Arnold Art Camp session 1

I finally did it! I finally made my dreams of an art camp a reality. I have been compiling a list of artsy ideas since I became a teacher in 1996. About 5 years ago I started a blog post, Summer Bucket List,  so I could keep all those ideas together-I kept losing my lists and starting them all over. Then 3 years ago I started thinking about how I really needed to make an effort to DO these activities with my kids, especially since my oldest is passionate about art. I came up with a plan to invite friends over for art camp, but with Spencer being a nursing newborn, and the other kids being 2, 4, and 5, I knew it was not going to happen that year. The next year my dad lived with us so there was no way I could manage. Last year I rewrote the plan (must have lost the original). I was still too nervous to make it happen. This year I told a friend she should make her fun summer activities available to friends as a "camp" and then I realized if she could do it, I can do it. I sat down with my LONG list of ideas and my calendar and went to work planning.

Jane and George at the Pre-school center

Starting the canvas art-one of my favorite projects



Painting



Rosary hangers- I am going to make one myself.



Don't they look great? They aren't even finished. We left the tape on til the paint was completely dry.



Lots and lots of sand art.

Advent Song

"Hark the Herald Angels Sing"
Advent Song found on Little Flower Bugs website.


1. Light the Advent candle one
Now the waiting has begun
We have started on our way
Time to think of Christmas day.

Chorus:
Candle, candle burning bright
Shining in the cold winter night
Candle, candle burning bright
Fill our hearts with Christmas light.

2. Light the Advent candle two
Think of humble shepherds who
Filled with wonder at the sight
Of the child on Christmas night.

3. Light the Advent candle three
Think of heavenly harmony
Angels singing "Peace on Earth"
At the Blessed Savior's birth.

4. Light the Advent candle four
Think of Joy forever more
Christ child in a stable born
Gift of love that Christmas morn.

5. Light the Christmas candles now
Sing of Donkey, Sheep and cow
Birthday candles for the king
Let the Alleluias ring.

Christmas Bucket List

A few years ago, a dear friend and co-worker, Sandy F., told me how she would sit down with her calendar over Thanksgiving break and write a family activity on each date. Then she would cover each square (with foil I think) and each day one of her four children would uncover that day's activity with great anticipation.

She inspired me to make a similar list and I have added to it each year. I am in the process of adding recipes to this list as well as pictures of each of the crafts. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to elaborate. Please share your family traditions.

1. Bake cookies: Candy Cane Twists, Holiday Wreaths, Meringue Snowflakes, Red and Green Holiday Pinwheels, Stained Glass Cookies, Raspberry Poinsettia Blossoms, Reindeer Cookies , Jingle Bell Cookie Pizza
2. Go to Santa’s Wonderland December 23rd or before (you don’t know how weather will be)
3. Visit Nursing Home-caroling
4. Take treats to priest/doctors
5. Go to a Movie
6. St. Nicholas Day-read story about St. Nicholas and watch Veggie Tales
7. Games Night
8. Puzzle Night
9. Christmas Parade (1st weekend)
10. Make Gingerbread house/cookies
11. Make Jesus’ birthday cake
12. Make a clay dough ornament with cookie cutters.
13. Make choc dipped reindeer pretzels14. Make countdown chain
15. Make & decorate Advent cookie bouquet
16. Movie night- (Charlie Brown, It’s a Wonderful Life, Christmas Vacation, Miracle on 34th Street, Polar Express, A Christmas Story, Elf, etc....) with hot chocolate, Wassail, or hot cider.
17. 24th read story of Christmas-Luke
18. Make reindeer food
19. Bake candy cane twist cookies & read legend of candy cane
20. Make Advent wreath beads/bracelet
21. Ice Skating
22. Crafts with popsicle sticks (See Oriental trading.com for ideas)
23. Make reindeer Krispie Treats, Santa Claus Krispie Treats, or “holiday” Krispie Treats ,
24. Shop in Calvert?
25. Christmas in the Park26. Legend of the Christmas Tree
27. Make S’Mores
28. Gatti Town
29. Horseshoe Junction (go carts, mini golf, etc… in Brenham)
30. Elf on the Shelf ($30 @ Hallmark)
31. Paper plate crafts (see Oriental Trading’s website) . Gingerbread plate.
32. Tissue paper crafts (candy cane, wreath, tree, stocking)
33. “Stained glass” crafts (on transparency or laminating film). Print one of the coloring pages. Place a clear transparency page or laminating film on top. Tape them well. Let the kids color with Sharpies. Saran Wrap works, too. Hang the finished product in the window, or place on top of foil and cover a paper plate for a different look.
34. You and your kids enter a baking contest (College Station’s @ Christmas in the Park)
35. Ice Sculpting (click here).
36. Make an Advent Activity Chain. Here is one I found online. It is not the same as Lauren brought home from church. Here is another one. Here is the Nativity Story on a chain.
37. Santa pom-pom countdown to Christmas.
38. Let your child(ren) pick from the giving tree at church (or Salvation Army tree at the mall) and buy a gift for the less fortunate.
39. (Do this Thanksgiving weekend)- Wrap all your Christmas storybooks and let the kids take turns opening one each night. That's the bedtime story! Thanks, Jennie F!
40. (Again, print this Thanksgiving weekend)-Print this Santa Advent countdown on cardstock. make sure you have plenty of cotton!
41. Here is the link to the Advent Chain my daughter brought home from Religous Education this year. The teacher copied the links on purple and pink to correspond with the candles. Lauren ABSOLUTELY loved doing this and got upset if she couldn't do each one right away!
42. Handprint crafts: Help the kids paint their hands green and paint into a wreath, Santa, reindeer, Poinsettia, or Christmas tree pattern.

43. Make these adorable Melted Snowman Oreo Cookies by Idea Room Blog. Scroll down below the "pops".
44. Make homemade Candy Cane Marshmallows.
45. Make Mint Thins
46. Pringles can Nutcracker, Santa, Elf, or many others.
47. Print these Nativity stick puppets and recreate the Nativity Story.

48. Bake cookies and send to troops overseas.

49. Make these "Pretty Plastic Light Catchers."
50. Make these Advent Boxes. There is a box for each day in the month of December (up to Christmas Day). Each box holds a small item and a scripture (or Biblical principal) to go along with each day.

51. Make this Advent mantle display from Shower of Roses.

Here are posts from previous years. I hope to consolidate the lists soon.

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.

Advent Traditions

Advent, which comes from the Latin word for "arrival" or "coming," is a period of preparation for the birth of our Lord. Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas and is the start of the Christmas season, which lasts through the Baptism of Our Lord. The first Sunday of Advent also marks the beginning of the liturgical year, the Church's "New Year's Day," at which time we change the cycle of readings we are using at Mass.

Read more at: http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Advent/faqs.asp#whatis

As we are preparing our homes and hearts for the beginning of Advent, I was wondering what your family does to celebrate Advent...what arts and crafts ideas you have...what stories you tell...what songs you teach your kids....what websites you love...anything Advent related really.

Please share your family traditions here! Just click on "comments". I look forward to your inspiration.

Check out http://www.extravagantgrace.net/
Look for the picture of the advent wreath.

http://www.teachingmom.com/features/advent.html
http://miikogibson.com/advent_study.htm
http://biblekidsfunzone.com/Christmas.html
http://www.craft-central-station.com/projects/holidays/xmass-index.htm