Christmas FUN!

After Thanksgiving, I put together a list of fun Christmas activities and thought I'd link what we'll be doing here in case anyone else is looking for some things to do. :)

• We did a Santa beard a couple years ago and the boys LOVED it so I thought we'd do another this year.  Found a free printable HERE.

• I made an Activity Advent Calendar, using ideas from Activity Mom's Advent post and filled in with some of my own. Some of these are a little young for all of my boys, though.  Fun stuff for a toddler or preschooler!! I don't have a list of 24 simply because we won't get in one activity every day. Weekends are busy, illness happens, unexpected things come up, AND I want to leave room for spontaneity.  Whatever we don't get to this year can go on next year's list.  Also I don't have them listed in any kind of order. I'll just pick one that fits our day.  The only dated activities are the movie nights {ABC Family channel}, the party, and the reindeer food activity. Here is our list of activities: {those marked with an * are from Activity Mom's blog...the printables can be found there}
• M&M wreath *
• tree maze
• Bow Painting *
• Elf Movie Night-dinner of pancakes, syrup, pasta, coke, and marshmallows (thankfully my boys don't react to sugar like some. Give them some artificial sweetener and they go bonkers. Sugar? Nothing!)
• Glue Snowflakes *
• Cinnamon dough ornaments
• Christmas Party for the Kiddos!!! {details below}
• Christmas Tree Fork Painting *
• Peppermint Candy Craft *
• Polar Express Movie Night {using these fun ideas!}
• Ice Cream Cone Trees *
• Pop Up Christmas Tree craft *
• Make Gingerbread houses
• Egg Carton Snowmen*
• Finger Print Candy Cane*
• Rip and Glue Christmas Tree*
• Christmas Light Scavenger Hunt {using this printable}
• Paper Bag Reindeer Puppet*
• Grinch Movie Night {we may change this one as the boys just watched it after I printed out our activity schedule...}
• Ride the Christmas train at a local park
• Make Reindeer Food*

• Elf on the Shelf. This is SO fun!! Google ideas, check out Pinterest, or read about our elf here!

• Christmas Party for the Kiddos!!  We're going to watch Charlie Brown Christmas while eating popcorn and drinking cocoa with friends. Also there will be a cookie decorating station and two craft stations. I'm thinking of having one of the crafts be card-making, and then taking all of the handmade cards to a local nursing home.

• We picked up some chocolate Advent calendars for $1 each at Aldi. Who doesn't love a little chocolate first thing in the morning?

• Jesse Tree from A Holy Experience We're a little behind on this one but I think it will be ok. :)

• And of course there will be baking. Lots and lots of yummy Christmas baking.

There are just TOO many Christmas ideas out there! I really had to limit myself so we don't over do it. We've had so much fun already and it's only December 4th! I'll share pictures of our fun in the coming weeks.  Hope you all are having some fun this holiday season as well!!

Merry Christmas!