25 (or more) Family Activities

In addition to the 25 sweets recipes in 25 days, I would like to post some ideas for Advent/Christmas family activities. I did start an Advent section.
Thanks Aunt Carolyn!

A co-worker and also friend from church shared a family tradition with me that I want to start this year. She said that each Thanksgiving weekend she would lock herself in her room with a calendar and fill in each day in December with something fun their family would do together. Then, she would cover each day with a tear-away flap and each day a different child got to reveal the exciting event. Her 4 children are now college-aged and she said the youngest was upset last year when she did not make the calendar.

Here are some ideas but I would really love to hear your ideas as well:
1. Help your children make an Advent wreath-
a) get a mini wreath and mini candles at the craft store
b) string green tri-beads on a pipe cleaner...6 green, one pink (for the pink candle), 6 green.....
c) make a countdown chain either red & green for Christmas or 6 green, one pink, 6 green...

2. Have family games night.
3. Find out when your city is having their Christmas parade and go (unless it's at naptime like ours was)!
4. Make a clay dough ornament .
5. Family movie night.
6. Dec. 6 is St. Nicholas day. Read a story about St. Nick and research world traditions about him.
7. Bake treats to give away to neighbors, doctors, clergy and church staff, etc...
8. Go deliver the treats.
9. Family puzzle night.
10. Read, 'Legend of the Candy Cane' and make candy cane cookies.
11. Make a gingerbread house and read the 'Gingerbread Man'.
12. Go to a movie.
13. Make magic reindeer food.
14. Make Jesus' birthday cake.
15. Visit a nursing home.
16. Get a name from your church's angel tree, shop for the gift, and deliver it togther.
17. Bake cookies
18. Go to Santa's Wonderland
19. Read one of Tomie de Paola's many Christian books like 'Legend of the Poinsettia'
20. Go to a local church's Living Nativity
21. Make mixes in a jar for friends and neighbors.
22. Attend a local Christmas concert. Support the local high school, their performances are free.
23. Go ice-skating.
24. Read age-appropriate story about the birth of Christ.
25. Unwrap the first gift (baby Jesus) because this was God's first gift to us.

Click on "comments" to add your ideas.