Dear Jess,
An elf must’ve bit me this year, because I have the Christmas bug and it only turned December today. Maybe it’s because my toddler is at the age where he’s legitimately excited for the season, but I’ve watched Christmas movies two days in a row already. I’ve also contemplated putting up the tree the day after Thanksgiving (the only reason I didn’t is that I have to find a way to baby proof the area).
This is pretty unusual behavior for me. Not saying I’m the Grinch around the holidays, but I’ve never had the motivation to go all out until this year.
One of the things I wanted to do this year is establish some sort of daily tradition and excitement. Lots of families do Elf on the Shelf but I don’t think I have the creative stamina for 25 days! Advent calendar was what I decided I wanted to do, but I wanted my toddler to not just be excited for candy every day– that was Halloween’s job. I wanted him to experience the joy of Christmas Spirit. The happiness in receiving and giving, through community service and kindness (to others and to ourselves).
I also wanted a list that was realistic to our busy schedule. I know in a week or two, holiday festivities are going to ramp up, and my grand plans of going all out on activities are going to overwhelm me.
Characteristics of my ideal activities list:
- Laid back
- Focus on giving and community service
- Before we can give joy, we have to first be kind to ourselves. Which is why self-compassion is so important in my ideal activities list.
- Activities and question prompts for the whole family
- Getting my toddler excited for Christmas
I couldn’t find a calendar or list that was realistic to our busy schedule, so I made up our own list to spread Christmas cheer. Community service activities I had already planned, like choosing and wrapping gifts to his preschool class’s adopted family were included on the corresponding dates. I found these cute holiday box printouts on Pinterest and made them (disclaimer: they take way longer to make than I anticipated but its a nice activity to do while binging Netflix after the kids’ bedtime). Each list item was cut into strips and little trinkets, like Transformers temporary tattoos, added to some boxes. I wanted him to be surprised and build on the anticipation of Christmas through each box.
Download the editable Christmas Spirit Advent Calendar Activity List here.
(Font is Mountains of Christmas)
What are some ways that you celebrate the holidays? Share in the comments!
Love,
Tracy
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