Advent...Day 18...Letters to Santa

Today we wrote our letters to Santa.

The letters to Santa

The envelopes for Santa

I found a free Santa letter template on the Internet and then chopped and pasted this to make matching envelopes for the kids.

Holly with her letter to Santa

Phoebe with her letter to Santa

The girls had great fun coming up with different things they wanted from Santa, they even came up with Hunters wish list.

Once finished, I got them to sign their own letters and then they were posted in our special "Santa's Mailbox".  I purchased this last year and it was great to be the special mailbox from which Santa's elves collected the mail.

Phoebe posting the mail in Santa's Letterbox

The girls were very concerned about how the elves were going to get inside the house...so we left the Magic Santa Key outside for them. 

Hanging the Santa Key for the elves to get inside.

There were lots of sneak peeks in the evening to see if the elves had been to collect the letters!

Holly sneaking a peek to see if her letter had been taken by the elves.

Advent...Day 17...Phone Calls from Santa

I only found out about this website today...www.santacall.co.nz
It's awesome. You can receive a personalised phone call from Santa!! The kids were absolutely blown away. 

I gave them no warning, and let Holly answer the phone.  The look of surprise when she said... "Santa??".  Holly made sure to leave him a message on his wish list..even spelling out her name to make sure he got it correct!! She asked for a trumpet (after copying Phoebe) but then changed it to "Coloured paper"...for her crafts.

Phoebe talked so earnestly to Santa.  Leaving him a very detailed message outlining that she would like a trumpet.

Hunter actually had a great time listening to the phone call.  He was so pleased at being able to hold the phone and have someone actually talk to him.  The girls took advantage of being able to tell Santa that Hunter needed toy cars and tractors.

Holly helping Hunter listen to his call

Holly not quite sure what to make of it all...she got the first call!

Phoebe was very assertive about what she wanted.

Phoebe was pretty stoked after she got off the phone to Santa

Happy and watching Phoebe get her call from Santa

"I don't believe it!" Phoebe exclaimed after she got off the phone.

Yep that's Santa Hunter.

Advent...Day 16...Paper Dolls

I love the illustrations of Joan Walsh Anglund.  I remember as a child receiving some gift wrapping paper covered in her paper dolls...I was over the moon...I can't even remember the gift that it wrapped!

I found some Christmas Themed Paper Dolls on the Internet and printed them off (then laminated them).

The girls enjoyed playing with them ... particularly the boy who they thought looked just like Hunter.  Hunter was not interested in this activity. He spent the whole time playing with potatoes.

Hunter playing with Potatoes!

The illustrations I used.

Holly

Phoebe

Phoebe loved her dolls.

The "Hunter" doll

Advent...Day 15...Christmas Decorations

You'll have to excuse the posts over the last three days...they've got confused and on one day I've had to combine two activities. Things were rather hectic over the weekend.

Each year I give the kids special christmas decorations. I love the idea of them each having a collection of individual decorations sort of relevant to them.

Today I have them their decorations.

First I gave each of them a porcelain copy of the photo from the annual christmas card. I have done this each year do we know have a nice collection of photos to hang on the tree.

Then I have them each two disney character ornaments. Holly for Mickey Mouse and Tinker bell. Phoebe got Pooh and Minnie Mouse. Hunter got Buzz Lightyear and a cars figurine.

Holly's Decorations

Hunter checking out his decorations.  He loved these.

The annual christmas card...this time I even worked out how to add the year on!

Holly

Phoebe's Decorations

Phoebe

Hunter's Decorations

Advent...Day 14...Phoebe's Candy Canes

Today Holly took some of her candy canes to give out to her friends. Unfortunately Phoebe was most upset as she didn't have any to give to her friends (she still has very few as she is yet to start Kindy).

So we came back home, and as today's activity, we set out making a card with candy canes for her 6 friends!

She wanted a grinch theme...slightly obsessed!

They're pretty cute and she was most pleased with them.

Advent...Day 13...Little People Toy Set

Last year, I gave the kids the Fisher Price Little People Nativity Set. They adored it. So ever since I have been on the look out for another Little People Christmas Set.

I managed to get hold of one a couple of weeks ago...finally. It was actually the particular set I was after!

It's the "Twas the Night Before Christmas Story Set" and came with, amongst other things, a story book, Santa, a music playing sleigh with all the reindeer, an elf and a North Pole.

Unfortunately Phoebe fell asleep early tonight, but the other two were pretty excited to first, read the story and second, discover that there were toys to play with.

Hunter was particularly pleased with the music from the sleigh that he could dance to.

I don't know who was more excited about this toy...me or the kids. But the general consensus is that we love it!

Advent...Day 12...Candy Canes for friends

Holly has lots of friends at Kindy. It's so sweet as she wanted to give them all christmas cards and all presents. Unfortunately my bank balance couldn't sustain it!!

Instead, I got her to make her friends cards and them give them all a candy cane!

Well, the list of friends keeps growing and growing. But I think we are almost done! Now her little candy canes are ready to be given out next week...just in time for Christmas.

Helping make the cards

The finished product



She just couldnt help herself