Christmas Countdown - 7 Days to Go!

7 Days 'til Christmas!!!

Yes, I apologize right now, before we even start. Glitter. Possibly considered a swear word to parents of small children. Just thinking about glitter can give you anxiety. The thought of the stuff getting all over the place..... Yikes!

I don't use glitter a lot, but there are times when I just really want to achieve a particular look and that is the only way. Well, this is one of those activities...

Snow Playdough

I like to play around with playdough trying different textures, smells, and appearances. Today's fun is snow playdough. It is very simple, but the kids get super excited about using it! It is literally just a basic playdough recipe with glitter added in... Also, I promise the glitter won't get everywhere. You lose a little glitter when you first knead it, but once the kids start working with it, the glitter seems to stay in the playdough just fine! :)

Recipe

1 c flour

1/2 c salt

1 T cream of tartar

1 T oil

1 c water

white/silver glitter

In a large saucepan, mix together flour, salt, cream of tartar, and glitter (just pour a little in until it looks sparkly enough).  Add oil and water, and place the pan on the stove on medium. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the dough forms and is the consistency of playdough. Remove from heat and set dough on the counter to cool. Once it is cool enough to handle, knead the dough until you have a good playdough consistency. Store in an airtight container. (Dough will last longer if you store it in the fridge.)

Now it is time for a fantastic playdough wintery scene! The shimmering playdough is enticing, and your kids should get a good amount of use out it!

Materials needed for tomorrow:

*glitter glue (found in craft stores, stores like Walmart/Target, but I get it at Dollar Tree)

*construction paper or cardstock

Christmas Countdown - 8 Days to Go!

8 Days 'til Christmas!!!

In case you have been following these posts closely and are wondering if you missed yesterday's post.... Nope. It isn't your imagination that "8 Days 'til Christmas" and "7 Days 'til Christmas" are going up on the same day. Yeah... some days are like that. I was just waiting to nab some pictures of my little guy's finished puzzle before posting, and my daughter had a Calculus Crisis. Really, I think anything to do with Calculus is a crisis, but last night she was tackling a particularly difficult assignment and it was winning. So I quickly changed my plans, and she and I spent until late in the evening solving some mind-boggling Calculus word problems. It is just how things roll around here sometimes! Now that the crisis has passed and she is back to her happy self, I can post both activities. If there is one thing I have learned as a parent, it is to be flexible. :)

We had fun with this activity! In fact, my daughter (who is 18) would have joined us in a heartbeat if she wasn't up to her neck in math... :) Hopefully you will find it fun as well!

Craft Stick Christmas Puzzles

Puzzles are a fantastic activity for growing minds, and they are even more fun when you have made it yourself! These craft stick puzzles are easy to make, and the kids will have fun putting them together over and over.

Materials

*craft sticks

*painter's tape (the thin type will work just fine... I just could only find the fat roll) :)

*markers (sharpies or washable)

*old Christmas cards (optional)

*acrylic paint/paintbrushes (optional)

*Mod Podge (optional)
*craft knife (optional)
*sandpaper (optional)

1. Line up the craft sticks side-by-side. You can make the puzzle any size you want.

2. Lay a piece of painter's tape on the sticks to hold them together.

3. Turn the sticks over so that the painter's tape is underneath. 

4. Use the markers to draw a picture on the sticks. It is best if objects cross over from one stick to another. This will make it easier to reassemble the puzzle later.

5. Once you are happy with the picture, remove the painter's tape. You are now ready to mix up the sticks and try out your puzzle!

Optional:
*Use paints instead of markers to create your picture. I would recommend sketching your design in pencil first, and then fill the picture in with paints. Once the paint is dry, you could seal it with a clear coat spray or Mod Podge.

*Rather than drawing your own picture, use an old Christmas card for the image on the puzzle. Lay the sticks out as described above. Then paint over the sticks with a layer of Mod Podge. Press the card onto the sticks, making sure that it sticks nicely to the adhesive. Then, paint a layer of Mod Podge over the top of the card, being careful to coat around the edges of the card. Allow this to dry. Once dry, remove the tape and carefully (VERY CAREFULLY) cut in the cracks between each stick with a craft knife or other sharp tool. After cutting, I gently sanded the edges of the cards/sticks to make them smoother and then applied a thin layer of Mod Podge to seal the edges.

I hope you have fun creating and solving these puzzles!!

Materials needed for tomorrow:

*white or silver glitter! (yeah.... sorry....) :)

Christmas Countdown - 9 Days to Go!

9 Days 'til Christmas!!!

We are in single digits!! Only 9 days until the big day. My kids are so excited! What am I saying?? I am so excited!!

With that excitement comes a lot of restlessness. Today the boys just couldn't think of anything to do other than irritate each other or ask to watch TV. Since neither of those things were working for me, I needed an alternative. Luckily, I just happen to have all of the materials for today's activity out and ready to go! Mom win! I knew my 7-year-old would love this activity, but I actually didn't even offer it to the 11-year-old at first. I just figured if one boy was occupied it would be a lot harder for them to fight. After he worked for a few minutes, big brother came up and asked if he was going to get to make a picture too. Why not? So I sat him down with the supplies, gave him a little guidance (which he mostly ignored) and let him get creative. Their pictures came out much cuter than anything I could ever have come up with!

Thumbprint Snowmen

This activity is great for imagination and creativity. You start with thumbprints in the shape of a snowman, but after that you can add all the details you want! 

Materials

*blue construction paper

*white paint (acrylic or tempera work well)

*markers (we used sharpies, but I would use washable markers with younger children)

*white pencil or crayon

First, a disclaimer. I am NOT an artistic person. I truly believe I was born without a right half of my brain. Everything I do is analytical, even arts, crafts, and music. So imagine my version of this with all of the wonderful creativity that you and your children have added in. :)

Ok, now that that is out of the way... The first step for me was to use the pencil to draw the ground. I needed a place for my snowmen to stand. My boys started the same way, and I think it helped them get some perspective before trying to place their snowmen on the page. 

Next, we poured a tiny bit of acrylic paint onto a paper plate and then used our fingers to create the snowmen. I did tiny fingerprints, my youngest did larger thumbprints, and my older boy accidentally dripped paint onto his picture so he turned it into large snowmen by finger-painting. All three methods seemed to work fine and gave the snowmen unique appearances. 

After that you have to leave the picture to dry for a few minutes. Once the paint has dried, use the markers to add details to the snowmen. Think about hats, scarves, faces, arms... anything a snowman might need. My boys even added "gamer gear" and a football. The possibilities are endless! You can also use the pencil/crayon to add more snowy details to your pictures. Have fun with it and make it your own!

Materials needed for tomorrow:

*large craft sticks

*markers

*painter's tape

*Mod Podge

*old Christmas cards (optional)

*paint (optional)

Christmas Countdown - 10 Days to Go!

10 Days 'til Christmas!!!

We are down to 10 days, and the kids are getting wild! Admittedly, my boys seemed to be particularly wild today and I thought I was going to lose my mind. Thankfully, I had this little activity up my sleeve, and I was able to sit them down to work on it, buying myself a few minutes of peace. :) Hopefully it can be helpful in your home too!

Fruit Loop Wreath

We have made fruit loop wreaths each year for the past several years, and the kids love it every time. They are simple enough to make that they can do it on their own, and it is fun for them to have something they made themselves that they can add to the Christmas tree!

Materials

*Fruit Loops cereal

*pipe cleaners

The instructions are very simple! Give each child a small dish of fruit loops and a pipe cleaner. Have them string the fruit loops onto the pipe cleaner until it is filled, leaving a small space at each end. The children can arrange the cereal randomly, or you could have them create patterns with their cereal. Once finished, loop the pipe cleaner into a circle and twist the ends together to make a wreath. Hang the wreaths on the tree or around the house, or just snack on them! :)

Materials needed for tomorrow:

*blue construction paper

*white paint

*markers

Christmas Countdown - 11 Days to Go!

11 Days 'til Christmas!!!

Ready for another day of fun? This is an activity I made with my boys several years ago. A felt Christmas tree is great for imagination and spatial skills. Plus it is something that can be used over and over! 

Felt Christmas Tree

For our first attempt at a felt tree we made the small version, and the boys played with it for days. A couple years later, someone gave us the bigger version. The boys have thoroughly enjoyed both of these Christmas trees, and we get them out every year! I like this project because it is relatively simple to make, the materials are inexpensive, and it is good for hours of entertainment! (Not to mention a little secret learning rolled up in there too!)

Materials

Green felt (1 regular piece for the small tree, a large piece from the fabric store for the bigger tree)

Felt in a variety of colors

Sharp scissors

Sharpie markers (optional)

Ribbon/embellishments (optional)

Glue gun (optional)

Cut a Christmas tree out of the green felt. You can "freehand" it, or you can draw it first (which is what this very un-artistic mom had to do!). Use the other colors to cut out ornaments and gifts. You can add embelishments to the pieces if you want (sewing them or gluing them on), or leave them plain. I let my kids use sharpies to draw on the gifts and ornaments, giving them the chance to personalize it. Then give the tree and pieces to your children and let them put it together any way they want. They will build the tree over and over, trying out different looks each time!

Materials needed for tomorrow:

*fruit loops

*pipe cleaners

Christmas Countdown - 12 Days to Go!

12 Days 'til Christmas!!!

Only 12 days until the kids get to wake up on Christmas morning, and the excitement is palpable! We have so much to do between now and then, but the kids are too excited to entertain themselves... What to do?? It is time for a Christmas countdown of some fun activities - things the kids can do that may buy you a few minutes of free time. Or at the very least it will give you something you can do with your children to help them pass the time! The best part, the kids will have fun and shh... they won't know they're learning! :)

Gingerbread Playdough

This is a fun twist on regular playdough because it smells just like gingerbread. It is a perfect way for the kids to "make cookies" without actually making cookies.... ;) Simple to make and good for hours of fun!

Recipe

1 c flour

1/2 c salt

2 t cream of tartar

1 T cinnamon

1 t ginger

1 t nutmeg

1 t cloves

2 T oil

1 c water

In a large saucepan, mix together flour, salt, cream of tartar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Add oil and water, and place the pan on the stove on medium. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the dough forms and is the consistency of playdough. Remove from heat and set dough on the counter to cool. Once it is cool enough to handle, knead the dough until you have a good playdough consistency. Store in an airtight container. (Dough will last longer if you store it in the fridge.)

Give the kids some rollers and cookie cutters and let them go to town! I also like to give them things like beads and ribbons to decorate their gingerbread men. Let their imaginations run wild!

Materials needed for tomorrow:

*various pieces of felt, at least one large green piece

Snow Day! Picture Treasure Hunt!

Up for another Snow Day activity? My boys really loved this one... I think we might have to do it again sometime soon!

Picture Treasure Hunt

Treasure hunts are so fun! Following a map to each landmark, searching for treasure. Love it! Here is a little twist on the traditional treasure hunt... Use pictures for the clues! 


Materials

• camera
• printer
• paper
• pencil
• tape
• treasure
• lunch sack

The treasure can be anything you want - a treat, a toy, an activity... just something you have on hand that the kids will enjoy. I have a little prize box I use for those moments when I need something for the kids. We chose our treasures out of that box.

The first step is to give your child a camera, have them choose some locations around the house, and take pictures of those locations. I let my 8-year-old take care of this by himself. With the 4-year-old, I actually took the pictures for him. You can take the pictures any way you want. My son took a picture of a whole location (i.e. He took a picture of the microwave and stove). I took pictures really close up so that you could only see a small portion of the location, making it harder to tell what you were looking at. Both ways worked great, especially since he was taking pictures for the younger brother to decipher and I was taking pictures for him (the older brother) to decipher. He needed a bit of a challenge :) 

Next, print the pictures. They don't have to be printed very big. I dropped 8 pictures per page into Microsoft Word and they were the perfect size.

Once you have the pictures you can cut them out and place them in the order you want the treasure hunt to happen. We wrote down the names of the places in order on a piece of paper just in case we couldn't solve one of the clues. The boys didn't have any trouble figuring out the clues, but it was fantastic writing practice anyway!

Next, choose who is going to go first and have them place their clues around the house while the "treasure hunter" hides somewhere (like their bedroom). This is great for reasoning practice because they have to think about which picture to place in each location so that the "treasure hunter" can be lead to the next clue. The written list comes in handy at this stage! Once all of the clues are placed, hide the treasure in the final location. It is time for the treasure hunt to begin!

Give the "treasure hunter" the first picture clue. This will lead him/her to the next location where they can find the next picture clue. Hunting continues until they find the final location and the treasure! 

 

The boys had so much fun deciphering the pictures and trying to find the hidden clues. The hardest part for them was not giving away the answers to the clues, but they managed to stay *mostly* quiet and not give too many clues :) They were so excited to reach the end and find the treasure! Once we finished the first hunt and one child had his treasure the boys were both super excited to set up the second hunt and do it all over again!