Twenty Four Days or Advent Calendars

[Gingerbug]

I did the twenty four days of Christmas for about three or four years (as gifts) and then it got to be too much. We still do an advent calendar....but I'm wondering....anyone doing the 24 days? You can do it either as small gift to open each day or as an experience....like going to see lights etc.

The activities (cheap and simple) are what I would be interested in hearing about...one person even had a under the tree pj party one night in December....

Anyone??

:tree:

 

[sloanmama]

We don't particularly do a 24 day celebration, but we kind of incorporate our magical "elf" into doing this, in a round about way I guess. He does something every night while visiting such as elf mischief or bringing little gifts for the kids or he suggests things for us to do as a family (go see the Christmas lights, watch Christmas movies, Bake holiday cookies). We have an advent calendar as well.

 

[Gingerbug]

Yes sloanmama...that's what I tried last year too with my grandson because other wise all of it got to be too much...I'd love to hear more of your ideas!

In the past some people posted their activities list and I thought that would be great for non-elfers...lol

There were things like:

Dec. 1st Put out bird seed ornaments for birds
Dec. 2nd Have green or red milk
Dec. 3rd: Make cookies

etc etc

:gingerbread:

 

[luludou]

we just have elves but they don't do stuff everyday.
This year I'm having an advnt calendar with pockets, not sure yet how it'll work out.
Love the birdseed idea!

 

[sloanmama]

I don't have my activities list made out for this year yet (Aahhh! I've got to get a move on that!!) But here are some more things Ollie has "done" or been "caught doing" over the past couple of years that have been fun for us.

1. caught watching holiday movies (buy a new holiday movie or rent one to watch as a family with popcorn of course!)
2. found the kids miniature trees for their bedrooms (we'll decorate them together)
3. left a new holiday cookie recipe printed on holiday paper and bought some sprinkles to decorate them with (we bake/decorate them together)
4. hides an envelope somewhere in the house with GPS coordinates for the family to drive to for a fun holiday surprise (each year we visit a light display in a new town by following these GPS coordinates and it's a big surprise for the kids until we get there. We just follow the directions that the nice lady on the GPS says. lol)
5. leaves a mess of printer paper all cut up making paper snowflakes (we make paper snowflakes and hand them all over the house)
6. coloring in new holiday coloring books
7. doing a puzzle (a holiday/winter themed puzzle. We finish it together)
8. camp out in the tent. (we have a small tent that the kids like to use to "camp-in". we set it up in our living room. But Ollie the elf will set it up and be found inside it. Then the kids will "camp-in" that night.)
9. bring a new holiday book for the kids to read. (Sometimes it's a reading book, last year it was a Look-and-find Santa book.)
10. used markers to draw wintery scenes on the bathroom mirrors. Snowmen, Christmas trees and snowflakes.

Gosh, I've posted a lot! Sorry, I got carried away. There's a lot more that Ollie has done... it's so much fun. We've done the red and green milk too. My kids didn't want to drink the milk after it was colored though... I'm not sure why, I thought it was pretty cool! Love the bird seed ornament idea. I might borrow that one this year!!