Christmas Book Advent

I came across a couple of blogs that shared some advents that they do. One of the ideas was a book one. I thought it was a great idea and have been searching around for activities to do with the books. We also have an separate activity one that we have done for the last 2 years. They are more traditional things like going to the ward party, sleep under the tree, go to the First Presidency Devotional etc. I thought I would share what I have planned for this year.

Every year, we get a new Christmas movie. I got this one. My sisters and I saw it as little girls and I LOVE it! It's more of a nostalgic one for me.

The activity with this book is to make paper birds.

I'm going to attempt to do a simple origami star with Tanner.

We're going to string Popcorn and put it on the tree.

No activity for this day...unless I can come up with one in the next week.

Paper Santa hats

Tie bows on the Christmas Tree

Make snow angels (either in the snow or hand print angels)

Make Cinnamon Buns

Go sledding or make tissue paper trees

We're having a Polar Express party...p.j's, hot chocolate and inviting some friends over and watching the movie.

Making picture frames

Making glitter stars

building a village out of blocks and playing a game

Making trees out of Sugar Cones and candy

Making snowmen with shaving cream

Making stables out of shoe boxes

going through our toys/clothes and donating what we don't use anymore

making antlers to wear

decorating gingerbread men

Reading the story of the Birth of Christ in Luke.

playing a game. similar to pin the tail on the donkey, except it's put the stable in the manger.

making who-pudding and watching the movie

having a Jerusalem Dinner

We are doing this book on the 24th and we are going to the Live Nativity pageant this night to remind ourselves the true meaning of Christmas.

Our Traditional yearly activities include:

-get a new cd

-go to the town's old fashioned Christmas

-put up the tree (or this year, the decorations around the house)

-write down our memories from the year

-take cookies to neighbors/friends

-write Santa

-have a p.j. party and watch a Christmas movie

-write goals for the next year

-Watch 'The Nativity Story'

-have a $5 dinner

-go sledding, build a snowman, go ice skating (we usually use all 3 over the course of 24 days)

-sleep under (or as close as possible to)the tree

-donate old (but good and not broken) toys and clothes

-drive around town and look at the lights (we usually do this closer to the 25th AND on the 24th on the way home from the Nativity pageant because most everyone has their lights on on the 24th).

-make hot chocolate

-have a Jerusalem dinner

-go to the live Nativity Pageant

-get a new Christmas movie

UPDATE: I did NOT purchase all these books. Some of them were given to us, some of them are ones that I have ordered over the years from the school book orders, some were given to us. I did, however, purchase 5 of the more classic ones because Tanner didn't have, for example, the night before Christmas, The Polar Express and How the Grinch...

We still have about 15 books that were not used for this years advent. Next year, we'll switch it up and put them in the advent and take out some of the ones from this year.

If this is something you would like to do, I figure if you purchase a book each month (either from the book store or an online place) you could have 12 of your own books and then near Christmas, put a hold on 12 other books from the Library. That way you can switch it up. We love books at our house and so I am planning on buying new ones over the next year, but if you don't want to invest in books for yourself but want the fun of the book advent, you could get books from the library. I'm really excited to do this. I think it will be really fun!