Christmas Activity Book For Smart Kids

I got swept away by the Christmas spirit early this year, so you can imagine my delight when I discovered Christmas Activity Book For Smart Kids by Ayoub Benali. This book is a hybrid story and activity book all about Christmas and how it is celebrated around the world. With 8 easy to read stories, you take a trip to Italy, Sweden, Japan, Ireland, Switzerland, Iceland, and Germany. Each story is followed by a hidden word search, coloring page, and draw your own scene, as well as a Santa maze.

This book is educational as well as being fun and definitely gets you into that Christmas feeling as you learn about customs and traditions from around the world. The first story takes place in Italy, where we learn about La Befana, a Christmas witch that comes down the chimney on her broom and leaves gifts. She even cleans the house before she leaves! Next, we travel to Gavel, Sweden where they build a huge wooden Yule goat that is displayed in town and delivers gifts to the children. Then we explore the origins of the Christmas tree. We learn that Martin Luther was the first to put candles on the tree to remind him of the stars in the sky and the tradition spread to Europe when Prince Albert married Victoria. In the fourth story we travel to Japan, where the traditional Christmas meal is the KFC Christmas Party Barrel, complete with fruitcake and special Christmas drinks. Moving over to Ireland, after Christmas, they celebrate Women's Christmas - a special day dedicated to the women (especially mothers) that have worked so hard all Christmas long and can gather and relax with tea and cakes (remind me why we don't do this in the USA?). Then, it's on to visit Samichlaus and Schmutz in Switzerland, where they ride a donkey delivering tasty treats to nice kids and sticks to the naughty ones. In Iceland, we learn about the adventures of the 13 Yule lads that have funny names and personalities and pull pranks and leave gifts in shoes that are left out on the windowsill from December 12-24. At last, we have reached Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany, the Christmas capital of the world! This town celebrates Christmas all year round! They even have a Christmas museum and a special Christmas shop filled with lanterns and snow-covered houses with a nutcracker to greet you at the door.

This book will be a great stocking stuffer (get a BIG stocking!). However, I suggest reading this book spacing out each story for a different week or night and doing the activities corresponding with the story. Then, practice the traditions within each story leading up to Christmas Eve, having a different character visit each night leaving special treats and experiences. This is a special book that my son and I will cherish for many years to come. Happy Holidays!