet of cress, basil seeds, an amaryllis bulb: gardeners love a calendar that turns into a flower bed in spring. Seed packets are flat and light. They fit into every door and rarely cost much.
Cress is the kids' favorite. It often sprouts within a couple of days and is ready to cut five to seven days later, says GrowVeg. It grows on a windowsill all year round, so December is no problem. An amaryllis planted on the first Sunday of Advent often flowers around Christmas.
Rough cost for 24 doors: low, a stack of seed packets and a few bulbs.
7. A digital advent calendar
No parcel, no packaging, no postage. In a digital advent calendar, each door hides a message, a photo, a video, a riddle or a small task. Doors only open on their day. So the suspense is the same as with a printed calendar.
You send the link on WhatsApp or by email. That works even when the family lives far away. It also combines well with the other ideas: a digital door can say where today's voucher is hidden.
With us
Make an advent calendarCreate a digital calendarPick a design, fill the doors, share the link. Done in minutes.free
TemplatesOver 100 designsFrom snowy to cozy, for family, friends and teams.browseRough cost for 24 doors: nothing. With us, one calendar with text and YouTube videos is free.
8. A puzzle or building set in stages
A big jigsaw, a few more pieces every day, and the picture is only complete on Christmas Eve. The same works with building bricks: one bag a day. Ready-made puzzle and brick calendars do this with no packing at all.
It is even nicer with your own picture. Several puzzle makers print a family photo as a jigsaw, ordered online. Split the pieces into 24 bags. On 24 December, everyone finally sees who is in the picture.
Rough cost for 24 doors: moderate, whether a ready-made calendar or your own photo puzzle.
9. Riddles and a treasure hunt
Each door holds a riddle or a clue. On 24 December, all the clues lead to a hiding place. Picture puzzles are enough for kids. Adults can get logic puzzles or quiz questions about the family.
Ready-made puzzle calendars exist too. Most tell a story you solve day by day. Made yourself, the treasure hunt only costs paper. So the present in the hiding place can be a little bigger.
Rough cost for 24 doors: next to nothing made yourself, plus the present at the end. Ready-made puzzle calendars cost more.
10. Savory snacks and deli treats
No sugar, but still a treat: salted nuts, a small cheese, crackers, a special olive oil, a mini bottle of hot sauce. Men often like this calendar best.
Check the ingredients when you buy. Many snack calendars mix savory and sweet. If you want no sugar at all, pack it yourself. Small jars from a farmers' market or a deli are ideal. Spice calendars are a ready-made savory option: keen cooks try a new blend every day.
Rough cost for 24 doors: moderate if you pack it yourself. Ready-made spice calendars come in all price ranges.
11. Good deeds and small challenges
Instead of getting something, you do something each day. Write a card to a neighbor. Sort out toys and donate them. Take a ten-minute walk without your phone. This suits kids from primary school age as well as couples.
Doing good makes you happier too. A meta-analysis of 27 studies from 2018 found that acts of kindness lift the well-being of the people who do them. You do not even have to think up the tasks. Free kindness calendars give you one idea for every day.
For example
Random Acts of Kindness FoundationKindness ideasHundreds of small ideas for doing good, free to use.Visit website
Action for HappinessDo Good DecemberFree calendar with one act of kindness for each day of December.Visit websiteRough cost for 24 doors: nothing for the tasks themselves. Add donations if you like.
12. Photos and memories
24 printed photos from the past year, each with a line on the back: "Remember when the campsite flooded?" It costs almost nothing. And it moves grandparents and couples in particular.
Printed photos have become rare, which makes them special. Instant photos you take together during Advent are even nicer. If you would rather not print, put the photos in a digital calendar.
Rough cost for 24 doors: very little for 24 prints. More with an instant camera and film.
13. Useful things for every day
Small everyday helpers you never buy but always need: a good charging cable, hair ties, tea lights, spare shoelaces. Sounds dull. But every single item gets used.
One or two bigger things turn it into a real present. A key finder for anyone who hunts for their keys every morning. Or a sturdy cable that does not break after three months. Fill the rest with small things from the drugstore.
Rough cost for 24 doors: moderate, depending on the bigger items.
The cost notes are rough estimates, as of October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What can I put in an advent calendar instead of chocolate?
Small experiences and vouchers, tea or spices, craft supplies, seeds, puzzles, photos with short notes and travel-size toiletries all work well. If you would rather not wrap anything, a digital advent calendar with messages, videos and little challenges is a good option.
How do I fill a non chocolate advent calendar for kids?
Stickers, modeling clay, crayons, small figures, puzzle pieces and vouchers such as "you choose dinner tonight" are favorites. A treasure hunt with one clue per door keeps the excitement going until Christmas Eve.
How can I make an advent calendar more sustainable?
Use reusable fabric bags or boxes instead of paper, pick things that get used up rather than trinkets, and favor experiences over objects. A digital advent calendar needs no packaging at all.
How much should I spend on an advent calendar?
There is no rule. Small items add up quickly over 24 doors, so set a budget first. Vouchers for time together, handwritten notes, riddles and a digital calendar cost next to nothing.