As December 1st approaches, one of our family traditions is advent calendars. While there are many pre-filled options available for purchase, we prefer to use a refillable advent calendar.

I decided to purchase an unfinished advent tree with drawers so that I could customize the color to match our decor. After painting and decorating it, I added printed and brailled numbers to each drawer. Titus loves finding the brailled numbers and choosing the right drawer each day.

When it comes to filling the advent calendar, I like to plan activities that we can do together as a family. I make sure to save the more time-consuming activities for weekends or nights when we have more free time. I also include small toys, gifts, and candy on days when we don’t have a planned activity.

Some ideas for our advent activities include…

-making paper snowflakes

-decorating gingerbread houses

-watching a Christmas movie

-setting up a hot cocoa bar

-having an ice cream sundae bar

-decorating sugar cookies

-looking at Christmas lights

-having a family game night

-enjoying root beer floats

-making reindeer food

-going sledding.

When getting ready for the holidays, we make sure to include both our sighted and blind child in all of our activities. With a few adjustments and accommodations, we ensure that the holiday season is inclusive for everyone in our family.