by Stacey Mcclure

Created on: November 12, 2009

Christmas Countdown Chain

Supplies:

- Yellow, Red, and Green construction paper

- Scissors

- Markers, crayons, or you can type the poem into the computer and print it out.

- Glue, paste or glue stick

- Glitter or any other decorations you may want to add. Be creative!

(If you have children, you should have all of the above items on hand. If you don't already have one, here are some

ideas for starting a craft box.)

Cut the yellow construction paper in the shape of a bell. Write or type and print this poem:

December 1st 'til Christmas is the longest time of the year.

It seems as though old Santa never will appear.

How many more days 'til Christmas?

It's mighty hard to count!

So this Christmas countdown chain will tell the exact amount!

Snip off a link every night when the sandman casts his spell.

And Christmas Eve will be here by the time you reach the bell!

If you typed and printed the poem, cut it out and affix it to the bell. You can glue it to a contrasting piece of construction paper first, leaving an edge exposed if you want to make it look a little fancier. Otherwise, just print the poem directly on the bell with a colorful marker or crayon. Let your children decorate the bell however they would like.

Here are some ideas for decorating your bell:

Glue bits of lace around the bell, use glitter glue (or glitter and glue) to underline the sentences, make a bow for the top of the bell, draw Christmas trees, snowmen or holly on your bell. You can also decorate the strips of paper (see below) before you make your chain. This project is limited only by your imagination!

Now, cut the green and red construction paper into 24 strips (12 of each). The strips should measure approximately 1" X 6".

Next, smear a small amount of glue on the end of one of the red strips. Bring the other end around to form a loop. (A glue stick or tape works best for forming these loops since you won't have to wait for them to dry.)

Feed a green strip through the red loop and repeat the process. Keep alternating red and green until you have made your chain of 24 loops.

Feed a piece of string or ribbon through the last loop and tack it to the wall outside your child's room with the poem above it.

Starting December 1st, you and your child can cut a loop each night. Watch your child's eyes light up each night as the chain gets shorter and shorter!

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