Christmas 2012 Advent List

Alright...here is the VDV advent activity list from Christmas 2012 that many friends have asked about. I realize it's not even remotely close to this coming Christmas, but I probably will forget to post this during the 2013 holiday season. So I will post it now, and then link back to it during posts closer to December 1st.

A quick description of what we did before I get into the list. Each day, Bug (this year Bear will be included) received a candy cane, a sticker to put on a laminated Christmas countdown (so I can reuse it each year) and an activity written on some Christmas paper that we would perform that day. The activity must be completed while wearing Christmas hats...just to add to the festive environment. Bug loved it!

The list:

1. Decorate our Christmas Tree
2. Write a letter to Santa: Bug was too young this past Christmas to obviously write a letter, but he loved talking on the phone. We got him to "talk" to Santa and I wrote down everything he said to compose his letter. He also wanted to color a picture for Santa, so that was included. We then left it with his Elf on the Shelf, Francis to take back to Santa that night.
3. Baking Christmas cupcakes: I bought a kid apron from Michaels and decorated it with fabric paint so it was a special "Mommy's Christmas Helper" apron he only wore when doing our Christmas baking.

4. Salt dough Ornaments (handprints)
5. Decorating Bug's room with Christmas lights

6. Color Christmas pictures: many resources online for free Christmas coloring pages.
7. Cut snowflakes: Bug was so impressed with how the paper turned out after all the folds and cuts!
8. Sledding
9. Reindeer handprint

10. Sugar cookie baking and decorating
11. Painting the snow with colored water in water guns

12. Christmas bowling: this was so easy, super cheap and Bug loved it. He was actually pretty sick this day, but he had enough energy to do his advent activity. I just bought some Christmas shaped erasers from Dollarama, and he had a little ball. We set up the erasers (9 for $1.00) in a bowling pin pattern, and got him to "bowl".

13. Gingerbread men decorating
14. Puzzle snowflake ornament

15. Skating
16. Visit Santa
17. Baking shortbread
18. Snowman basketball

19. Making a snowglobe
20. You've Been Jingled: We made 3 gift bags for 3 neighbours, and then left them at their doors for a Christmas surprise. I made a special ornament to accompany this package so the neighbours had something to remember this act every year they decorate their trees! I really want to teach our boys that Christmas is more about the spirit of giving, rather than receiving; so next year we are going to add 2 more "giving" advents.

21. Snowman Hot "Chocolate" bath: after shoveling the snow, or playing outside, we came inside to have hot chocolate. I decorated the little marshmallows with snowman faces before we put them in the hot chocolate.

22. Waffle cone tree decorating

23. Christmas Rice Krispies
24. Hide and Seek with Francis, our Elf on the Shelf: This was done near the end of the day, where we got Bug to go to his room while Francis hid around the house. Bug would then run out and try to find him. We did it 4 times, and the last time, Francis had a letter waiting, telling Bug that he had to go back to the North Pole to help Santa get ready for Christmas the next day. He left him and Bear a little parcel (another one of our family traditions), which had new pajamas for the boys, a Christmas movie and a Christmas book (we watched and read that night).

25. Open  presents!

There you have it. Many were done with pretty cheap items, or things we had around the house. It didn't cost us a lot, but the joy and excitement Bug had shown each day was priceless. So excited to do this again, especially with two little men to participate!

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