Alternative Advent Activities

The beauty of having toddlers who can not yet read, is that if I pull one of the cards off the advent calendar and I don't want to do that activity that day (or there is no snow to assist with that activity) they will never know if I "read" something different than what is on the card.  It's a teacher trick that has come in quite handy as a mom:)

Here are some alternatives to some of the traditional advent activities that I have come up with.  Some of them are quite fun and I might even opt to do the alternative instead of the boring old original anyway!

*Decorate our Christmas Tree
-Have the kids decorate a felt tree instead. This lady has a great idea
-Instead of the 3-D tree, just cut out a flat felt tree and flat felt shapes (like a flannel graph that they used in Sunday school back in the day, can I get a witness!)
-Make these cute felt trees and glue on buttons.  You could make these into ornaments even.

*Buy a toy for a child in need
-You and your child go through their old toys and donate gently loved toys to a new home

*Write a letter to Santa
-If your child can't write, have them draw a picture 
-Cut out pictures from magazines and make a collage

*Go ice skating
-Don't have an ice rink or frozen pond? Put socks on and 'Skate' around on the hard wood floors. 
-Don't have hard wood floors? Step on paper plates and 'Skate' around on the carpet.

*Go Sledding
-No snow? Lay cardboard boxes flat on the grass and use it like a slip n' slide with a sled.  -Or, put each other in a laundry basket or on a blanket and pull each other around on the carpet. 
-If you are a REALLY fun mom you can do what this lady did

 

*Make a Gingerbread house
-Make a gingerbread nativity scene or like this one, or buy the cookie cutters here
-Just play with a nativity scene that you already have (or you can buy a Little People one, we absolutely love ours!)

*Make Santa bubble beards in the bath
-Print out a picture of Santa and glue cotton balls on for his beard

*Build a snowman
-Make a snowman out of play dough
-Make a snowman out of pillows
-Make a snowman out of cotton balls
-Here is a fun snowman game
-Google the word snowman and a million ideas come up:)

If you just want some fun ways to do these traditional advent activities, here are some suggestions:

Make paper snowflakes to decorate our front window
Here are some cool patterns for ways to cut snowflakes

Watch a Christmas movie together
The ABC Family Schedule of this year's 25 days of Christmas movies

Make a Christmas ornament for our tree

Pretty Clay ornaments:  1/2 cup cornstarch 1 cup baking soda 3/4 cup water Bake at 175
 
Take a drive and look at Christmas lights
Write notes before you leave expressing how much your family enjoyed the light display and the joy it brings you.  Then leave them on the doors of homes you particularly enjoyed.

Make Christmas cookies
Just buy the pre-made sugar cookies at the grocery store and decorate them with icing and fun sprinkles. Tastes as good, way less work!

Make Reindeer food for Rudolf
All kinds of ways to make reindeer food, here is one with a cute printable

 

IF YOU HAVE ANY FUN ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL ADVENT ACTIVITIES, LET'S HEAR 'EM.  I ALWAYS LOVE CREATIVE IDEAS!