Category: Seasonal Activities

On December 8^th my kiddos did not have too much trouble locating Scout. He was on the hutch in our dining room, tucked on top of a popcorn box. The box was surrounded by popcorn and candy. It was a Friday, so Scout planned some family fun for the evening. He set up a popcorn bar and movie night. There were serving boxes, two kinds of popcorn and mix-ins. The mix-ins for the popcorn included Mini M&Ms, Reese’s pieces and raisinets. There were so many options for mix-ins, but our elf thought we would like those the most.

Scout had some signs with him to explain what we were to do. Click here to find and print the signs that he had. The signs our elf had were attached to colorful paper straws. Those straws were tucked under his arm, placed inside the plastic popcorn serving boxes and shoved inside the lid of a cardboard box.

Popcorn treat

The boys were so excited to finish dinner and enjoy the special treat from Scout. After dinner we quickly cleaned up and broke into our snack. Each kiddo picked out what popcorn they wanted. The options were plain, butter and kettle corn. We popped some corn and filled the serving boxes almost full. Everyone chose their mix-ins. My picky eater passed on the chocolate-covered raisins. Of course, my middle son had to have some of everything. Then, my youngest chose to have a bit of everything, as well. However, he requested extra mix-ins on the side.  

Movie choice

Scout did not bring a movie. He did not bring any suggestions for what to watch, either. We decided to let the boys choose what movie to see while enjoying the yummy popcorn mixture. Of course, we had them chose from the Christmas movie options. “The Polar Express” was the movie of choice agreed on by all three of my kiddos.

Painting or dyeing eggs around Easter is a popular activity. Simple or extravagant, many eggs are decorated for this holiday. When I was growing up I did not paint wooden eggs. I did, however, color real eggs a number of ways.

Types of Eggs

One way to decorate eggs was to use a blown egg. A blown egg is a real egg with the inside cleaned out. For those eggs, we used acrylic paint and a cotton swab as a brush. They are very fragile but can last for many years, if handled with care. My mom has some that are 25 or more years old!

Another type of egg decorating uses hard boiled eggs. However, hard boiled eggs need to be refrigerated shortly after being boiled. To decorate those, we would use a mixture of color tablets, vinegar and water. The eggs would be submerged into the mixture up to five minutes. When removed and dried, the eggs were dyed whatever color the mixture was. We used a clear crayon to draw crosses or designs or to write a name. The dye resisted the crayon marks. Therefore, whatever was drawn on the egg would show up.   

Choosing Wooden Eggs

My kids don’t all enjoy eating hard boiled eggs. Therefore, we don’t make too many of them, otherwise we would end up wasting many eggs. Also, my kids are not ready for blown eggs. They are not gentle enough and would crack the fragile eggs. I decided to begin a new tradition with our family. They decorate wooden eggs. Every year they each paint one egg. The wooden eggs last for a very long time. Also, they are not fragile and easily broken like the blown eggs. My boys each have their own collection of painted wooden eggs.

Decorating Wooden Eggs

I purchase wooden eggs from a craft store, such as JoAnn Fabrics. If the base of the egg is round my husband sands it down. My boys use acrylic paint, either matte or gloss. After they are finished painting we put all three eggs on a paper plate to dry. After about 30 minutes I pick up each egg then set it back down on the plate. That is to make sure it does not stick to the plate while it is drying.

When the paint is completely dry, in about 24 to 48 hours, I coat each egg completely in mod podge. I like to use some with a gloss finish. Then, when that is completely dry, I use a permanent marker to write their name and the year on the bottom of the egg. Sometime after Easter we put the wooden eggs into cardboard egg cartons for storage. Each year my kids are eager to look at their eggs from the previous years. I like to see their creativity and how they change each year. None of the eggs are exactly the same. Their preferences in colors and designs change year after year.

 We believe the reason to celebrate Christmas centers around the birth of Jesus Christ. The nativity is a representation of that. On December 6^th, Scout had found a clever spot to hide. This was not where my kids would have looked. They never would have guessed that he would be visiting one of our nativity sets. Along with him, he left a note mentioning to our family how the nativity represents the meaning of Christmas. That meaning, he said, is the most important of all. This hiding spot and note did encourage some dialog with my kiddos. For instance, they asked some questions about nativity.

The Note from Scout:

The Elf on the Shelf was a phrase I had heard shortly before my oldest son was born. I did not look into it at all and had no desire to do this activity. If you are familiar with the Elf on the Shelf, you know having one can be as simple or as involved as you make it. Personally, I did not want to add another activity to the already busy month of December. Other kids talked about their Elf on the Shelf. I saw posts of the shenanigans of friends’ elves.

Our Intro to The Elf on the Shelf

My oldest son came home from pre-school one day. He was talking all about their classroom’s Elf on the Shelf. After hearing his excitement, I took notice when others shared ideas and photos about their Elf on the Shelf’s daily activities. My interest began to grow and I was a little open-minded about this activity.

That time of Year

One year we made our annual visit to see a particular Santa Claus. This was pre-COVID, so there was no social distancing. In the few years after COVID, before seeing this Santa, it is required to schedule the visit. At the time of our early visits we did not have to sign up for a certain day and time to go. Therefore, the line was long, mostly in the evening.

To pass the time one parent would usually stand in line while the other parent took the kids around to the different activities. One activity was making a craft. That usually included some type of ornament for the Christmas tree. Another thing to do was to build with Lincoln Logs. My two older kiddos competed against each other to see who could build the tallest tower without it falling down. My oldest son enjoyed building the most.

Kids could do target practice with archery and shooting. There was also a kinetic sand station. My middle son enjoyed all that there was to do, but mostly playing in the Kinetic sand. Many children also enjoyed watching the large fish in the big tank. Of course, there was also the fun of climbing on the boats and ATVs. Finally, kids could color while watching a movie.

As I stood in line I watched part of the movie, which was The Elf on the Shelf. Through watching some of that I was able to gain some additional insight into the story of the Elf on the Shelf. I was not completely focused on the movie, but caught bits and pieces of it.

The Movie’s Plot

The scout elves are sent by Santa to specific families. In the movie’s plot, a certain scout elf was sent to a specific family because the oldest child was beginning to not believe in Santa. The scout elf was tasked with trying to get the child to believe in Santa again, like he did when he was younger. As the movie went on, I learned a few details. The family gives the elf its name. That gives the elf its Christmas magic to fly to and from the North Pole every day. No one is permitted to touch the elf or it loses its magic and can’t fly back to the North Pole. When the elf gets back to the North Pole it must stay there in sick bay until it regains strength.

The Elf’s Task

The Elf on the Shelf flies to the North Pole each night to give reports to Santa about the family. Then, before the family wakes up, it flies back to the place where the family is. The elf is in a new spot every day and the kids get to search for it. In the movie the Elves on the Shelf got to know their family members and solved problems for them.

Set Rules/Specifics Early On

The Elf on the Shelf has become something a little different. It shows up either just after Thanksgiving or on December 1^st. He or she still needs to be named by the family to gain “magic.” No one is permitted to touch the Elf on the Shelf or it loses that magic. Some parents adopt one or more loopholes for some of the rules. For example, some decide that adults can touch the elf to move it; adults can touch with oven mitts; or parents can pick up the Elf on the Shelf with tongs, if necessary.

It is best to set the rules about touching the elf early on. It would be a sad day for your child to see you pick up the elf with oven mitts on, not being aware that it was alright. Another idea for people touching the elf is for the last day he or she are with you. The kids are allowed to give a very gentle hug to say goodbye until the next year.

Elf Behavior

Another thing about the Elf on the Shelf is that some of the elves get up to mischief. Some elves make lots of messes to try to be funny. They will also get themselves into a predicament. One example I have seen of Elf on the Shelf mischief is getting into a snowball fight with other toys. Another one is spilling flour on the floor and leaving tiny white footprints around the room. I was not interested in cleaning up after an elf and putting that on my ‘to do’ list. Sometimes it is also used as a scare tactic to get children to behave. I was not interested in that, either.

Beginning with an elf

Over the last few years my two oldest kiddos experienced the Elf on the Shelf in their classrooms. They were excited to share the elf’s names and what it was up to on a daily basis. One evening in November my husband and I were shopping by ourselves. The Elf on the Shelf kits were conveniently placed on a shelf at many adult’s eye level. My husband and I had not discussed getting one, but decided just then to purchase one. There were so many options to choose from. We could choose gender and skin color. Because we have boys we decided to get a boy elf, as well. We took him home and hid him until it was time for him to begin his assignment. It was time for my creativity to shine.

Also, look on The Elf on the Shelf website for more ideas, crafts, free printables and more!

Introduction

Door hearts are simply what they sound like.  They are paper hearts that I put on my family’s bedroom doors. I write something kind about each person each evening on the heart. One heart is added to the door each evening.

Small versus large Door Hearts

Most of the times I have done door hearts I have used one small heart per day. Once or twice I have used a single larger heart for the whole month. My kids seem to enjoy the smaller hearts better. Each morning they open their bedroom doors and look for the newest heart. With the larger hearts, my kids became not as interested. They were still eager to see what I wrote, but did not have to search for the new message. They enjoy not only the sentiment, but also the search.

What to use for Door Hearts

To make the door hearts, I used some cardstock that I already had. Examples of paper colors are tan, pale pink, light purple, and mint green. Any light colored paper works, so that the writing is clearly visible. My cricut paper cutting machine made quick work of making many hearts in a short amount of time. If a cricut and a heart cartridge are not available, you could purchase some online, instead.

The search term to use is “scalloped paper hearts” or “heart hang tags.” The correct size is around 2 inches. I made and purchased enough for each person in my family to have enough for every day of the month. You can do that, or only put them up until Valentine’s Day. When I used a large heart, I just purchased some paper heart doilies from the Dollar Store in January. For those, I only purchased 1 per family member.

What to write on the Door Hearts

Any number of words or phrases can be written on each heart. For example, I wrote a positive action that was completed. This included being kind to a specific person; doing chores without being asked; doing well on school work or some other positive activity. Another topic I wrote about was physical. An example of this was how I liked their hugs; they have a nice smile; their outfit was nice on them and anything else positive about them. Sometimes I wrote a scripture verse to encourage them.

I pray for my family to always know they are loved and that my words are reaffirming to them. Positive words are usually better than negative. One of my kids’ love languages is words of affirmation. This activity of writing door hearts blesses him and shows him even more love. My other family members feel loved and blessed by this, as well. Sometimes my husband writes a door heart for me. He doesn’t always remember to do it, but I appreciate it very much when he does!

Pomanders’ beginnings

Pomanders are a holiday tradition for many people. Historically, they were used in Europe to keep illnesses at bay. They were also used to combat foul smells. Pomanders are recorded in America in the 1700s to mask bad smells. They eventually became popular decorations during the holidays in homes across America.

Scents and Memories

I recently read about pomanders and the festive tradition. Though they had never been a part of my Christmas memories, I decided to try them out to see how my family would like the scent.

Many people associate smells to memories. For example, the smell of Easter lilies brings to mind going to church wearing a white straw hat, white gloves and a pretty little Easter dress. The whole memory comes to mind with one whiff of the sweet flower. Another example for me is the smell of certain candles. My mom liked to burn Yankee Candle‘s Home Sweet Home candle often when I was growing up. The combined scent of apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, cherry and juniper berry brings to mind memories from the home I grew up in.

Yet another smell that stirs up association is that of fresh cut grass. It is a signal in my mind that the growing season is upon us. As in, Spring has come. Fresh cut grass also brings to mind thoughts of traveling around locally in the Summer with my car windows rolled down. (Yes, rolled down, with a hand crank).

Scent Categories

There are many more scents that bring to mind various memories. One example is food smells. That would include pot roast in the crock pot, candy canes, funnel cake, buttered popcorn, fresh apples and, from growing up near the sweetest place on Earth, chocolate. Another example is environmental or nature smells. Some of these include Fall leaves, rain in the woods, lightening bugs, a limestone creek bed running through a wooded area, mud and evergreen trees. Yet one more group of scents is what I think of as man-made. Some of these include the smell of school bus fumes, perfume, various candle scents, various make-up, newspapers and many more.

Pomanders’ Scent

Pomanders bring warm memories to many people. The citrus used is oranges, lemons or limes. Although, oranges are most popular. The orange is sweet, fresh and juicy. Often times citrus, especially lemon, is used to energize or enliven someone. On the other hand, whole cloves have a spicy and sweet scent that is warm and woodsy. Piercing the orange peel enhances its scent. When the cloves are added, the mixture is cozy, happy, warm and seasonal.

If desired, roll the finished pomander in ground cinnamon for an added warm fragrance. The cinnamon is also beneficial in preventing mold from forming on the orange. Mold can form depending on the temperature, humidity, lighting and air flow. If that does occur, the mold defeats the purpose of a cozy smell and instead offers a musty, earthy scent (and not in a good way). As the orange dries, the citrus scent gets even stronger.

Yield: 1 pomander

Make Fragrant Pomanders

Print

Fragrant pomanders made with an orange and whole cloves.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Active Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Materials

• 1 orange
• 1 bottle whole cloves
• toothpick
• ribbon (o[ptional)
• thumb tack (optional)
• cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

1. If desired, add ribbon to the orange.
2. With the toothpick, poke small holes into the orange peel. Create a pattern, shapes or design; or poke holes randomly.
3. Push a whole clove into each toothpick hole.
4. After all of the holes are filled, as few or as many as you desire, roll the whole thing in cinnamon. Tap the excess cinnamon off.
5. Tie the ribbon into a bow or loop and hang it on the tree or somewhere else. If there is no ribbon, add the finished pomander to a decorative plate, bowl or basket with other seasonal decorations.

Notes

The purpose of the ribbon is to make a loop to hang the pomander. Additionally, the ribbon can be used for decoration. Wrap it around fully at least twice to make it secure. Some instructions I have read suggest drying the whole thing out in the oven. I don't think that is necessary. It takes away from enjoying the scent as the orange naturally dries.

This project is very simple to do. My three-year old made one with very little help from me. I just attached the ribbon around the orange for him. Then he had fun poking holes and pushing the cloves into the holes. When it was finished he was so proud to show his daddy what he made.

I hung them on our tree. If I make them again (which I probably will) I will use smaller oranges to hang on the tree. The larger oranges will be better in a bowl or on a plate or other decorative holder. The larger oranges are a little heavy for some of the branches. Smaller ones would work better.

I have read that cloves can be toxic to dogs, only in large quantities and in oil or powder form. However, cloves in any form can be toxic to cats. Of course, that is also in large quantities. Be careful if you have cats, especially if the pomanders are placed on a surface the cats can reach.

Sights to be Thankful for

A thankful pumpkin is something that my family works on during the month of November. November in Pennsylvania is filled with many things “Fall.”  One of those things includes “peeping” the changing colors of leaves on trees. That means, if you live or travel near deciduous trees, admiring the beauty of the flora kaleidoscope. Mountain areas and state forests are popular places for that.

Tastes to be Thankful for

Another November Fall thing is the many tastes.  Popular ones include apple cider and pumpkin spice. Other favorite flavors are caramel apple and candy apple. Then there is homemade pumpkin pie or homemade apple pie. Fall certainly has some comforting flavors and scents.

Thanksgiving

Near the end of the month we celebrate the holiday, Thanksgiving. Besides football, a big parade, turkey and pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful. Really, we should be thankful always.  However, Thanksgiving is when we are reminded of this.

We encourage our boys to be grateful and show appreciation when someone does something for them. They are reminded to “say thank you” when given a gift. What a blessing it is when they don’t need to be reminded to be thankful.  That seems to happen more often than not.

Thankful Pumpkin

For our family, the whole month of November is also a time for the ‘Thankful pumpkin.’ Beginning in 2018, we have enjoyed this activity. Every night after dinner we go around the table and say one thing that we are thankful for from that day.  We encourage the boys to say something different every night. With a fine sharpie, I write what each person says. It reminds us how truly blessed we are.

This month-long activity is simple to do and gets kids to realize there is so much to appreciate every day. Additionally, the supplies needed for this activity are minimal.  I use a fine tip sharpie marker to write on the pumpkin. For the pumpkin, I purchase a 6-8 inch foam craft pumpkin.  Near the end of October they can be found in many craft stores.  Also, foam craft pumpkins can be found in many stores that have Fall decorations. 

I hope you enjoy this activity.  Also, I hope we can look back over the years and realize how very blessed we are.