With Thanksgiving stuffed away, it’s now just days away from December 13th, a day some families start the annual tradition of the 12-day countdown to Christmas Eve!
Maybe with the assistance of an Advent calendar where a door is opened to reveal a gift each night or the kids have glued construction paper rings together to form a chain they will tear off every night. These are a few simple and sweet ways among many variations of how families count down.
The Creature Teacher can’t have Christmas without animals! Animals play a central part in Christmas around the world from camels and donkeys fulfilling their roles in a Bethlehem reenactment to reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh. We have some wild ideas up our fur that can help bring the fun during the 12-day countdown.
Birdseed ornament
In the winter vegetation is less abundant as well as insects. Birds that do not migrate change their diets to seeds and eat a lot during the day to have enough calories to keep warm. To help feed the birds this winter, make cute birdseed ornaments.
Ingredients needed:
- 2 Tbsp (or two packages) unflavored gelatin
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 2 cups wild birdseed mixture
- Christmas shape Cookie Cutters
- Twine or colorful ribbon
Instructions
- ½ cup boiling water pour into a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin on top and stir until dissolved.
- Add the birdseed into the mixing bowl and mix until it is all incorporated.
- Place a piece of wax paper on a baking sheet. Fill the cookie cutters halfway full with the birdseed mixture.
- Place twine or ribbon in the middle of the ornament and fold in half to create a loop for hanging.
- Fill the cookie cutters up to the top with the rest of the birdseed mixture and press firmly in all corners.
- Let your ornaments sit at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight until they are dry.
- Once dry, remove from cookie cutters
Use all types of style ribbon to make the yard festive and watch as it attracts brilliant chested Red Robins,Cardinals, and more. Bringing in the joyous sounds of happy fed birds!
Books
Books are a powerful way to bring the imagination to life, set a holiday mood as well as a great animal education tool for kids. Read books on arctic animals and how animals hibernate for the winter.
Here are 12 animal Christmas books that you can check out at your local library or purchase on Amazon. Get on YouTube and find the book and have it read aloud to everyone.
-Santa and the Sugar Glider by Alexa Moses & Anil Tortop
-Merry Christmas,Old Armadillo by Larry Dane Brimner
-Wombat Divine by Mem Fox
-Little Porcupine’s Christmas by Joseph Slate
-A Loud Winter’s Nap by Katy Hudson
-Merry Christmas Blue Kangaroo by Emma Chichester Clark
-The Christmas Chameleon by Anne Boykin
-One Christmas Night by M Christina Butler
-The Christmas Skunk and the Very Stinky Christmas by Jane Carey
-Extraordinary Noorah by Chanda A. Bell
-How to catch a Reindeer by Alice Walstead
-A Christmas Spider’s Miracle by Trinka Hakes Noble
Movies
Snuggle up with pets and loved ones under the blanket,with a fresh batch of popcorn, and all the lights out with these three movies!
A Reindeer Journey-An animal tale of a newborn reindeer named Ailo who embarks across the frozen Northern Finland with his mother. A wonderful documentary for the whole family to learn the wild side of reindeer.
Snow Buddies– a feisty pack of golden retriever puppies go to Alaska for adventure.
Elliot:The Littlest Reindeer– a small but determined horse against all odds with his friend Hazel the goat sets out to prove that no dream is too big.
Craft and Give
As The Creature Teacher we are not only ambassadors for creatures by educating people on cool facts about animals but we also teach on understanding and caring for the animals no matter what they are because they are important to our world, just as each and everyone of us individuals. Christmas and beyond this season should be about giving to one another in gifts or hugs, something young and old need.
Be an ambassador for loving each other, give a gift of a beautiful Poinsettia. This unique plant was introduced to us by Joel Robert Poinsett, the nation’s first ambassador to Mexico. The Aztec legend says that a young girl named Pepita, who was too poor to afford a gift for baby Jesus, gathered weeds from the roadside, placing them at the church altar. The weeds miraculously transformed into beautiful red vibrant flowers that were called “Flores de Noche Buena,” or “Flowers of the Holy Night.”
To personalize your gift, make the flower pot out of a milk jug that looks like your favorite creature.
- Recycled plastic milk jug or soda bottles
- Scissors
- A hot glue gun
- Craft paint/ paintbrush
- googly eyes
- Potting soil
- Drill holes in bottom
Have fun with this project. There are many tutorials on how to make milk jug flower pots. Deliver the gift together and of course with hugs!
Places to visit
For The Creature Teacher we can’t go wrong with Christmas lights mixed with animals!
Now we are not saying to wrap your pets in lights… dress them up in cute holiday attire and take them for a walk to admire your neighborhood Christmas decorations.
Visit your local zoo. Most zoos have their own Christmas wonderland your whole family will love. From twinkling lights spectacular to s’mores, crafts and Santa and more. Plus, animal education you can sneak in while they see their favorite animal.
Check out your library’s event calendar. They have special programs they host for the month of December including yours truly,The Creature Teacher.
Book The Creature Teacher for your Christmas gathering and we can bring our Wildly Educational fun to your family.
Let your 12-day countdown to Christmas Eve be full of memory making with good cheer!
For more information about our fun and wildly educational live animal programs for kids and adults, check out what we offer at https://thecreatureteacher.org/programs/
Merry Christmas
