Watson's advent calendar - added to Jan 23, 2014

Last year, someone told me about creating a homemade advent calendar and making the daily prize a book. Anyway, I've been thinking about this idea all year, and actually implemented it! I spent the month of November frequenting charity shops around town to collect used books and last week Jubin and I went to Craftworld in City Centre (fun!) to get the supplies for the calendar.

Below is a picture of the calendar I made from poster board, paper, and glitter. I then cut slits in the tree and put a little message in each (the square white pieces you see - each has a number (1-24) on it). The messages are clues that tell Watson where to go look for his prize. For example: I am in the cupboard in the smallest room in your house, I am under the smallest bed in your house, I am in something that carries your brother around.

My homemade calendar on the left and the calendar he got at the Market with Grace on the right.

It has been So fun! Watson was super-surprised Sunday morning and loves opening the clue each morning. He is able to read the clues all by himself, and then searches for his book. Every 6 days, I'll give him a different, small non-book prize (e.g., we have some fun gloves for him for the 6th). And, each evening we then have a new book to read! Some of them are chapter books that take a few nights to read and others we read in one sitting. This idea was so perfect for this year since we don't have many books here and the library isn't as convenient as the one in MI. Thanks to whoever gave me this idea (Brie?)!

Also, since we will have a pretty small Christmas gift-wise while in Florida (NOT going to transport gifts across the Atlantic in Jan and then again in July!), I made every 6 days a non-book, small gift day. Watson's 4 special gifts were: a jump rope (see below), Yahtzee, and 2 small giftcards (Jumping Clay and Build A Bear). Fun, fun!