Personalize your Child's Alphabet Books!

Does your child recognize the first letter in their name?  This is the first letter I taught my daughter!  A fun and simple idea to help your child learn the first letter in their name is through this easy activity!

1. Choose a picture of your child and print out "wallet sized" prints from your computer (or local photo center)
2. I printed mine on regular computer paper so I decided to laminate the paper photo pages for durability
3. Collect all your alphabet books 
4. Tape your child's picture to the letter page that their name begins with in each alphabet book (see picture below)
5. Now when your child's flips through their alphabet books they will see their picture and the first letter of their name!

Christmas Countdown

Although we are just finishing up Thanksgiving I wanted to make an early Christmas post just in case you wanted to prepare this idea!!  Last Christmas I found a wonderful idea of how to countdown to Christmas that involves learning.  I was so inspired by the idea that I literally have worked on it all year!  As you see from the picture above there are 25 wrapped items, what are they??? I'm sure you are wondering.  Well....you know I'm a teacher and you know I love teaching my precious daughter so it has to be teaching related...have you guessed yet??  BOOKS!!!!!

Yes, 25 wrapped books.  Each book is a Christmas themed book.  Some include traditional stories like The Nutcracker, The Night Before Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, and A Christmas Carol.  Some are activity books, music books containing Christmas carols, and most are of the true meaning of Christmas JESUS!

Collecting 25 Christmas books could be expensive so I shopped at used book sales, garage sales, Resale Shops (Salvation Army), and Mom2Mom sales.  Anytime I found a Christmas related book I purchased it!  Books cost me between ten cents to one dollar.  When it came time to wrap I had collected over 25 books and I was able to choose the best ones.

How To Make Your Own Count Down to Christmas...

1. Collect 25 Christmas themed books
2. Choose a wrapping paper to match your Christmas home decor (I found my wrapping paper at my local dollar store.  I choose 2 different paper prints and alternated them)
3. Wrap each individual book (if you want your books in a particular order you may want to number the backs or stack them in the order you want them to be opened.  For example "The Twelve Days of Christmas" I wanted to be opened on day twelve)
4. Die-Cut a Christmas shape (I choose a white Christmas tree to match my wrapping paper)
5. Number your Die-Cut shapes 1-25
6. Tape your Die-Cut shape to each wrapped book
7. Pick out a place to display your Countdown (I chose our buffet in our kitchen but you may place them on your fireplace mantel or even in a book basket if space is limited)
8. On December 1st allow your child to unwrap the first book (book #25) and read together as a family (this might be your bedtime story or a read-aloud story to start off your day!)
9. Continue your opening & reading, counting down all the way to Christmas!!  Happy Reading!

Alternate Ideas...

"I don't have 25 Christmas books this year" -- It doesn't have to be Christmas themed books, wrap up any books in your home for fun!

"I don't have time or patience to wrap 25 books" -- Use a gift bag instead!  You may use multiple gift bags and have a treasure hunt in your home for them or simply re-use one gift bag and change the book each day!

What a great way to celebrate Christmas and the joy of reading in your home! I'd love to hear if you will be doing the Christmas reading countdown with me!