If your kids are anything like mine, as soon as we finish eating the Thanksgiving turkey, they are excited for Christmas. That's when I first start hearing, "How many days until Christmas?" Well, with the fun ways to count down found below, hopefully your kids can have fun (and you can have some of your sanity back!).
Santa's Beard: Draw a picture of Santa on a piece of large construction paper or card stock. Before your countdown begins, let your child glue on Santa's eyes, nose, mouth, hat, etc., but leave off his beard. Draw 24 little circles, numbered 1-24 to make up Santa's beard. Then each day, your child can glue on one cotton ball. When Santa's beard is full, then it's Christmas Eve!
Christmas Tree with pom-poms: Similar to Santa's Beard above, this one uses a cut-out Christmas tree with 24 circles numbered 1-24 where your child can glue on a pom-pom each day as an ornament on the tree.
Christmas Tree with Stickers: Really young children can get in on the fun by placing a sticker on their tree each day. One sticker for each of the 24 days until Christmas.
Involve your Elf on the Shelf: If you have an Elf on the Shelf, he or she is the perfect helper for your countdown. Each day when your elf moves, he/she can also hold a new sign letting your little ones know how many more days there are until Christmas.
Paper Chain: The kids have fun making this (and even more fun taking it apart!) Make a paper chain with one link for each day until Christmas. Then, each day, your child can rip one ring off the chain. When there's only one link remaining, it's Christmas Eve!
Picture Frame/Dry Erase Marker: You can print out a pretty calendar page, and place it in a picture frame. Using a dry erase marker, your child can cross off each day until Christmas.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas envelopes: This can be done 2 different ways. The first way is to write a portion of the story "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" on 24 pieces of paper and put each one in an envelope, numbered 1-24 in order of the story. Each day your son/daughter gets to open an envelope and you and your child can read the portion of the story together. The second way would be to write a different name of a Christmas story on 24 slips of paper and put those in the envelopes. Each day, your child gets to open one envelope, revealing which story you will read together that day.
These are just some suggestions, but be creative, and try to come up with your own ideas, too!
