I’m so excited to share our Christmas Countdown for 2013! A few years ago, I decided to help my kiddos focus more on family and giving rather than on Santa Claus. I love Christmas movies & the anticipation of Santa, so I didn’t want to eliminate that altogether. My Christmas Countdown, together with our 12 Days of Christmas Giving help us to stretch out the joy of the season, while keeping us focused on having fun as a family and giving to others. 🙂 If you’d like some ideas for Advent, click HERE.
I hope this list helps you to get in the spirit of Christmas with your kiddos!
1. Decorate for Christmas.
2. Make Felt Ornaments. (Find some great ideas on my Christmas Pinterest page!)
3. Make Christmas Cards for Soldiers. (Address, Guidelines, & Deadline at Holiday Mail for Heroes.)
4. Watch the Grinch Who Stole Christmas, complete with Grinch snacks! (Find Grinch kabobs & Grinch Floats on my Pinterest page!)
5. Go meet St. Nick at the Sophienburg, and then go to Wassailfest.
6. Celebrate St. Nicholas Day by making candy cane hearts and sharing with friends.
7. Decorate the Christmas Tree.
8. Christmas Shopping.
9. Christmas lights! (We sometimes brave the lines at Santa’s Ranch, but we may just grab cocoa & drive around town)
10. Write letters to Santa. (Sendoutcards.com has a really cool holiday pack with letters to Santa cards that I’m using!)
11. Make a gift for friends/family. (Rolo snowmen & Santas)
12. Sing Nana & Grandma a Christmas Carol.
13. Go see a movie at the theater. (The Hobbit releases today!)
14. Make Gingerbread houses. (This year, I’m going to try to find Gingerbread trees)
15. Watch a Charlie Brown Christmas.
16. Bake Sugar Cookies.
17. Play the Cookie Decorating Game! (Each child gets two cookies to decorate. They decorate the first cookie, then write step by step directions for making their design. They switch directions with another child, who attempts to duplicate the design following the instructions.)
18. Make fudge.
19. Caroling on the Plaza!
20. String popcorn & cranberries for the birds.
21. It’s the first day of winter! Make snowflakes & snowball cookies!
22. Deliver Christmas treats to our neighbors.
23. Christmas movie marathon.
24. It’s Christmas Eve! Open a gift!
What are your Christmas Countdown traditions? Please share your ideas in the comments! 🙂
Karen