Advent bag activites

I had a few people ask what activities I put in the advent bags.  I already know I'm going to make some adjustments for next year, but so far we've been having a lot of fun!

1 - Hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows
2 - Decorate sugar cookies (I baked the cookies and made the icing the night before.  I put all the sprinkles in separate containers - basically had everything ready to go well ahead of time.  I'm learning that is a must with a two year old.)
3 - String popcorn garland.  This did not work.  Jackson had fun, but all he did was eat the popcorn off the garland as we tried to string it.  Probably won't try this again until he's much older.

4 - Make Christmas cards for grandparents.  (Think glitter EVERYWHERE!)

5 - Make a hand print and thumbprint finger paint wreath. 

6 - Write a letter to Santa.  (Jackson hasn't caught onto the whole Santa/presents thing, which I like.  As we were writing his letter I kept wondering to myself if this is really a road I want to start going down with my kids.  I like that he's excited about Christmas, but not just for the presents.  It's a beautiful innocence that so many kids lose all too quickly.  I'm going to be doing a lot of thinking over the next year about how I want to approach gifts and Santa in our house.)

7 - Visit Santa (at the Bass Pro Shop because he loves the fish tanks...)
8 - Make cinnamon applesauce ornaments with a friend
9 - Make Christmas rice krispy treats.  I think we're going to add red and green sprinkles to regular treats.
10 - Make Christmas pancakes for breakfast.  (Use metal cookie cutters as pancake molds.  We do this a lot with holidays and special days.)
11 - Make Christmas cards for more family members
12 - Go to the Polar Express at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens
13 - Make Christmas ornaments with a friend
14 - Take a neighborhood walk after dinner to look at lights

15 - Make bead and pipe cleaner ornaments.  (Already nervous about how this one is going to go.  Might save this activity for next year.)

16 - Decorate a Christmas tree.  I cut out a large piece of green construction paper in the shape of a tree.  I'm giving him glitter, pom poms, and crayons to go wild with it.

17 - Unwrap and wear Christmas pj's

18 - Make birdseed pine cones.  Jackson is allergic to peanut butter, but I've heard you can roll the pine cones in bacon/sausage grease and then in the birdseed.  I need to look it up online to get more info, but right now that's the plan.

19 - Visit the lights in Newport News park.
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24 - Feed the reindeer.  (Oatmeal with glitter - our yard is going to sparkle!)
25 - CHRISTMAS!!! 

So, I'm still four activities short, but I have a little time to get creative.  If time allows, I'm going to make a gingerbread house one evening and let Jackson decorate it the next day. 

On another note, I went to the quilting store today and picked out fabric for Jackson's quilt!  I'm so excited to start on it!