This year we are starting a couple of new traditions. One of them is doing something fun and special each day of December until Christmas day. I made an Advent Christmas Tree out of matchboxes to help with this. Each box has a number on it and an activity for the day inside. See the pictures below to see how I made the tree.I started with 13 large matchboxes and cut them in half.
Each half was covered with dark green paper. (4 halves were covered with brown paper to make the trunk of my tree.)
Then I added small red buttons and numbers on each box. Finally I glued them together to make a tree and tied a ribbon around them. 
Inside each box is a small card with an activity written on it that we will do. Here are our activities for this year: (Remember, we live in Africa, hence the swimming and ice cream activities!)
December
1. paint nails in Christmas colors; light Advent Candle #1 (a couple days late)
2. Make Christmas cards to send to Grandparents
3. make snowman craft, read “Frosty the Snowman”
4. Dance and sing to Christmas music
5. make ornaments for tree
6. Light Advent Candle #2
7. Make hot chocolate and stir with candy canes, read book, “The Legend of the Candy Cane”
8. Make paper snowflakes
9. Make candy cane ice cream
10. Go swimming
11. Watch a Christmas move and eat popcorn
12. Make a gingerbread house and decorate
13. Light Advent Candle #3
14. Decorate Christmas cookies
15. Take Christmas cookies to friends
16. Find the candy hidden in the living room
17. Craft
18. Roast Marshmallows in fireplace (pretend it is cold outside!)
19. watch Christmas movie
20. Light Advent Candle #4
21. Have a water balloon fight
22. Find the packages of gum hidden in the room
23. Camp out by the Christmas tree
24. Open one gift before bed
25. Merry Christmas! Sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus; light the Christ candle
1. paint nails in Christmas colors; light Advent Candle #1 (a couple days late)
2. Make Christmas cards to send to Grandparents
3. make snowman craft, read “Frosty the Snowman”
4. Dance and sing to Christmas music
5. make ornaments for tree
6. Light Advent Candle #2
7. Make hot chocolate and stir with candy canes, read book, “The Legend of the Candy Cane”
8. Make paper snowflakes
9. Make candy cane ice cream
10. Go swimming
11. Watch a Christmas move and eat popcorn
12. Make a gingerbread house and decorate
13. Light Advent Candle #3
14. Decorate Christmas cookies
15. Take Christmas cookies to friends
16. Find the candy hidden in the living room
17. Craft
18. Roast Marshmallows in fireplace (pretend it is cold outside!)
19. watch Christmas movie
20. Light Advent Candle #4
21. Have a water balloon fight
22. Find the packages of gum hidden in the room
23. Camp out by the Christmas tree
24. Open one gift before bed
25. Merry Christmas! Sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus; light the Christ candle
Those are some great ideas!!! I was going to do something like that but I couldn't think of enough activities :-) I will have to "steal" some of yours if that's okay!!! We made a paper chain shaped like a tree (this is where I got the idea: www.makeandtakes.com/weekend-make-and-takes-advents) and we'll take one off every day, and if we do a fun activity I am sure that Natalie will enjoy that as well!
ReplyDeleteThat is SO creative! I'm sure you'll make some wonderful memories. :)
ReplyDeleteTamara
Becca,
ReplyDeleteI love the Advent Tree! It's a fantastic idea, and I might have to use some suggestions for years to come.
Your mom gave me the link to your blog and I'm so excited to be able to keep up with you.
Your girls are adorable.
Jan (Neff) Adkins