Christmas Day is December 25th. Many children are very excited for this celebration and yet they need to have a way to see the days passing so they are not continually asking -- How many days to Christmas?

Materials needed:

Colored paper
Scissors
Glue stick, stapler or tape

What to do:

To make a COUNT DOWN TO CHRISTMAS Chain

Cut the paper into rectangles... 1 inch by 6 inch, red and green!
Show them how to bend the rectangle into a circle shape and how to glue the edges together (small stapler, or tape can also be used in the absence of glue sticks)
Put another colored paper strip into the circle, and make a circle with it and glue those ends together to make a circle attached to a circle.
Continue adding links to the chain until it is 24 links long.

Hang this chain and at a certain time each day allow the child to cut off a link... this represents a day gone... and when all the links of the chain are gone... It will be CHRISTMAS!



To make a CHRISTMAS TREE Decoration Chain... or Chain links to decorate the house...

What to do:

Cut the paper into rectangles... 1 inch by 6 inch... use a variety of different colors!
Show them how to bend the rectangle into a circle shape and how to glue the edges together (small stapler, or tape can also be used in the absence of glue sticks)
Put another colored paper strip into the circle, and make a circle with it and glue those ends together to make a circle attached to a circle
Continue adding links to the chain until it is as long as you would like it to be... or when you run out of paper
Hang this long chain by draping it around the window, or around the room, or draping it on the tree.

Additional Learning Activity have the children make a pattern with the links of the chain: red, yellow, blue, green, white, orange, etc. Or a simpler pattern if they are younger.

Enjoy this fun craft while talking about the upcoming family celebrations.