Christmas Advent Activities
Christmas is my favorite time of year! Enjoying the season with my children makes it even more exciting! One of the activities I love to do the most, which I started last year, is putting together my advent calendar. I have a gorgeous wooden advent house given to me by a friend a number of years ago from Restoration Hardware. I fill each box with a small treat or toy, as well as a slip of paper with an activity that we will be doing that day. In addition, I either read a Christmas devotional, a scripture related to Jesus’ birth, or a short story related to the real meaning of Christmas. Last year when I began this tradition, Jacob, whom at that time was almost three, could not wait to open the door on the advent calendar each day! He loved the activities that we would do together and of course enjoyed the little surprise waiting behind the numbered door.
If you do not have an advent calendar, it is easy to make one by using a paper countdown chain with the activities written on the numbered rings. You can also find advent calendars at Target, Sur La Table, and almost anywhere this time of year. I always keep mine down in my closet so I am sure to have it ready by December 1st, in case I am behind in getting my Christmas decorations down from our attic.
I have listed the different activities that are planned for this year’s advent month below. I will warn you that I am not the kind of mom who doesn’t allow my kids to have sweets. They rarely have them, but at Christmastime I do let them enjoy decorating cookies and having a treat now and then. If you do not allow your child to have sweets, you can easily adapt your advent activity list to fit your family and what your own children might enjoy.
1. Make a Christmas prayer chain (This is simply a red and green countdown chain made with construction paper. We put one person’s name on each link to remember to pray for them that particular day.)
2. Make cinnamon ornaments (Mix 1 cup cinnamon and 1 cup of applesauce with 1 Tablespoon of white glue. Sprinkle counter with cinnamon, roll out dough and cut with cookie cutters. Cut a hold with a straw towards the top. Let dry for 24 hours and tie a ribbon through the hole.)
3. Go for a drive or a walk around the neighborhood in the evening and enjoy the houses lit up with Christmas lights and decorations.
4. Handprint angels (This is a painted footprint of your child with two painted handprints for wings.) Pictures will be added once we do this activity with our kids.
5. Cookie cutter stamping (This is an easy and fun activity that kids absolutely love! All you need is white construction paper, christmas paint colors, and a variety of Christmas cookie cutters. The child will dip the cookie cutter in some paint and stamp the shape on their paper. So cute!)
6. Read The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett and decorate a gingerbread house together!
7. Have an indoor picnic lunch or dinner while watching a favorite Christmas movie.
8. Christmas cookie decorating extravaganza! (I usually have the sugar cookies made ahead of time and put out a spread of colored frosting, sprinkles, and candies for decorating. This activity is definitely a favorite!
9. Christmas story cuddle time! (Gather your kiddos and a stack of Christmas stories and cuddle on the couch for some fun reading time.)
10. Snowmen ornaments (Pictures to follow, but these are made with large, painted white craft sticks, small pom poms for ear muffs, and other decorating trinkets for buttons, scarves, etc.)
11. Turn on some favorite Christmas music and decorate the tree together!
12. Hands and fingers wreath (Pictures to follow. This is an easy activity with green handprints in the shape of a circle with red berries painted around the center.)
13. Family Christmas movie night
14. Enjoy some hot cocoa (warm for kiddos) with mini marshmallows and a small candy cane, yum!
15. Buy some foam Christmas shapes from your local craft store, along with some fun Christmas decorating (pom poms, sequins, Christmas stickers, etc) and let your kiddo decorate them!
16. Have an indoor snowball fight with a bag of cotton balls!
17. Make homemade Christmas cards for your neighbors or your child’s classmates.
18. Let your child go to the store to pick out a new ornament for the tree.
19. Deliver plates of Christmas cookies and treats to friends and family. This gets your little ones in the giving spirit.
20. Pajama day with popcorn, a Christmas movie, games, and other fun Christmas activities. I am planning this day for when my husband is out of town one weekend day to keep everyone happy and busy. We will be doing a Christmas scavenger hunt with characters from the Nativity story and other Christmas surprises.
21. Go to the bookstore or library and enjoy reading some new Christmas stories together!
22. Read The Gingerbread Boy and make/decorate gingerbread cookies together.
23. Make a birthday cake for Jesus!
24. Read the Nativity story from the Bible and discuss Jesus as the greatest gift! If your children have a play nativity set, have them act out the story together.
Emergency Bag
Every mom has to take an important phone call from time to time or has a chore that cannot wait. It is so frustrating when your little one is at your feet chanting your name and keeping you from that conversation. They won’t play with their toys and they won’t watch an episode of Elmo, so what do you do? If you have a little girl, get one of your unused purses, or if you have a boy, find a fun container that might excite them and fill it with all sorts of fun and non-choking toys or gadgets that they don’t ever get to play with. When you need to take that phone call or have to clean up a flooded kitchen, this is a great way to keep your little one busy.
Treasure Hunt
Every little one loves to hunt for things and what better way to spend a quiet afternoon than to host your own treasure hunt! Gather some chocolate coins, fun small toys, gold painted rocks, or whatever else your child may love. Hide them throughout the house or even in a sandbox and let them go to town looking for the hidden treasure. This is a great way to surprise your child when they wake up from a nap, or even a fun boredom buster on a rainy day when they aren’t able to get outside to the park. Any time of year will work and will be exciting no matter how old your child is. Enjoy!
A day in the life of a stay at home mom.
Being a mom has been the most amazing and adventurous experience of my life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world! Though there are days that seem exhausting and frustrating, being with my kids is a blessing! I find that the most precious days are the ones when I get down on the floor and play with them. Letting the laundry go, not worrying about the crumbs on the kitchen floor, and waiting until naptime to clean the grimy showers is often worth the time that I can spend with my little boys.
I have often talked with other moms about life with kids and the challenges that we all face on a day-to-day basis. I have frequently been asked, “what do you do with them?” or “what do you play with your toddler?” It is because of these questions that I have decided to begin my own blog about my life with two precious boys. Being a former kindergarten teacher, I have lots of fun and creative ideas that often translate into the younger years. I love to plan activities, go on outings, and experience life through the eyes of a two-year-old. I do have two boys, which is a challenge everyday, but I love having one-on-one time with each of them and making sure they know they are special and loved individually.
Some of the most special memories I have are with my mom as a little girl. When I was a baby and a young toddler, she worked part-time, but eventually stayed home with me. We would do lots of fun things together! She also taught me so much about God and His Word through devotional time and everyday life experiences. I feel blessed to have that role in my boys’ lives and desire to make the most of it since they will be leaving home before I can blink my eyes!
Whether you are a working mom, a part-time working mom, or a stay-at-home mom, your time with your children is priceless! It is my desire through this blog to introduce you to a variety of fun and creative activities that you can do with your child. In addition, I will talk about potty training, scheduling, getting “everything” done at home, and much more! I have been given so many great tips from other women, mentors, and my own mom and I hope I can share some of mine with you! Grab a journal, a camera, roll up your sleeves, and get ready to experience life with your child!
Michelle's Blog 
