Christmas Light Advent Calendar

My sisters showed me this craft. I'm not sure who originally came up with it, but it was really cool. You make the string with the green caps for the lights. Then the lights are made separately, and you just stick them in the caps. Then you can stuff activity ideas in each light to help count down to Christmas.

 The whole thing is made from yarn, felt, and thread.

Sorry I don't have the pattern here.

Scripture Reading Advent Calendar

25 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar

December 1-25, 2012

We had to leave our Precious Moments Advent Calendar in Rexburg, so I made my own advent calendar this year. Every day the boys find a puzzle piece with an activity for the day written on the back. When the puzzle is done it will be a picture I drew on poster board of Christ that says "Merry Christmas." I thought I would add the scripture book I made to go along with it. It has pictures, songs, and even a few of the Bible videos from www.lds.org/bible-videos to go with the scriptures every day. 

Day 1 Isaiah Prophecies of Christ Birth

Isaiah 9:6 (2 Nephi 19:6)

Song: Handel's Messiah “For unto us a child is born”  

Activity: Buy Christmas Tree and Decorations

Day 2 600 Year Prophecy

1 Nephi 10:42 & Nephi 25:19

Song: Picture a Christmas p. 50

Activity: Christmas Devotional

Day 3 Virgin Mother of Jesus

1 Nephi 11:18 & Alma 7:10

Song: Mary's Lullaby p. 44

Video: Mary, the Mother of Jesus 

Activity: Decorate the Tree

 Day 4 Prophecy of Mary (Immanuel)

2 Nephi 17:14 (Isaiah 7:14)

Song: Angels We Have Heard on High p. 203

Activity: Cottonball Snowmen

Day 5 Signs

2 Nephi 26:3

Song: Oh, Come All Ye Faithful p. 202

Activity: Holiday Cartoons

Day 6 Samuel the Lamanite

Helaman 14:3-9, 12

Song: Samuel tells of the Baby Jesus p. 36

Activity: Decorating the House

Day 7 Gabriel tells Mary

Luke 1: 26-38

Song: I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day p. 214

Video: An Angel Foretells Christ's Birth to Mary

Activity: Christmas Stories

Day 8 Mary visits Elisabeth

Luke 1: 39-45

Song: Away in a Manger p. 42

Video: Mary and Elisabeth Rejoice Together

Activity: Snowflakes

Day 9 Mary Praises God

Luke 1:46-56

Song: Hark the Herald Angels Sing p. 209

Activity: Hannukah Games (http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/hanukah.htm)

Day 10 Gabriel tells Joseph

Matthew 1:19-25

Song: The First Noel p. 213

Activity: Pin the Nose on Christmas (reindeer, or snowman, or tree, etc.)

Day 11 Tax

Luke 2:1-3

Song: When Joseph went to Bethlehem p. 38

Object: Money 

Activity: Christmas Songs

Day 12 Bethlehem

Luke 2:4-5

Song: O Little Town of Bethlehem p. 208

Video: Mary and Joseph Travel to Bethlehem 

Activity: Holiday Cartoons

Day 13 Born in a Manger

Luke 2:6-7

Song: Away in a Manger p. 206

Activity: Make an Ornament (We're doing Melty Beads) 

Day 14 Sign of Christ Birth in the America's

3 Nephi 1:8-21

Song: Once Within a Lowly Stable p. 41 

Activity: Snowman (out of snow, or with confetti paper)

 Day 15 Seed of David

Romans 1:3 & Matthew 1:1-17

Song: Shepherds Carol p. 40

Activity: Make Christmas Cookies

Day 16 Angels tell the Shepherds

Luke 2:8-14

Song: Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains p. 212

Video: Shepherds Learn of the Birth of Christ 

Activity: Make Christmas Cookies

Day 17 Shepherds see Jesus

Luke 2: 15-20

Song: Stars were Gleaming p. 37

Activity: Caroling 

Day 18 Wise Men visit Herod

Matthew 2:1-8

Song: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear p. 207 

Activity: Paint Wood Ornaments

Day 19 Wise Men Bring Gifts

Matthew 2:9-12

Song: We three kings of Orient Are

Video: The Wise Men Seek Jesus 

Activity: Coloring Pages (picture below works well for that or http://dailycoloringpages.com/christmas-coloring-pages/christmas-nativity-scenes-coloring-pages/the-three-wise-men-christmas-coloring-pages/)

Day 20 Flight to Egypt

Matthew 2:13-15

Song: The Nativity Song p. 52 

Activity: Yule Log (we have a candle train we're using that only has 5 days)

Day 21 Herods' Baby Decree

Matthew 2:16-18

Song: Christmas Bells p. 54 

Activity: Christmas Songs

Day 22 Baby named Jesus

Luke 2: 21-22, 24

Song: 12 Days of Christmas

Activity: Holiday Cartoons 

Day 23 Simeon

Luke 2:27-34

Song: Have a Very Merry Christmas p. 51

Video: The Christ Child is Presented at the Temple 

Activity: Make Snowglobes (use a picture and a baby food jar)

Day 24 Anna

Luke 2:36-38

Song: Silent Night p. 204 

Activity: Make Family Picture Ornaments

Day 25 Plan of Salvation/Meridian of Time

Moses 6:57-62

Song: Joy to the World p. 201 

Activity: Presents and Songs

 Merry Christmas! May we always remember the reason for the season. Feel free to use this in your own families if you so desire. I love and miss you all! I know Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God and that He lives!

Mickey Mouse Party

My kids love Mickey Mouse, so I did a party for each of their birthdays. Here are the invitations, cupcake toppers I made, and games played.

I used the template below, cut out a half circle in red, and made 2 white dots for buttons. On the back side I used a smaller version of the template and wrote out the party information on white.

Invitation Template

For the Cupcake toppers I bought some stickers, put a toothpick in between the sticker and construction paper, and cut them out. Best if you have the stickers lined up at the edge, toothpick pointed out. Or it gets hard to cut out. 

 The result

My kids watch a lot of mickey mouse clubhouse. To make the party like the show we did a Toodles Adventure for the activity. I made a Toodles out of posterboard (as shown below). There are usually 3 tools and one myster mouskatool.  For one party the adventure took us around the playground to get to lunch. Here is what we did for 3 and 4 year olds: 

1. They needed a map to see how to get to the food, which they got from Toodles.

2. They had to dig a treasure out of the sandbox. To do that they needed a shovel from Toodles. The treasure was mickey mouse ears for each of them to wear.

3. Had to play Hop Scotch to get across the basketball court. They needed markers to throw, which they got from Toodles. I used ABC blocks and put mickey mouse stickers on them.

4. They had to run across the lawn together using team work. The myster mouskatool was a beach ball to kick to each other while running to the other side where the food was.

I did another adventure for a 2 and 3 year old party:

1. Had cups of bubbles to blow, and Toodles had the wands

2. Pin the nose on Mickey mouse, Toodles had the blindfolds made from Mickey Mouse fabric

3. Ran across the field with a balloon tied to their leg, Toodles had the string (this was kind of a bust, since most of the balloons popped on sticks and made the kids cry. Would have worked better in doors)

4. Learned the Goofy and Mickey Dance to the ending song on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Hot Dog Dance. Toodles had the music.