Activity Advent 2013 Roundup

This marks the end of our first time doing the Activity Advent and it was SO much fun. I hope the kid wants to do it again next year!

1. Write Santa a Letter

2. Go Branch Hunting

3. Read a Christmas Story

4. Attend a Christmas Lighting Ceremony

5. Make Chenille Snowflakes

6. String Cranberries

7. Go Ice Skating

8. Make Cinnamon Ornaments

9. Make Wassail

10. Wear Christmas Socks

11. Make Mini-Presents

12. Make a Holiday Pillow Case

13. Play Holiday Charades

14. Bake Cookies for Friends

15. Make Christmas Cards

16. Do an Act of Service

17. Buy a Toy for a Child in Need

18. Choose your favourite Restaurant

19. Make Orange Ornaments

20. Go on a Cafe Crawl with Friends

21. Make Star Wars Paper Snowflakes

22. Have a Christmas Camp-out

23. Go to the German Christmas Market

24. Open a Present!

So what would I do differently next year? There would be way less ornament-making days; it served us well this year because we did not have our tree or ornaments out of storage (we are moving!) but next year many/all of them will be replaced with other activities. One thing we missed was a snow activity. Maybe snowshoeing or tubing or tobogganing? If you have any ideas I hope you will share them below.

Activity Advent Day #24: Open a Present!

Guess what we are doing right now ... it's game-time!

Check out all the Activity Advent entries so far here.

Activity Advent Day #23: Go to the German Christmas Market

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Activity Advent Day #22: Christmas Camp-out

This will be the 3rd year running on this tradition ... we set up a mattress on the living room floor for a family evening of Christmas movies, popcorn, and falling asleep by the tree lights (well this year, that would be a branch of a tree).

Check out all our other Activity Advent entries here.

Activity Advent Day #21: Make Star Wars Paper Snowflakes

Get your own downloadable templates here. And check out our other Activity Advent entries here.

Activity Advent Day #20: Cafe Crawl

Think Pub Crawl ... for 9 year olds. Meet up with friends. Hit the first cafe. Check out the Christmas tree display at the Fours Seasons Hotel downtown. Hit another cafe. Run around the Gingerbread House display at the Hyatt downtown and sing Christmas carols along the way. Then a 3rd cafe. If we'd planned it right we would have also taken in the vintage Christmas window displays at Canada Place too, but it was closed by the time we got there. Do over, next year.

Check out all our other Activity Advent entries here.

Activity Advent Day #19: Make Orange Ornaments

The easiest ornaments we've made yet. We popped the orange slices in the oven at the lowest setting for 4 hours, flipping them once half way through. They aren't completely dry which is likely why the colour is still so delicious. I got this tip from here.

These are the last to go on our Christmas Branch; we are finally ready for Santa. Check out all our other Activity Advent entries here.

Activity Advent Day #18: Choose your Favourite Restaurant

"A Legendary Burger with Triple-O Sauce ... and a chocolate milkshake" ... coming right up!

Check out all our other Activity Advent entries here.

Activity Advent Day #17: Buy a Toy for a Child in Need

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Activity Advent Day #16: Do an Act of Service

Well, I lucked out on this one! Instead of me reading Harry Potter to Spud tonight ... he read it to me.

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Activity Advent Day #15: Make Christmas Cards

Yes, I bought a kit for this activity. Judge if you must. I couldn't resist. It was very cute. And the boy is having the time of his life this Sunday morning sticking stickers and drawing inside each one. He has a list of more than 25 people including teachers, so this activity may go on for a few days.

Check out all our other Activity Advent entries here.

Activity Advent Day #14: Bake Cookies for Friends

Sunday is the last day of curling for the year so we thought it might be a good day to bring cookies for the coach and Spud's curling buddies. We made shortbread curling houses with crusting butter cream icing.

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Activity Advent Day #13: Play Holiday Charades

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Activity Advent Day #12: Make a Holiday Pillow Case

White pillow case and some fabric markers ... and you are good to go! This one includes "wii 3 kings", "a partridge in a pear tree", a poor house with a "cold baby outside", silver bells, 3 caroling bells, a manger alone in the distance, and a lake with 3 ships ... among others ... If we carry this tradition on, he has the other side to decorate next year.

Check out all our other Activity Advent entries here.

Activity Advent Day #11: Make Mini Presents

Look at the tiny presents for our Christmas Branch! Brown paper, some packing foam, white, silver, and gold Sharpies, and some bakers twine. Done.

Still wondering why we have a Christmas Branch? See the first post here. Also, check out all our Activity Advent entries here.

Activity Advent Day #10: Wear Holiday Socks

The much anticipated Winter Concert is this evening. Seems like a good day to break the school uniform rules a bit to don a pair of subtly holiday-ish socks. I thought our little rule-follower might balk at the idea but alas he surprised me. Clearly anything Christmas trumps all.

Check out all our Activity Advent entries here.

Activity Advent Day #9: Make Wassail

Today we made everyday, ordinary mugs temporarily Christmas-like with some stickers and filled them with warm, spiced apple cider. Liquid happy. Hubs and I will likely try a spiked version of this as well, before the holiday festivities are over.

See more Activity Advent action here.

Activity Advent Day #8: Make Cinnamon Ornaments

Our home smells amazing right now! Just 3 ingredients; cloves, cinnamon, and apple sauce went into these sweet smelling ornaments. The how-to is here.

Oh, and wondering why we have a Christmas Branch? See the first post here. Also, check out all our Activity Advent entries, here.

Activity Advent Day #7: Go Ice Skating

Hey, check out all our Activity Advent entries here.

Our Activity Advent Tree

It took us a little while to get the envelopes up and visible. Day 7! You know, we were out of town last weekend ... and well ... you know ... we were busy. But better late than never!

Check out all our Activity Advent entries so far, here.