Countdown 'til Christmas

December is here! That means only 25 days until Christmas! (I'm not sure who is more excited, me or the kids!) Here are a few ideas to countdown the days until Christmas!

*Make a paper chain with 25 links

Advent is a time to wait and prepare for Christmas, and it is also a time to try to make improvements in ourselves and the way that we act. My kids and I brainstormed some "acts of kindness" or good things that we could do each day in December and wrote these ideas on the strips of paper. Each day we will tear off one link and focus on doing whatever it says! (If your toddler is a little young to do this, you could simply write a number and when you take each link down talk about the number and the color of the paper!)

*Make a homemade Christmas Countdown Calendar

I made this one several years ago and it has held up well. All it takes is one canvas, scrapbook paper, number and letter stickers and 25 little tins that you can find in the wedding craft section at Wal-mart! Here are the directions!
Each day we will take down a number. Inside each tin, there will be a small sticker, piece of candy or other little goodie for the kids!

*Read Books

Here are two of my favorite countdown until Christmas books! There is a little story and bible verse to read and a craft or activity for each day!!
Happy December!

Skills Targeted: teach your tot to count, teach your tot to count backwards, teach your tot to be paitient, teach your tot listen and follow directions, teach your tot kindness, teach your tot language development, teach your tot color recognition, teach your tot number recognition