After about 5 years of doing this, I have finally gotten the preparation down to the tee. I drive Adam crazy the week before, but it is well worth the work. Once the first guest arrives until the last guest leaves, I'm not as much a hostess as I am a mom.
This year we had the following activities set up:
1. Ornaments - Last year, I found plastic bulbs for sale the week after Thanksgiving. I picked them up and it was a hit with the kids. This year, I did the same. Several of my friends made the comment that as they hung their ornaments on their tree from last year, they started getting excited about the party this year. This activity is a keeper for sure. They had a choice of paint,tinsel, glitter, beads, and a few other items to decorate their ornaments.
2. Gingerbread Men - I found the cutest foam gingerbread men. I couldn't help but think that the kids would have a blast decorating them with foam stickers. The little ones truly enjoyed using the stickers and bringing their gingerbread man to life.
3. Letters to Santa - I had a letter station set up for the kids to write their letters to Santa, complete with address labels and mailbox. Lots of writers this year. I have done this activity for 3 years. I have kept their letters over the years and love comparing them from one year to the next. These kids are getting big fast.
4. Coloring for Santa - Coloring a picture page for Santa is an option for the little ones who have not begun writing just yet.
5. Reindeer Food Bar - (Thanks to Loren Finger for recommending a blog that had this idea.) On the patio, we had a collection of items that kids could throw into a bag for reindeer food: oats, raisins, glitter, and powdered sugar.
Along with the kids enjoying these activities with their moms, they played their little hearts out. LOVE Florida this time of year!!! LITTLE CHANCE OF RAIN. I left the back door open for kids to run out and play on the swing set or the bounce house. I did lock Hunter's room and put up as much toys as I could. I have learned that keeping the kids entertained with Christmasy activities, no toys are needed.
Of course, the reason for our gathering is to gather around the Christmas tree and unwrap a new Christmas book. The kids all brought in their books ready and wrapped. They each drew a number and went up to choose their gift. Then, once everyone had chosen their gift, we open the gift and spend a quiet moment (a brief moment) to enjoy a new book.
The only "hostessing" I did was to get the food out and gather everyone for the book exchange. We even had a Peanut Butter Bar set up with Nutella, Fluff, and Jelly. YUMMY!!!! Several of my friends decided to bring goodies to share. The counter was filled with sweet treats for everyone to enjoy. 24 kids went home with a bag full of yummies, crafts, and good memories. Success!!!
