Counting Down to Christmas with Kids

Advent Calendar Candy Streamer

The traditional candy streamer is a colorful and yummy advent calendar. Hang your candy streamer on a doorknob; the kids will love untying a candy each night until Christmas! To make the streamer you'll need:

• Green or red felt
• Scissors
• Glue gun
• Glue
• Paper
• Ribbon
• Bell
• Baby clothes hanger
• Candy

Red and green felt are fun to use at Christmas, but any colors will do. Cut a 24-inch long and 4-inch wide strip from the felt. Fabric scissors make cutting the felt easier than regular scissors.

After you have cut your strip, print out or write this poem on a 3" x 3" piece of a paper. The poem should read:

December 1st till Christmas
Is the longest time of the year
It seems as though Old Santa
Never will appear.
How many days till Christmas
It's mighty hard to count
So this little candy streamer
Will tell you the exact amount
Untie a candy every night
When sandman casts his spell
And Christmas Eve will be here
By the time you reach the bell.

Glue the poem to the bottom of the felt streamer. Above the poem, punch two holes, two inches apart. Punch the holes next to each other and not one on top of the other. Continue punching the same pattern 23 more times. When you have completed the pattern, attach the bell above the holes.

Above the bell, cut a hole in the top of the felt. Insert the hanger in the hole and glue the hanger to the felt. Cut 48 one-inch strips of ribbon, then pull them through the holes and secure them to the felt with a knot. Take a candy and use the ribbon to tie it to the felt. Do this 23 times. You are ready to hang the calendar on the doorknob. Each night, allow your child to have one piece of candy. When your child reaches the bell, Christmas Day and Santa will be here! Start the calendar on December 1st.

These advent calendars are especially fun and festive at Christmas. You can try these ideas or make your own version. Calendars are inexpensive, often edible, and are easy enough to make that you can have one for each child in the family. So let the countdown begin!