Winter Wonderland Blog Hop: 10 Winter-Themed Activities

I'm so excited to present the Winter Wonderland Blog Hop. For the next month (Jan. 13th-Feb. 13th), 35+ bloggers will be posting about a winter-themed activity, craft, recipe or printable. You can find a calendar list at the bottom of this post of the dates and bloggers who'll post on those dates. Each day I'll pop in to update the link to show the title of the blogger's winter-themed activity so check back often to beat the winter doldrums with super fun activities from some amazing bloggers! 

To kick-off the Blog Hop, I'm posting about 10 of our favorite winter activities! 

1. Build Your Own Snowman Muffin Tin Meal - Our favorite muffin tin meal of all time! 

2. Snow Glad We're Friends Cards - Send a card to a friend just for fun!

3. Winter-Themed Sensory Bin - Use rice as snow for a fun way to explore!

4. Coffee Filter Snowman - Perhaps the simplest snowman you'll ever make!

5. Bring Snow Inside! - If it's too cold (or dark) to play outside, bring the snow inside!

6. Simple Snow Play Dough - Try our simple snow play dough recipe!

7. Snow Tracks - Find and explore animal tracks in the snow!

8. Tot School: Snow Edition - Fun ways to learn with snow-themed activities!

9. Fingerprint Snowmen - Make a village of snowmen or turn them into a card!

10. Build a Snowman - Last, but certainly not least go the traditional route and build a snowman in the snow. Find fun items around the house for the face, arms and buttons, or use Mr. Potato Head pieces!

CALENDAR LIST OF POSTS:
January 13th: The Iowa Farmer's Wife - Introduction Post
January 14th: B-Inspired Mama - Snowflake Drop DIY Baby Toy
                    Kid World Citizen - Ice Sun Catchers
January 15th: Love Play Learn - Snowman Felt Story Board & Song
January 16th: KC Edventures - Fun with Kids Books and Winter Activities
                    Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails - Winter Bath for Kids
January 17th: Milk and Cuddles - How to Make Snow
January 18th: Putti's World - Craft Foam Snowman
January 19th: Nurture Store - Bake a Snowman - Cake Recipe for Kids
January 20th: Creative Playhouse - Homemade Cold Snow
January 21st: Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas - Packing Peanut Snowflakes
January 22nd: Teach Preschool - Snowman in a Bag
                     This Reading Mama - Snowflake Window Wonderland
January 23rd: Housing A Forest - Creating Colorful Icicles
January 24th: Royal Baloo - How is Snow Formed?
                    Home Learning Journey - Potato Print Penguin
January 25th: Two Big Two Little - Comparing Different Types of Fake Snow
January 26th: Ready Set Read - Winter Word Work
January 27th: CraftoArt
January 28th: The Outlaw Mom Blog - Easy Sticker Snow Globe
January 29th: JDaniel4s Mom - Snowflake Mobile
January 30th: Creative Family Fun - Polar Bear Masks
January 31st: Kitchen Counter Chronicles - Snowy Day Felt Board
February 1st: Caution! Twins at Play
February 2nd: Enchanted Homeschooling Mom - Groundhog Day Round Up
February 3rd: Blog Me Mom - Cotton Rounds Snowman Craft
February 4th: Mama Miss - Snowflake Stained Glass Mobile
February 5th: Living Montessori Now - 25+ Snow-Themed Sensory Tubs
                    Ingles 360 - Playing with Ice
February 6th: Glittering Muffins - Peanut Snowman Magnets
February 7th: The Pleasantest Thing - Winter Song: Today is Monday
February 8th: Here Come the Girls - Create an Inside Winter Wonderland
February 9th: 3 Dinosaurs - Paper Roll Snowman
February 10th: Train Up a Child - Penguin Sensory Bin
February 11th: Little Artists - The New Year of China
February 12th: The Chirping Moms - Snow Inspired Crafts
February 13th: My Nearest and Dearest - Winter Picnic

What's your favorite Winter-themed post? Share your post with us in the comment section!

7 Day Nativity Activity For Kids

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We do several different Advent calendar activities, but this year I wanted to do start a tradition of telling the Nativity story in parts over 7 days using our Melissa & Doug Nativity set. We received it last year as a Christmas gift so this is really the first time we've gotten to play with it since it got packed away in our Christmas decor soon after we arrived home from Christmas last year.

You can use any Nativity set for this activity, but Melissa & Doug's set is by far my favorite of the few that we have. I love the durability of the wooden pieces and the adoration on each of the figures' faces. My absolute FAVORITE part is that the manger is double-sided and you can save baby Jesus for Christmas day.

I broke the story down and created the following 7-day plan:

Set out the figures the night before (see below for ideas on how to use the printable) and allow your child(ren) to explore the pieces when they wake each morning. We have a breakfast picnic and read the scripture during this time, but setting up the Nativity scene on your kitchen or dining table works as well.

Day 1: The Annunciation
The Archangel Gabriel visits Mary
Luke 1:26-28

Nativity Figures Needed: Mary & the Angel
Discussion: What did the angel say to Mary when she was scared? What name did the angel say to give the baby?
Song to be Sung or Listened to: Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Day 2: The Dream
The Archangel Gabriel appears to Joseph in a dream
Matthew 1:18-25

Nativity Figures Needed: Joseph & the Angel
Discussion: Who is Joseph? Talk about Jesus' earthly father and heavenly Father.
Song to be Sung or Listened to: Joseph's Lullaby - Mercy Me

Day 3: The Visitation
Mary visits Elizabeth
Luke 1:29-56

Nativity Figures Needed: Mary & an additional woman/girl figurine
Discussion: What happened when Mary greeted Elizabeth? Talk about a baby's movements inside the womb.

Song to be Sung or Listened to: Believe - Josh Groban

Day 4: Census
Mary & Joseph travel to Bethlehem for Jesus' birth
Luke 2:1-7

Nativity Figures Needed: Joseph, Mary, Jesus & stable animals
Discussion: Talk about a census. Where did Mary & Joseph have to go to pay taxes? Where did Mary lay baby Jesus after He was born?
Song to be Sung or Listened to: Away in a Manger

Notice that baby Jesus is not in the manger

Day 5: Gloria in Excelsis Deo
Angels visit the Shepherds
Luke 2:18-24

Nativity Figures Needed: The Angel & Shepherds
Discussion: Why did the angels appear to the shepherds? Discuss how Jesus is the Lamb of God.
Song to be Sung or Listened to: Angels We Have Heard on High

Day 6: Shepherds
Shepherds visit the Christ child
Luke 2:15-20

Nativity Figures Needed: Joseph, Mary, Jesus, Shepherds & stable animals
Discussion: How did the shepherds find baby Jesus? Who did the shepherds tell about Jesus?
Song to be Sung or Listened to: O Come All Ye Faithful

Baby Jesus in the manger

Day 7: Magi
3 Kings visit the Christ child
Matthew 2:1-12

Nativity Figures Needed: Joseph, Mary, Jesus, 3 Kings & stable animals

Discussion: What made the star they saw different than the others? What type of gift would you give Jesus for His birthday? Discuss ways you could give Jesus a birthday gift by volunteering, serving or donating.

Song to be Sung or Listened to: We Three Kings

I also created a printable to go along with each day. Print, laminate and cut out cards to place by the Nativity figures each day. You could also hide the cards in your tree for the kids to find. Or keep the printable as a whole document to reference each day.

FTC Disclosure: All personal opinions and/or views regarding Melissa & Doug are my own and may differ from other users of Melissa & Doug products. I'll be compensated by Melissa & Doug for this post.

There are SO many different ways (from simple to elaborate) to celebrate the Christmas story with your children. My plan is to focus on the Nativity as much as possible when they are young so that as they grow, they realize that Christmas isn't about gifts, or toys, or a Santa, or Christmas trees. It's about a King who was born of a virgin mother, suffered, died and rose again to save us.

The linky below is filled with beautiful ideas for activities, books, crafts that celebrate the Nativity. Please take a moment to visit a few other links and don't forget to link up YOUR Nativity activities!

Here is a list of the 28 fabulous bloggers participating in the Focus on the Nativity Blog Hop today!

The Imagination Tree

Living Montessori Now

Kindergarten & Preschool for Parents & Teachers

My Nearest And Dearest

Life At The Zoo

Creative Connection for Kids

This Reading Mama

Adventures in Mommydom

Train up A Child

Rainy Day Mum

3 Dinosaurs

Crafty Mom Share

The Magic Of Play

Sun Hats and Wellieboots

The Fairy and The Frog

Housing a Forest

The Iowa Farmers Wife

Preschool Book Club

Craft To Art

The Golden Gleam

Here Come The Girls

Mamas Like Me

In Lieu Of Preschool

Kids Creative Chaos

My Small Potatoes 

Love Play And Learn

Kids World Citizen

Se7en

{Weekly Kid's Co-op} Features & Link-Up

Welcome to another week of the Weekly Kid's Co-op! What did you think of last week? Pretty great, huh? Here's my 3 features from last week. Thanks for sharing!!

I'm lovin' this awesome We Love You Because idea from B.Inspired Mama! What a great way to show someone how much you love them and the ideas are endless! Putting this one on the Father's Day idea shelf (should I say Pin board?). 

Aren't these Berry Container Monsters from Kitchen Counter Chronicles just awesome? We definitely have a plethora of these around our house AND we love monsters! Definitely giving this one a try in the near future!

I'm diggin' these DIY Easy Reader Books from Playdough to Plato! What a great way to motivate your child to learn new sounds and words! I also love the idea that you can up the difficulty as your child's reading improves. 

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Best Ideas for Kids 2011 Coming Soon!

Stay tuned for the Best Ideas for Kids 2011! I am honored to be hosting this blog hop with some amazing bloggers! Each of us will share our favorite post from 2011 and you're invited to join the fun by linking up your favorite kid-related post from the past year. Visit on January 2nd to be part of the blog hop and/or find some great ideas for your kiddos!

Hosted by these fabulous blogs:

AngeliqueFelix.com, The Golden Gleam, hands on : as we grow,Toddler Approved, Red Ted Art, The Iowa Farmer’s Wife, The Outlaw Mom Blog, Let Kids Create,  Come Together Kids, Creative With Kids,  Science sparks, Mama Smiles,  Rainy Day Mum, teach mama, Kitchen Counter Chronicles, The Imagination Tree, JDaniel Fours Mom, Teach Preschool, De tout et de rien: Activités pour le Préscolaire, Tinkerlab, Mama Pea Pod, Crayon Freckles, Sun Hats & Wellie Boots, From Tantrums To Treasure Hunts, My Creative Family, Classified: Mom, Puddles and Gumboots, Art For Little Hands, Creative Connections for Kids, At home with Ali, Nurturestore, The Chocolate Muffin Tree,Critters and Crayons, The Mommies Made Me Do It, Jamie Jumble

DIY Christmas Gifts for Kiddos

Looking for simple, inexpensive gifts for adults and kiddos on your Christmas list? Here is a round-up of the gifts I made over the past year for Sweet P, friends and family. Click on the links for detailed posts.

For Kiddos:
Felt Car Mat: By far my favorite item. This is easily personalized for any child on your list, made with a glue gun and doesn't take as long as it looks.


Felt Fish Magnetic Game: I love these little fish and they can be used for so many different learning activities (counting, color matching, etc.). Somewhat time consuming and tedious, but well worth it.


T-Shirt Quilt: Take your kiddos' old t-shirts (sports, etc.) and turn them into a keepsake! T-shirt material is super forgiving and again, if I can make them, you can too. The LSU quilt was my 3rd!


DIY Felt Food: By far the easiest and cheapest gift you'll ever make/give.


Hopefully these homemade gifts inspire you to make something homemade for your kiddos or other kiddos in your life this year. If you haven't noticed, I LOVE felt. It's super cheap and easy to work with (what's not to love!?).

Please comment if you try any of these projects! I'd love to see pictures!

Joseph's Colored Coat Paper Bag Craft

Last week when we did letter J our bible figures were Jonah and Joseph. We had a foam craft for Jonah so I wracked my brain for something to do for Joseph. I thought about cutting a flat coat out of construction paper, but wanted it to be bigger than a regular sheet of paper. Then one afternoon while Sweet P and Baby Brother napped at the same time I got the idea to use a paper bag! I've gotta say it turned out awesome!

The Craft: Joseph's Colored Coat

What you need:
A large paper bag
Construction paper
Tissue paper
Markers
Crayons
Stickers
Glue stick
ModPodge
Any other decorative supplies

I used a Trader Joe's bag, cut it into the shape of a "coat" (looks more like a vest) and turned it inside out so the wording on the bag wouldn't show. I had to tape portions back together, but it worked.

Then, let your kiddo go to town on the coat. We used a glue stick and modpodge for the adhesive. At the end she decided it needed some Easter stickers, but most of them fell off.

As she made it we talked to her about how Joseph's father gave him this coat because he loved him so much.

Don't forget to have your child model the coat!

Simple Ideas: Paper Car Mat

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most fun.

Thank you to Bianca at A Little Delightful for this fun, cheap and simple idea.

I know we have a felt car mat, but I when I saw this I knew we had to do it. So we did it as a family on Labor Day. It stayed on the kitchen floor for a few days before being recycled and Sweet P had a great time with it (and was super excited to show her babysitter last week!). She just realized today that it wasn't there anymore (4 days after I recycled it) and said, "Wanna play on that paper car mat?" So we may just have to make another one in the near future.

Please don't be jealous about the awesome artwork the Farmer and I created for Sweet P. I also love that Sweet P's scribbles somewhat resemble graffiti. We had a great time with this. Wish the pictures were better, but it was an awkward angle, it was nighttime and there was no way I was standing on the counter to get a better shot.
We used a roll of paper we had, but you can definitely tape sheets of paper together if that's all you have. Tape it to the floor with packing tape, get out the markers and GO! Don't forget the cars, trucks and tractors!

Sweet and Simple Apron

While Blair was here, I decided to make her and Sweet P aprons. This post is about Blair's apron because I haven't taken pictures of Sweet P in hers (and honestly, I just finished it last week!). This was such a simple sewing project (remember I am NOT a seamstress) and I love the way it came out (and I hope Blair loves it too!).

The fabric is leftover from the sling Auntie Rosita's friend made for Sweet P when she was born. It's a thick, sturdy fabric and I love the print. Blair chose lime green ribbon for her tie. I followed this tutorial (without the fabric crayon embellishment) and adjusted the measurements for length. The other measurements actually turned out perfect. I used the same measurements on the waist, neck and arms for both Blair and Sweet P. (I'll talk more about Sweet P's in her post).

The ribbon loops around the neck and ties in the back. You could sew the ribbon down if you wanted, but since I hoped the aprons would grow with the girls, I left them unsewn.

I made the apron double-sided for sturdiness. I also added a pocket for spoons, a towel or other cooking or craft supply!

Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of the progress, just the finished product.

What do you think? Isn't she the cutest? And that apron is pretty darn cute too!