Pony Bead Snowflake

Supplies: 3 pipe cleaners per child

36 pony beads per child - any color combination

Find the center of each pipe cleaner and twist them together so you have six points.

Put six beads on each section

Then twist the end of each around your finger to keep the beads in place. 

Shape and place on tree or hang in your window. 

My Angel

One of my favorite activities to do with young kids is to sing Angel Band.  Each child wears a halo and is given an instrument.  To make the halo, take tinsel and wrap around to fit their head and twist the ends.  Each child plays their instrument and sings when their number is called (1-10) and keeps playing until the end.  Can get noisy, but they look soooo cute!

There was one, there were two, there were three little angels.
There were four, there were five, there were six little angels.
There were seven, there were eight, there were nine little angels.
Ten little angels in our band.
Ohhh, wasn't that a band, Christmas morning, Christmas morning, Christmas morning.
Wasn't that a band, Christmas morning, Christmas morning, Christmas morning.

Christmas morning band.

I took their photo wearing their halo and used it to make their own angel using white paint for their handprints.  You can cut out and use as an ornament or frame their angelic creation.

Jingle Bells craft

I used these jingle bells to sing Jingle Bells, Angel Band http://mrsodaniels.blogspot.com/2013/12/my-angel.html  and Ring Those Bells.

Ring Those Bells (Tune: Jimmy Crack Corn)
Ring those bells and turn around,
Ring those bells and turn around,
Ring those bells and turn around for Christmas time has come.
*Stomp your feet, jump up high, etc...
Great song for getting the wiggles out!

Easy Ornament

Easy, cute, inexpensive and a product  to be proud of when your little one is finished!  Depending on the age of your kids, you can make the frame or let them make it. All you need is craft sticks (I found them at the Dollar Tree), craft glue, items to decorate, and a ribbon so you can hang on the tree. Adding a photo is optional. Don't forget to write name and date on the back. I did this project with 18 month olds up to age six and they all were successful and all turned out cute!  Have fun!!!

And so it begins...Elf on the Shelf!

I was never a fan of Elf on the Shelf.  Why do I need to "bribe" my son to be good for Santa...shouldn't he be good everyday?  I was hoping to get away with not doing it, but after a play date yesterday, my son asked if an Elf could come to our house too!  I asked him if he was "up for the challenge" of being good because the Elf reports back to Santa daily.  He said with gusto, "I'm Ready!"  So before bed we wrote the Elf a note and left him a cookie.  Luckily, I had an "elf" tucked away in our Christmas decorations, and thought he would do.  That next morning, at the crack of dawn, my son was up looking for the Elf.  And so it begins, we are now apart of the "Elf on the Shelf" craze.

* I am going to use this opportunity for my son to practice "writing" by leaving notes to the Elf.