Advent Activities 2016

As per tradition I waited until the last minute again to put together this year's Advent calendar/activities. I finished it at 10:30 last night, but I think it's my favorite so far.

We're going on a journey with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem:

Every day, the girls will move Mary and Joseph (stuck to a magnet) up the path.

As we go, the girls will flip over the numbers to reveal that day's activity.

Along the way, we'll stop to study up on the main characters in the Nativity story. I'm recycling my Nativity Devotions from last year, with a few tiny tweaks. I printed off a few pictures to add to the path, and then colored them myself. I'm not one of those people who has bought into the "adult coloring" craze. With good reason. It took me forever to color these.

This one is my favorite. Haha.

And then, I threw on a few verses to fill the blank spaces on our calendar.

Here are this year's activities: (we do them in countdown fashion, so 24 is on December 1, 23 is December 2 and so on)

24. Make and send invitations for Jesus' Birthday Party

23. Family movie night

22. Take pictures for our Christmas card

21. Make a cinnamon roll Christmas tree

20. Make Christmas cards for friends

19. Buy presents for each other

18. Open special ornament

17. Read Christmas books in front of the tree/hot chocolate

16. School Christmas program

15. Go see “The Polar Express” at the theater

14. Family game night

13. Pick out a toy for Toys for Tots

12. Make gifts for someone special 

11. Set the table with snowman plates

10. See the trees and trains at Meijer Gardens

9. Make Christmas cookies

8. VanderKodde Christmas

7. Church Christmas program

6. Buy gifts for teachers

5. Paint nails red and green

4. Make treats for the mail lady

3. Red and green day (wear, eat, etc.)

2. Jesus' Birthday Party

1. Christmas Eve service at church