Christmas Activities

Here’s what I have so far this year. As I mentioned in a previous post, I made individual printouts of these activities (using pictures that included the kids where I could), laminated them:



and hung them on the wall:



Each day we chose one that is appropriate for the day and move it the other side of the wall. I plan to add new ones as I think of other activities to try. (there’s no need to display all of them if I don’t want to, and I don’t feel bad if there are more than 24 and we don’t do all of them)

Low-Energy-It’s-Been-A-Long-Day Projects

Color Christmas Coloring Sheets
Watch Christmas Movie (I’ve got 4 of these, the idea being that I actually sit and watch the movie and we eat popcorn together)
Watch Luke II
Update Christmas Tree*
Make Snowflakes out of coffee filters (SO EASY)
Write Letters to Santa
Choose Christmas Treats (look through cookbooks and magazines)
First Presidency Christmas Devotional

*Last year we did this mid-to-high-energy project from Family Fun:



Running up either side is a measuring tape; the idea is to measure and record your kids' height each year on an "ornament."

Now that we have it completed I just have to measure the kids, cut out the new “ornaments” and write their new height. We did this activity Sunday-it took all of 10 minutes. Margarita (9yrs) and Julio (7 yrs) both grew 2 inches. Juan Carlos (4 yrs) grew 3 inches and Pedro (9 months) was the big winner with 8 ½ inches of growth since his birth in March!



Mid-Energy-Let’s-Have-Some-Christmas-Fun Projects

Christmas Craft (3 of these)
Make Fudge with Grandma (my mom’s coming next week!!!)
Christmas Symbols Family Home Evening (actually low-energy if you plan it and then do the same thing every year)
Treats to Neighbors
Wrap Teacher Presents
Bells
Playdoh with Christmas cookie cutters (use store bought Playdoh for low-energy or make your own dough for a mid-energy project)
Cinnamon Ornaments
Christmas Story Reading Marathon
Walk or Drive to see Christmas lights (this is probably a low-energy activity, but here south of the equator it requires that I keep my kids up until after 8:00- disqualifying it as low-energy activity)
Gingerbread House (prefab is the only way to go for me-we did this last year and it was fun and easy. If I had to make my own gingerbread this would be an ultra-energy-I-might-not-make-it-to-2008 activity)
Ward Christmas Party
School Christmas Party(ies)


High-Energy-Pedro-Slept-Last-Night-and-I’ve-Got-Patience-Abounding Projects

Kick-Off December Party
Buy and Decorate Tree
Make Christmas Cookies
Make Christmas Treat (2 of these)
Sleep by the Tree
Christmas Eve Extravaganza (Luke II, Family Nativity, Fondue, Family gift Exchange)
Little Christmas Shop (see this post for more info)
Secret Santa Project

Other ideas??? I'm always looking for new, easy, fun ideas