Posts Tagged ‘holidays’
A book advent(ure)
Recently I read a blog that shared a wonderful idea – read a book each day in December until Christmas. This is certainly more healthy and educational than the chocolate filled advent calendars and it doesn’t need to cost a lot either. You could visit the library to pick out some special books for each week. Then each night, pick one of the books to read. You can re-use the books from last year, just pull them out each year and they will seem like a new discovery, or a favourite tradition. You can find many great books at thrift stores that have lots of reads left in them too!
Here are some ideas of books you might enjoy on your reading advent(ure)
December 1 -The Animals’ Winter Sleep by Lynda Graham-Barber and Nancy Carol Willis
December 2 – Here Comes Jack Frost by Kazuno Kohara
December 3 – The Snow Queen (Usborne Young Reading) by G Harvey
December 4 – The Snow Tree by Caroline Repchuk
December 5 – Flat Stanley – Stanley’s Christmas Adventure by Jeff Brown
December 6 – A Visit with St. Nicholas (or The Night Before Christmas) – this is St. Nicholas day in the Netherlands!
December 7 – Christmas in the Trenches (the story of Silent Night) by John McCutcheon and Henri Sorensen
December 8 -The Christmas Tree Ship by Jeanette Winter
December 9 – Babar and Father Christmas by Jean de Brunhoff
December 10 -Usborne Book of Christmas Poems
December 11 – Christmas Around the World by Mary D. Lankford
December 12 – Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola
December 13 – Hanna’s Christmas by Melissa Peterson and Melissa Iwai
December 14 – Blue Dog Christmas by George Rodrigue
December 15 – Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg and James Bernardin
December 16 – I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by John Rox and Bruce Whatley
December 17 – 12 Hidden Days of Christmas by Macky Pamintuan
December 18 – I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Toot and Puddle) by Holly Hobbie
December 19 – Christmas in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
December 20 – Jingle the Christmas Clown by Tomie dePaola
December 21 – Happy Hanukkah Corduroy by Don Freeman and Lisa McCue
December 22 -The Magic Dreidels: A Hanukkah Story by Eric A. Kimmel and Katya Krenina
December 23 -The Last Straw by Fredrick H. Thury and Vlasta van Kampen
December 24 -A Night in Santa’s Great Big Bag by Kristin Kladstrup
December 25 -Pippi’s After-Christmas Party by Astrid Lingren
December 26 – Li’l Rabbit’s Kwanzaa by Donna L. Washington and Shane W. Evans
Also remember when you give the gift of a book you give the gift of learning! Shop for books and more in our online educational thrift store!
Take an in depth look at the holidays around the world celebrated at this time of year. There are lots of crafts and activities that can be inspired from them.
December 6 is St. Nicholas day in the Netherlands. St. Nicholas gifts are meant to be shared – inspire sharing in your child by having them donate some of their toys to a good cause.
December 13 is Santa Lucia day in Sweden. Santa Lucia stands as a symbol of light and
hope to all mankind – her day is celebrated with lights and gingerbread cookies – you can bake cookies to help celebrate this day!
December 21 is the first day of winter. The Winter Solstice is a time to celebrate friends and family – make a wreath for the door so everyone that visits feels welcomed.
Chanukah starts December 22. It is an eight day festival of lights in the Jewish faith. Candles are an important part of this holiday – make candles to give as gifts – roll beeswax or make dipped candles
Kwanzaa is based on the Nguzo Saba (seven guiding principles), one for each day
of the observance, and is celebrated from December 26th to January 1st – have your family create their own “rules/principles” to guide them through the new year ahead.
Make the holidays educational!