I’m a sucker for Christmas celebrations.
When my daughter was a toddler, I started a Christmas Countdown calendar with special activities and I crafts planned for each day.
I’m no over achiever. It started when their naptimes left me with a lot of time on my hands. (And it was more fun than doing laundry.)
As all our lives get busier, it’s hard to fit in. But each year, she clamours for a new one. And it’s so worth the effort to see the excitement on their faces each morning.
It helps make Christmas about more than one day. Activities include many that focus on giving to others, so that’s a nice lesson as well.
Some of our favorites:
- Getting the cousins together to make Christmas cookies (which don’t end up looking anything like the ones pictured above!)
- Decorating the tree while listening to carols
- Making handmade ornaments and gifts
(Given the head-slapping response by my son to reading Wednesday’s activity, card making isn’t always a hit.)
As I work on finalizing next week’s plans, I’m wondering – what are some of your favorite activities this time of year?
Do you have some great family traditions to share?
Or maybe you discovered some new joy this winter?
(Image posted to Flickr by Samdogs)
Good energy and organization! When my son was little and napped, I napped.
Every year around this time, I make gingerbread cookies and snowball cookies (or “Russian Teacakes”). We give a good many of them to my son’s teachers, the bus driver, and some neighbors.. Also take them to the family Christmas get togethers. Now the trick is, not to eat too many myself.
We have a carol CD that we play over and over every evening in December while we go about other activities, holiday ones and everyday ones.