Countdown to Disneyland {Making a Chain}

Most of us have made a paper chain in our day.  To count down to Christmas, Birthdays, and other important events.  This chain is to count down to Disneyland!!

Along with the tutorial on how to make your Disney themed chain, I am offering a list of ideas to do each day as you count down the days to the Happiest Place on Earth!  I found this idea on Or So She Says... a while ago and only slightly changed the bows for Minnie Mouse and used a different type of paper.

Materials Needed:

-Construction Paper {Colors vary depending on which chain you are going to make - boy or girl?}
For Minnie Mouse Chain: White(1"x9"), Black(Cut to pattern), Light Blue(1.5"x9"), and Pink(1.5"x9")
For Mickey Mouse Chain: White(1"x9"), Black(Cut to pattern), Red(1.5"x9"), and Yellow(1.5"x9")
-Mickey ears pattern (found here)  I just laid the pattern on the black paper and extended it out to reach 9".
Make sure that after cutting out the pattern you bend the ears so that they will stand up when you make the link.
-Paper Cutter
-Scissors
-Hole Punch
-Stapler (not shown)

-Thin ribbon (pink for Minnie Mouse and yellow for Mickey Mouse)
-Glue Stick
-Free Daily Activities Printout (here)

To assemble your countdown chain, you will need to do the following:

1.  Plan out your activities.  Lay them out in the order you will be completing them. 

here is the list of ideas for your countdown

2.  The pattern you staple your strips together will be, white, black ears, light blue or red, and then pink or yellow.  Remember this as you are about to glue on your activities.

3.  Glue the daily activities to the backs of each strip.

4.  Put the chain together in order by looping and stapling them together.  In case you haven't ever made a paper chain, here is an example with video and pictures to show you how it's done.

5.  Once your chain is made, you are ready to add some finishing touches.  Using your hole punch, punch 2 yellow holes for each red chain.  Glue them on as buttons for Mickey's chain.  Using the pink ribbon, cut 2" sections and tie them into small bows to be glued onto the ear pattern for Minnie's chain.

  

6.  Once your chain is all complete, use the thin ribbon to hang your chain onto the wall or doorknob or anywhere you choose. 

Our chain was 32 links long.  A bit too long for where I wanted to hang them, so I had to double them up a bit at first.  You can make your chain as long or short as you would like.  32 days of counting down was plenty for me.  I have seen some people count down for 100 days...way to many for me.  You decide how many you can handle and make your chain. 

Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing each activity we did in our count down in more detail so you can use some of our ideas.

What things have you done with your kids while counting down to vacation?

Valerie