So we have a new tradition this year. Adventing (oh yes, in this house it’s a verb). This year I had felt overcome by the meaning of Advent. Suddenly the weeks leading to Christmas seem so precious to me. Give me ten years max and I will become ‘that weird Christmas lady’ because I am OVERCOME with the ADVENTING!
This year, for the first time, I wanted advent to be more than the most inconveniently packaged and underwhelming chocolates that I’ve dearly loved since I was a kid myself. I wanted to add in some activities to make each day a celebration. But I wanted them to be simple.
So I got out a calendar, looked at all our plans for the monthand made a list of something we could do each day that was Christmassy. With the kids being 4,3 and 1 I really wanted theactivities tobe cheap, simple, and not require me to liquidate the nearest Michael’s.
Then I dug up my stash of cards and envelopes (because apparently I have a drawer full of those! #minimalismwhat) and I wrote a card for each day with our advent activity and a reading from the Jesus Storybook Bible. Then I proudly Instagrammed it. Then I went through and caught up on my Instagram feed and realized that all my momfriends were already doing the same and I was late to the party. But hey, we are all at the same party so I wanted to share all the cool advent ideas I had for my kids and the ones my friends suggested . . . .
Food related
- Hot cocoa and marshmallows
- Cookie decorating
- Bake something
- Decorate a gingerbread house
- Have a Christmas picnic on the floor under the tree
- Bake a birthday cake for Jesus #happybirthdayjesus
- These little reindeer snacks that are way too easy
- Dehydrate cut oranges(can use them for tree decorations or to make Christmas stove top potpourri)
- Put red and green sprinkles/icing sugar on your pancakes
- Eat waffles (not Christmassy in particular, but it should just be part of your life)
- Have a meal by candlelight
Craft related
- Christmas colouring books (the dollar store sells some activity colouring books)
- Write letters to santa, or your creepy household nutcracker
- Make a wreath with family handprints cut out of construction paper
- Cut out snowflakes
- Make cards for your friends
- Make a christmas tree picture (Drawa tree outline on paper and kids stick on ornament stickers
- Make Christmas ornaments (make it as simple or complex as you want, I like the ones with pipe cleaners and beads)
- Make a chain of paper/wrapping paper loops
- Decorate your own wrapping paper on brown craft paper
- Make/hang Jess Tree ornaments (an idea from Sarah)
- Do the Truth in the Tinsel ebook, which is a DIY ornament and scripture for each day (an idea from Hanna)
- Play with red and green playdough
Activity (from easy to work required)
- Wear red and green
- Stay in Christmas PJs all day
- Musical chairs to Christmas music
- Balloon party with red, green and white balloons
- Glow bath (bath with red and green glow sticks)
- Christmas bath bombs
- Elf yourself
- Shovel snow
- Drive around to see Christmas lights
- Decorate an outdoor tree(from Colleen)
- Hang candy canes on the tree
- Read Christmas books (maybe even a book basket)
- Do a scavenger hunt (we are doing our hunt for the Christmas PJs)
- Wrap some presents together
- Call Grandma and sing a Christmas song
- Make snowmen
- Go Christmas carolling
- Go sledding
- Wrap a door in the house with wrapping paper
- Watch a youtube video on Christmas traditions in other parts of the world
- Go to a community concert/play
- Bring snow inside to play on a baking sheet (from Colleen)
- Stick on window decals
- Look at your Christmas card collection (we save many of our past ones in a little box and the kids rifle through them)
Acts of Kindness
(most of these are from one of my momfriends, who should totally start a blog *cough* just saying)
- Make your brother’s/sister’s bed
- Give someone a hug
- Candy cane bomb a parking lot
- Make lunch
- Clean up someone else’s mess
- Donate to the food bank
- Donate to a local charity
- Shovel snow or sprinkle de-icer for someone
- Play with someone new at school today
- Make someone a card
- Make someone a gift
- Tell a friend why you like them
- Smile at a stranger
- Bring cookies to your neighbours
- Donate some of your toys that are in good condition
- Put together care packages for a local shelter
Suppliesyou canhave on hand
- construction paper, white paper, kraft paper
- crayons, felts, paint, glue, scissors
- balloons, stickers, bows, christmas window decals
- glow sticks, bath bomb (a good reason to stop by Lush!)
- Candy canes, pretzels, marshmallows, cocoa
- Cake mix, gingerbread house package (Costco has a great one)
What are your favourite easy advent activities?
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