Showing posts with label advent calendar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advent calendar. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Christmas Activity Countdown

I am so excited for Christmas time! I can't believe how fast it has arrived!
I have spent the last few weeks coming up with this years Christmas activities.
As the kids get older I have to get more creative and come up with new things.
This year I had them each write down five things they wanted to do
during the month of December. I may or may not include them.



Jordan suggested going on Gold Digger {a radio station money winning game,
going to the movies, Castle Fun Park, sledding and picnic,movie day.
Michelle wrote down tie dye t-shirts, watch a movie, make cookies w/
family, go bowling and eat Christmas ice cream.
 
This year along with our traditional activities I will again include
some Random Acts of Kindness and activities that are family centered!

I find it most helpful when I begin planning
to print up a calendar for the month of December.
I then write in all the family activities I know are already going on.
Then I start planning the Christmas activities and fill in the days!
If you want to check out how I put it all together check
out that post here!
 

This year like almost every year we are busy.
My birthday falls on the 6th.
Josh is coaching Jordan's basketball team so that is
 two nights a week on Wednesday and Friday with games starting soon.
Michelle goes to bones Tuesday night.
Josh works out a couple nights a week.
Our weekends filled up fast with only three before Christmas this year!
Josiah's musical The Christmas Story,
Josh's work Christmas party and
an ugly sweater party planned with Josh's softball team.
 
But enough of our crazy schedule and onto the fun activities!
If you want to check out how I put it all together check
out that post here!
 
This is my 6th year doing this with the kids!
It is one of those traditions we look forward too!

date night with the kids
me/Jordan- BVE skate Night
Josh/Michelle- hot chocolate at woods

date night with kids
me/Michelle- Go see The Christmas story Musical
Josh/Jordan- go out ice cream or hot chocolate

RAOK
put together blessing bags
 
Decorate the kid's bedrooms and doors
 
Christmas scavenger hunt for one small gift
 
decorate ugly sweaters for parties
family Christmas puzzle night with pretzel treats
 
RAOK
Hand out balloons at a local grocery store and leave quarters
at machines/pay phones

On my birthday we will go out for breakfast something we rarely ever do
Decorate gingerbread houses

Picnic dinner by the tree with Yule tide log

let the kids make donuts to enjoy during a Christmas movie
 
family day to go shopping together to buy gifts
walk to Woods for coffee and cocoa

Emerald lights and ice cream
 
RAOK- {still coming up with something}

decorate Sugar cone Christmas trees and eat them
 
Write (2) things we love about each family member
and make cookies together after
 
movie night with snowman sundaes
 
sledding at Mt. Baker
 
family day- go see a movie
 
candy cane ice cream to go with brownies the kids make
 
cousin sleepover by the Christmas tree
Movie night Elf 
{themed}
 
On Christmas Eve we will go to church in the afternoon
and to Josh's parents in the evening
 
Christmas day we will have our traditional coyotes after
presents and then spend the day at my parents house
 
Other activities we will do
 
Put together gifts for teachers, bus drivers, 
and friends/classmates
 
game night with popcorn, hot chocolate and Christmas music
 
Our Elf on the Shelf Sunshine will be back
 
I would like to put together some Christmas slideshows
and movies from my huge collection to watch together
 
Make some ornaments for the tree

If you want more ideas check out years past lists


Friday, November 29, 2013

Advent activities

I am so excited for Christmas time! I can't believe how fast it has sneaked up on me.
I have spent the few weeks coming up with this years advent activities.
As the kids get older I have to get more creative and come up with new things.
This year along with our traditional activities I am going to introduce
some Random Acts of Kindness activities. 

Like last year I found it most helpful to print up calendar for the month of December.
I then write in all the activities I know are already going on.
Then I start planning the activities and fill in the days!
If you want to check out how I put it all together check
out last years post here!


This year like almost every year we are busy.
My birthday falls on the 6th.
Josh and I are celebrating by going to Leavenworth for the weekend.
The only weekend available was the weekend of Thanksgiving.
Josh is coaching Jordan's basketball team so that is
 two nights a week on Tuesday and Friday.
Michelle goes to bones Tuesday night.
We have church Wednesday night.
Josh has basketball league Thursday night.
Our Saturdays filled up fast.
We have an ugly sweater party planned with Josh's softball team
and a family Christmas party with my mom's family the next Saturday.

But enough of our crazy schedule and onto the fun activities!
If you want to check out how I put it all together check
out last years post here!

Decorate white mugs with sharpies, bake and enough hot chocolate in them

date night with kids- Josh/Michelle and me/Jordan
I plan to make slime/flubber with Jordan

RAOK- Walk or drive to bender and leave surprises all over the 
playground such as little Christmas toys, bubbles ect.

RAOK-Read The Legend of the Candy Cane, put together 
reindeer candy canes, head to Safeway to pass them out, and when they are gone 
we will go pick out some candy cane ice cream to enjoy at home.

On my birthday we will decorate cupcakes and share some!
Also that night is family bingo night at Jordan's school that I will be helping out at.


Decorate gingerbread houses

Make rolo & kiss pretzels treats

Picnic dinner by the tree with Yule tide log

Watch the best Christmas Pageant ever

Date night with kids- Josh/Jordan & me/Michelle
Michelle and I will be going to the play The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Gardner Family Christmas Party
{candy}

Write a Christmas story together

Put together Blesssing bags

Make gingerbread play dough

put a gift in the mailbox for our mail lady

Put together gifts for teachers, bus drivers, 
garbage man, recycle man and friends/classmates

Movie night Elf 
{themed}

Fill out two stars for each family member with kind
thoughtful words,what we love about them ect.

Go up to Mt. Baker and go sledding

Decorate sugar cone trees

movie night with Christmas boxes

game night with popcorn, hot chocolate and Christmas music

Family date day ended by driving around and looking at Christmas lights

Cousin movie sleepover by the tree

Read the Christmas story on Christmas Eve before bed

On Christmas morning we will have our traditional coyotes for breakfast. 
I don't know the actual name for this meal that is what we called it growing up. 
It is fried bread dough and then you can eat it with powder sugar, jam, or syrup.


I have lots of other ideas that we may or may not get to
but I have on hand in case we have some extra time.
I have lots of RAOK ideas 
If it snows I would love to make snow ice cream
read Christmas books
watch lots of Christmas movies
Snowman ice cream sundaes

If you want more ideas check out years past lists






Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Advent countdown activities

I love this time of year!
I love the traditions we have started
and get to do year after year.
One of those is our advent countdown activities.
Here is a look at how we countdown to Christmas.
read my post here on how I put our countdown tins other.


When it comes to planning the activities for
the month I find it helpful to print out a calendar
so you can see what day of the week activities will
work best on. Also you can check to see what else is
going on. I also keep this with my day to day calendar so 
I can look ahead to prep for activities as needed.

Every year I keep a few of the activities
that have become fun family traditions for us.

This year like most years we are pretty busy.
On top of all the usual life busyness
it is my 30th birthday this year!
My husband and I are taking a mini getaway just
the two of us to Whistler!
That took away four days in which we are able to 
do the activities I had planned.
Luckily I was able to fit them in 
on days I knew we would be home.
Some days as you can see on the calendar may 
have more then one activity going on.
Below is what my calendar looks like.


After I come with a list I type 
them up on word, print them, cut them into strips,
and put them in the corresponding number tin.



Here is the list I came up with for this year.
I always include jokes with a candy for days I know
we will not be home.
Also I like to fit as many Christmas movie nights as we  can 
including a movie night with the cousins.

Chop down and decorate our Christmas tree

Lighted Christmas Parade

Make peppermint crunch milk chocolate cookies
together and watch a Christmas movie

Christmas movie with candy cane ice cream
{with brownies would be yummy!}

Pizza and movie night


Candy cane marshmallow pops for hot chocolate
and watch a Christmas movie


put together and decorate gingerbread house

Decorate sugar cone trees

make pretzel kiss treats together
and fill out letters to Santa
{for fun and the scrapbook}

Play would you rather
Christmas style with the cousins

picnic dinner by the tree
with candles

Gardner Family Christmas Party
{candy too}

Make a giant picture together

Make Christmas gifts for the kid's teachers

Sleepover by the tree and watch Christmas movies
with the cousins.  Something new this year I am
added a snack store that they can "buy"
snacks for the movies!

Christmas minute to win it games
I took ideas I thought
would be fun and easy for all family members
found here and here

write a Christmas story together

On three days we will have a joke with candy.
Here are the jokes.


Q: What do you get when you cross an
apple and a Christmas tree?
A: A pineapple!

Q: How do snowmen greet each other? 
Answer: Ice to meet you!

Knock knock!
Who’s there?
Snow.
Snow who?
Snow use, I have forgotten my name again.

Christmas Eve every year we read the Christmas
story from the Bible and the kids get new jammies


On Christmas morning we will have our traditional coyotes for breakfast. 
 I don't know the actual name for this meal that is what we called it growing up. 
 It is fried bread dough and then you can eat it with powder sugar, jam, or syrup.


If you enjoyed this list and would
like to see previous years check them out!

2011

2010

2009

To see some photos of the activities in action
you can view some of them here.









Advent Calendar

This is my 4th year putting together an activity
advent calendar for the kids!
It is something they look forward to every year.
I love coming up with new ideas each year.
There are a few that have become traditions that  we do each year too.
First off this is how I put together our activity calendar.

1. I went to Micheal's and bought 
{with a 40% coupon of course}
a tin favor kit.


2. I printed up numbers that I attached with double sided tape.


3. I used a hot glue gun to attach magnets on the back.
{we bought ours on the fridge each year}



 4. After I have come up with my list
I type it up on Word, print, and cut into strips
that fit inside the tins.


5. I arrange ours into a Christmas tree on the fridge!


Super easy and fun to use year after year!

To view our list of advent for this year view post here.
I will also share links to the past 3 years if you need a variety of ideas.