Advent

[mommariffic]

So we aren't religious, but we do the entire advent thing.

This year we are going to be making an advent ring with clay, evergreens and lightening a beeswax candle per night up until Christmas, along with our advent calendar. I try to spice up what the kids "get" each time they peek in their calendar, and I thought we could share ides. I try to do some smaller little gifts, along with crafts and holiday experiences.

Oh man do I love Christmas

Some ideas I had thus far:

The first day (December 1) presenting the kids with a wooden Santa set that includes some wooden christmas trees, Santa himself, a reindeer and a snowman for the nature table *to be used for years to come..* 

After that some ideas I had are:

Making fake snow and busting out some of our "polar" creatures for sensory play

Driving to see Christmas lights

Spending a day making homemade ornaments (cinnamon dough, beeswax etc)

Stringing dried cranberry and popcorn

Red/green paper chains

Going to the Living Historical farm for an ole' fashioned Christmas

Having our own Christmas party with friends

Having a homemade Christmas swap with friends

Make gifts for people (this is going to be salves, homemade drinks etc) 

And I have to keep thinking! What are your ideas? And what other traditions do you have for advent or the holiday season in general? 

[appalachiamama]

I think those are plenty of great ideas.

At our house we:

Celebrate St. Nicholas and St. Lucia Days

Take a walk together in the dark on the Solstice

Observe the Twelve Days of Christmas in some form

Make a number of gifts (this year, we're trying silhouettes from watercolor papers)

Watch Christmas movies (a few tried and true favorites)

Go serenading to our neighbors' homes

Bake Christmas cookies (we've started on that already and frozen them)

Bake panettone
 

[mommariffic]

Ah yes, my DD loves her Christmas movies!