Since it is December 2 you can say that I am officially behind on my Advent Calendar, at least it is not Dec 22, right? This year I have decided to make an activity calendar instead when each day is filled with ways to celebrate the season.  I have used some set dates like the day we will see the Christmas Carol or the Nutcracker as well as some flexible dates when we will bake cookies and make Christmas ornaments.

I used old wrapping paper that is lingering in my storage space.  It was either too old, too wrinkled or too short to wrap anything in.

I used a 2″ petal pusher template that I found on HomeSpun Threads (download at the end of the post) since it did not involve any gluing and  traced the edges onto wrapping paper

Cut out the shapes making sure make some extras.  You never know what may happen.  For us any cooking date can be easily replaced by a sledding day, building a snowman or a snowball fight provided we are graced with snow.  You may be invited to a play date, recital or anything holidayish and may need to be a bit flexible.

Fold the edges inside

I had the packages wait folded as I made the others just so they can get used to being folded in

Now it is time to thing of activities and give each day a number.  I wrote it in but if you want to make them fancier you can use scrapbooking letters that my daughter loves so much.

First check your calendar, local library activity calendar, bookstore calendar and everywhere else you frequent.  Place the dates set in stone in their coordinating boxes.  We are going to a pajama Polar Express reading at local Barnes and Noble, local Christmas Bazars and numerous activities in the library.

Second fill in the family time or activities around activity time like baking cookies for grandma, or a gingerbread house before the family comes over for dinner.

Include some of our or your own Christmas Crafts (ours are here) like decorating the tree, making your own ornaments, watching Christmas theme movie, or reading Christmas theme books.

Thirdly remember kids are off school right before the holidays and could get restless so ice skating, going for winter walk or for us going to feed the ducks on the lake.

When you run out of ideas of finished all of the days tie the bundles up.  I used small cuticle scissors to punch holes in the boxes and tied them with thread.

If you want to be more exact you can use a hole puncher and tie holiday themed ribbon around instead.

Once tied you can show them in many ways like:

• Putting them on a Christmas tree, provided yours is up, if it is not then tree shopping could be one of the activities
• Hanging them of a branch, on placing flat around Christmas greenery
• Make them smaller and tie to your wreath
• Hide around the house and have the kids search for each morning
• Hanging from the ceiling at different lengths along with color coordinated tree ornaments

Stick on the doors or walls which is what we did… Now it is time to unwrap and see what the day brings.