Advent

This year we have 2 advent calendars going at the same time. One downstairs for the daycare and one just for Jada upstairs. I thought I would share what is in both of our advents for those of you stuck for ideas. I didn't want Jada to focus on the stuff (candy)that comes in advent calendars so I did a few days with some surprises but mostly activities that we can do together. Each day has a tiny slip of paper telling us what activity to do or where to find a surprise.



Jada's advent:
1. Put up our Christmas tree
2. Christmas tree Chocolate
3. Listen to Christmas music
4. make a marbleized ornament
5. Go for a Wagon/sleigh ride
6. Look under your pillow for a surprise (Hair Elastics)
7. Go for a drive to look at Christmas lights
8. Make some Christmas cards
9. Play with our Christmas themed play Dough
10. Make a foot snowman painting
11. Find a surprise under your pillow (a snowman pez)
12. Play with our Christmas themed Sensory Bin
13. Read some Christmas books
14. Look under your pillow for a surprise ( singing snowman)~ I got it on clearance last boxing day
15. Build a snowman
16. Make some orange clove scents (activity)
17. Make a reindeer from our hand and foot prints
18. Go for a winter walk
19. Attend Grampie's Christmas Birthday (he was born on Christmas eve)
20. Have some hot chocolate
21. Go sledding
22. Watch the polar express
23. Bake cookies
24. put out cookies for Santa and read the night before Christmas
25. Mini Santa Chocolate

* Please note these are not in any particular order as they may change dates depending on the weather*
I tried to correspond Jada's advent with the Day cares. Again this is in no particular order.

Day cares Advent:
1. Christmas sensory bin
2. Christmas themed Play Dough
3. Make marbleized Christmas ornaments
4. home day
5. home day
6. Put up our Christmas tree
7. Orange clove scents activity
8. Christmas felt stories
9. Snowman made from our foot prints
10. make cinnamon ornaments
11. home day
12. home day
13. Ice cream cone Christmas tree decorating
14. Snowman buttoning
15. Have some hot chocolate
16. Reindeer feet and hands craft
17. Read Christmas books
18. home day
19. home day
20. special treat
21. watch the polar express
22. Build a snowman
23. Cookie decorating and class party
24. home day
25. home day
stay tuned for future posts on these activities. I hope you can use some of these ideas:)

Bathtub Painting

This past weekend I was sick with a bad chest cold and lost my voice. Hubby had some stuff to do away from the house so I was on my own to take care of Jada. I had no energy to do anything but Jada was itching to do some sort of activity. I decided to use an idea that a friend posted on her Facebook page. She has two children and giving them paint in the bathtub was her solution to keeping the mess contained. I figured I would give it a try.
Here are some pictures of our adventures

A boat load of paint

Just getting started. At first she just wanted to get one finger dirty with paint

Then she really started to get into her groove


Jada added some more tub toys to the fun


Oh so careful where she put the yellow

"Yucky!"




And her finished masterpiece



It turned out to be a great activity. Jada really stuck with it right to the end (20 minutes). Easy fun and a quick clean up. Just remove the art work and diaper and turn the shower on. watch the mess wash away!





I am linking up with Childhood 101
Come over to play at the Childhood 101 We Play link up

December Play Dough

December's Play Dough

It smells heavenly! I added peppermint extract to the dough, One of my favorite scents besides cookies, pumpkin pie and cinnamon. And since the dough smells like peppermint I decided to do a little candy cane play dough making activity with the children. More on that later in another post.

Memories Of Christmas Past & Present

Present



Past

Christmas 2009

I miss this sweet little person........She is still sweet just not so little. Sniff......

Bubble Wrap Painting

Recycled Materials are a favorite for art activities

We made some bubble wrap prints on a rainy afternoon. Yes it is still raining here after 3 weeks! we did have a bit of snow yesterday but melted due to more rain!

Wow my child has a nice rats nest from nap time

Her favorite thing to do with paint is paint herself! I guess she wouldn't be a toddler if she didn't :)

Our creations drying on our art clothes line. I dry them here them transfer them to another clothes line that is out in the main room. This is about to change as I saw a really cool art board in the blog world that I must try!

Soft Sensory Bin For November End

Thank goodness for the end of Dino mania! I have been itching to move on to new things. I had this bin planned for March but came up with an even better idea. The children are in love with how soft the pom poms are.
For the past 10 years or so of making sensory bins this one is always a favorite with the children. Sometimes simple is better.




This is how all the children have been holding the strange tong/scoop thing. I call it the scissor scoop tong lol



These two monkeys stayed and sorted the different sized pom poms for well over 40 minutes!

I can't wait to show you all my December bin that I have had planned for over 2 months now!

Oh and some exciting news......I finally got a new camera! so I hope my pictures will look better starting with this post:)

Recycled Snowman

If you have children odds are you have a bunch of these kicking around your house.

And if you have a baby I bet you have a bunch of these in your recycling bin

Why not make a super cute snowman with them. Add a pom pom to the toe of the sock for a hat, add some buttons, eyes and a bit of paint and you have a cute candy, cookie or threat holder. The next one I make will have a scarf and some earmuffs.