The 2022 Parent Collaborative Advent Calendar
The Parent Collaborative Advent Calendar
(For parents to do with their children)
(Find below a list of possible activities to do with your child in the lead up to Christmas - scroll to the bottom to find instructions/images)
(Paper chain advent calendar made in advance of December 1st)
Thursday 1st Making Christmas cards
Friday 2nd Making labels for presents
Saturday 3rd Making a list and buying items for local charity
Sunday 4th Decorating bags for items to go into
Monday 5th Peg painting
Tuesday 6th Making pomanders
Wednesday 7th Making salt dough tree decoration
Thursday 8th Making Christmas wrapping paper
Friday 9th Making table place names
Saturday 10th Winter walk and fir cone collection
Sunday 11th Christmas tree decoration (fir cone)
Monday 12th Making gingerbread Christmas biscuits
Tuesday 13th Making Christmas “snap” together
Wednesday 14th Making a mind jar
Thursday 15th Making Father Christmas bunting
Friday 16th Making pom poms
Saturday 17th Making a Christmas present
Sunday 18th Watching a Christmas film together
Monday 19th Salt art pictures
Tuesday 20th Making napkin holders
Wednesday 21st The Enchanted Garden of Light 2022
Thursday 22nd Ice skating
Friday 23rd Make food for Christmas tea party
Saturday 24th Enjoying your own family’s special way of celebrating Christmas Eve
Read a special Christmas Eve book
together cuddled up before bed
and savour every moment
🎄🎄🎄
Paper chain countdown
Make a Christmas picture with your child or use a favourite family photo or the attached poem. Interlink 24 paper chains, attach to the picture and then hang the picture in a place the child can reach. Every day leading up to 24th December your child can remove one paper chain and so visually see the days left before Christmas. Read a page of an advent book each day alongside.
Card, Christmas picture/poem, paper chains, Advent book
Making Christmas cards (photos of a couple of ideas below)
Christmas tree, potato printed snowmen
Different coloured card, potato, white paint, glue
Labels for presents
Reindeer face (as below), baubles (endless inspiration for ideas on pinterest)
White/brown luggage labels, monkey nut shell, paint, brightly coloured wrapping paper, glue, scissors, pens, card
Filling decorated bags for vulnerable people in Bath
Genesis Trust are again collecting donations for their Christmas gift appeal.
It is suggested that if you wish to donate then maybe fill bags rather than the usual shoe box as these are quite bulky! To book a time slot for drop off, email Genesis Trust – office@genesistrust.org.uk – drop off point is 31a West Avenue BATH BA2 3QB
Snowmen peg painting (photo below)
Wooden pegs, white pegs, wool/ribbon, black paint, miniature pom poms
Pomanders
Oranges, cloves, star anise ribbons
Salt dough decorations
Make salt dough with children and get them to use Christmas cutters to cut out shapes. Remember to poke a hole in the top of the shape in order to be able to thread a ribbon through for hanging. Bake in oven and then decorate
Plain flour, salt, water, Christmas cutters
Salt dough
The materials needed to start dough making are very inexpensive, the majority of which you will probably have in your kitchen cupboard. A wide variety of moulds, cutters, knives are available from most stores. And you can use many objects that you probably have lying around the house as templates or texture makers.
Salt dough recipe
2 cups of Plain Flour 1 cup of table salt 1 cup of water
(Optional - 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (makes it a little easier to knead) 1 tablespoon of wallpaper paste (gives the mixture more elasticity) 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (makes the finished product harder)
Method
Put plain flour, salt and any, or all, of the optional ingredients into a mixing bowl and gradually add the water, mixing to soft dough. This should be neither too sticky, in which case add more flour, nor too dry, in which case add more water. When mixed remove from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead for 10 minutes to help create a smooth texture. If possible, it is best to let the dough stand for approximately twenty minutes before beginning a project. Unused dough can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container or cling film, for up to a week.
Drying
The drying of your work can either be done naturally in the open air, or it can be baked in an oven. However it is not recommended that you have your oven hotter than 100 C as this can cause bubbles and cracks in your pastry. Perhaps start at 50 C and after 30 minutes increase to 100C. The drying time needed for each piece varies according to size and thickness, but an average time for natural drying is 30-48 hours, whilst items dried in the oven generally take 3-4 hours. These figures are only offered as a rough guide and remember that both sides must be dried out. When your model is dry, turn off the oven and leave it inside to cool down.
Wrapping paper
Cut sheets of brown wrapping paper and get children to use Christmas stamps to decorate or do some potato printing. When dry, wrap up a present or two with your child with ribbon/string and anything you have to hand, such as decorated fir cones.
Roll of brown parcel paper, Christmas stamps (or potatoes), paint, ribbon/string and decorations such as fir cones.
Table place names
Reindeer faces
Help child cut out shape - paint/colour and stick on nose and googley eyes (if using) Child can then either write or type and print out names for place settings
Card, scissors, glue, googley eyes (if using), pens and paper
Fir cone decoration
Take your child/children out for a walk and along the way pick up cones or other interesting objects to take home to decorate! Lots of glitter involved, lots of white and silver paint!
Cones, glitter, glue, paint
Christmas spice biscuits (recipe below)
Make biscuit dough with children and get them to cut out shapes with Christmas cutters/heart shapes etc then bake in oven
Flour, soft brown sugar, butter, spices (cinnamon/mixed spice/ginger), cutters, glass jar
250 g plain flour
150 g soft brown sugar
175 g butter
2 ½ dessert spoon spices (can be made up of 1 cinnamon/1 mixed spice/½ ginger)
Pinch of salt
Pre-heat oven to 160°C.
Mix all together to form a dough adding a splash of milk if required.
Wrap in clingfilm and leave in fridge for a bit.
Cook for 14 mins
Christmas card game of snap
Collect two pictures or photos of lots of different objects or people associated with Christmas - including family members wearing silly hats for example - whatever interests the child - and cut out and stick on card.
Card, photos, images of Christmas, glue, scissors
Mind jar
Using a clean, clear jar, fill with water (you can use dye if the child wants coloured water in their mind jar) and tip in glitter. Shake!
Jar, water, glitter
Father Christmas hat bunting
Red card, cotton wool, string
Pom poms
The easiest way to check out how to make a pom pom if you are not sure is to watch a youtube video.
Discs of card, wool, scissors
Christmas present
A present for the chef in the family to wear on Christmas Day! Cut out a potato print circle and use as a stamp for the basis of your Christmas pud and decorate!
Apron, fabric paint, potato print
Salt art pictures
Squeeze glue designs onto your card stock. Use your glue to draw a design or picture onto your card. Carefully sprinkle salt onto card until the glue is thoroughly covered. Add colour.
Glue, card/paper, salt, water base paint
Napkin holders
Cut up the inside roll of kitchen paper towel into equal sizes. Tear up old newspaper into small strips. Make a paste out of flour and water (not too wet). Cover the cut up rings with the paste and strips of paper until completely covered. Allow to dry, then paint and decorate in whatever way you like! To provide strength, paint napkin rings in PVA glue - they will dry clear!
Inside of kitchen roll, newspaper, flour, water, paints, Christmas decorations
Trip to The Enchanted Garden of Lights at The American Museum
Ice Skating at Royal Pavilion
https://bathonice.co.uk/tickets
Food for Christmas Eve tea
Prepare food for Christmas Eve that is all about Christmas! Use Christmas cutters to make sandwiches in the shape of trees/reindeer/bells/sleighs etc - do the same with cheese and put together with grapes. Make gingerbread Father Christmas’ and Christmas pudding chocolate crispy cakes………the list is endless!
