Our son started a project on his own today. Today is our third day of no school in our Christmas break. I am glad we are being creative!

Anyway, he explains his process on YouTube. Yes, he wanted to share his creation with the world "on the computer." He explains that he only used four pieces of paper, a pen, tape and scissors.

His next idea was to use his Hot Wheels cars to follow the maze. He didn't want to post a picture of that. But he allowed me to post the picture of the maze he made me create. Hot wheels don't fit on my maze, so we used Squinkies.

Hope you are having a great Christmas!

This is a minimal investment for the amount of time we have played our magnet matching game!

I bought 12 canning jar lids.

I put matching stickers on them to make six pairs.

I tied a magnet with curling ribbon to a pencil to be like a fishing pole. Tape might work to attach the ribbon if the magnet does not tie easily.

Then we play the matching game!

It is fun to pick up the lids with the magnet!

I took this picture because our son was proud of the design he created, "I made myself!" A stick figure! On his geo board!

I want to show you how simple it is to make a home made geo board. Just hammer about 25 nails into a grid on a piece of plywood. Use rubber bands to create geometric shapes on the board.

From time to time I leave the geo board out on the table. He will play with it off and on for about a week. Then I put it away for a couple of months. When I bring it out again, it is fresh and new!

Notice in the picture there is a giant hoppity hop ball. I bought two hoppity hop balls on Amazon to provide exercise for us in the winter time. My son loves to race on them across the room. It is great exercise!

Notice my attempt at a tomato cage Christmas tree. I saw the idea on Pinterest. You turn a tomato cage upside down and wrap Christmas lights all around it. The top becomes a cone shape like a Christmas tree. I spent too much time trying to get the lights to be evenly spaced. I tired of it before I reached the bottom of the cage; it needs one more strand of lights. But kind of cool; and cheap! I like cheap! :-)

I finally figured out something to give for Christmas.  I saw the idea on Pinterest.  It looked like the original idea came from an article in Parent's magazine that had 11 different craft ideas.http://www.parents.com/fun/arts-crafts/kid/holiday-crafts-for-kids/  I didn't feel like scrolling through the other craft ideas and ads to find the original picture.  I tried to link it for you.  

I happened to have a new muffin tin left over from a wedding reception I did not attend, (I know, I am bad)  I kept meaning to deliver the gift, but now the gift receipt expired.  Maybe I will get them something else.  I have a year, right? 

It is only a 12 hole muffin tin.  But I decided to make it work!

I made a 12 Days of Christmas Advent Calendar! 

Supplies: 
muffin tin
magnetic sheets
patterned paper (I used gift wrap, too.)
number stickers or sharpies
glue stick

Magnetic 'canvas' sheets leftover from a different project. 

Different project: I covered an air vent with a magnetic sheet in a room that gets too hot.  Just closing the vent made a loud noise as a little bit of air passed through it.  Adding the magnet sheet worked perfectly to block the air.  Now more heat goes to other parts of the house.

I found the magnetic canvas sheets at a craft store. It is like a sheet of paper with a large magnet glued on it.  I was able to easily cut it to fit over the air vent.  It stuck there (lightly) without any glue or tape.

Trace Circles
I used a cup to trace 12 circles on the magnetic sheet. I cut the circles out and they fit nicely over the muffin spaces.

I used a small mason jar lid to trace 12 circles on patterned paper. I cut the circles out and glued them on the circle magnets with a glue stick.

I used a vitamin jar lid to trace 12 circles out of green and red construction paper. I cut the circles out. I put number stickers on the circles. I glued the numbered circles on the patterned paper.  (I ran out of number stickers and drew the number 20 with a silver sharpie.  I drew the number 2 in '21' with a black sharpie.  I can't really tell and I am not a perfectionist, luckily!)

I cut out star shapes and wrote "12 Days of Christmas"  to explain my weird 12 day advent calendar.  A calendar that starts on day 14 is weird.  Should I have counted from 12 backwards?   I don't want to over think it.  It's done.  It's pretty cute.  I think the kids will enjoy it.

I found little trinkets for the little boy and girl who will love to open the numbers for a little gift each day!  Candy would work, too, but I think their Mom doesn't let them have candy everyday.  Stickers would work.  Or magnetic pictures in the bottom of the muffin spaces.

I don't feel like drilling two holes into the thick metal so I can thread a large ribbon through the holes to hang it on the wall.  This will have to be a table calendar.  :-) 

The teacher in me will point out to the kids that the black numbers are odd numbers and the white numbers are even.  I would use chocolate chips or something to show that even numbers have buddy-pairs and odd numbers have a leftover.   I would mix the numbers up and have them practice putting the numbers back n order. 

Overall it was a fun project and I am pleased with how it turned out!

Son: Mom, let's have a resting-in-the-dark-and-watch-a-movie-day.

Mom: Ok, I will clean out a drawer while we watch.

Son puts his arm around Mom: Just lie down. Take a break, Mom.

Realizing he wants together time, I say: Ok, Honey, for you I will take a break.

We put in the old version of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'.

I love this movie!!!

Lessons we will point out today:

Most of the world's families are poor like Charlie's.

Consumerism can cause gluttony like with the fat kid.

The rich little girl is selfish and horrid.

There are many great lessons for Christmas time in this classic movie.