December is only just around the corner and Christmas will soon be here. You may not have started shopping yet…or perhaps you’ve already finished? Apart from buying Christmas gifts, here are a few Christmas advent ideas.
To help you have a fun filled December with your children or grandchildren we’ve covered cards, advent calendars, letters to Santa, the Christmas elf tradition and more. To a happy December!
Christmas cards
You might want to stock up on Christmas cards now and avoid the last minute rush. Christmas cards are also fun to make with the kids on a rainy day, use glitter, glue, cotton wool, sweet wrappers and anything else that take your fancy and let your imagination run wild.
It you want to send your Christmas wishes to someone special and make an impact, why not have a helium filled Christmas balloon or Christmas teddy bear delivered directly to their door? It is ideal for close friends and relatives you might not see over Christmas.
Advent calendars
For kids, the build up to Christmas is hugely exciting. Advent calendars go some way to keeping them calm until Christmas Eve. While all children love chocolate Advent calendars, you could opt for one you can re-use every year – a wooden box or house for trinkets. On some days you could add a small gift or their favourite sweets, notes from Santa’s elves on others and so on. They’ll remember these long after the sweets have gone!
Letters to Father Christmas
Not to put Santa into a last minute panic, it is a good idea to ask the kids what they want for Christmas early, so their letters to Santa arrive in good time. It’s an ideal weekend activity for children, you can make your own or buy a kit. I have also been told that father Christmas also accepts lists by email – although no-one has yet been able to give me his address!
Christmas elf tradition
To get into the festive spirit this year, why not invite a Christmas elf to stay and bring magic and sparkle to Christmas! Your elf guest will arrive in December during the advent period and stay with your family until Christmas Eve, helping to build the excitement through fun surprises, jokes and activities.
The elf keeps an eye out for good children during the day, so he can report to Santa. But at night, this good natured but mischievous character, comes out to play and the kids will never find it twice in the same place in the morning.
You might wake up to find he or she has sneaked into a the fridge for a snack and fallen asleep there, drawn moustaches on Mum and Dad while they slept, or had a midnight feast and left all wrappers out. Some elves have even been known to decorate the Christmas tree with toilet paper overnight.
Find out more about Christmas elves or buy Christmas elf dolls online.
Gift wrap
A beautifully wrapped gift under the tree will add to the excitement and anticipation on Christmas morning. Shops have large supplies of gift wraps and curling ribbons. For home-made versions, you can customise and decorate your own wrapping paper. You could also creatively use some of the kids’ art work, old magazines and newspapers and tie them with interesting ribbons, pine cones or a sprig of holly. Check out our Creative Gift Wrapping article for more ideas.
Secret Santa presents
Secret Santa gifts are a popular feature in December in offices around the country. It you are unsure what to buy, read our Secret Santa gift ideas post for inspiration.
Home baked treats
As nights draw in early and the weather is not always good, December is the perfect month for home baking. The kids will love to join in and help too. Early December is ideal to bake your Christmas cake, while our Simple Marzipan Mince Pies Recipe or Fruity Christmas Cupcakes Recipe will be popular throughout the advent season. Your could also try our Tasty Chocolate Truffles Recipe – it’s easy enough to bake with kids and you could give them away as Christmas gifts too.
Enjoy the Christmas Advent this year!
Source:
http://www.bigfatblog.co.uk/29/11/2012/christmas-advent-ideas-for-december/