Hi there! Happy holiday wishes coming at ya! I’m so glad you stopped by to check out this easy Christmas countdown.
I’m a sucker for a good, and easy, Christmas countdown; but, December is a busy month! Can you relate? So, when the calendar gets around December 8th, I find myself struggling to keep up with the fun we started just a week before.
I need simple. Do you need simple too?
A countdown where, if you miss a day or two (or five), it doesn’t ruin the whole thing. I totally get that! I also wanted a visual representation, because my kids ask “how many days until Christmas?” every single day. For 25 days. This year I plan to just point my kids to this countdown.
EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN
WHY SHOULD YOU USE THE EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN?
Of course, we have some Christmas traditions that I look forward to every year. But, not having an activity assigned to every single day means I can relax more. I can enjoy the traditions without worrying about tomorrow’s activity. This countdown was designed with busy families in mind. This easy Christmas Countdown Chain will help you because:
- It’s super simple. 20 minutes and it’ll be ready to go. Or just print it and give it to the kids to put together.
- If you miss a day or two, just remove the extra links to catch up. No stress or drama when life gets crazy.
- And the kids can see just how close Christmas really is. You won’t feel like you’re stuck on a month long car ride with the kids asking, “are we there yet?” on repeat.
KEEPING TRADITIONS PART OF YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN
But, what about the traditions you DO want to keep? Don’t worry, I thought of that. There are THREE ways to put together the Easy Christmas Countdown Chain so that it works for your family:
- One of them has nothing but numbers and is simply just a countdown.
- The other one, though, has some fun Christmas activities to do. There’s even blank chain links so you can add your family’s special traditions.
- A combination of the two, with activities interspersed through out the month on days you think you’ll be able to accommodate.
So, now you get to customize your chain in whatever way best fits YOUR family. Use whichever Easy Christmas Countdown fits into your schedule better – or – combine the two!
Want an example? My kids will be in school until 3 days before Christmas, so we will have to keep up our school routine during the week. We will also have a brand new baby (we’re talking less than a month old). We won’t have a lot of time this year to throw in extra activities. Weekends will be our best bet, so those days will get an activity link and we can make sure our favorite traditions make it into our schedule.
MAKING YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN
When I said this is simple, I really meant it will take you about 20 minutes to put together. Maybe 30 if you let the kids “help”. Simple, yeah?
There’s one more thing you need to know before we get started. You already know there are two versions of the chain (the one with the daily countdown and the other one with the activities), but each version of the Easy Christmas Countdown Chain is also available in color and in monochrome.
This is meant to help you save ink by printing on colored paper instead of on white paper. Or in case you only have a monochrome printer (I dream of upgrading to a color laser printer someday). So, just be aware of that when we download your chosen files.
MATERIALS NEEDED FOR YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN:
- Easy Christmas Countdown Chain Printable Files (preview the different files below under step 1)
- Countdown Only: Color | Monochrome
- Countdown with Activities: Color | Monochrome
- Printer and paper
- Scissors or paper cutter
- Tape, glue or stapler and staples
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING YOUR EASY CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN
1. Print the Easy Christmas Countdown Chain links. If you’re using the countdown only monochrome file to print on colored paper, make sure the pages alternate colors. For two colors, page 1 and page 3 should be the same.
2. Cut the chain links apart with the scissors or paper cutter.
3. Take the first chain link and bend it until the ends overlap and the strip forms and circle.
Secure with glue, tape or a staple.
4. Slip the next chain link through the first link and bend until the ends overlap. Secure.
5. Repeat the process with each chain link, slipping the new link through the previous one and
creating a chain.
6. Hang your Easy Christmas Countdown Chain where you can remove a link each day.
That’s it, super easy, right?
I hope this makes counting down to Christmas with your family simpler. And I hope you have a very Merry Christmas with your family, making memories and having fun together.
Happy Holidays!
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