Looking for Christmas ideas
Well, can you believe it is that time already? Time to start thinking about Christmas? Usually I'm already close to finished with my shopping by now, but not this year. I've barely started!
We'll be taking the whole month of December from of school this year. In it's place, we will be learning about the symbols we use at Christmastime, and what they stand for. (I found a nice free lesson plan thing in pdf form here... www.easyfunschool.com/Blessed.pdf ). We may also do some history occasionally, but only if the kids ask to.
I'm going to make sure to keep our focus on Christ this year. Some ideas I have:
1. Let the kids make a LARGE cross (I'm talking 4-5 ft tall), to put up somewhere prominant in the house. On it we will hang purple robe, etc. Also we will be making some Jesse tree decorations and hanging them on the cross instead. If you don't know much about the Jesse tree, you can visit here http://www.crivoice.org/jesse.html , or google it to get a ton of pages. We may also make some chrismon ornaments (without cross stitching) http://www.crivoice.org/symbols/chrismon.html to hang on it.
2. Make a paper prayer chain. Inside of each link a name, situation, prayer request will be written. As we tear off a link each day, we will take time as a family and pray for what is written.
3. Read Jotham's Journey.
4. Only 3 gifts per kid, just like Jesus.
5. Christmas morning will start out with a birthday party to Jesus, along with the Christmas story being read.
I would love more ideas!! Anyone? I would just love anything that makes our focus where it should be. Do you have any traditions, activities, etc that you love?