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

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009



Advent Activity Wrap up

Day 15

We wrote a family Christmas story together.

Michelle found a story starter for us and then we went around the

table taking turns adding to the story.

This went so so.

Not sure I will repeat next year.

Day 16

Game night with cocoa and cinnamon butter braid

Day 17

date night with the kids.

Josh and Jordan went out to eat before basketball practice.

Michelle and I put together candy sleighs and had drive thru dinner

before I dropped her off at youth group.

Day 18

Jordan and I put together his class treats.

 Day 19

we made Christmas play dough

check out the recipes here

Day 20

Movie sleepover night with cousins

you can read all about it here

We also had a snow day today with no school.

You can check out pictures here

Day 21

we took the kids shopping for their cousins

and each other. Afterwards we all went out for lunch as a family.

Day 22 - Day 24

These days just didn't happen but fun was still being had!

Day 25

Merry Christmas!

Cousin movie sleepover

 Sticking with tradition we had our cousin movie night sleepover on Friday night.

Jordan had a basketball game so we didn't get home until 8 'o clock which was a 

little late for my nephew Cohen to join us. Next year for sure he will be included.

We did add a friend of ours son to the mix.

When we got home from Jordan's game it was into jammies, pick out snacks

and movie started. After the movies we turned off the lights except the tree

and left the boys telling each other stories until they fell asleep.

They were up bright and early as usual. I let them all play video games 

while I slept a bit longer and then made breakfast.

Love this tradition and hope to continue for a few more years to come.

Check out the past few years sleepovers

2012

2011

2010

Christmas play dough

Yesterday I made some Christmas play dough!

I made peppermint, gingerbread and plain.

The gingerbread one smells so good!

Here are some recipes!

Peppermint Play dough

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 cups water

2 tsp. peppermint extract

2 T. vegetable oil

4 tsp. cream of tartar

optional red food coloring

I kept ours white and added red glitter!

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and stir until stick together and form a ball.

Place on parchment paper and knead a few times.

Gingerbread Play dough

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

4 tsp. cream of tartar

2 T. cinnamon

4 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. nutmeg

2 tsp. all spice

4 T. vegetable oil

2 cups water

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and stir until stick together and form a ball.

Place on parchment paper and knead a few times.

 Basic Play dough

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 cups water

2 T. vegetable oil

4 tsp. cream of tartar

optional food coloring

optional 2 tsp of your favorite extract or scent

optional glitter

I added Christmas sprinkles to ours! 

This is a first time of trying this.

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and stir until stick together and form a ball.

Place on parchment paper and knead a few times.

I put out lots of cookies cutters, rolling pin and also some fun toothpick cupcake toppers!

Advent Activities {week 2}

Day 8

Random act of Christmas Kindness

Attach quarters to cards to place at various machines around town.

We went to a couple of places but this didn't work out as well as I had hoped.

One place wouldn't let us leave them there. We then headed to a nearby grocery store

and all the fun kid machines had been taken out :(  We did leave some at a pay

phone and a pop machine outside. I saw some newspaper machines around town

and I think we will go back and leave some there too. 

I did take a few cell phone pictures when we were out and about.

I also set for the kids to put together hot chocolate cups.

My goal was to pass these out while we were out and

about but that never happened. I think I am now going to turn them into 

treats for Jordan's classmates. Jordan loved putting them together though.

Day 9

rolo and pretzel treats

Both super easy and yummy.

Day 10

Leave treats and a card for our mail lady

Day 11 & Day 12

I combined the two days into one.

This is a traditional activity we do every year

Picnic dinner by the Christmas tree with the yule tide log playing.

This year we also watched the movie Ernest saves Christmas

Day 13

Decorate ornaments

Simple but can be a messy craft.

Jordan ended up dropping one ball that of course

rolled across the carpet leaving a nice long trail of paint.

I still loved how they turned out despite a few messes.

Day 14
We had a family Christmas party to go to
so I left them a joke and candy.
Here are a few pictures of kids from party.