Friday, December 2, 2011

Christmas Countdown Socks

My sister Cameo (craft critter contributor) gave me Christmas countdown socks for Christmas last year. She made the clothes pins and with it was ideas to go with each day.


I put little knitted socks, mittens, a hat and long johns. I love how vintage it looks.
I decided to combine this with a couple of our Christmas traditions.

1.
open a book a day until Christmas.

2.
Christmas daily activities. I started this last year, we had so much fun with it, we are continuing it this year. And will be awesome with our new Christmas sock countdown.

Each day has a theme so I coordinated our books to match the theme along with the activities.


I love the packet that my sister gave me to go with each day. It talks about each theme and the history behind it. This is some of the things we will be doing:

Elf Day - I have elf crafting activities we will be doing, we will be Elfing our neighbors, watch the "Elf" movie, and reading "Always an Elf"

Christmas Tree Day - We will be going to the Festival of Trees, (you could put your tree up on this day), making a lot of Christmas tree crafts, doing different tree activities:
rolling a Christmas tree, playing a Christmas tree board game, Christmas tree sizing, alphabet tree mats, and reading "The Lonely Christmas Tree"

Sweater Day/Christmas Stocking Day - Talking about how warm clothing makes us feel and how we should make others feel the same way. Doing a kind deed.
Playing Stocking dice game, making paper stockings with cotton balls, and Reading "A Christmas Dress For Ellen"

Snowman Day - Making snowman crafts and snowman food,
snowman dice game, if there is snow we will make a snowman. Watch "Frosty the Snowman", and reading "Snowmen at Night".

Star Day - Making star sugar cookies, talking about how the wisemen followed the star. Doing star crafts and reading "Penny's Christmas Jar"

Grinch Day - Having a "Who Feast" with roast beast, potatoes, corn,
"who" pudding" and green foods (green jello). Writing a letter to the Grinch to convince him of all the reasons he should like Christmas. Making a grinch mask, Whoville's word search, Reading "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"

Snowflake Day - Making paper snowflakes, snowflake sorting, and reading " A creature was stirring, one boys night before Christmas"

Reindeer Day - Telling the kids how Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer came to life in 1939. Making candy cane reindeer's, making marshmallow reindeer's,
roll and color reindeer, reindeer Christmas addition, reindeer paper plate craft and reading "Reindeer Christmas" and Laughing all the Way"

Santa Clause Day - Making Santa pancakes with a can of whip cream for the beard. Going to see Santa, making
Santa's cotton ball beard, Santa dice game, watching "The Santa Clause" and reading "The Night Before Christmas.

Wreath and Holly Day - Having a night of "circle of love" - by have a family game night, making wreath crafts and wreath bread, reading "Mr. Finnegan's Giving Chest"

Manger Day - Manger activities, talking about the manger, making a manger with Popsicle sticks, reading "Little One"

Candy Cane Day - making crafts with candy canes, playing
Christmas Dominoes, Candy Cane Matching game, making a candy cane ornament, making Christmas candy, and reading "Mary Englebert's , A Merry Little Christmas"

12 Days of Christmas - Tell the story behind the 12 days of Christmas. We have a tradition to do the 12 days of Christmas with our family so we will start today.

Letter to Santa Day - Write a letter to Santa, reading, "A Letter to Santa"

Wiseman Day - Talking about the wisemen, making king crowns, handing out neighbor gifts and reading, "The Miracle of the Wooden Shoes"

Christmas Lights Day -
Christmas Light ABC, Christmas light pattern, going to see Christmas lights, and reading, "A Candle in a Window"

Bell Day or Polar Express Day -
Playing Silver Bells Game, Making a jingle bell bracelet, having a Polar Express Pajama Party! We will have tickets to give to the "Conductor", we will have hot chocolate and cookies, and watch the movie. We will make trains out of candy and reading, "The Polar Express"

Nativity Day - Talk about the nativity, my mom has made a wooden nativity for each of my kids, we will use that to play with, we will color a nativity page, do a Nativity Shadow matching activity, doing a nativity puzzle, watching "Mr. Krougers Christmas" and reading, "God Bless Your Way"

Ornament Day - We will be talking about some of the ornaments on our tree and where they came from. Having a family discussion about our favorite ornaments, favorite Christmas memory, favorite Christmas food, Christmas smell, and what they are most excited for Christmas. We will be making an ornament,
doing ornament sorting - with tree mat, watching "The Forgotten Carols and reading, "The Forgotten Carols - A Christmas Miracle for Isaac and Eliza"

Angel Day - This is the day our daughter became an angel three years ago, we will be doing family things that will help us through this day. Reading, "It's a Wonderful Life"

Bow Day - Wrap Christmas presents and top them with bows, reading, "A Christmas Carol"

Nutcracker Day - I will have M&M's and tell the story about the "M", the "E", the "W" and the "3" that the M&M makes. Eat different nuts, playing don't eat Pete with peanut M&M's, making a nutcracker craft,
nut cracker number match, reading " The Nutcracker"

Gingerbread Day - Making a gingerbread house,
Christmas cookie matching game, lacing a gingerbread man, making gingerbread playdough and using cookie cutters. Reading, "Gingerbread Baby"

Christmas Eve Day - We have Christmas Eve traditions we will be doing.

Christmas Day - Merry Christmas, we will also be doing our Christmas day traditions.

I wrapped all the books and put numbers on each one.


Here are the books with the daily activities ready to start tomorrow. I am so excited to do this. I think it will be so much fun. Love making memories with my kids.
I typed each theme on a piece of paper and stuck it inside the sock or mitten. So when the kids pull the paper out, they will know what theme we will be doing that day.





Linking to:

Lil LunaFor the Kids Friday


beneath my heart

3 comments:

  1. Ohmyword! Is not the cutest thing I have ever seen? Would you please share this with our readers for Fun Stuff Fridays linky party? http://www.toysinthedryer.com/2011/12/fun-stuff-fridays-3.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is a fabulous idea!! Im surely keeping and using this one thanks so very much!Deidre~ http://simplysimplisticated4.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I featured this today on my Christmas in July Celebration!

    http://passionateandcreativehomemaking.blogspot.com/2012/07/day-3-christmas-in-july.html

    ReplyDelete