Snow Angels Homeschool Activity

Let it snow! We have a ton of snow and it is right before Christmas. We just had to play in it today. A2 discovered that snow is cold, and she was not happy about that! Even though A2 complained about being cold, I did convince her that there are a few fun things that you can do in the snow.

I showed the kids how to make snow angels! They had a really great time doing it, and Daddy had fun taking pictures of our masterpieces. I decided to tie our snow adventure into our Advent activities by having the kids make a heavenly host of snow angels! They worked hard to make snow angels all around the yard.

This activity is a fun way to engage a kinesthetic learner in a vocabulary lesson. Unlike the fine motor activity in my previous post about a heavenly host of angels, this activity focuses on gross motor skills. A2 responds better to fine motor work while C4 has more refined gross motor skills. By giving the children both experiences, I was able to add depth to thier understanding of the concept.

We might take this idea to another level and try to paint our snow angels next time. We might even try to make birdseed snow angels. It would be fun to see which birds and other animals eat the seeds!

We’re Going to Bethlehem

Photo by hyperscholar

In our homeschool we packed up our donkey and took a trip to Bethlehem to register. You guessed it! We read about Mary and Joseph’s trip to Bethlehem. This is a fun activity for a preschooler who is a kinesthetic learner.

Supplies

Your favorite Christmas book
Period “Costumes”
“Props”
Your imagination

Bible Verses

Luke 2:1-5

Activity

~Read a simple Christmas story. Pay particular attention to mention of the trip to Bethlehem.

~Explain that Mary and Joseph had to take a trip to Bethlehem. Explain that the king, Caesar Augustus, was counting all of the people who he was ruler of. People had to go back to their home towns to be counted, and Joseph was from Bethlehem.
~Discuss the preparations people take before going on a long trip. Have your children name things that they have brought on a trip in the past. Reminisce about what it was like to go a long distance on a car trip. What did it feel like? How did you feel while you were driving there?
~Compare your experiences to what it must have been like for Mary and Joseph. They didn’t have a car. They had a donkey to help them carry things and for Mary to ride on. How would they pack for their trip? What would they feel like after walking and riding a donkey for a long time? What is the weather like in the desert?
~Act out going to Bethlehem. Pack up your things and start your walk. Talk about what kinds of things may have happened on the trip - thirsty, tired, hungry, hot, etc.

“The Perfect Christmas Gift” Homeschool Advent Devotion

Today in our homeschool we learned that Jesus is the perfect Christmas gift. This is an easy activity for your toddler or preschooler as is, but you can modify it to suit older children as well.

I used the Bible Lesson from Bible Kids Fun Zone called “The Best Christmas Gift of All”. I skipped the part about sin and salvation for my purposes, but you could certainly include that in your own lesson.

~Supplies: Coloring Page of Baby Jesus, scissors, wrapping paper, tape, small gift box, Jesus in a manger (I used the Little People figure. You could use the baby Jesus from your creche.)

~Scripture: John 3:16

~Discuss the ideas in the first two paragraphs of the devotion, I talked about the joy of getting gifts on Christmas morning and how sometimes you get a gift that you didn’t expect and don’t really think is right. God also gives us a gift on Christmas.

~Put the gift box with the baby Jesus in a manger in it in front of your child. “This is from God.” Have your child open it. “The perfect gift that God gave us on Christmas is Jesus! Christmas is Jesus’ birthday. God gave Him to us, and we celebrate His birth on Christmas Day.”

~Have your child color the picture of baby Jesus. Then wrap the picture. I had my children cut a piece of wrapping paper the size of the picture and tape the paper at the top of the picture. You can lift the paper and see baby Jesus.

King of Kings Homeschool Advent Activity

Today we learned about one of the names of Jesus, King of Kings. This is a great Advent devotion to try in your homeschool. Preschoolers and toddlers will love it! You will need to assist younger children with the craft as it involves cutting. I found a great devotion at Streams of Living Water for me. Then I used the Scripture reference, Revelation 19:16, to tailor a devotion for my kids.

~Remind the children that Christmas is all about Jesus, and He has many names in the Bible. Have the children give e few names if they can. Then read the Scripture, Revelation 19:16. “Jesus is KING OF KINGS.”

~Explain that the Hallelujah chorus uses the name “King of Kings” in it. “We’re going to listen to the song. Sing along and notice when ‘King of Kings’ comes up.” (This particular YouTube video has the lyrics printed in it.) You can also find the lyrics for the Hallelujah chorus here and for an extension activity learn the vocabulary words in it.)

~What does a king wear on his head? A crown, of course! We’re going to make a crown to remind us that Jesus is KING OF KINGS.” Below there are the instructions for how we made our crowns and pictures. You can also find a crown craft at Kaboose.

Supplies: 1 file folder/child, scissors, foil, stapler, pencil

-Fold a file folder in half length wise and cut along the fold. This will be the crown.

-Take one half of the file folder and fold it in half lengthwise again. Cut along the fold. This will be used to extend the crown to fit on your child’s head properly.

-Cut out a triangle template. Trace the triangle template along the top of the thicker piece of file folder. This makes the points on the crown.

-Shade the upside down triangles and have your child cut out the shaded triangles.

-Staple one side of the extension to the crown.

-Cover the entire crown with foil. (Foil is easy to tear making this craft easier for younger children.)

-Staple the two loose ends together to fit your child’s head.

Enjoy learning about the King of Kings!

A Mexican Christmas Folktale Unit Study

Have you read any folktales in your homeschool lately? I Have a great one for you to read this Advent and some activities to go along with the book.

The Miracle of the First Poinsettia: A Mexican Christmas Story by Joanne Oppenheim is beautifully illustrated book that retells the Mexican folktale about a girl, Juanita, who has nothing to offer to baby Jesus at church on La Noche Buena, Christmas Eve. Her father lost his job, and her family doesn’t even have enough money to have a feast during Las Posadas. Her family goes to the midnight mass that night, and Juanita lingers outside. What happens to her next is a miracle!

Activities:

• Read other retellings of this same folktale. Compare the different versions.
• Learn about las posadas, the re-enactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for a room at an inn.
• Learn a Christmas song in Spanish. This one is “Arre Borriquito”. Here are the lyrics, too.




• Create a map of Mexico.
• Make a poinsettia craft. Here is another poinsettia craft.
• Grow your own poinsettia plant.

Have fun with this gorgeous book!

Do You Hear What I Hear? - Bing Crosby!

Who doesn’t love Bing Crosby? This video matches the classic Christmas carol, “Do You Hear What I Hear”, sung by Crosby with images from the night Jesus was born. Your children are sure to love it! Share this video in your homeschool.

A Heavenly Host of Angels

Learn more about the Christmas story with this fun homeschool Advent activity. This is great for preschool children. Older kids will like the video.

Supplies

Coloring Page
Crayons
Scissors
Popsicle Sticks or Straws
Tape
YouTube Video
Bible
Lyrics to “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”
Angels Pattern

Objectives

~To understand what a “host of heavenly angels” is.
~To visualize the Bible scene with the angels and the shepherds.

Bible Verses

Luke 2:8-20

Kids’ Activity

~Sing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and watch the video below.

~Read the story of the angels announcing Jesus’ birth to the shepherds.
~Make your own heavenly host with the angel pattern. Cut out the angels and decorate as you like. Secure them to the popsicle sticks or straws to make them into puppets. Re-enact the Bible scene using the puppets.

Family Activity

~Send Christmas cards to announce Christ’s birth.
~Complete the coloring page of the angels with the shepherds.

What is a Manger?

Photo by Todd Huffman

Have you ever really thought about Jesus’ humble beginnings? Open your children’s eyes to the fact that Jesus was born in a stable and laid in a manger, the food trough for the animals. This Advent season use this creative arts homeschool lesson to help your children learn about where Jesus was born. It is a perfect lesson for a kinesthetic learner!

Supplies

Lyrics to “Away in a Manger”Users
YouTube Video
Old Box
Shredded Paper
Doll
Rags to wrap doll in

Objectives

~To understand that Jesus was born in the most humble of circumstances, in a stable and laid in a manger instead of a crib.

Bible Verses

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7

Kids’ Activity

~Sing “Away in a Manger”.
~Discuss how Jesus was born in the stable next to an inn. Explain that a manger holds the animals’ food. It is filled with hay.
~Watch this video of “Away in a Manger” and learn the signs.

Family Activity

~Make a manger prop and put a baby Jesus in it. Use an old box for the manger and make some hay with shredded paper.
~Have the children perform “Away in a Manger” using the signs and the manger prop.

“Mary, A Mother?” Homeschool Advent Activity

Yesterday we finally finished decorating our tree and put our angel on top. I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the Annunciation, the time when the angel, Gabriel, visited Mary to tell her she would be Jesus’ mother. The homeschool activity I chose to do is simple, but the ideas in the discussion are big. Because my children are kinesthetic learners, I have included some movement in the activity. There are also many ideas listed at First-School.

1. What do you know about angels?
2. Fly around like angels for the next couple of minutes.
3. Did you know that an angel visited Mary to tell her about Jesus? This is the story.
   
4. Read the story of the annunciation. As you read, discuss these ideas to discuss and ask these questions: ~Do you remember Mary? When this story happens she is very young like when Mommy and Daddy were waiting to get married. She was waiting to marry Joseph.~Can you imagine seeing an angel? How would you feel if you did see one? Make a frightened face. When an angel talks to a person in the Bible, the angel always tells the person to not be afraid. We read that the people are afraid at first when they see angels. It must be pretty amazing to see an angel!~ Who is Jesus’ mother? Who is His Father?~Mary tells the angel that she will do what God tells her to do. How do you think she felt?
5. Have the children color the story page. Hang the pictures in a prominent place.
6. Memorize this verse this week: For nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:37

This video is a nice compliment to this lesson. The art in the video is beautiful, too.

Rest! Jesus, Our Savior, Was Born!

Today was definitely a Sabbath day for my family, a habit we are trying to cultivate. We certainly enjoyed resting together! Our homeschool Advent activity was singing Christmas carols, and the one that talks about rest is “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”. This is the video that we watched while we sang the song.

Enjoy resting in the Lord!