Christmas Countdown Activities 2014

24 Christmas Countdown Activities {The Unlikely Homeschool}

December 1st has arrived and with it our family Christmas countdown calendar. Each day during the month of December, my children will clamor to the front hall where the day's event awaits them...a craft, a game, a service project...written on a slip of paper and tucked inside a pocket calendar.


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Christmas Countdown Activities

This year's list is a mix of many long-time, family favorites and new adventures.

Here's how we'll be counting down.

Christmas Countdown 2014

  1. Set up the buildings for 100+ piece nativity scene countdown.
  2. Decorate the Christmas tree.
  3. Put on the Christmas pillowcases at bedtime.
  4. Pick a Christmas gift for Jesus.
  5. Play Christmas-themed Pictionary.
  6. Go sledding.
  7. Make thumbprint ornaments for the tree.
  8. Play the dreidel game. (I'm part Jewish.)
  9. Purchase secret sibling gifts for a brother or sister.
  10. Attend the co-op Christmas party
  11. Attend the 10th annual gingerbread house making party. 
  12. Play Christmas charades.
  13. Attend an ice skating show with family.
  14. Make gifts for Sunday School teachers. (We'll be cooking up something new this year, and it's not edible.)
  15. Watch a Christmas video in our PJs.
  16. Visit a live Nativity in a neighboring town.
  17. Create Christmas Mad Libs.
  18. Play the Left/Right Christmas story game with Christmas cookies.
  19. Look at Christmas lights around town.
  20. Make snow cream.
  21. Deliver Christmas cookies to the neighbors.
  22. Play the Christmas characters party game all day long.
  23. Retell the Christmas story using the Little Peoples Nativity set.
  24. Attend the extended family Christmas.
  25. Christmas!
For more ideas for Christmas activities, be sure to check out...

5 comments:

  1. Great list--looking forward to adding some to our Christmas festivities! Hey, I have a logistics question for you. So, this year, our first homeschooling, we decided to do science 4x per week and geography 2x per month. But what I'm finding is my kids are (of course) more excited for those subjects than "boring old" phonics and math. And what I find is, on the days we do geography or try to delve deep into science, basically everything else for the day is just rush rush rush to get it done. Do you lighten the load of "core" subjects on your kids when you're scheduling a creative or curiosity laden subject to accommodate for all the questions and curiosities? I'm just having a hard time not feeling like those days are so harried instead of a joyful learning experience for us all. Suggestions?

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    1. I don't necessarily lighten the load, but since I schedule both science and history for mid-day, sometimes the last core subject of the day does get cut short a bit. I'm OK with that because it is not an everyday event. Remember, don't let the "schedule" of trying to get everything checked off interrupt their learning!

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  2. Such fun! We're doing this this year as well! I bought a nice advent calendar and in each 'pocket' is a little slip of paper with a verse from Scripture on it. The passages tell the Christmas story. Anywyay, on the back of each slip of paper is our 'activity' for that day. My oldest child is only 2 1/2, so he doesn't quite understand why we can't pull them all out, but he'll get the hang of it after a few days I hope! So far we've built a gingerbread house and painted a 'snowy scene'. Merry Christmas season to you and your family!

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    1. So excited for you! We started this tradition when my daughter was not quite two. It's been so fun to see how they each look forward to it every Christmas.
      Hope you and yours have a Merry Christmas as well!

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