No Monsters in My Bed: Things to Make - An Advent Calendar Full of Everyday Items

11/30/11

Things to Make - An Advent Calendar Full of Everyday Items

Every year around this time, the blogosphere fills up with wonderful "make your own" advent calendar ideas (click here for an example), which always make me feel like a slacker mom. Then this year, Modern Parents Messy Kids posted on making an advent calendar using library books and coloring pages. Genius! I didn't feel up to leaving the house, so instead I scavenged through our bookshelves and craft cabinets, trying to put together 24 things to read and make for our Xmas count-down. My goal is that all these projects will entertain the kids during the after school "witching hours" when nothing seems to make them happy. And that hopefully a lot of these forgotten cast-aways will appear new again once unwrapped. We will see. I tried to pick projects that are (for the most part) not weather-dependent so that I don't have to let the kids down if it rains. I left several of our books until the end because things tend to become busy in the last few days before Xmas, so I wanted to leave that time as uncomplicated as possible.

What about everyone else - any great advent ideas or traditions?

Here's what I came up with:

24 days til Xmas (Thurs) - Plant your own paperwhites kit from Trader Joes
23 days til Xmas (Friday) - Children's Bible book from the library (figured now is a great time to talk about the Jesus story)
22 days til Xmas (Saturday) - Sugar cookie mix with sprinkles from Trader Joes
21 days til Xmas (Sunday) - Family movie and popcorn night - Christmas Carol (via Netflix streaming)
20 days til Xmas (Monday) -

19 days til Xmas (Tuesday) - Santa's workshop sticker scenes from Oriental Trading Company
18 days til Xmas (Wednesday) - Family movie and popcorn night - The Nutcracker (via Netflix streaming)
17 days til Xmas (Thursday) - A stargazing book and glowsticks for checking out the night sky
16 days til Xmas (Friday) - Another set of sticker scenes from Oriental Trading company
15 days til Xmas (Saturday) -

14 days til Xmas (Sunday) - Disney Decorate a Picture Frame Kit from the $1 aisle at AC Moore
13 days til Xmas (Monday) -

12 days til Xmas (Tuesday) - Christmas stamping sets from last year
11 days til Xmas (Wednesday) - Land of Nod's I'm Not Bored Anymore Jar
10 days til Xmas (Thursday) - Disney Paint Kit from the $1 aisle at AC Moore
9 days til Xmas (Friday) - Family movie and popcorn night - Santa Clause is Coming to Town (via abc family's 25 days of Christmas)
8 days til Xmas (Saturday) - Make Your Own Christmas Book using Bare Books
7 days til Xmas (Sunday) -

and Disney princess fashion activity set
6 days til Xmas - Hot cocoa and marshmallow snack
5 days til Xmas - Make Your Own Jewelry Kit (an old gift we've never opened)
4 days til Xmas -