If you've read my blog in the past, you already know that I LOVE Christmas. When Thanksgiving falls early in the month, I can't make myself wait until the 1st Sunday in Advent to start fun stuff with my kids. We start as soon as we can! Rather than shop on Black Friday, I deck our halls with Christmas decorations, and the next day is the beginning of Advent for us. This year, that means today! I just put notes with each day's activity inside our Advent calendar and the kids rush to it each morning to see what's planned.
I wanted to share our list of activities, and at the end I'll give you the links to past years' ideas. In the past, I have focused a lot on sugary treats/crafts. This year, I attempted to move our activities away from the sugar focus. There will still be plenty sweet in their lives, I'm sure. Merry Christmas!
27 days until Christmas: Zoo Lights at the Oregon Zoo
26 days until Christmas: Festival of Trees at the Hilton Vancouver
25 days until Christmas: Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas
24 days until Christmas: Play Christmas BINGO and Memory
23 days until Christmas: Pick up tags from the Giving Tree at school and watch the lighting of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree
22 days until Christmas: Watch Prep & Landing 1 & 2
21 days until Christmas: Go to the downtown Camas tree lighting
20 days until Christmas: Breakfast with Santa at Liberty Middle School/E gets to choose a Christmas movie for us to watch
19 days until Christmas: Christmas concert and Advent Festival at church
18 days until Christmas: E's piano recital (of Christmas music, of course)
17 days until Christmas: Take gifts to the school for the Giving Tree
16 days until Christmas: B gets to choose a Christmas movie for us to watch
15 days until Christmas: L's band concert
14 days until Christmas: Live nativity at Son Rise Ranch (where E takes riding lessons)
13 days until Christmas: Christmas at the Fort (Fort Vancouver)
12 days until Christmas: Watch Beethoven's Christmas Adventure
11 days until Christmas: Watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
10 days until Christmas: Look through our Christmas I-Spy books
9 days until Christmas: Watch The Polar Express with B while L's in school and E's riding
8 days until Christmas: Take Christmas gifts for the teachers
7 days until Christmas: L gets to choose a Christmas movie for us to watch
6 days until Christmas: Drive around in our PJs and look at Christmas lights (especially Peacock Lane)
5 days until Christmas: Go to Miracle of a Million Lights at the Victorian Belle Mansion
4 days until Christmas: Make treats for our neighbors
3 days until Christmas: Deliver the treats to our neighbors
2 days until Christmas: Watch The Santa Clause and make cookies for Santa
1 day until Christmas: Read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and go to the Christmas Eve service
For years' past, check out the following:
Our Washington ADVENTure (2014)
Advent is Coming (2013)
The 12 Days of Christmas (2013)
I am also going to do the trendy thing going around FB this year... I'm wrapping up 24 Christmas books to put under the tree. Then starting on the 1st, I'll let the kiddos choose one each night before bed and we'll read it together. Just one more fun way to make the most of the holidays and hopefully make more fun memories for our children!
