Saturday, December 04, 2004

Create a Christmas alphabet!

Sit down with your family and think of all the things that remind you of Christmas. Icons that everyone loves, family traditions, funny memories. Write down one thing to go with each letter of the alphabet: B is for Baby Jesus, U is for Uncle Bob sitting in the Christmas tree, etc. Some letters may require that you get creative! If you feel like being artistic, you could even draw pictures to go with each letter. This is a great way to share your favorite Christmas things with each other!

Friday, December 03, 2004

Play with a Nativity scene!

Children are often intrigued by Nativity scenes, however, many are breakable and not safe for them to play with. The Mary from our Precious Moments set had a collision and lost her head when our oldest daughter was playing with the pieces. She was so excited! Let children experience this Christmas by giving them a Nativity scene of their own. One that they can play with. A soft stuffed set for younger children. A plastic set for elementary children. Even a small glass set for older children.

Encourage children to play out what happened on the first Christmas and what each person involved would have said or thought. This is a great way for younger children to learn about Christ's coming.

Thursday, December 02, 2004

Read Christmas books! Watch Christmas videos!

Don't forget to enjoy Christmas books and videos with your children, nieces and nephews, or simply with other friends and family. Read children's stories: Max Lucado's Jacob's Gift, Jan Brett's Gingerbread Baby. Read a classic: Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, Valentine Davies' Miracle on 34th Street. Watch a kid video: The Best Christmas Pagent Ever, Elf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Watch a classic video: It's a Wonderful Life, The Original Miracle on 34th Street, anything from Rankin/Bass (Rudolf, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, etc.)

Get into the spirit of the season!