Christmas Countdown

For the past few years we countdown to Christmas using an advent calendar I made.  I come up with a list of activities, print them, and cut them into strips. The activities change inside each year though a lot of them do stay the same.  It is a process to come up with a list and then arrange them in the days that will work best.  I pull out my calendar and arrange them according to the day of the week and what we have already going on a certain day.

Yesterday I did all this.  I put the slips of paper in their proper day.  Made a list for me to have on hand so I know what is coming each day.  And place them all on the fridge.

I try to keep the activities as family activities that we can all enjoy doing together.  This time of year is super busy so it is nice to all come together for an hour and sped that time together.  Some nights are so busy that the kids get to enjoy candy!

Here is what are activities look like this year.

1st- a Christmas joke & candy

2nd- watch a Christmas movie as a family

{Elf}

3rd- Lighted Christmas Parade

4th- Hot chocolate with dipping spoons (we will make spoons together)

5th- Gingerbread houses

6th- decorate cupcakes and enjoy!

{It's my birthday!}

7th- Candy

8th- Read about the meaning of the candy, do an activity, and eat candy cane ice cream

9th- Take pictures with Santa beard

{silly, fun family time}

10th- Make Christmas rice krispies

11th- Joke and candy

12th- Cover table in giant piece of paper and all draw pictures together

13th- Each of them will open a gift 

{a new book!}

14th- Picnic dinner by the tree

15th- Candy

16th- Christmas movie and ice cream sundaes

17th- Surprise!

{instead of going to bed we will load them into the car, get ice cream at DQ, and drive around and look at lights}

18th- Each person will write two nice things about each family member on pre cut out stars! Share them aloud and display

19th- Write a Christmas story together.

20th- Each of us will write a letter to someone telling them how special they are to us.  

21st- Let kids pick out games to play as a family

22nd- Sleepover by the tree and watch Christmas movies

{with cousins}

23rd- pizza and a Christmas movie

24th- Read Christmas story before bed

The kids really look forward to this and so do I!