Advent Calendar Activities Day 21-24

I know it's February, but only by now have I managed to finish the last post about our advent activities of 2015. It's hard to find time to work on the blog next to two kids.

So here comes some Christmassy and snowy projects:

1. Count snowflakes
   
   I found this easy snowflake counting activity on a website I've been returning to a lot lately: Playdough to Plato
   
   I printed and laminated the snow scene cards. I gave E. a lot of snowflakes (I had different kinds at home, like felt, Styrofoam or shiny plastic)
   
   I thought putting the right number of snowflakes on the mat as it is shown would be way too easy for E. so I sneaked in some skip counting in the activity. I gave her the card with only the even numbers on - one at a time (2, 4, 6, 8, 10)
   
   At the beginning she didn't understand why, but after having finished with card 6 she asked for card 8. So I knew immediately she understood what we were doing.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   After the activity she played a little more with the snowflakes. She grouped them according to their sizes, then made some patterns with the help of them.
   
   
2.  Body swap
   
   I prepared this activity last year but she didn't enjoy it so much. This year it wasn't a hit either.
   
   I took the idea from itsybitsyfun.com. If you click on the link you'll find the printable for free. You just need to print and cut out the body parts and give them to your child to make the snowman, the elf, the reindeer, and Santa. If your child enjoys this kind of activity (mine does not) you can build funny bodies, like one with a Santa head but a reindeer body and elf legs.
   
   
   
3. Make a nativity scene
   
   When E. was 1,5 years old I made an advent calendar for her in which she found little farm animals every day and, as we were getting closer to the 24th, also some angels and the Holy Family. On the 24th we made the whole scene.
   
   

   

   November 2013 

   
   
   
   The base I made out of a chocolate box. I glued a brown sheet of felt on it added some shiny felt stars. This is what we called the stable and this is where we placed all the animals one by one every day.
   
   This year she got all the animals and angels, a Christmas tree too (not so authentic, eh?) to make the scene herself. (Although it was Christmas time, she  insisted on wearing her Halloween Jack-o-lantern costume)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. Christmas workout
   
   As I knew the 24th would be very busy time for us, parents, I prepared something dynamic for E. to run around and drain her Christmas excitement with one of her grandmas.
   
   I printed the Christmas workout cards and the fun could began. I couldn't take photos as I was busy with the food and decoration for the evening. But as I heard it E. had a good time.
   
   

   

   http://www.toddlerapproved.com

   Join us next year too. I'm sure there will be some repetition of these activities but I'll find out some new ones too.
   
   Have a look at the other advent activities:
   
   Advent Calendar Activities Day 1-6
   
   
   
   
   Advent Calendar Activities Day 7-13
   
   
   
   
   Advent Calendar Activities Day 14-20