ADVENT CALENDAR

(Find below a list of activities - scroll to the bottom to find instructions/images)

Sunday 1st Paper chain count down

Monday 2nd Making Christmas cards

Tuesday 3rd Making a Kokedama

Wednesday 4th Making biscuits

Thursday 5th Making labels for presents

Friday 6th Making a pom pom

Saturday 7th Local charity shoe box

Sunday 8th Filling and dropping off

Monday 9th Tree dressing/child’s own tree

Tuesday 10th Making salt dough tree decoration

Wednesday 11th Making wrapping paper

Thursday 12th Making table place names

Friday 13th Making gingerbread shapes

Saturday 14th Winter walk and fir cone

Sunday 15th collection/Christmas tree decoration

Monday 16th Making a Christmas present

Tuesday 17th Making Christmas “snap” together

Wednesday 18th Watching Christmas film together

Thursday 19th Making a mind jar

Friday 20th Making napkin holders

Saturday 21st Christmas lights/carol singing

Sunday 22nd Ice skating

Monday 23rd Make food for Christmas tea party

Tuesday 24th Enjoy your own family’s special way of

celebrating Christmas Eve

Read a special Christmas Eve book

together cuddled up before bed

and enjoy 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 below)

Christmas tree

Potato printed snowmen

Different coloured card, potato, white paint, glue

Making a Kokedama

Remove the plant from its current pot and prune the roots. Wrap the roots with sphagnum moss. Mix the peat and potting soil together. Use the soil mixture to mold a ball around the roots. Cover the ball with sheet moss. Tie string around the moss ball to keep it all together. Add a piece of string so you can hang the ball. Care – drench with water once a week.

A small plant, Sphagnum moss, a little peat and/or potting soil, string, scissors

Making 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

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

Making a pom pom

The easiest way to check out how to make a pom pom if you are not sure is to watch a youtube video.

Bernat Yarns is a good one

Discs of card, wool, scissors

Filling a “shoe box'“ for homeless people in Bath

Genesis Trust have food and toy donation points at Green Park Station/Odd Down/Local Southgate/Local Kingsmead Square and Oldfield Park and at Argos, Bath.

It is suggested that if you wish to donate then maybe fill bags rather than the usual shoe box as these are quite bulky! Genesis Trust are collecting new toys in the Toy collection points and food and toiletries at the food points. For food to be sorted and distributed for Christmas, Genesis Trust asks for donations to be handed in by 8th December. Ideas for the boxes/bags include socks, gloves, hat, toothbrush and toothpaste, pens and paper, book, small toy.

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 molds, 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. Children always love making models, and as long as you don’t add wallpaper paste all of the ingredients are natural. So if they are tempted to put it in their mouths, all it will do is taste incredibly salty.

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 100C (200F/Gas Mark 1/4) as this can cause unsightly bubbles and cracks in your pastry. Perhaps start at 50C 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 oven times are generally reduced to 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.

Making 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.

Making 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

Making gingerbread shapes

Make gingerbread dough with the children (as per recipe) and get them to use Christmas cutters or gingerbread characters to cut out shapes. Cook and allow to cool.

Plain flour, ½ tsp salt, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, unsalted butter, soft butter, sugar, golden syrup

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

Making a 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

Making a 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

Making a 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

Making 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

Making 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!