Day 1: Otto the Ornament
First up! Otto the Ornament by Troy Cummings! Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on September 5, 2023.
(This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link)
This fun Christmas picture book for ages 3-6 (even to 8) features a spunky, strong-willed ornament named Otto that believes he should be at the TOP of the tree! Well, the other ornaments aren’t so pleased with this so Otto takes it into his own hands to find his OWN tree. Without giving away too much, Otto quickly learns this adventure is more difficult than he thought. Read to learn how little Otto ends up and where… :)
So, what will I do with this book on Day 1 of Elf on the Shelf Brings Christmas Picture books?
First, Pete (our Elf) will arrive with HIS book (the one the elves come with that explains who they are, etc.) as well as Otto the Ornament. But in our house, Pete is never easy to find so…..
This is how my kids will find Pete. I plan to hang him in the tree with a little hand written note that says something like:
Hi Kids! I’m back! We are going to have a lot of fun this December! I’m super excited to share some of my favorite Christmas books with you! First up… Otto the Ornament! Have a read and enjoy these activities with your family! Love, Pete the Elf
Of course, make it fit your household needs. Maybe you weren’t able to get the books in time? Youtube has lots of great read aloud for kids! Maybe your Elf tells them to have a listen there. (Unfortunately, Otto the Ornament is not on Youtube YET)
No elf? No problem! Totally skip that part and have a goal of reading one new Christmas book a day until Christmas! Whatever works for YOU and your family :)
As for the ornament Pete is in. These are fun! Shout out to my Mother-In-Law who brings these and 1000 ways to fill them in her SUITCASE each Christmas! So, when I saw this book + the activity of making your own ornaments with kids- done! Perfect!
Steps:
Hide Elf (in bulb or just hanging from tree on own) with note plus bag full of materials you chose to use for either craft and/or the free printables at the bottom of this post.
Read Otto the Ornament with your child/ren
Make your own ornaments! Options below!
Complete the free printables posted below!
Here’s a list of SOME of the things we used to fill our ornaments:
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.
-Fake Snow (will use again in another activity coming up)
-Ornaments + stuffing (this included some bulbs + different fun things to stuff them with)
-Add your own! Let the kids explore with different materials! Whatever can fit, they will just have fun creating!
We made these the other day with the grandparents! My 5 year old loved it! My 2 years olds also did fairly well, they enjoyed just putting the little balls inside the ornament so kept them occupied for awhile!
Little pom poms and mini trees with a bow on top!
This is just red and gold tinsel inside!
My 5 yo painted this and several others.
If none of these crafts are an option for you as a follow up from Otto the Ornament! OR you want more… :) Please see the two free printables below!
Copy and Paste photo to word doc and print! Or see link to download below this image.
Download the PNG here: Otto Maze
Copy and Paste photo to word doc and print! Or see link to download below this image.
Download the PNG here: Otto the Ornament Coloring Sheet
Thank you for making it this far! I hope your kiddos love this book, activities, and printables! Since this is day one, Elf is just making his way back, so he didn’t have too much involvement with today’s book. Some days he will, some days he won’t. :)
Also, don’t be afraid to add your own creativity! There are sooo many different kinds of ornaments you can create. Even drawing, coloring and cutting out and looping a string through it are great options! Some of my favorite Christmas memories growing up were making my own ornaments with my auntie and I still have many of them today. So don’t forget to write names and the year to hold in the future!
Please share comments and pics below!
Stay Tuned for Day 2 with Tough Cookie: A Christmas Story by Edward Hemingway (Author, Illustrator)!
