One of our most treasured family traditions is our advent calendar. Since my daughters were 2, I've been putting together an advent calendar with a small holiday-related activity to do each day leading up to Christmas. I never thought it would become such an important part of our lives but now, with my girls about to turn 9, they start asking about the calendar several months in advance! And if there ever was a year we could use a little something to look forward to each day, it's 2020! Here's how we're making it work this year (and you can too with very little prep work).
Because I am all about low-maintenance, especially as a music teacher in December (if you know you know), most of the things we've done in the past still work in our current pandemic situation. But I did have to make some adaptations this year to keep everyone safe! Here is a list of what we're doing this year:
1. Put up the Christmas tree
2. Decorate the tree with ornaments
3. Hang the Christmas lights
4. Virtual crafting class: rainbow forest (free registration here)
5. Make hot chocolate with all the fixings
6. Put out the advent wreath
7. Virtual crafting class: front door wreath (free registration here)
8. Decorate the front door
9. Make and send Christmas cards
10. Write gift idea lists (to receive and to give)
11. Bake cookies
12. Decorate sugar cookies
13. Put up the rest of the decorations around the house
14. Shop for/ make gifts to give
15. Read some Christmas books
16. Wrap gifts
17. "Jingle" a neighbor (here is an explanation and free printable)
18. Watch a Christmas movie (this year will be Jingle Jangle)
19. Do this candy cane science experiment
20. Go caroling via zoom
21. Drive through a lights display
22. Hang the stockings
23. Make a gingerbread house
24. Set out cookies, milk, and carrots for Santa and the reindeer
This kind of Christmas countdown / advent activity calendar is so easy to set up because the activities are low-prep, low-mess, quick activities, most of which are things families celebrating Christmas would do anyway. If you want to do something similar this year but don't have time to make a calendar, all you really have to do is write down each activity on a piece of paper and fold it up with the number for the date you want to do it on the outside. Then open a paper each day to reveal that day's activity!
Here is how I made the calendar we use every year (so easy if you have the supplies):
And you can see how my list of activities has evolved over the years as my daughters get older in these posts from previous years: my list for 7 year olds, for 6 year olds, for 5 year olds, for 4 year olds, and for 3 year olds.
If you're looking for ways to add a little cheer without a lot of effort I hope these ideas will help!
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