SMMART MATH: Advent Holiday Calendar

Whatever holiday you celebrate in the month of December...you can create an advent calendar to count down the days until THE BIG DAY(s)!
 

A special idea that I've heard from several sources revolves around creating your own advent calendar of traditions. Might be fun to write each day's holiday activity on a snowflake, folded up and tucked into your advent creation.

Advent Calendar ideas:

-You can decorate 24 little boxes with your children and fill each box with a piece of paper that tells the day's activity.

-24 Gifts-Wrap up 24 little boxes and each day your child can open one to discover the day's activity.
 

-Craft 24 little "poppers" or "crac kers" filled with a holiday activity each day. Check out these rocket poppers: (http://www.alphamom.com/holiday/2009/06/make_your_own_fourth_of_july_c.php)

...might be fun to make Holiday poppers and every day confetti, treats and an activity fall down on your child in a snow flurry...could create holiday snow chimes (without the rocket top)and wrap 24 toilet paper rolls in holiday scrapbook paper, fill, number and hang up by their strings...Tons of Fun!)
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-Make a pop-up window calendar (cut windows out of one sheet of cardstock that your child has decorated... and paste onto a piece of paper where all of the ideas written out under each window)

-Egg Carton Advent (poke holes into the bottom of two cartons and attach them to a piece of cardboard. Wiggle a small strip of paper into each hole and each day your child can pull out that day's strip of paper with the activity for the day. Be sure to let your child decorate the cartons ahead of time.)

Here is a list of ideas that my good friends Arianne and Melanie (and family fun magazine) helped me come up with-some ideas are local to our area.

Advent Calendar…Christmas Tradition Ideas

Make your own Snowman Pizza (complete with olive buttons and mouth)

Cut out and decorate SNOWFLAKES, then hang them from your child's ceiling
 

Make cookies

Watch a nativity Christmas movie
Visit (temple square) lights
Act out the nativity

Go ice skating
Host a Christmas (princess) party for your child’s friends
Surprise a neighbor by doing something for them 
Deliver neighbor gifts
Go to see decorated Christmas Trees (Festival of trees)
Decorate gingerbread houses

Decorate Christmas tree
Visit Santa
Attend the Nutcracker

Observe ice sculpture contest
Attend a (ward) Christmas party
Visit a live nativity

Watch a Christmas movie
Christmas craft
Let your child pick an angel from an “angel tree” Write Christmas cards

Make gifts for your child’s friends
Play in the snow

Make Snow Ice cream

Watch The First Presidency Devotional (lds.org)
Make ice ornaments
Make bird seed crackers 
Read scriptural account of Jesus’ birth
Attend Christmas Concert/play

Write a Christmas Story

Read Greatest Christmas Pageant EVER

Zoo lights

“This is the Place” Christmas village

Play a holiday game

 

Draw your own nativity

Make a gift for your teacher

Wrap friend gifts and deliver them

Go to the library/craft time
 

Paint everybody's toenails in Christmas colours.

Make Christmas cards.

Make Christmas ornaments.

Set up the Christmas tree.

Make gift tags.

Bake Christmas cookies and decorate them.

Purchase a present to give to charity/Take food to food bank

Have a picnic for dinner.

Go out to look at Christmas lights after dark. (make a gift “award” to present to the house that your family likes the most)

Write a letter to Santa.

Make gifts for teachers and bus drivers.

Hold a family disco.

Go out somewhere special for dinner.

Eat fancy ice creams after dinner.

Watch a Christmas movie before bed.

Visit the grave of loved one

Create and deliver holiday party invites for a holiday party you host
Make a snowscape with shaving cream and action figures (in the bathtub or on a cookie sheet)

Blindfold your kids and have them  guess holiday scents and spices

Write a Christmas Story together

Write a letter to someone in the armed forces

Play secret santa to your neighbor

Act out a Christmas story

At dinner describe what you love about each family member

Hot cocoa taste testing
String popcorn and cranberry garland for an outdoor tree

Happy Holiday Memory Making!

Advent Calendar