5 Ways to Count Down to Christmas

In our house, we are always counting down to something -- a special event, a birthday, a vacation, or a holiday.  I think "counting down" is an important part of the fun, as it builds a lot of anticipation and excitement.  Here are 5 ways we "count down" to special events in our house.

1)  Paper chains - I love an old fashioned paper craft, and paper chains are simple, fun, and can be color coded to any special event or holiday.  You can find our more info on our Christmas paper chain advent countdown here.

2)  Chalkboard or calendar -  We have a chalkboard in our kitchen, and it always documents the next special day in our house.  It just doesn't get any easier than this!

3)  Wrapped books or movies - Nothing builds excitement like unwrapping a gift.  At Christmas, our Elf on the Shelf wraps all our Christmas movies and books.  You can read about it here.

4)  Treats/Gifts - A sweet treat each day of a countdown can be a lot of fun.  Check out our "Kiss" Countdown here, and our "Smartie" Countdown here.  You can also purchase a chocolate advent calendar or a calendar filled with little gifts.  My son received this Playmobil advent for his birthday, and is super-excited to give it a try.

5)  Balloon Pop -  Filling balloons with notes containing special activities is a fantastic way to count down to Christmas.  Why not have items like "drink hot chocolate" or "make Christmas cookies"?  Simple and fun!  (You can go here to find out how a balloon pop works.)

How do you count down to Christmas in your house?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)