Back-To-School Countdown Chain

We do this most years during the month of December as a countdown to Christmas.  Right after Thanksgiving, we spend an afternoon cutting paper and making a chain consisting of twenty-five links.  At the beginning of December,we hang it up and each night my children take turns cutting off a link.  It's always given the younger ones who don't quite understand the concept of time a visual way to count down the days until their favorite holiday!

So, since my daughter is entering kindergarten this year, there is huge excitement in the house this summer.  Almost daily, she asks how many days are left until she starts school.  Today I decided to use the same concept of the Christmas chain, but as a countdown to the first day of school.

All you need is a bunch of colored paper, scissors and some tape, glue sticks or a stapler.  We used scrapbook paper in neat patterns.

Figure the number of days remaining until your school year begins, then cut even strips of paper in that number.

Link them together using tape, glue or staples to connect the circles.  Then, hang from a doorway, across a hutch (as we did) or in your child's room.  Have them cut off a link each night and count the links remaining!

A fun way to get them excited and into the back-to-school spirit!