December 5

Prompt: December 5

Holiday treats are delicious delights

But too many people go hungry some nights.

I wonder if we might spread prosperity

By donating something in solidarity?

Let’s donate some food to some neighbors in need.

Then our own treats will taste sweeter, indeed.

Download the prompts for December 5-8 here as a PDF or here as a Microsoft Word Document.  

An image of the Dec. 5 prompt card, printed on cream card stock with an orange border and an orange frog wax seal. The card is nestled in a lit Christmas tree.

Materials

Food or money to donate to an organization that seeks to end hunger and food scarcity. Some good local options include Food for Lane County, Burrito Brigade, and Willamette Farm and Food Coalition. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and I’d love to hear from you if you have additional suggestions.

Activity

This one is easy. Over breakfast, we’ll chat about food scarcity, and what that means for families. Since we enjoyed such a feast yesterday, it seems like the perfect opportunity to think about what it might be like to worry about our next meal. Then, we’ll talk a bit about our favorite organizations working on food security, and donate to one.

December 4

Prompt: December 4

As a young little frog, I sat on a log.

A Bûche de Noël, which we baked in the bog.

A yummy Yule log made of icing and cake,

that we made every winter, with extra to take

and to share with our friends to spread our good cheer.

Is there something your family makes special here?

Let’s think up a holiday treat we can share

To show someone special just how much we care.

Download the prompts for December 1-4 here as a PDF or here as a Microsoft Word Document.  If you’d like to get a jump start on printing the prompts for December 5-8, you can download them here as a PDF, or here as a Microsoft Word Document.

An image of the Dec. 4 prompt printed on cream cardstock with an orange border. A green wax seal of a frog is in the lower right hand corner. The card is nestled in a lit Christmas tree.

Materials

• Recipes for special holiday foods, if you have any

• Ingredients to make those foods

• Packaging to bring those foods to someone special

Activity

With your kiddos, talk about your family traditional foods for this time of year. What do you love to make and eat for special occasions? Is there something you share, or bring to friends and neighbors? We love to make these Brown Butter Stamp Cookies, and we use snowflake stamps to make them extra special. They’re delicious, only slightly sweet, and they travel well and look harder than they are to make. Once you’ve talked through the options, and shared your best memories of them, put on your aprons and make your favorite holiday treat, with extra to share. If you don’t have time today, schedule a cooking date with your kiddos. Bon appétit!

December 3

Prompt: December 3

Before you were up, I worried I was Home Alone,

But then I remembered that It’s a Wonderful Life, and you wouldn’t leave me on the sh-Elf!

Let’s watch your favorite holiday movie today, and don’t forget the snacks!

What makes you love this movie? Can you imagine it happening in your life? How would your friends and loved ones react in this situation?

An image of the Dec. 3 prompt printed on cream colored cardstock with an orange border. A green frog seal is in the lower right hand corner. The card is tucked into a lit Christmas tree.

Download the prompts for December 1-4 here as a PDF or here as a Microsoft Word Document.  If you’d like to get a jump start on printing the prompts for December 5-8, you can download them here as a PDF, or here as a Microsoft Word Document.

Materials

• A favorite holiday movie and way to watch it

• Movie snacks! Our frog will be paired with some jiffy pop.

Activity

Let your child choose a favorite holiday movie to watch. This exercise is about holiday fun, of course, but also about imagining themselves and the people they love in different scenarios. What would you and your family do if the same plot engines happened in real life? If Buddy the Elf appeared at your doorstep, would you welcome him with open arms? How would everyone feel? If you have younger kids, it could be fun to simply “play” the movie after it’s done. With older kids, try talking through the plot and imagining it in the real world, no matter how silly.

December 2

Prompt: December 2

Knock Knock

Who’s there?

Icy

Icy Who?

Icy a kid who needs a good belly laugh!

Everybody loves to laugh! Today, let’s find a way to share a laugh with someone. Maybe we can think up some jokes together!

Download the prompts for December 1-4 here as a PDF or here as a Microsoft Word Document.  

A picture of the second day's prompt, printed on cream cardstock with an orange border. A green wax seal of a frog is in the upper right hand corner. The card is nestled in a lit Christmas tree.

Materials

The frog and the prompt! You may, of course, supplement with anything that will help get your kids laughing. In our house, the frog will have printed out some age-appropriate jokes.

Activity

I feel like I haven’t been laughing nearly enough lately, and that’s tragic! It can be hard to laugh when everything is stressful, but laughter has lots of health benefits, and trying to laugh with friends and loved ones can be an important element of social bonding. The goal here is not just to get the kiddos laughing (although that’s important), but to get them to try to get others laughing. To do it effectively, they’ll need to think about what that person finds funny and that will simple act of perspective-taking can encourage empathetic development. Have fun, and bust a gut!

If your kiddo is struggling, find some jokes on the internet. Worst case scenario, schedule a Laughter Yoga call, where you and others can awkwardly fake laugh together on the phone!

December 1

Prompt: December 1

Hello, my darlings, I have missed you so!

And while I remember how you used to know

About holiday traditions around the whole planet,

I’d love to learn more about your unique plan, yet.

Yes, what are you planning for all through this month?

Will a tree come indoors, or will mummers turn up?

Share your traditions, and let’s learn some more

I’ve been gone a lot longer than I have cared for.

If you’re new here, and you’re just introducing your frog, you may want to use the Dec. 1 prompt from last year, instead.

Well welcome, hello, fancy meeting you here!

I’ve come to your home to spread holiday cheer.

Every day this month, I’ll share a surprise;

Some are gifts, some are games, some will help you be wise.

I can’t wait to get started, and I’ve brought your first gift,

It’s the world in your hands: hope it gives you a lift.

Download the prompts for December 1-4 here as a PDF or here as a Microsoft Word Document.

If your frog is new this year, you may want to look back over last year’s post and see if that prompt would work better. The activity is essentially the same, but the introduction is different.

The first prompt, nestled in a lit Christmas tree.

Materials

• A book about winter holidays around the world. We have Lights of Winter, by Heather Conrad and illustrated by deForest Walker, but any book about any winter holiday would work. This is a great list.

Activity

Today is a gateway to a cozy, warm, and loving holiday season. I’m excited to read about global holidays with my kiddos, but also to get them to share a bit about the holiday traditions that mean the most to them. What are they excited about? What do they remember from last year? What should I prioritize, for them, to make them feel joyful this season? This exercise is an invitation to dialog with your children about the things they love about the holidays with your family, and the things that you want to be sure to share with them.

Recommended Supply List

It’s hard to commit to something when you don’t know what you’ll need. This year, I’d like to make Festive Frog as accessible as possible, so I’ve tried to keep the necessary supplies to a minimum. Everything necessary is listed below.

Essentials

• Cardstock, cards, or paper for printing or writing the daily prompts

• A printer & ink, or pens/pencils, or other writing implements

• Internet access

• Library access

Craft Supplies You Likely Already Have

• Paint brushes

• Smooth, plain river rocks

• Acrylic paint & sealant

• Paint and paper of your choice

• Construction paper in assorted colors

• Scissors

• Card-making materials of your choice. Construction paper and crayons are fine, but you can get as fancy as you and your kiddos like.

• Calendars/magazines to cut up for collaging

• Glue

Donations

• There are three chances for donations this month. The amount you donate, or if you donate at all, is up to you.

  • Donate to a food bank, like Food for Lane County, on 12/05. Food or monetary donations are appreciated

  • Donate to a medically focused nonprofit, like Providence Children’s Health Foundation, on 12/15

  • Donate to an environmental nonprofit, like Columbia Riverkeeper on 12/17

Food

• On 12/4 we’ll make or buy a holiday treat (of your choice) to share with a friend or neighbor

• On 12/5 we’ll donate to a food bank

• On 12/24 we’ll create a plate of treats for someone. In my house this is Santa, but it can be a parent, a sibling, or a friend.

Transportation

• A few times this month we’ll get outside for adventure. You get to choose your destination, though the frog will make broad suggestions. The first of these, on 12/11, is to any “nature” spot. The next weekend, the frog suggests a winter river walk.

Books

• Almost every Thursday, the frog will prompt you to read and act out, or discuss, a story with your kiddos. This can be any story they choose, but it can be fun to have it be relevant to your family’s holiday traditions or to some of the issues the frog is addressing. We’ll recommend titles as we go, but these are nothing more than general suggestions. Any book is a good book!

The Festive Frog Returns!

It’s that time of the year: the Festive Frog has starting croaking slowly to life. Is it a little last minute this year? Absolutely. Will it still be fun and festive? Of course!

If you’re new this year, the Festive Frog is an empathy-building exercise for kids. Every day over the month of December I’ll post a note (from the frog) with an activity, gift suggestion, or exercise designed to foster kindness, generosity and empathy in your kids, but in a fun and joyful way. I’ll also post all the supplies you need, and give you a few days advance warning so you have time to have everything at the ready. The frog is not religious and is not linked to any specific holiday, but it is explicitly anti-racist and pro-environment. If you’d like to join in, pick out a frog and check here for regular updates.

My aim is to give you 31 fun, pre-planned, empathy-building ideas for children and a break from planning every single thing yourself.

Because the pandemic is ongoing, and each family’s comfort level and circumstances are different, I’ve designed this year’s frog to be essentially a choose-your-own-adventure. While there are a few opportunities for donations, or bringing treats to friends, there aren’t any suggestions to volunteer in person or gather with friends or family. If you and your family are doing these things, please feel encouraged to add them to the prompts. If you are still locked down, take heart; the frog won’t sabotage you or your safety plan.

Please feel free to download a PDF of the calendar so you know what’s coming, and stay tuned.

Happy holidays!

An image of the 2021 Festive Frog Calendar.