Fun countdown calendars aren’t just for the major holidays. One of our favorite advent themes is Valentine’s Day! You can make it however you like—a red and pink paper chain, a bunch of envelopes with hearts on them, etc. We took a clear plastic craft box and cut out a couple of section dividers to make it have exactly 14 sections. (Of course, today you can actually buy them with moveable sections, too.)

Then we decorated it with a bunch of heart stickers inside and out. On the cover, I penned in very romantic lettering, “Valentine’s Day Advent” with one letter taking up one heart each. It’s super cute! We also wrote a few sweet notions in some of the hearts, such as “Be Mine,” “Sweetheart,” and “Q T Pi (with the symbol for the number Pi).”

Next, you want to fill your boxes with a treat for each day of the month up to February 14. What I like to do is cut out 14 different colors of hearts and write that day’s treat down on them. Of course, with a box like this, you could always just place a treat inside—such as a truffle, small chocolate, sticker, etc.

But we like to do activities for our advent calendars, so I write the number corresponding to the date on one side, flip it over, and write the day’s activity. I also fold them in half so my daughter can’t see what they say; yes, she’s only a preschooler, but it won’t be long before she’ll be able to read them all.

If you’re thinking of creating an advent (and there’s still time—it’s super easy to make!), here are some activities you may wish to include:

Decorate for Valentine’s Day

Make Valentine’s crafts

Host a Valentine’s Sing-a-Long

Make special Valentine’s punch or other treats—we like to combine punch, white soda and sherbet ice cream in our punch

Buy some Valentine’s stickers and decorate a card with them

Make your own Valentine cards

Read Valentine’s books

Attend a Valentine’s story time

Write 10 reasons why you love each other and share them

Make a Love Jar for each member of the household—decorate it and fill it with nice things to say about that person; he or she can return to the jar to read notes anytime

Serve all red, pink, and white food

Bake Valentine’s goodies and give them to the food pantry or a homeless shelter

Dress up for a formal dinner, complete with candles, at home

Go out for a fancy dinner and eat dessert first

Call up 5 friends or family members and tell them what they mean to you (alternatively, write them letters or decorate fun postcards)

Dress up all in red as a family and go bowling or to another public activity

Make valentines for your cats or dogs

Bring Valentines to the children’s ward at the hospital

Write about what Valentine’s Day means to you

Make your own chocolate or fondue treats