As a child I was always getting myself excited and worked up about things to come. I was the 
child that couldn't sleep days before Christmas and would get physically get sick with glee for family trips to Disneyland. I always enjoyed the excitement of waiting for those fun family days.
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child that couldn't sleep days before Christmas and would get physically get sick with glee for family trips to Disneyland. I always enjoyed the excitement of waiting for those fun family days..
A great way to enjoy activities like this as a family is to make a Countdown Chain. Pick an event for the family that is coming up, whether it be a picnic, vacation, or a simple family movie night and figure out far away it is. Then make a calender/countdown chain for the special day (one link for every day, then brake off a chain for every day that comes and goes). If you don't have a family activity planned then you can have each child make their own chain for their own activity. This is great too because every child gets to do their own and mother 
doesn't have to delegate who gets to pull the chain for that day.
doesn't have to delegate who gets to pull the chain for that day.You can even turn these chains into a more meaningful lesson too. If you want, have each child write a goal on each strip of paper before they connect them for the chain. Then every day to come till the big event, they have that goal to complete. One day to help a sibling, to clean their room, or help mom with a chore.
It will be a fun evening of crafts and family time, plus will let you see how excited you kids are for their up and coming events.
love the paper chains - but love the goal idea even more!!
ReplyDeleteseriously i know i have said this before, but i sooo look forward to doing all these fun things when beans is older :)
That is such a cool idea. I remember how much fun I had making those as a kid. I'm sure my oldest would have a riot. :)
ReplyDeleteI've also heard that these are good for using while a military parent is deployed. It helps kids count down to the day they will come home!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I am going to make one tomorrow, it's about 35 days until nana/papa come from NY to visit and it drives my 4 year old just about bonkers waiting. Now she'll have a visual to help her pass the time!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Denise
I am totally going to try this one out...what a great idea.
ReplyDeleteI just got two new books that I suggest. It is full of activities of all types and are age appropriate.
ReplyDeleteThe Toddler's Busy Book by Trish Kuffner--365 creative games and activities to keep your 1 1/2 to 3 year old busy.
There are lists of items to keep from your household, things to buy, rainy day activities, kids recipes, etc. It's an awesome book.
I also got The Preschooler's Busy Book by Trish Kuffner. It's for ages 3 to 6 years old. I bought them off Amazon for CHEAP!
You should check em out!
Love,
Crystal
You always have great ideas. I really like this one.
ReplyDeleteSo nostalgic now! I used to make these all the time and would get so excited to count down on them! I had red and green ones at Christmas and orange and black ones for Halloween and orange and brown at Thanksgiving...you get the point! I love this :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful, easy idea. I never would have thought about that.
ReplyDeleteI love this idea - even the little bitty kids can do this!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea!
ReplyDeleteThat is a GREAT idea! We're getting ready to move and I think that would be an awesome way to get my little ones ready and hopefully excited! And if things get pushed off more... I can sneek a few more links on as needed.
ReplyDeleteyes if I had more time I would love to do crafts! Oh and yes! You are the itunes winner!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea - brings back childhood memories for me...
ReplyDeleteI love this idea - we do it for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good idea to write goals. I like it.
ReplyDeleteI remember one year, all we did to decorate our tree was use those chains, and string popcorn. Good times.
ReplyDeleteWe sort of did this a couple of weeks ago. We wrote numbers on a sticky pad and he's tearing one off each day to count down for Disney World. 13 more days to go!
ReplyDeletewhat I want to know is how you have so many comments for each post! I better get more creative juices flowing like YOU and people will want to be my friend and look at my blog...haha...love u!
ReplyDeleteAaargh...I need my little ones back from WA! LOL
ReplyDeleteHope you had a good weekend and as usual I am a bit envious of your skills with these crafts and such.
We made one of these for Christmas. The boys loved ripping off a ring before bed. :)
ReplyDeleteI had never seen a chain used as a countdown tool before until this last Christmas, my son's kindergarten class made them for the Christmas countdown. My son LOVED it, brought it home, put it up in the his room and tore off a chain every night. It's such a great idea!!
ReplyDeleteWe were just making those a few days ago - they are SOOO in-expensive and the kids were perfectly capable of making them themselves - so I just got to help and watch rather than do the actual craft for them (which is often the case...)
ReplyDeleteThey do look great -and you're right - they do bring back great memories from childhood.
Great idea.
ReplyDeleteCan you come live with me for a while?
Please!
I promise to feed you.
Ahhh ..love paper chains..I will have to indroduce them to my Evan. My roomie in college and I made one to count down until graduation..memories!
ReplyDeletereally enjoyed the blog. can't wait to do paper chains.
ReplyDelete