Daily Triple Treat - Tuesday Edition

A Sea Cucumber, Giant Kazoo and lots of Fingers.

ADDED December 30, 2008

This week we're featuring a TRIPLE TREAT each day.  Three different short ideas to keep your little ones busy during winter break from school!

 

Inside Treat- Take a family trip to the big library.  The one downtown with floor after floor of books. On the way there, everyone can pick a topic that interests them:  space, owls, sea cucumbers, knitting, french cooking or early Porsche history. Then together, visit the sections that interest your family.  Who knows, you might learn something about sea cucumbers that will astonish you.  While you are at the library, check out the DVD rental section.  Borrow a special movie to watch on New Year's Eve;  it might help your kids make it to the stroke of midnight (if you want them to stay up that late).

Outside Treat-  Make a Giant Kazoo.  We are suggesting this as an outside activity because after the initial construction fun and playing a few dittys, most parents will have had enough.  Kids, on the other hand, will play this for hours.

To build your kazoo, you will need one of those giant tubes from your holiday wrapping paper.  If you don't have one handy, you can use a tube from paper towels, a toilet paper roll, or even a Regulation Bopper.  You will also need a piece of wax paper large enough to cover the end of the tube, a rubber band, and some markers.

Next decorate you instrument.  Encourage your kid to make it colorful and, as with any good instrument, have them give it a name.  (Lucille, anyone?)

Then cover one of the ends of the tube with wax paper and hold it firmly in place with a rubber band.

Now it's time for a music lesson. Have your kid sing or hum into the open end, and a pleasing vibration will enhance every sound from your child's lips.  A favorite phrase at my house is, "Luke, I am your father".

Educational Treat-  Work on Math concepts with your little ones using How Many Fingers Am I Holding Up? If you missed it here is the link.  It is simple favorite at my house that I have used many times while waiting in those pesky Holiday return lines.

 

 Picture thanks to sifu renka

Daily Triple Treat - Monday Edition

An old stand by, historical significance and a scale full of oranges.

ADDED December 29, 2008

Last week we had the week of Great Gargantuan Giving at Today is Fun.  Needless to say, it was a hit.  People loved it, and the question everybody asked was, "How will you ever top the week of Great Gargantuan Giving?"

Well don't worry, we've devised a way to make keep the special-ness going during this final week of 2008.   We have decided to give you three ideas each day that encourage family togetherness. We are ending the year with a DAILY TRIPLE TREAT!   That's right three ideas every day!  

One idea will be for inside fun, one idea for outside fun, and one idea will be educational fun. As usual they are all completely free, easy, and -- best of all -- fun. Please, tell your friends: we have a feeling the TRIPLE TREAT is going to be a very helpful and popular feature!

 

Monday's Treats
Inside Treat-  Today try the old stand-by a board game.  It can be Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Memory, Hi-Ho Cherry-O or Elefun. While these games may take some time to play and might not be the most entertaining activity for an adult, you will be spending time with your kids . . . and that is fun for everyone.

Outside Treat-  Visit a local park.  But today don't go to an old standby park. (You know, the one with the play structure and ice cream man).  Forgo the familiar and try another park:  maybe a National Park that has some historical significance or a local park that has a hiking trail. Wherever you end up, pack a lunch and make a day of it; this activity will not be soon forgotten!

Educational Treat-  Practice counting on your trip to the market with our idea Market Price (If you missed it here is the link).  This is a truly great idea for kids of all ages.  Really, what is more fun than a scale and some oranges?   After all, you do have to pick up something for lunch at the local park?

 

 Picture thanks to mag3737

God Bless You

An activity that will get everybody sending out some good thoughts

ADDED December 25, 2008

 (Yes, we said this was the week of Gigantic Great Giving here at Today is Fun.  We're not trying to do a bait and switch here.  But we think this activity is perfect for a day like today.  We hope you don't feel cheated.)

Not to be preachy or new agey, but . . . here's a very positive and actually quite fun game that you and your kids can play every day in the car.

As you drive your kids around, look out the windows of the car and try to spot passers-by.  Once somebody is spotted, you guys "God bless" them.  For instance, "God bless that guy with the briefcase" or "God bless that lady with the red sweater."

That's it.  That's the activity.   But as you'll see, there's something incredibly fun about it.  And everybody will feel good doing it.

Part of the trick here is not to make judgments on the people you see.  For this activity, *everybody* you see deserves your good wishes, no matter what.  You absolutely don't want to say "That guy looks really weird.  God bless him," or  "I don't like the way that lady looks, but God bless her anyway."  As you can see, those statements aren't exactly very positive.  Only construtive statements are allowed here.

After you guys God Bless somebody, you can follow up with "I hope he (or she) has a great day." 

(If for any reason you're uncomfortable with the words "God Bless," we're certain you can find some suitable substitute for your family.)

This game works particularly well on the way to school or early in the morning.  It sets a nice, constructive tone for the rest of the day.  And wishing everyone well will make you guys feel great about yourselves and the rest of your day, too! 

So see if this works for you and your kids.  Have fun, and in the immortal words of Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one!"

Rhyme Helper

A simple, printable sheet to help you guys make up some fun rhymes

ADDED December 24, 2008

 

Rhymes are fun.  Who could possibly argue with that? 

(Here is proof:  Try to remember a boring meeting that you've been in.  Or think of an argument you've had with your spouse.  Would that meeting or argument have been slightly better if everything rhymed?)

As part of the Great Giveaway Week here at Today is Fun, we're providing you with a fantastic and fantastically free Rhyme Helper.  Download it here and print away.

We've listed all the possible consonant sounds for the beginnings of words.  This isn't just an alphabet, it's a little bit more in depth.  (We've included common word starts like sh– and ch-.)

All you have to do, if you and your kids are trying to think of a rhyme, is go through this word start list.  A rhyme will be bound to occur to you.

This isn't necessarily the stuff of genius here.  Someone has probably made something like this before, but we've never seen it.

Some suggested activities with this Rhyme Helper page:

•  Throw out a word.  Everybody has to find a rhyme for it.  Keep taking turns until you can't come up with any more.  Then go down the Rhyme Helper's list to see if you missed any.

•  Have your kids write a letter to somebody (like Grandma or Daddy) to let them know you're thinking about them, and rhyme each last word.  Make the letter on the short side.  See if they can spot the last-word rhyming trick.

•  Find a rhyming book (Dr. Seuss is pretty great) and find other rhymes the author could have used.

Enjoy our Rhyme Helper with your kid.   You'll be quite glad you did.

 

--S

Conversation Starter Cards

Could save the day

ADDED December 23, 2008

 

These are really simple, but might come in handy in a pinch.  They're conversation starter cards.  Download them, cut them out, and keep them in your purse or car for long waits or traffic jams.

Download here.

These cards each have many questions on them.  Ask your kids the questions, and get them talking.  Hopefully, the clock will move nicely along.  With these cards, you don't have to wrack your brain for conversation topics.

You can answer these questions, too, to keep the conversation going.  Everyone in your family gets extra points when your kids say something funny or cute.

And here's a conversation topic:  how can Today Is Fun help you in the new year?  Drop us a line if you need more help.  (And if you wanted to mention our site to a friend or two, that wouldn't be such a bad start to a conversation either!)

 

--S

Conversing father and daughter by pocketwilley via Flickr, thanks to a creative commons license.

Make-Your-Body-Like-This Cards

Can your kids position their bodies like this?

ADDED December 22, 2008

 

We are proud to announce a week of Great Gargantuan Giving here at Today is Fun.  In honor of Christmas, we will have fabulous give-aways each day!  Please, tell your friends!

We're kicking off the week with our patented and popular Make-Your-Body-Like-This Cards.

Download these PDFs and cut the cards out.  Have your kids choose cards and make their bodies like the positions depicted.  It's that simple.

 

Batch #1            Batch #2            Batch #3

The body positions on the cards are intentionally a little abstract.  It's up to your kids to use their creativity and ingenuity with their own bodies.  They can interpret the positions any way they want; they can do the positions standing, sitting, or lying down.

Some more ideas with these cards:

• Your kids can color the drawings in.  They can also draw faces on them.
• On a rainy day, do a 'speed round' with these cards to get the kids' bodies moving and exercising in the house.
• Do you have kids who like princesses?  Pirates?  Ballerinas or bandits?  (Or in our house at the moment:  bad guys.)  Have your kids do the positions as a pirate or princess or whatever their favorite character is.

If you like these cards, please by all means email us and let us know.  We'll make more... (Also, we happen to think that one of these body positions definitely looks like a sumo wrestler.  Another like a zombie from the Thriller video.  If you care to take a guess as to which number is which, please email or make a comment!)

--S

Quizmaster & Answermaster

Because all good games have funny titles.

ADDED December 19, 2008

To play this game you need two people the first person is the Quizmaster the second the Answermaster.  The Quizmaster asks the questions and the Answermaster answers the questions.  This game is fantastic for all ages because the questions can be tailored appropriately to make it easy for everyone to win.  It also can be played as a group activity to include many more kids if needed.

First the person who is the Quizmaster thinks of two or three things that have one thing in common, for example shark, octopus and sea cucumber. Next the Quizmaster poses their question to Answermaster,” What is the same about these three things, a shark, an octopus and a sea cucumber?”  At this point if you have a group of kids, in an orderly manner everyone in the group takes a turn giving their best answer to the Answermaster. When all the answers are tallied the Answermaster tells the Quizmaster the answer, “They all live in the ocean”.  Now the Quizmaster becomes the Answermaster and it is their turn to think of of two or three things that are the same.

The game works great using a variety of topics and the questions can range from very simple to extremely difficult, here are some starters:

Quizmaster question:
What is the same about these three things red, blue and green?

Answermaster answer.
All three are colors.

Quizmaster question:
What is the same about these three things truck, car and van?

Answermaster answer.
All three are cars.

Quizmaster question:
What is the same about these three things elbow, toe, and nose?

Answermaster answer.
All three are parts of your body.

Quizmaster question:
What is the same about these three things sleepingbag, tent and flashlight?

Answermaster answer.
All three are used for camping.

Try it today and use the comments section to let us know what you little Quizmasters come up with!  

Sounds like a…holiday

A great game that can make a drive a festive adventure.

ADDED December 18, 2008

I am sure everybody reading this will very soon be driving in a car with kids.  There will be traffic, inclement weather and festive kids music playing on the stereo.  Instead of being frustrated with your situation embrace it.  Spend a few minutes talking with them about what specific sounds they are likely to hear at Christmas.  

Here is a list of what my kids came up with
Rain on the car and house
Music in the car and house
Dishes at a family dinner
Bells
Popcorn popping while watching a special movie
People saying, “Ho, Ho, Ho”

If your kids are younger they might also like practicing the holiday sounds they hear.  Really nothing is cuter than three year old saying,”HO HO HO”.  
If your kids are stuck for sounds use our list as a starting point and make today fun!

Handmade Mistletoe

Crafting and kissing.

ADDED December 17, 2008

My son the decided he was going to make some mistletoe. I am not sure if he has someone in mind to use it on but his ingenuity and enthusiasm for this craft was so sincere how can I not pass a great idea along.

First he created the leaves, this was accomplished by folding a green piece of construction paper in half lengthwise.  Second he drew three half hearts on one side of the paper with the point at the bottom and the curved top pointing down. Third on a white piece of paper he drew three small circles these are the berries.  Fourth he cut all the pieces out.  Fifth he unfolded the hearts glued them together to make the leaves and added the berries. Sixth he tied the mistletoe to a string and started kissing!
 
Here is the final result. It's great.

It was fun to see him create this truly unique craft, try it today.  Because Today is fun! And I am sure you’ll get some kisses out of it.

 

Indoor Holiday light show

Create a light show at home.

ADDED December 16, 2008

This time of year some people choose to create very elaborate Holiday light shows on the outside of their house but very few create this type of intricate display inside their house.  Today’s activity is silly and rowdy but as always we’ll try to add a little learning to the fun.

I will usually start this activity by playing some festive music, all good light shows have music.  Really any music will work, but try to pick something with a strong beat or peppy rhythm.  Then flick the lights on and off with the music creating a rhythmic syncopation.  While the lights are flicking on and off take turns pretending to see the different colors of the light show.  For example you can say, “I love to see the red lights” or “Oh my, the blue lights are so very pretty”.  

You can also mention some colors that your kids might not know yet to stimulate imaginations and expand their vocabulary, words like Amber, Cerulean and Vermilion.  Imagination is key to the success of this activity.

When the light show is in full effect let your kids have a chance.  Explain how they can listen to the music and anticipate the beats as they create their own light show.  Who knows you could be preparing them for a career at the “happiest place on earth” or just helping to expand their vocabulary by using Saffron in a sentence.  Have fun and let us know if the neighbors slow down as they drive by.

-P

Snowflake Tortilla

Delicious edible momentarliy decorative treat.

ADDED December 15, 2008

Snowflakes are fun to make but they are even more fun make when you can eat them.  This is a great idea for an after school snack or just a fun cooking activity to do today with your kids.
 
First grab a few tortillas pop em in the microwave for a few seconds so they are warm, carefully fold the tortilla in half and then in half again.  Then using scissors cut triangles circles and diamonds into the tortilla to create your edible snowflake.  
 
When you finish cutting the tortilla unfold it put in on a plate and if you want a treat that is a little more sweet, toss the tortilla back into the microwave for about 15 seconds, spread some butter, cinnamon and sugar on it once you have your snowflake ready to eat take a few seconds to behold the beauty of your creation and eat it.  There is nothing like a nice warm snowflake treat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luminarias

An inexpensive, fun, and (frankly) gorgeous holiday display

ADDED December 12, 2008

 

If you haven't heard of them yet, Luminarias are a traditional Mexican Christmas display.  They're very simple and inexpensive to make and, once done, they are quite charming to behold.  What's more, your kids can play a lead role in setting them up.  

What you'll need to create your own Luminarias is some empty brown lunch bags, small sturdy candles (votives will work great) and some sand (or substitute some dirt).  Have your kids line up the bags outside and weigh them down with a couple cups of sand or dirt.  The bags should be about a foot or two away from each other.  Next, the kuds can put an unlit candle into each bag.  Now your Luminarias are set up and ready to go!

When evening falls, go down the row and light each candle (a job for you, not the kids).  Of course, you can and should put your kids to work while you're lighting the candles.  One good thing they could do is count and keep tally of how many candles are lit.  (If they're ready, you could teach them the concept of half or two-thirds when that amount of candles are lit.)  Also, who says you need to light the Luminarias in a row?  Instead, your kids could run around, inventing a creative order for you, and then they can evaluate the resulting pattern as you progress.  

(Use common sense and be safe.  Don't put the bags too close to each other or near structures or dry wood.  Don't light them if it's too windy.)

Luminarias nicely complement electric lights.  They add some natural charm to your home's Christmas display.  And your kids can contribute to their set-up and feel proud!

 

--S

 

(Luminarias photo courtesy of jared.)

A Good Old-Fashioned Penny Battle

Edge-of-your-seat thrills for your little ones . . . using just a little money

ADDED December 11, 2008

Well actually, this isn't all that old-fashioned.  We've never really heard of one before.  But it's so simple and straightforward that it could have been an entertaining pastime of yore.

 

You need two people for this game, one to take heads, the other to represent tails.  (A third person could be the 'designated flipper, if you so desire.  But two people can also take turns being the flipper.)

First, your child needs to create two "boards" using pen and paper.  To do this, draw seven boxes on each page.  One of the two pages will be designated heads, the other tails.  Get a bunch of pennies, at least thirteen of them.

Then flip a coin.  If it's heads, that penny goes into a box on the heads person's board.  If it's tails, well that goes on the tails person's page.  Keep flipping.  The first person to get seven boxes filled with pennies wins!  And after that person wins, clear the boards and get flipping again.

A bunch of people think that pennies are practically worthless.  Well, those people haven't experienced the fun of a good old-fashioned penny battle!  Game on!

 

--S

Christmas Light Spotters

Put the kids to good use this holiday season

ADDED December 10, 2008

 

Great for the car this time of year, no matter what holiday you celebrate...turn your children into Christmas Light Spotters!

It's fun for kids to see holiday displays, but you can amp up the enjoyment for everybody.  First, if you have more than one kid, you can assign them different sides of the car to be in charge of.  If they see something exciting on their side, it's their duty to report it to the rest of the car.

Another idea is to give the kids different colors to spot as their "goals."  For instance, "Nick, you're in charge of finding some red today!  Jake, you need to tell me if you see any green lights."  Making the search a bit more specific increases a kids' interest and enthusiasm.

Your family could also create a mental list of special characters you've seen in holiday displays:  how many Santas, Rudolphs, Frosties, etc.  Special attention (or extra points) could be given to the rarer characters like Mrs. Claus and the Grinch.  If you want, you could take this mental list and make it an on-paper one.  That way, you could keep track of how many of each character you've seen during the entire Christmas light season.

Finally, everyone could spend each ride looking for their "most favorite" holiday display.  And yes, most favorites are allowed to change frequently.

Whether or not you play these Christmas light games, by all means do make a point to get in the car at some point in the next weeks and go searching for beautiful light displays.  Your kids will really enjoy it.  And you can think of it as a much less expensive version of Disneyland.

 

--S

Cereal Box Puppets

Along with the whales, Save the Socks!

ADDED December 09, 2008

 

What's something around your house that you can use to make puppets with your kids?  Socks come right to mind, but there's a problem with them:  if you make sock puppets, you can't wear those socks anymore!  (The eyes, noses and mouths make for pretty uncomfortable footwear.)

So today we present . . . little cereal box puppets!  Little cereal boxes are often found on camping trips, but these days they're also available on the shelves of almost any grocery store.  If you buy these multi-cereal samplers, you should know that they are just the right size to make brilliant puppets with your kids.

First, cut open the boxes to flip them inside out.  Use the "blank" side as the canvas for your puppets.

Second, use markers, construction paper, glue, tape, and whatever you've got handy to make fun and funny puppet faces.

Finally, tape up the puppets back into their original box shape -- ready for little hands to use.

(Here's a couple insider secrets on making these things:  (1)  Make the puppet faces first and then tape the boxes up.  It's trickier if you reverse the order of these steps.  (2)  When you tape the boxes back up, start with a couple pieces of tape on the inside.  This will help in the sturdiness department.  (3)  Make similar faces for the front and back of the boxes, but with different expressions.  That way, during a puppet show, a happy character can suddenly switch around to be a completely shocked one!)

If you don't buy those little cereal boxes, you can save and use big ones over time.  Other kinds of boxes will probably work just fine, too.

After the puppets are done, you guys are ready for a spectacular, cereal-box-puppet presentation.  Everyone will have fun and will be able to say, "No socks were harmed in the production of this show!"

 

--S

Vowel-No-Vowel

Fun with vowels and no-vowels

ADDED December 08, 2008

 

What do you get when you take a piece of paper and write a vowel, a no-vowel, and a vowel?

If you can figure out a funny punch line to the above question, please email us with it.  But actually, we're not joking.  The real answer to that question is:  you get a word.

Try it with your kids.  First have them take a blank piece of paper and write down all the vowels:  A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y.

Now have them draw a line around those vowels, to separate them from the rest of the blank page.  Now that we've got the vowels nicely aligned, we're not going to be writing in that area any more.

Have your kid write any letter that's not a vowel (a "no vowel"), then any vowel, and then another no-vowel. 

Now they've done it:  they've got a word!

Well, some kind of word.  We're willing to concede that it might be gibberish.  But it will be some kind of word; it will be something that you guys will be able to pronounce.

The first time my 4-year-old tried this out, his no-vowel, vowel, no-vowel creation was:  ZEC.  Well, it's pronounceable at least, right?

But after we pronounced Zec, I could see a light go on for him.  His next creation was:  CAT.  Then DOG.  He was on a roll.

Then he said, "Daddy, I just wrote no-vowel, vowel, no-vowel, no-vowel."  What was that, I asked.  It turned out to be his friend, JACK.

This diversion will get your little ones thinking about letters and vowels, as well as how they all go together to make words.

And when you guys are learning like crazy and having loads of fun, you can try this tricky one on for size:  YIPPEE!  (Also known as:  sometimes vowel, vowel, no vowel, no vowel, vowel, vowel)

Words that end with A and T together

Fill in the blank and turn on the fun

ADDED December 05, 2008

Have you ever noticed how many three letter words end with A and T together?  Using A-and-T-ending words, we created a fun game that you can play with your kids in the car, at dinner, before bed, and beyond...
 
First start with the word "CAT."  Spell the word (C-A-T) and then ask, "Can you think of any other words that end with the '-AT' sound?"  

If you think it will help the activity along, provide more examples of words that end with -AT.  Words like hat or rat.  

Once you and your kids have thought up many, many words that end in -AT, start at the beginning of the alphabet and work together to add the -AT sound after every letter in the alphabet.  (This sounds like it might take a while but it is faster than you think.)
 
In our house, when we have finished going through the alphabet and laughing at all the funny made-up words like "jat" and "qat," we move on to other ending sounds like -AN.

Have fun, and please let us know if you can find the meaning of the words "yat" and "yan!"

Huggy!

A nice monster

ADDED December 04, 2008

Huggy is a very nice monster, just listening to his name you can discern he likes to be hugged.

When you hear him say, “ Huggy” you have to hug him or he will repeat his name over and over while chasing you.  Huggy is very fast.  If you like to be chased please don't hug him.  He only stops repeating his name and chasing when he gets a hug.  Beware if you let him into your house you will have to give him a lot of hugs.  I would suggest only those who are not stingy with hugs invite him in.  

 Moms can be Huggys, Dads can be Huggys even kids can be Huggys. They all are very polite and if you don't want a hug they will not hug you and but be aware they can be persistent in their pursuit of hugs.

Should you let Huggy into your house today?  He really is a nice monster.

Box art

Recycled art is the best

ADDED December 03, 2008

After a trip to the market a few days back, as I was unpacking some magically sugary snacks, I had an idea for a recycled box art craft.  So I started flattening and saving boxes.   In about a week I was able to save enough boxes for this easy imagination charged recycled art craft.
 
First, take the three or four boxes.  Get some pens, stickers, scissors and warm up a little creativity. Second, have an adult cut the boxes to make them flat because sometimes the cardboard can be a little thick and difficult to cut.  This is your canvas. Then encourage your kids to spend a few minutes visualizing what the cardboard canvas could be. Here is a very brief list of a few things we though would be grand if made out of a recycled box:

A monster
A bus
A spaceman
A sign to a party
A big birthday card

 And then go for it!  Let those imaginations run wild! The sky is the limit (or in this case the edges of your box)!
 
And here is what we made
 A mailbox
A computer
A robot
A jump for cars
 

Try it today make your trash into something fantastic!  We will post submissions for all to see so start sending your photos to info@todayisfun.com.  The most creative piece of box art will receive a conduct happiness shirt courtesy of conducthappiness.com.

Contest ends 12/10/08!

Heads or Tails

You will flip for it!

ADDED December 02, 2008

 

On Thanksgiving morning, my family and I had a few hours free, so we decided to volunteer at a local charity. We chose to donate our time doing a job that we felt would be suitable with younger kids.   We were "curb runners."

Our task was to take food donations from cars to the kitchen where meals were being served to some very important people who didn't have homes or families spend Thanksgiving with.  When we first arrived, it was very busy; we were moving turkeys, stuffing, fruit and pies.  As the first hour of the shift moved into the second, donations slowed down and we found ourselves with time between drop offs.  I had four quarters in my pocket, and that was all we needed for some quick entertainment between cars.

 

We made up three games to play with the quarters. The First game was "Call It In the Air."  I would toss a quarter and let the kids take turns calling heads or tails.  The winner of each toss got to hold the quarter.  When all four quarters were gone, a winner was declared and we started over.

 

The second game we played was called "Find the Quarter."  The kids took turns holding a quarter in one hand with both hands behind their back, and I would try to guess which hand held the quarter.  We played this until I found all the coins.

 

The third game we made up was called "Head and Tails Battle."  This game proved to be the most exciting.   Here is how we played: one child was the "Heads" team and the other the "Tails" team. Each child got two quarters and they would both flip one coin. If two heads were showing the heads team would win, and if two, the tails team would win and if one of each was facing up, a tie was called requiring a do-over.

 

In the end, it was really rewarding donating our time to some less fortunate people and flipping coins.  Next time you need some quick entertainment, remember these three coin games.  (You might also want to consider donating some of your time this season; we had so much fun we are planning on going back very soon.)

 

Christmas chain

Countdown to Christmas

ADDED December 01, 2008

One of my family's fun Christmas traditions is to make a Christmas chain.  It is a great craft to do with kids: the construction is simple, and it is a fun activity to do together everyday.
 
Here is how we make ours:  first, cut 25 strips of paper that are about 6 to 9 inches long.  Next, using all the strips of paper, write the numbers 1 to 25 on the strips.  These numbers will represent how many days are remaining until Christmas.  Third, starting with strip number 1, glue, staple or tape the ends of the paper together creating one link, do the same with strip number 2, making sure link 2 attaches to link 1, then do the same with links 3 through 25.  Once the chain is complete and all 25 links are attached, your kids will have a visual representation of how many days remain until Christmas.

The excitement will build as the chain comes apart!

Have fun tearing the links off and counting down.

(but please don't stand on the tables)