The last two months of the year are my FAVORITE months of the whole entire year! Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas… not to mention sweater weather, fireplaces, hot chocolate, and fuzzy socks. It’s the coziest season of all.
Now that Lil’ Miss Mouse is 4, she’s participating in traditions that she will possibly remember into her adulthood. But also, if you’ve ever had a 4 year old you’ll understand, she’s in that impatient “when will it get here” but “I can’t read a calendar yet” phase. *So fun!
Old School Paper Chains
I remember making lots of construction paper chains when we were kids. (Back in the “good ol days.”) I continued the tradition with my big kids because it’s a great visual for kids who can’t read yet – and now it’s Lil’ Miss Mouse’s turn. On November 1st we made a chain to count down to Thanksgiving and she’s been taking off one link each day. Of course, you don’t have to countdown the entire month – you might prefer to do a smaller time frame (only us crazies do the entire month.) 😉
Oh, but you might notice that my countdowns count.. up? I find that it’s easier at this age. We took off the “7” chain link today on the 7th. It “maths” well for kids who aren’t proficient at counting backward. The chain getting shorter is the visual countdown, not the numbers on the links.
And While We Count Down…
Meanwhile, there are a lot of days between now and Thanksgiving. What else shall we do? This is also my favorite time of year for baking. It doesn’t get too hot in the kitchen, comfort foods are perfect for the season, and well, I just like carbs. We have been shopping for supplies and we have plans to make cranberry orange scones, cranberry nut bread, and more.
Bake, bake, bake!
Lil Miss Mouse is an eager apprentice, and while she helps she’s practicing hand/eye coordination, following steps, counting, and more. Not to mention that she will gain a confidence in the kitchen as she grows that is worth even more.
Count Down With Me
I’ve uploaded a printable countdown set for you – free of charge – to count down the days with your own kids. It’s flexible and can be used any year for any length of time. You can assemble your chain to count up or down, or however.
Click here to download the free Thanksgiving Countdown Paper Chain.
Share your pictures with me and tag me on IG if you’d like, @classichousewife, I’d love to see how you use them.
And meanwhile, look for other ways to enjoy the season, too. Baking, giving, journaling, whatever! God bless!
