What is Missing?

Christmas is over and I think we are going through advent chain withdrawal. It was really nice having all the activities planned and organized. I have been trying to think of how I can continue to have daily activities for both girls without the use of a paper chain that is 365 links long. I have some ideas and will share if I think of something that will work for us all. Until then we will just do whatever.

Years ago one of the first teacher conferences I attended featured a presenter that shared this idea of creating a "What's Missing" book. They were basically made using coloring pages. I made my own for C recently using a snowman picture from one of her Christmas coloring books. I traced the picture several times, leaving something different out each time.

I am sure there is an easier way to do this on the computer, but my printer is out of ink :)

Tot School

I helped C make a hand and foot print angel that we later put on top of our tree

 Matching bows to the gift

 We played with flat marbles that I put alphabet stickers on. She liked playing with the letters. She even surprised me this week by spelling J's name out loud.

 

 She matched foam blocks to her foam letters by color.
(The 2 blocks on top are their ears and the 2 on the bottom are their feet)

 Then she gave the V cheeks :)

Matching stockings to the fireplace

 We made cone Christmas trees (got the idea from LAWTEEDAH)

 Here is some awesome fine motor skills at work! While looking for stickers to put on the cone tree, C found these in the sticker box. They were really small and on the back of the sticker sheet it says they were for fingernails. So she put stickers on her fingernails!

C & J's hand print and foot print Rudolph!

Felt Activities

I had a few minutes this morning to make 2 new felt activities for C.

Christmas shapes for her button snake
(snowman, poinsettia, stocking, tree, ornament, star, gingerbread)

 One of the activities on the advent chain was to make this Rudolph book I found at Little Giraffes a few years ago. Instead, I made a flannel board version after seeing the idea at Oopsey Daisy! I just don't have any pink felt, if I don't make it to the store I might have to use paper.

Here are the words to the Rudolph story

Rudolph! Rudolph!

What will you do?

You can't guide Santa

If your nose is blue!

Rudolph! Rudolph!

Santa gave a wink.

But what will he think

If your nose is pink?

Rudolph! Rudolph!

Your way cannot be seen

Through the wintry weather

If your nose is green!

  

Rudolph! Rudolph!

You're such a silly fellow    

Who will know it's you   

If your nose is yellow!

Rudolph! Rudolph!

How will you get back?

You can't see in the dark

If your nose is black!

Rudolph! Rudolph!

It's time to go to town.

But Santa's wearing a frown

'Cause your nose is brown!

Rudolph! Rudolph!

It's time to fly at night.

But you're quite a sight

'Cause your nose is white!

Rudolph!  Rudolph!

The children are in bed.

 And now I know you're ready

'Cause your nose is red!

Another thing I wanted to make was a button tree,
like this one at Counting Coconuts

but my felt collection is getting smaller and I don't have enough green.
It might have to wait until next year.

Oopsey Daisy also made these cute gingerbread bean bags!

Shutterfly Update

My order for our photo Christmas cards from Shutterfly arrived yesterday. And I am pleased to announce that I am very happy with how they turned out! (even if C is not looking at the camera and J isn't smiling in our family picture). 

This is the design I ended up choosing:

(not one had mentioned in the original post...and that isn't my family)

Most are addressed, all need stamps, and then they are ready for the post office! 

Tot School - 2 weeks worth

(This post contains affiliate links)

Updated 12.14 with link to Christmas puzzles and Christmas lights, see below.

Most of the things we did have been from our Advent chain. I should have one of those for every day of the year, it makes me more organized. Plus C makes sure we do our activity for the day!

 Ornament Shadow match

Christmas Tree Shapes

Winter/Christmas shape garland

Hand print Advent Wreath

Counting Presents Game

 Position Words book from 1+1+1=1

Tree and gift shape match

Hand print Santa

 Christmas Picture puzzles
click here to download for the word document or
the PDF File Download
This is my first time sharing something, please let me know if it doesn't work. I used clip art I found on google images, is it still ok to share?

Christmas lights pom pom color match
Click here to download