A Holiday-Themed Play Date

This past week my girls invited a couple of friends over for a play date, so we decided that we would plan some fun holiday activities. The first thing the girls did was make Christmas cards. I set out the following supplies for them to use:

• previously used Christmas cards (Each year I save my Christmas cards, so that the kids can use them for crafts. For this particular activity they like to cut out the pictures and glue them on cardstock to make new cards.)
• holiday-shaped foamies
• holiday stickers
• holiday stamps and stamp pads
• ribbon
  
• cardstock
• construction paper
• envelopes (several different sizes)
• pens, markers, and crayons
• scissors and glue

They had so much fun with this that they ended up making a ton of cards. In fact, my girls asked me to keep all of the supplies handy because they wanted to make some more. This would be a great service activity for Girl Scout or Church groups. The cards the children make could be delivered to nursing homes, shelters, or sent to troops abroad.

Next, we baked Reindeer Cookies. I got the idea from National Geographic Little Kids. Here are the original pictures from the magazine:


Cute, huh? They are super easy to make, too. Here are the directions:

1. Roll the cookie dough into egg-shaped balls. Place on baking sheet and flatten.
2. Press two pretzels into the dough as antlers.
3. Bake according to the cookie package directions. Let cool.
4. Cover the top of some cookies with chocolate-hazelnut spread (Nutella) or peanut butter.
5. Press on two whit baking chips for eyes. In the center of each baking chip, put a dab of peanut butter and place a mini chocolate chip on top.
6. Add a candy nose - red for Rudolph - and enjoy.

The girls (and Wes) had a ton of fun with these and, of course, they enjoyed eating them.


The finished product:

Yum!

Screaming with delight!

Gracen sports a milk mustache!

Lastly, the girls set up a little toy shop and pretended to Christmas shop. They took turns being the shopkeeper and the customers. They used the following props:

• Recycled shopping and gift bags
• toy cash register with play money
• toy phone
• items to "buy" (They used small toys - stuffed animals, small horse figurines, Littlest Pet Shop animals, etc.)
• notepad
• pens

They all liked being the shopkeeper the best because they liked using this fun cash register.


If you think your child would like one of these cash registers, come back for Friday's Gracioius Giveaways because I will be hosting a giveaway(sponsored by CSN Stores) for one.