Cutting it fine, I finished making my simple advent calendar this morning so the children could open the first envelope this afternoon after school. Phew!
I wanted something straightforward to make so chose to decorate a money envelope for each day of advent, with a slip of paper inside each. Activities, crafts, cooking and adventures for all the family. Yes of course they have a chocolate one too, there's be a revolt otherwise!
Some years ago The Big Sister was given a box of advent chocolates and I saved the wrappers as they had such jolly festive pictures. They were perfect for decorating each envelope, but if you are not an obsessive hoarder of stuff you could stamp the numbers on each envelope instead. Pegged to some ribbon they look super strung across the window.
Here is the list of activities, carefully planned so the more time consuming things are on days when we will have the time to enjoy them
find the Christmas CDs and have a Christmas dance
Christmas crafting! Make paper chains
Make gift tags with old Christmas cards
Put the wreath on the front door
visit Father Christmas
Write our Christmas cards
Make paper snowflakes and decorate the window
Make place cards and napkin holders for the Christmas dinner table
Read Christmas books & drink hot chocolate
Have a Chocolate fondue
Go ice skating
Decorate the Christmas tree
Wrap a present for your brother or sister
games in front of the tree
stories in front of the tree
Give Presents to teachers
Make a giant mural by gluing on pictures of toys from flyers and magazines.
Bake a cake
Print & color winter or Christmas themed coloring pages
Print & do a winter maze
Make Christmas bookmarks
Stay up late and watch a Christmas film
Snowman Soup in front of the Christmas tree
Go to Christingle
Feeling very festive now, is it too early for mulled wine?!