The countdown has started.

Last year a friend suggested a fun new tradition which I really want to continue. Starting on the first of December we do one fun christmas activity each day to help count down the days until Christmas. The kids decorated a cute little mailbox that we got last year in the Target dollar spot. Each day Santa writes a letter telling the kids what they get to do for the day. It is a lot of work and occasionally Santa gets so busy(she) forgets and has had to do a mad dash to get the letter typed and the activity set up. This is the second year so I am a little more organized. This is a super fun way to count down the days and it also encourages young readers and writers to practice. Here are the fun things we do. You will see almost all of them are free and are just about being together.

1. Color Christmas Pictures




2. Make ornaments(last year we used recycled lightbulbs and made them look like snowmen)




3. Put Pjs on and hop in the car with Hot cocoa and go check out all the lights (I love this one)




4. Make Snow Ice Cream




5. Make a snow ball cake




6. Polar express night (On this one I put movie tickets in with jingle bells like in the movie)




7. Family Game Night




8. Make snowman Shaped Pizza




9. Decorate cookies




10. Decorate Gingerbread house




11. Present Game




12. Make a crystal christmas tree (a fun little science experiment)




13. Make snowball soap




14. Make snowman Hot Chocolate




15. Make cane cane suckers




16. Make gingerbread pancakes for breakfast




17. Read a Christmas book




18. Make Reindeer food (Oatmeal mixed with a little glitter)




19. Make Christmas Shrinky Dinks(Using recycled #6 plastic)




20. Make doughnut snowmen




21. Meet Daddy for a special lunch




22. Go see a Christmas Carol




23. Sing Christmas songs




24. Make Popsicle stick Christmas trees




25. CHRISTMAS IS HERE!!!

Snow Ice Cream Recipe:

1 gallon or big bowl full of snow
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup cream or milk

This won't be as rich as regular ice cream but it is sure fun to make.

Do you have any traditions that you want to share??? I am always looking for fun new ideas.