Every child looks forward to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day anticipating all the presents and fun, but why not extend the holiday season by making the most of the four weeks of Advent leading up to Christmas Day.
Many children are given Advent calendars normally starting on 1st December although few will know that Advent represents the four Sundays before Christmas and can start on any date from November 27th onwards.
Plan to have a new activity every three or four days. A good way to start is by buying an Advent calendar and explaining that Advent is the four Sundays before Christmas. The children could then make a simple Advent wreath to put on the window-sill. Advent wreaths are normally a circle of greenery with four candles. Three candles can be blue and one pink to represent the joy.
The shops are full of beautiful decorations and lights to buy, but many older people will remember the pleasure of making paper chains when they were children. It is possible to buy packets of ready cut coloured strips, but if you cannot get these, origami paper can be used or brightly colored wrapping paper.
Children will get bored if they have to make too many Christmas cards, but why not get them to just make a few very decorative ones for special people like grandparents. Give them shiny beads, holographic wrapping paper to cut up and glitter so that they can really go over the top!
Christmas dinner is one of the highlights of Christmas day and the children will enjoy make table decorations. A center decoration is easily made using an empty plastic food carton. Mix up some plaster filler to put in the carton and before it sets put a candle in the center surrounded by sprigs of artificial holly, mistletoe, pine cones and Christmas baubles. The carton can be painted and wide scarlet or gold ribbon tied around it. Smaller versions can be made as individual place settings.
Plain white or red candles can be easily decorated but remember that whatever you use as decoration could catch fire when the candles are lit.
Carol singers used to be a regular part of Christmas, but now it seems a few children knock on the door, sing two lines of a carol before they run out of words and then look embarrassed. Why not teach your children and a few of their friends several carols and take them out to sing properly. You could door knock, or do what the Salvation Army often does and sing a carol in each street of your neighborhood. People will love to hear it and not feel pressured to make any donation.
A visit to Santa is a must but you can also arrange for a special letter from Santa or even a phone call. Letters from Santa have North Pole postmarks and include up to 12 personal references to make each letter unique. Small presents such an chocolates, a teddy bear or magic snow can also be added. Check my website for further information.
Margaret Tye runs the
From Tots 2 Teens - Letters From Santa website.
