Pictures above are 2010 and 2009(I'm pregnant!)
Christmas
Oh, this page could be long because this is my favorite time of the years! I actually start decorating in November. I don't think we could celebrate our Savior's birth long enough! On this page I will try to have all of my ideas. I will also try to make links so this page isn't so long.
Recipes are near the bottom.
Quick Links
Printable Calendars
*Use to plan meals or plan activities
Posted by Holly Nelson on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 Under: Tip of the Week I started this tradition about 10 years ago. With all the busyness Christmas can bring I wanted my kids to appreciate the REAL reason we celebrate Christmas. It is easy to get caught up in the decorating and shopping, but that's not what it is about. So, every day in the month of December until the 26th we do a little activity to keep the Christmas spirit up.
I will post on my blog everyday a more detailed example of what we are doing.
December
1- Make salt dough ornaments
2- Start Christmas puzzle
3- Start Jesus Tree
4- Make Jesus' birthday present box for under the tree with Matthew 25:40 (More details to come)5- Take Christmas books and coloring books and crayons to the St. Jude children./Start Christmas cards
6- Make salt-dough and cinnamon applesauce ornaments. Use cookie cutter that represent Jesus Tree
7- Make bible verse chain. word on each paper chain link of ! John 4:10, Matthew 1:21, 2 Timothy 3:15, Matthew 2:1, Colossians 1:3. *You could also do this as a countdown chain
8- Mark Luke 2 in Bible, lay open by nativity scene
9- Treasure hunt to nativity scene
10. Paint ornaments. When dry tie bible verse on ornaments.
11- (Seth's b'day) Seth's laser tag and party
12- Starry Nights at Shelby Farms
13- Singing Christmas Tree at Bellevue Baptist Church, Tn
14- Make Christmas candies
15- Make snowflakes
16- Make breads
17- Make cookies
18- Parties at school/Watch Christmas movies/ Home movies and favorites. Drink hot cocoa and eat popcorn
19- Make gingerbread houses
20- Drive around looking at Christmas lights, drink hot cocoa and eat cookies
21- Christmas craft
22- Christmas Games- word search, etc...
23- Take ornaments and candies to neighbors and friends
24- Make Jesus' birthday cake and Christmas food
25- Open "Happy Birthday Jesus" box, and read before opening presents
26- Write and mail thank you cards- before all the presents are opened and played with!
More ideas:
1. make homemade card from the kids fro relatives and close friends.
2. Make/decorate a "missions can". Drop change in it all year and donate to your favorite charity or mission at Christmas.
3. Make a video of your kids reading the story of Jesus' birth, or acting it out. Give to relatives as a present.
4. Visit a living manger
5. Go to Christmas shows at local churches and performing arts centers.
6. Shop and send shoeboxes filled with goodies to the shoebox ministry, Samaritan's Purse 7. Send Christmas cards to the elderly at a nursing home. Call to get names of those who never or hardly receive mail.
8. Adopt an elderly person every CHristmas. Write them, visit them, and give presents.
9. Adopt a needy family at Christmas. Get the kids involved with buying presents for their kids, making Christmas dinner for them ,and buying groceries.
* If you buy groceries for someone, include a meal list and recipes for what you bought them.
10. Be a secret Santa for a needy child or family. Do the same as above in #9.
11. Write a letter to Santa.
12. Visit santa at the mall and have your child ask Santa what HE wants for Christmas!
13. Decorate bedroom door like a giant package
14. Fill basket with old CHristmas photos of the family. Keep by the fireplace or on the coffee table. Do the same for old photo Christmas Cards.
15. Make Christmas aprons.
16. Serve dinner on CHristmas or Christmas eve at a homeless shelter.
17. Go to post office to pick up a child's letter to Santa. Send the child a gift.
18. Donate warm clothing to a battered women's shelter.
19. Decorate your backyard tree for the animals. Peanut butter pine cones with birdseed, popcorn garland,etc...
20. Throw reindeer food on the roof on Christmas eve. Dry oatmeal and glitter.
21. Take a cup of coffee to the school crossing guard.
22. Decorate the grave of someone you don't know with a Christmas wreath.
23. Bake cookies for your local firemen and police departments.
24. Send cards to Military service men and woman across the seas.
25. Drop off a bag of food at the animal shelter.
26. Say "Merry Christmas" to at least 5 strangers while you are out shopping.
27. Mail a gift card to a stay-at-home-mom for a manicure or pedicure.
28. Anonymously leave a bag of goodies hanging on a neighbor or friends door with a note that says "You've Been Claused". Encourage them to do the same.
29. Make an advent calendar .THIS is one of my favorite ideas. It's inexpensive, yet super cute!
3 Gifts Per Child Tradition
One other thing I started 10 years ago is the "3 gifts per child". I noticed even as young children they had so many presents to open. They would just tear through one and fly to the next. Then toys would be broken within a matter of days. But to them, it was okay because they had another new toy they could play with. It shouldn't be like that. I wanted them to be appreciative of everything they received, even if they didn't like it. So we buy them three gifts that represent Jesus' gifts- Gold, Incense( frankincense), and Myrrh.
A really nice toy or gift represented Gold. Such as : a new bike, new doll, something a little more expensive than most
A "want" represented the incense. Such as: a book series they have been wanting
A "need" represents the myrrh. Such as: clothing or shoes. I like to put a little something special, like a car, in the pockets to make it seem more surprising.
When I first thought about doing this I worried that I would be depriving my kids the extravagant, "magic" of Chirstmas. But I will say, they have learned to not be so needy or greedy focused on giving to others more than receiving, and they know the REAL reason for CHRISTmas!
Christmas in the Kitchen
Christmas Gift Mixes- coming soon!
