Dumpling Squishy Advent Calendar

Names, first drawings and a home for the collection.

1. DEC1Say hello and name itStoryOpen door 1 and meet your first squishy. Look at its face and outfit, choose a name together and write it next to number 1 on your countdown list. Take turns: tomorrow, someone else picks the name.
2. DEC2Draw today’s squishyMakeSit squishy 2 next to your paper and draw it. Hats, antlers, scarves and little faces all count. Grown-ups draw too, and nobody peeks until everyone is done.
3. DEC3Squish and countPlayEveryone guesses first: will today’s squishy spring back fast or slowly? Gently squeeze it flat, let go and count out loud until it is back in shape. Try squishies 1 and 2 too: do they all spring back the same way?
4. DEC4One kind wordKindnessAt dinner or bedtime, everyone says one thing they like about another person in the family, and nobody is left out. Line the squishies up to listen.
5. DEC5Build a dumpling houseMakeTurn an empty box, like a shoe box or tissue box, into a home for the collection. Draw windows, a door and a roof. It keeps the squishies together and off the floor between doors.
6. DEC6Start the story chainStoryOn a sheet of paper, the first person finishes the line “Once upon a time, a little dumpling rolled out of the steamer and…”, then everyone adds one sentence. The story continues on days 14 and 24.
7. DEC7The great line-upPlayLine up all seven squishies. Sort them by hat, color or face, then one player secretly sorts them a new way. Can the others guess the rule?
8. DEC8Helper dayKindnessEveryone does one helpful job without being asked: set the table, feed a pet, pair up the socks or carry in the groceries. Today’s squishy supervises from the shelf.

Hide-and-seek, paper snowflakes and a halfway party.

1. DEC9Where’s the squishy?PlayOne player places today’s squishy in plain sight somewhere in one room; the others search with “warmer, colder” clues. Count every squishy back afterwards. Under-3s at home? Hide a drawing instead.
2. DEC10Paper snowflakesMakeFold a square of paper into a triangle, then in half twice more. Snip small shapes along the edges (a grown-up handles the scissors) and unfold. Tape the snowflakes around the dumpling house.
3. DEC11Call someone you missKindnessCall or video-call a grandparent, cousin or friend and introduce the squishies you have met so far, by name. Ask what they looked forward to in December when they were little.
4. DEC12Halfway partyPlayTwelve doors open, twelve to go! Put on music and dance. When the music stops, everyone freezes like a squished dumpling. The squishies judge the best freeze.
5. DEC13Squishy interviewStoryPick one squishy to interview: What is your favorite snowy-day game? Where did you live before the calendar? What do you hope for this Christmas? Someone else answers in its voice.
6. DEC14Story chain, part twoStoryRead the story from day 6 out loud, then go around again with one sentence each. What happens next to the little dumpling? Leave room for the ending on Christmas Eve.
7. DEC15Thank-you pictureKindnessDraw a picture for someone who helps you: a teacher, a neighbor, the bus driver or whoever cooks dinner. Write “thank you” on it and give it to them this week.
8. DEC16Memory trayPlayPut six squishies on a tray. Everyone studies them for 20 seconds, then closes their eyes while one is taken away. Which one is missing? Take turns taking it away.

Maps, secret notes, awards and a grand finale.

1. DEC17Map of Dumpling TownMakeDraw a map of the town where the squishies live: the steamer station, the snowy park and the house from day 5. Name each street after a squishy in your collection.
2. DEC18Secret smile notesKindnessWrite three short notes, like “You’re great!” or “Thanks for helping!”, and hide them where family members will find them: in a shoe, a coat pocket or under a pillow.
3. DEC19Squishy weather reportStoryLook out the window and present today’s weather with a squishy as the reporter: “Good morning, Dumpling Town! Cloudy today, with a chance of snowballs…” Take turns presenting.
4. DEC20Guess who?PlayOne player secretly picks a squishy. The others ask yes-or-no questions (“Is it wearing a hat?” “Does it have antlers?”) until someone guesses. The winner picks next.
5. DEC21Cozy story nightStoryLights low, blankets out. Read a favorite book or make up a bedtime story together, with the squishies lined up to listen. The youngest listener chooses the story.
6. DEC22Tidy-up elvesKindnessSet a ten-minute timer and tidy one room together, like elves getting ready for Christmas. When the timer rings, the squishies inspect the work.
7. DEC23Squishy awardsPlayHold an award show for the collection. Vote for Best Hat, Sleepiest Face, Softest Squish and Most Festive, then write down the winners.
8. DEC24Christmas Eve finaleStoryOpen the last door and name squishy number 24. Finish the story chain with one last sentence each, read the whole story aloud, then line up the complete collection for a family photo.

• Paper, and pencils or crayons
• An empty box, like a shoe box (day 5)
• Scissors, used by a grown-up, and tape (day 10)

Any order works. Busy morning? Save the idea for the evening, or swap in another day’s.
Two alike? Designs vary from box to box and some can repeat. Name them as twins.