COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS PAPER CHAIN

Children have counted the days until Christmas arrived for years and years. You don´t need a fancy store bought countdown calendar, just make up this simple, yet effective craft. Construction paper (red and green) 1 glue stick (not so messy) scissors Use your scissors to cut out 12 strips of red and 13 strips of green construction paper. The dimensions are flexible but I find 1 inch by 8 inches a good size. After that make 1 of the strips into a chain link (circle) and glue together with your glue stick. Repeat making each strip into a circle and connecting through the last circle making a chain. Alternate colors of paper until you have 25 chains. Now you have your very own countdown to Christmas. Starting December 1st pull off 1 chain & do this for the next 24 days and when there is only 1 chain left you´ll know that it´s Christmas! We always made these chains and draped them over the children´s headboards. They ripped off one link each night before going to sleep. POEM TO PUT ON CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN CHAIN 1. How many days till Christmas? It´s mighty hard to tell Take off a link every night When the Sandman cast his spell And Christmas Eve will be here By the time you reach the bell. The children take the chains home and are told to take off one link every night to count down the days until Christmas. 2. December first until Christmas Is the longest time of the year. It seems as though old Santa Never will appear. How many days until Christmas? It´s mighty hard to count. So this little chain on links Will tell you the exact amount.