Waiting for Christmas is an anxious time as we all count the days until the holidays. Children can't wait when it comes, but adults want to manage to do everything until it comes. So counting down the days actually works for everyone. And besides, it's an interesting way that will help the child visualize how long or not long the wait really is.

I remember when I was a child I used to mark every day until Christmas on a regular wall calendar. Now, for the second year around, my children are enjoying the Creative Advent Calendar, where every day they open a new package with all materials included to do one of the creative projects. Currently, there are so many options and ways of counting the days until Christmas that you just have to choose the right one for your kids. In this post I will share with you three simple and exciting ideas for counting the days, which you too can use in your family right now.

Snowman paper chain

A really simple, but very exciting way to count down the days. All you have to do:

1. Print out the numbers from 1-24 or draw them on A4 size paper (2.5x14.8 cm). You can download our free paper chain printable here.
2. Cut into strips. One strip makes empty (without a number) for the head.
3. You can write a greeting on the other side of each strip.

4. Glue the strips into a chain, threading one through the other.

5. Glue the empty strip through the first strip.

6. Make the Snowman's head – cut out and glue the hat, and nose and draw eyes and mouth.

Ready!

Hang the string in a place where children can reach it. Every day, cut one strip of the chain until you have reached the snowman's head and that means - you have also welcomed the holidays!

Santa’s beard counting

This will be a good exercise not only for counting but also for patience and accuracy. All you have to do:

1. Print out the Santa. We prepared a free Santa countdown printable for you here.

2. Write numbers from 1-24 in each circle in his beard.
3. Find cotton balls and glue.

Ready!

Place the Santa in a place accessible to the child and leave cotton balls and glue nearby. Glue one cotton ball every day until Santa's beard is full and the holiday is here!

Snowman countdown

Make a clock that counts down the days until Christmas. All you have to do:

1. Find a paper plate, black and orange cardboard, paper pin, or brad.

2. Cut and glue the Snowman's hat from black cardboard. You can décor it if you want.
3. Cut out the Snowman's nose from orange cardboard.
4. Draw or cut out circles from black cardboard and glue them. It will be the eyes.

5. Write numbers from 1-24 on the edge of the plate.

6. Attach the nose with a paper pin. Flaps at the ends of the pin so it doesn't fall out or hurt anything. Make sure you can turn around your nose easily.

Ready!

Turn the Snowman's nose and count the days until Christmas!

 

I hope that one of these ideas inspired you to start counting the days until Christmas and hope this will make that time of wait more enjoyable.

Have a creative wait.

Liene