Advent Calendar Activities

This is the first year that I’ve put together a list of advent activities to help the kids count down to Christmas.  We’re about halfway in and I’m loving how this list has helped us slow down to truly enjoy this magical season.

So, here’s my list.  I left the numbers jumbled up so the kids can make a game of finding our next activity.  I had grand plans of placing the activities into some kind of advent calendar but I simply ran out of time.  Maybe next year I’ll make something like this.  Until then, a plain printed list will have to do.

13- Watch a Christmas movie as a family

22- Drive around to look at lights

5- Make hot chocolate

25- Light a fire in the firepit

4- Listen to Christmas music during dinner

9- Make our own ornaments

6- Wildman’s School Program!

8- Christmas paint by number kit

22- Have Christmas dinner party with friends

1- Put Christmas Lego set together

21- Decorate cookies

19- Take treats to neighbors

23-Walk Verbenia Ct.

16- Cutie Pie’s School Program!

7- Write a letter to Santa

15- Watch Santa come by on fire truck!

24- Have Yaya, Nana, Papa and Uncle Chris over, sprinkle Reindeer food on lawn

18- Make fudge with mom

11- Family game night

17-Participate in the holiday boat parade

10- Buy a gift for someone in need

20- Read a Christmas book

2- Go in the hot tub

3- Plant Poinsettas in front flower bed

12- Make candy cane reindeer

I snapped a few photos of the boys (and J) working on their Christmas paint-by-numbers:

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Christmas Goody Bags for Preschool

I put together these Rudolph-themed goody bags for Cutie Pie’s class.  The antler headbands are from the $1 bin at JoAnn Fabrics.  B and I whipped up the reindeer treats in the test tubes for our craft fair in November.  We had a few left over so they were added to the goody bag as well.  The bag toppers were from Hobby Lobby and are leftovers from last year’s projects.  I found the big jingle bells to tie on the top at the dollar store.  Not too shabby for a relatively inexpensive gift for preschoolers.

Here is the poem that I printed to go with the Magic Reindeer Food:

First Grade Christmas Program

Wildman’s Christmas program was last night!  Our friends who live across the street from the elementary school invited us over for snacks and drinks beforehand.  It was fun letting our kids play together while we, the adults, chatted about outdoor kitchen ideas, Pinterest and party planning.  We made our way over to the school in good spirits from the red wine and good company.  Our oldest boys were due in to their classrooms at 6:15 pm.

We made our way over to the cafeteria to find our family a little before 6:30 pm.  To our big surprise, Wildman opened the show by reading a couple of paragraphs!  We knew he had a part of the Christmas story but had no idea he was also speaking at the beginning.  That little stinker totally surprised us!  We were all so proud!

Our friends’ son, Pepper, had a speaking part as well!  He rocked it!

T-bone did super too!  Although he managed to accidentally knock down the set on his way to the podium…  🙂

Wildman got all sorts of pats on the head and “atta boys” from people.  Yaya made sure to give him a huge hug on her way out.

This boy of mine continues to amaze me everyday!  I am so very lucky to be his mother.