…advent activity calendar….

Over the years, I have tried various ways to present our advent countdown activities. We’ve had envelopes in mini trees. We’ve had boxes of supplies and prompts. For the longest time, I’ve wanted a shadow box advent calendar, and I finally found one last week at Spotlight.

Being in a small house, with most of our supplies packed away, and not a lot of space to install our annual Christmas Craft Museum, meant I needed to build a new list of activities. I put it off and put it off, and suddenly, it was the first of December and I hadn’t filled the drawers! The children had virtual excursions all day Tuesday, so while they listened in to their webinars, I got busy printing prompts and bible verses. I set up a production line on the table next to the laptop so I could help the children if needed, and got to work. Tape the drawer shut, add patterned paper to the front. Four red m&ms, four green m&ms, bible verse card, prompt strip.

Once filled, I popped it on top of the wood oven next to the Christmas tree. Mr7 helped me add some gnomes and trees to the shadow box section to finish it up. The Christmas gnomes were one of last year’s activities (or was it the year before?), and the “king” gnome is one I made for a Sunday School prop, as King Jesus. Beetle was unimpressed that I had him just standing there, so went and found a block that would serve as a manger, and put the gnome to bed.

Since then, however, there has been lots of shadowbox play, as he chats away to himself, retelling the Christmas story. In time I will decorate the background and fancify the shadowbox some more, but for now, I love the natural way it evolves and changes day by day.

As always, it’s become an instant favourite. Our biggest problem is the teenager who sleeps the best part of the morning away, while his younger siblings desperately wait and ask if they can open it yet, please? I’m so looking forward to opening the prompts with them each day, and getting our Christmas magic on.

Today, we need to catch up on yesterday’s prompt – make Christmas cards. It was the peak of the heatwave so we ran away to the pool for the day, instead of crafting and schooling. Today is looking to be slightly cooler, so it’s full steam ahead for day two and three. I have a dress almost finished that spent yesterday in the naughty corner, but I think I’ve figured out a solution, so I plan to get that finished. I need to take some photos to finalise a tutorial I want to get up by the weekend. The children are off for a sleepover with my folks, so I plan to make the most of my child-free time and hit the shops. I’ve got the mojo flowing and my to-do lists are exploding while I’m on a roll. Happy Thursday, friends!