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!

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" target="_new">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.

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" target="_new">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.

~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" target="_new">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!

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" target="_new">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.

We have started our Advent calendar activities in our homeschool! I have searched the blogosphere and seen a few different ideas for calendar activities. This is an example of a lesson plan for one of my Advent calendar activities.

Supplies:

Lyrics to “O Christmas Tree” (We only sang the first verse.) Or try these two sets of translations of the lyrics
Green paper cut into a triangle
Scissors
Glue sticks & white glue
Paper circles
Tissue paper
Pictures of Christmas trees
Yarn
Index card
Bible

Objective:

~To understand that God is ever-present & everlasting.
~To understand that we use an evergreen as our Christmas tree because it reminds us that God is always with us and will always be with us.

I wrote the following information on half an index card and put it into the Advent calendar.

Bible Verse:

~”Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.” Psalm 41:13" target="_new">Psalm 41:13

Kids’ Activity:

~Sing “O Christmas Tree”. Discuss the meaning of the lyrics – the Christmas tree is always green and known as an evergreen. God is also ever-present. He will always be with us ans always love us. Use the following motions when you sing the song:

• Arms in a triangle over your head for “O Christmas Tree”.
• Stretch arms out for “How lovely are your branches.”
• Keep arms stretched and sway to the rhythm of the song for the rest of the lyrics.

~Make a Christmas tree. Look at pictures of Christmas trees and explain that the shape of the tree is a triangle. Use circles for the ornaments. Use yarn for the garland. Glue the Christmas tree onto another piece of paper: white for a snow scene, black for a night scene, or blue for a day time scene.

Family Activity:

~Choose a Christmas tree together.

• God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren is one of my favorite books because it explains that Christmas is a gift from God. The book does not ignore the fact that many families keep Santa as part of their Christmas tradition, though. It stays true to the greatness of God and the miracle of Jesus.

• I love the simplicity and the authenticity of The Story of Christmas by Patricia A. Pingry. This book is bilingual, English and Spanish. It is easy enough for the youngest of readers to understand.
• The Christmas Story by Patricia A. Pingry is another book that tells about Jesus’ birth in an easy to understand format. The story is accurate as well.
• Another favorite Christmas tale is How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. I love how the Grinch learns that Christmas is not about the gifts. Instead, he finds that Christmas is about family and love.

Photo by carulmare

I am looking for more memory verses to use in our homeschool as I prepare for Advent. We will study the Christmas story as found in Luke. I want to emphasize how miraculous Jesus’ birth really is and how God keeps His promises. I found two verses that are perfect.

Mary was told that she would give birth to Jesus even though she was still a virgin. Mary did not think that would be possible, but the angel, Gabriel, reassured her. He reminded her that it seemed impossible for Elizabeth to have a baby, but she was.

For nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37" target="_new">Luke 1:37)

I want my children to have this reassurance. God is big enough to do anything. He is in control of everything. He creates each of us out of nothing. He is amazing!

After Jesus was born, Mary was visited by the shepherds. This must have been another truly awesome experience for Mary. God kept His promise and Mary gave birth to a child, Jesus. God also told everyday people about Jesus’ birth in a fantastic way – through the angels. After meeting baby Jesus, the shepherds had to share the good news, but Mary had a lot to consider now.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19" target="_new">Luke 2:19)

This verse is a good reminder to ponder Jesus’ birth on our own. Think about the miracle of Jesus. Think about the way that God used everyday people in this story. What does that mean to each of us?