If you are looking for an alternative to a chocolate advent calendar how about this crafty calendar? It’s perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. I made it for my daughter when she is was 2 (it’s just taken me a few years to blog about it). The end result is a lovely “Happy Christmas” garland decorated by your child.
What you need
- 24 paper bags
- a craft knife/ scissors
- 24 A5 pieces of card
- string
- pegs
- paint
- a potato
- glitter
- stickers
- sequins
- glue
- paint brushes
- colouring pencils
- pom poms
- cotton wool balls
- anything else which could be stuck on to letters
How to make the calendar
Decorate and number the paper bags
- Cut the potato in half. On one side carve a tree, the other a star.
- Use the potato print to stamp tree’s on 12 bags and stars on the other 12.
- Sprinkle glitter on top of the paint.
- Leave to dry.
- Write numbers 1 to 24 on the bags, alternating the bags with trees and stars.
- Using the card cut out the following letters (I used a craft knife, but you could use scissors)
- Cut out 10 stars
- Lay out the card in the following order 4 stars, H, A, P, P, Y, 2 stars, C, H, R, I, S, T, M, A, S, 4 stars
- Divide up the craft materials across the letters and stars. You can put the same decoration in multiple bags, but spread them out across the letters.
- Pack the bags up. Each one should have a piece of card and material to decorate it.
- Hang the bags on string ready to be opened every day in December. I used 3 pieces of string to spread the weight.
Prepare the letters
A x 2
C x 1
H x 2
I x 1
M x 1
P x 2
R x 1
S x 2
T x 1
Y x 1
Prepare the bags
How do you even have time to do this?! Great idea though :D
ReplyDelete