our Christmas village

Posted on December 13, 2011 by happyhooligans

My Christmas village is usually one of the first things that I set up as the Christmas season approaches. I was really late pulling the village out this year though. I set my tree up a few weeks ago, after we’d had a little dusting of snow, and that was it. The sun came out, and melted the snow, the weather turned unseasonably mild, and decorating the house just sort of fell to the bottom of my list of priorities. It just hasn’t felt like Christmas with the weather being as warm and wonderful as it has been.

Today I decided we’d better get at it!! I can’t believe Christmas is less than two weeks away!

I hauled the rubbermaid “village” container up from the cold-room this morning, and the Hooligans had a wonderful time investigating all the houses, the people and the different bits and pieces that go along with it.

I always set the village up on top of my piano. It’s too high for them to get at it, we we started by setting all the pieces out on the piano bench, and then one by one, they handed me everything until we had it all put together. While they were having snack, I rigged up all the extension cords, and then we had a countdown, and I hit the lights. Oooooh, Aaaaaah!

Last night, I was at my mom’s, and as luck would have it, she was scaling her village back a bit, and she gave me a bag of small village houses and pieces that she no longer wanted. Today we emptied out our Christmas Sensory Bin, except for the rice and a few beads, buttons and cotton balls, and we placed all of Mom’s hand-me-downs in the bin. The Hooligans now have a village of their own to play with!

It was a big hit!

Nativity sensory bin

Posted on November 29, 2011 by happyhooligans

Ahhhh, I just love this time of year! I made another Christmas sensory bin yesterday.

I picked these nativity sets up years ago, at a dollar store. They’re always a big hit with the little ones when I bring them out of storage at this time of the year.

I usually just set them on a table or on the floor for play, but this year I decided to turn it all into a sensory experience.

Nothing fancy – I just filled a foil roasting pan with various lentils, tucked the Nativity sets in and added a “christmas tree” (it’s a candle that I’ve had for years).

The Hooligans had a great time with it. The lentils add a whole new element of play. Pouring, scooping, filling the houses with beans etc.

I love how boys and girls typically play differently with things. Yesterday, when I set out the bin for the first time, Miss Mess quickly announced, “I’m going to decorate my house”, while the boys proceeded to make construction noises, and use their house as a bulldozer.

I love this too: This morning I set the Nativities out for a two year old who hadn’t yet seen it. Then I had to answer the door, and got talking, for a few minutes, with a parent who was dropping off their child. When I came back, I had to chuckle at what the 2 year old was busy doing:

Hee-hee. I love it!

winter wonderland sensory bin

Posted on November 28, 2011 by happyhooligans

Ok, I can’t tell you how excited I am that the Christmas season is just around the corner! December is my very favourite month for crafting, baking and for creating fun seasonal activities.

Putting our Christmas tree up this weekend totally put me in the Christmas Spirit, so on Sunday, I went through my holiday boxes and bins and pulled together our December Sensory Bin.

I used white rice for the base, and tossed in some green and white buttons, a few glass beads, a handful of cotton balls and some red beaded-garlandy-stuff. Then I went to my Christmas tree, removed some of my least-treasured ornaments, and popped them into the bin as well.

The Hooligans discovered the bin shortly after they arrived this morning (I’d hidden it behind a chair because I wanted to surprise them with it), and they looooved it. They played with it for a good chunk of the morning, and then off and on again in the afternoon.