I love this Advent Calendar!  The first year I filled each pocket with small gifts & candy and the kids took turns opening the days.  I wasn't at all pleased with the "me-centered" attitude that it fostered in the kids.  Or the focus it placed on materialism & the expectation that Christmas was all about gifts & goodies. 

So, I spent all year pondering how to redeem this.  I finally settled on writing out 25 small acts of service or sacrifice on slips of paper.  I put one in each pocket along with 3 foil wrapped chocolate coins (one for each child).  Each morning, we pull out the paper to learn what our assignment for the day is (mom & pop are not exempt either!).  Then in the evening, usually around the dinner table, we take turns sharing how we performed our acts of love.  I record them on the paper and put it back in the pocket.  Then they each get a chocolate coin as a reminder that they are storing up treasure in heaven...not here on earth.  On Christmas morning, before we tear into our presents, we read through all the slips of paper & recount all the gifts we gave to Christ throughout the month.