Tuesday 1 December 2015

CHRISTMAS: Getting in the festive spirit

 
So here we are...the festive month has finally arrived and things are about to get very Christmassy around here! Time to appreciate the festive season is limited when you have a baby, in fact time in general seems to fly-by and I am determind to not let Christmas Day sneek up on me. Isabella and I are going to be enjoying an array of Christmas activities to get us both, but mainly me, into the festive spirit and appreciate the run up to Christmas together. 

These include...

Reading Christmas story books at bedtime has been the perfect way to ensure some level of festivity appears at least once within our day. At the end of November I took down all of Isabella's books on her bookshelves and replaced them with Christmas stories. There's something beautiful about looking at a wall of beautifully illustrated children's Christmas books and I look forward to reading them to Isabella every year throughout December.
 
Snow messy play has been a fun addition to our days at home. I've been putting Isabella into the door bouncer with bare legs and feet, then placing a tray of expandable 'snow' (the stuff you add water too and it expands rapidly) underneath her feet. It's a fantastic, very easy sensory activity and the fact that she's in the door bouncer means she can't try and eat any of it.
Donate a toy to charity is a good way of giving to others, raising money and having a bit of a clear out before you open all of the Christmas presents.
Pottery painting is something we have done pretty often since Isabella was born, seeing her hand/footprint grow has been incredible. On the run up to Christmas we have been visiting to make presents for some of our family members, including this very cute handprint reindeer bauble. There are lots of different Christmas designs you can do using children's hand/footprints and they double up as a special memento too. 
I picked up these Christmas character finger puppets from amazon for less than £2 (see here) and they've provided endless giggles from Isabella. She especially finds it hilarious when I make them 'jump out' from underneath her highchair and then tickle her with them. Obviously she doesn't understand what they are, but it won't be long before she'll be playing with them herself and they're perfect for role play.
Listening and singing Christmas songs has come as a welcome change to our usual nursery rhymes (how many times can one person sing The Wheels On The Bus Go Round And Round???) The radio is now playing Christmas songs and we're playing them at home too, it's especially fun to have a little boogie together too.
Seeing the Christmas lights in your local town has been something I've looked forward to for ages! Isabella loves anything that lights up, so she loves all of the twinkly Christmas lights around and if it keeps her entertained then I'm happy too.
Christmas sensory play with tinsel is one of Isabella's favourite activites at the moment...it sparkles, makes noise and has texture...all the things she looks for in a 'toy'.
Wear Christmas jumpers, that's babies included. Perfect way to keep warm, spread the joy of Christmas or at least bring a smile to people's faces. We picked this Cath Kidston Christmas Jumper (£14) up from the Cath Kidston Outlet Shop in St. Neots.

How have you been getting into the festive spirit?

Feel free to leave a comment :)

Helen x
Mummascribbles
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3 comments

  1. Aww love these ideas! Definitely brings on the Christmas mood! Especially the finger puppets they are just so cute! #twinklytuesday

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  2. tinsel is such a good idea for sensory play - I hadn't thought of that. Thanks for sharing #twinklytuesday

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  3. We don't have tinsel on our tree but I'm definitely going to buy some now. What a great idea!

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