Go here to see it all.
I know people love the Elf on the Shelf. It’s a magical little tradition that gets kids ready for Christmas and apparently, controls their behavior. (It does sound magical, doesn’t it?!) For those who don’t want to incorporate Santa and his elves into their daily December, here’s a few fun alternatives to a Christmas countdown activity.
This is the cutest little thing you’ve ever seen! The Christmas Mouse travels the world and takes a mini-vacation at your house during December. Every day he leaves treasures from his travels. {please click over to Mini Mocha and see all her gorgeous ideas!}
The Christmas Angel comes with a cute plush angel, a bag of gold dust and a storybook. The story explains how the angel came to Mary and told her she was going to have baby Jesus. So, like the Elf on the Shelf, when your child wakes up every morning, they look for the angel who has written a message in the gold dust–”hug mom”, “make cookies”, “give a gift”. The idea is to give every day after reading the message from the angel.
I’m a sucker for a Christmas book. The day after Christmas is my favorite day because Barnes and Noble puts all their Christmas books 50% off! So, grab 25 of your favorite Christmas books, wrap each one individually and every day of December unwrap one and read it together with your kids.
I love this because it gives your kids quality time, you are reading together and it makes for a surprise each day! My friend Jessie has a great list of 25 Jesus-centric Christmas books for this tradition!
I got this at a Christian bookstore on an after-Christmas clearance a few years ago. It’s a kit that includes seven boxes which house nativity scene figures. Every night for a week, you pick a new box, read the story and open the box. The last night, you think would be baby Jesus, instead it’s a mirror! The gift God wants is YOU!
I love it because it’s only a 7 day countdown. You can fit 7 days into December for sure!
5. Mary & Joseph’s Trip to Bethlehem
I tried to find a link to this online, but just couldn’t find one. It’s such a simple idea that doesn’t require any crazy set-up or even a big purchase.
If you have a nativity scene, set it all up except for Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. Just hide Jesus away and then place Mary and Joseph far far away in another part of the house.Each morning, place Mary and Joseph a little closer to Bethlehem…er, your manger scene. By Christmas Eve, they can set up in the stable and on Christmas Day, place Jesus in the center!
My kids would love to search for Mary and Joseph every day! I think I’m going to do this in December!
This is a meaningful, beautiful piece of art which doubles as a countdown activity. Each day, move the donkey and Mary figure closer to the center of the wreath adding Advent candles as you go. You can extend it (and use it again) during Lent as you get ready for Jesus’ death and resurrection on the cross. You have to click over to see all the gorgeous pictures of this wreath!
7. Light ‘Em Up
You’ve heard of Random Acts of Kindness during the holidays, right? Well, Courtney at Lil Light of Mine gives over 50 fun ideas, printables and more to light up December with kindness!
I super love this idea. Instead of stockings, hang up small, unadorned pouches. During December, when your children help someone, do chores, are kind, etc. place money in the pouches. On Christmas Eve, take the money from the pouches and use it to buy a gift from Compassion’s gift catalog or give it to someone in need.
This is cool because it gives the same feel as the elf watching your behavior, but with better motivation. Head over to Julie’s blog to read all her wording and ideas on how to implement this with your kids!
9. TRUTH IN THE TINSELYou knew I was gonna say that, right? It’s a wonderful and simple idea: read the Christmas story from the Bible, make an ornament to go along with the passage and talk about it with your kids. It includes printables, the words to say and simple tutorials. It doesn’t get much better than that! Get your own copy now!
10. What’s your favorite fun Christmas countdown, activity or tradition for getting kids ready for Christmas?
Amanda is the author of Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands. She is a mom of two, former Children’s Pastor, Disney-fan, kids’ book lover and collects too many Christmas ornaments. She blogs at ohAmanda.com on a semi-regular basis.
Amanda is the author of Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands. She is a mom of two, former Children’s Pastor, Disney-fan, kids’ book lover and collects too many Christmas ornaments. She blogs at ohAmanda.com on a semi-regular basis.
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