I admit, I was super-inspired by so many creative advent calendars/Christmas countdowns that I promised myself I’d make one of them this year. I found so many I loved….like this one, oh, and this one….this one….and this one, too. (‘Course, many of these would be MUCH easier and more feasible if I could, you know, SEW.)
Well, as usual, I was a little overzealous about what I could achieve within the month of November, and so I ended up repeating last year’s paper chain idea. I works out fine — G still loves the idea, and R doesn’t even remember it last year (she was barely 18 months old). I know this won’t always be the case!
All it takes is some Christmas-colored construction paper, some activity ideas, a permanent marker, and a stapler. Can’t get much simpler.
Here are the activities we included day-by-day. Some are family traditions, some are those from my childhood memories, and some I heard about through the grapevine and thought I’d “borrow.”
(Now, this kind of ruins the effect of the future posts I’ll be doing of some of these projects. Just pretend you didn’t know about them and act surprised, mmm-K?)
Dec:
1. Snowflake stamp art; make Chex Muddy Buddies; make gift tags
2. Wrap presents
3. Make clothespin toy soldiers
4. Read books about snow, then make a puff-paint snow scene
5. Make Trix Christmas trees.
6. Local grits mill’s Christmas festival
7. Make snow globes
8. Puppet show at bedtime (kids and adults participate!)
9. Make crunchy balls (family heirloom recipe)
10. Read The Gingerbread Man, then do saved paper puppet activity to go with it; make and decorate gingerbread man cookies
11. Make sugar cone Christmas trees
12. Christmas sing-along with instruments
13. Family holiday movie night!
14. Make edible garlands and feeders for our outside furry and feathered friends
15. Make homemade spiced or peppermint play-doh
16. Make hot chocolate with all the fixings
17. Have a Christmas techno dance party
18. Make recycled Christmas card collages
19. Make an elfin family garland
20. Cooperate to do a large jigsaw puzzle (or at least start on one)
21. Make paper snowflakes; decorate with them
22. Make Christmas cookies and then deliver them
23. Ride around to look at Christmas lights after dinner
24. Christmas Eve party….then back home to read the Christmas story from Luke before bedtime
25. Christmas! Sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus!
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