Kid Crafts: Celebration Countdown

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Kid Crafts: Celebration Countdown

November 02, 2012

Birthdays, holidays, big formal festivities, small shindigs, I love them all! Celebrations are important. These events serve so many purposes: they mark milestones, bring families together and provide an excuse to wear a special outfit. For pretty much every kid, it is almost impossible to wait patiently for these days. Especially when there are weeks between this very moment and something exciting like a birthday! As an adult I can simply look over at my calendar and count down. Children are dependent on a parent or teacher, which can lead to quite a bit of asking.

A fun visual is a huge help for kids, since time is so abstract. Adding a few surprises each day turns the waiting into a game! Lucky for me, my mom had a simple and brilliant solution: a bright paper chain with one link for each day. Before bed each night we tore off a link, which meant we were a little bit closer to our birthday, Thanksgiving or the start of summer. It was a fun nightly activity to help manage our very early excitement.

BONUS: This craft is so simple and easy that tiny hands and short attention spans can participate.

Paper chains are very simple to make and need very few supplies. Paper, scissors and glue or staples will get the job done. Brightly colored paper adds some punch, but plain white paper can easily decorated. This incredibly simple idea can even be turned into birthday party decor!

Using party themes or holiday colors can make each chain extra special! Check out photos of my recent paper chain project. I made one Birthday style and one Thanksgiving style to show how versatile this idea can be!

Simple Supplies
Fall colors are perfect for a Thanksgiving count-down!
A cute drawing on the last link is the perfect way to mark the big day!
For a long wait, use a bright color every seven links to mark each week.
Use colors from birthday invites to make the chain extra special.

I know paper chains are not new, complex or even very impressive. Sometimes though, the simple and easy projects are the best, especially for kids! For my family, the Birthday Chain became a family tradition of its own. How does your family prepare for big events?