I always thought Maddilyn’s first Christmas would be so special but actually it wasn’t. I mean she wasn’t even one after all, she didn’t have a single interest in anything except the food. While the Christmas dinner is still a favorite, things get a little more exciting each year. At our second Christmas she was able to mostly eat on her own and she even opened a few presents – although the wrapping seemed to excite her more than what was inside. Last year we had a hilarious adventure in baking cookies for Santa and lets just say presents were a big deal.
Now that she is the big 0-3 this year we’re looking forward to creating some fun holiday craft traditions. I thought it would be a treat to make a Christmas Countdown Chain especially since we have already started composing the infamous Christmas List for Santa and her countdown to Christmas began about the same time as the decorations started rolling onto the shelves at our local Walmart.
I love this craft because its so easy for little fingers, creates pattern recognition and we can always use practice on our cutting skills. It’s also fun way to encourage her excitement. If you have never created one before it’s fairly simple and done in just a few steps.
- Cut construction paper (usually Red or Green but anything goes) into approximately 1in by 8in strips. If little fingers are helping feel free to be lenient! You will need as many strips are there are days left to Christmas. *Tip* Cut the paper “short ways” to get the 8in strips.
- To get started simply create a circle with one strip by pasting or taping one end to the other.
- Create the chain by looping the remaining and securing the ends.
- Hang it someplace where little fingers can tear off a link each day!
Nestle is also counting down the days over at Walmart.Com. A few times a week from November 18th to December 31st, they will be unveiling a new holiday treat! The treats range from online activities, like holiday eCard creators, printable crafts or even gift card!
There will be several Walmart gift card entry periods, with gift card prizes ranging from $25-$100. But there is a catch – they aren’t revealing which days the prizes will be available, so visit Walmart.com often to find them.
