Ideas to Keep Christ in Christmas and Celebrate Advent with Preschoolers

The month before Christmas, known as Advent, is a period of expectant waiting and preparation for the nativity and celebration of Jesus’ birth. It means “arrival” or “coming”. Here are some ideas you can use to celebrate Advent and bring Christ into your Christmas Celebrations!

Nativity Scene- If you don’t have one that your kids can touch, try to find one. This is a great chance to talk about the characters of Christmas, and look forward to the birth of Jesus. Some families “hide” Jesus throughout the house each day, moving him closer and closer to the manger until Christmas morning when he appears there.

Jesus’ Birthday Party- Celebrate Jesus’ birthday on Christmas Eve- bake cupcakes, have balloons and birthday party ware, maybe play a game and sing. What a fun family tradition.

Christmas Books and Telling the Christmas Story- Find a few favorites and read them to your kids (over and over and over! J). You can find the story of Jesus’ birth in a children’s bible, too. Find Advent and Christmas coloring books online- here are a few:

http://www.dltk-bible.com/advent/index.htm

http://www.teacherhelp.org/chris.htm#color

Pray for other Families- If you pray together as a family at dinner, take a minute and pick a Christmas card you’ve received, and say a prayer for that family. A nice way to connect to other families this Christmas.

Talk about the Meaning of the Symbols of Christmas:

The Star: A heavenly sign of prophecy fulfilled long, long ago- The shining hope of mankind.

The Color Red: The first color of Christmas, symbolizing that Savior's sacrifice for all.

The Fir Tree: Evergreen- the second color of Christmas shows everlasting light and life. The needles point up to heaven.

The Bell: Rings out to guide lost sheep back to the fold, signifying that all are precious in His eyes.

The Candle: A mirror of starlight, reflecting our thanks for the star of Bethlehem.

The Gift Bow: Tied as we should all be tied together in bonds of goodwill forever.

The Candy Cane: Represents the shape of the shepherd's crook, used to bring lost lambs back to the fold.

The Wreath: A symbol of the never ending eternal value of love- having no end

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/treeornaments/a/MeaningChristmasSymbols.htm

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/christmas/christmas-symbols/

Christmas Preschooler Songs:

The Itsy Bitsy Shepherd

(This song is song to the tune "Itsy Bitsy Spider")

The itsy bitsy shepherd went up to Bethlehem.

(walk two fingers up your arm)

Down came the starlight to lead him to the inn.

(start above head and wiggle fingers down)

Out came the sunshine to start a brand new day.

(join hands, with arms raised over head)

And the itsy bitsy shepherd saw Jesus on the hay.

(cradle arms as if rocking a baby)

Twinkle, Twinkle, Christmas Star

Twinkle, Twinkle, Christmas Star

Twinkle, twinkle, Christmas star,

How I wonder what you are.

Shining high up in the sky,

Showing all where Jesus lies.

Twinkle, twinkle, Christmas star,

How I wonder what you are.

http://christcenteredtraditions.blogspot.com/ or try

http://www.everythingpreschool.com/themes/advent/songs.htm

Jesse Tree- The Jesse Tree tradition comes from Isaiah 11:1 (A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.) The Jesse Tree celebrates the lineage of Christ, stepping through major figures of the bible in his lineage, and using a symbol to represent each one. It starts with creation and ends with the birth of Christ. Most versions of the Jesse Tree have 25 readings or devotions and an ornament for each, ending on Christmas Day.

Ornament templates- print and have your kids color or get crafy and make homemade ones.

http://paperdali.blogspot.com/2009/11/jesse-tree-ornaments.html

http://images.rca.org/docs/discipleship/jessepatterns.pdf

http://www.eriercd.org/pdf/jessetree_4up.pdf

Next year you can buy them- http://jessetreeornaments.com

Devotions-

http://www.rca.org/Page.aspx?&pid=1628&srcid=1602

http://www.cresourcei.org/jesse.html

http://www.eriercd.org/pdf/reflections.pdf

http://www.kingofpeace.org/advent/advent.htm

Ideas from mommy bloggers

http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/2006/12/my_jesse_tree_o.html

http://simplemom.net/jesse-tree/

Advent Calendars- The advent calendar tradition usually involves 24 doors, envelopes or pockets, and is sometimes filled with chocolates or trinkets. But, what about filling them with:

Bible verses- http://tinyurl.com/adventbibleverses

Daily activities for the family- this can be stuff you were already planning on doing, like baking, or looking at lights, and can also be a chance to do one-on-one stuff with each child (i.e. a date with Mommy) http://www.wearethatfamily.com/2009/11/advent.html, or look online for more ideas

Advent discussion questions:

http://www.teachingmom.com/features/adventdiscuss.pdf

Some examples from this site are “If you lived at the time of Jesus’ birth and heard about it, what gift would you bring him?”, or “What is your favorite Christmas song and why?”.

Need some ideas to make your own Advent Calendar?

Crafty Sewing

http://www.greatturtle.com/stardustshoes/mini_stocking_tutorial.pdf

Crafty Paper ideas

http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/gallery/list/?f=qa&qa=advent%20calendar

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=35230767

Super crafty (maybe when our kids are older!)

http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=132553.msg1294374#msg1294374

Advent Candles- This tradition lights one candle per week, in a wreath or log, and ending with a 5^th candle on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day celebrating the arrival of Christ. Some versions use Hope, Love, Joy, Peace, others use Prophets, Angels, Shepherds, Magi, and some use specific candle colors. You can make this as simple or complex as you like- look online for more details.

I Haven't Forgotten!

Just wanted to let you all know that I haven't forgotten about posting all the info from the last meeting. I'm having a bit of technical difficulty but will try again later today! Thanks for you patience!

Cathy :)

November 10, 2009 Newsletter

Click on the images of each page of the newsletter to "blow them up."

October 27, 2009 Newsletter

Click on the images of each page of the newsletter to "blow them up."

Holiday Craft & Business Fair

Would you like to be a vendor at our Craft & Business Fair? Sign up by our October 27th meeting for the $10 rate for MOPS Moms ($20 for those outside of MOPS)---after the 27th, the price will be $5 more. Call Melissa Shriver today at 921-5959 to reserve your table!

Tell all your friends & family to come visit our sale on November 7th, from 9-4. Admission is FREE! This is a great time to get a lot of your Christmas shopping done (or started!) while supporting our MOPS group and moms! See you there!

What I Did On My Summer Vacation...

What did you do on your summer vacation? Meet our new Steering Team for 2009-10 in this video and catch a glimpse of the fun they had this summer.

(download size is 7 MB...sorry, I had to take off the Mr. Mom song by Lonestar since I don't have copyright permission!)

October 13, 2009 Newsletter

Did you miss the newsletter from our meeting? Or, like many of us, don't have a clue where you left your copy?! :) Click on the images of each page of the newsletter to "blow them up."

(Pictures are working now!--10/19/09 @ 9 p.m.)

Registration Newsletter 2009

Here is a copy of the newsletter we handed out when you registered for MOPS. Click on the images to make them larger.

(Pictures are working now! 10-19-09 @ 9 p.m.)

Top 101 Picture Books

This list is posted on the School Library Journal website. Wow! Looking at this I can see we've been missing out on reading a lot of good books! Time to hit the library!

#1: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1963)

#2: Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown (1947)

#3: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (1979)

#4: The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (1962)

#5: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems (2003)

#6: Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (1941)

#7: Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson (1955)

#8: Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans (1939)

#9: Millions of Cats by Wanda Gag (1928)

#10: Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems (2004)

#11: The Story of Ferdinand by Monroe Leaf, ill. Robert Lawson (1936)

#12: Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann (1994)

#13: Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey (1948)

#14: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka, ill. Lane Smith(1989)

#15: Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes (1996)

#16: Owl Moon by Jane Yolen (1987)

#17: Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina (1947)

#18: In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak (1970)

#19: Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (1982)

#20: George and Martha by James Marshall (1972)

#21: Bark, George by Jules Feiffer (1999)

#22: The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone, ill. by Mike Smollin (1971)

#23: Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban (1964)

#24: Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, ill. Lois Ehlert (1989)

#25: The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (1942)

#26: Corduroy by Donald Freeman (1976)

#27: The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter (1902)

#28: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, ill. Ray Cruz(1972)

#29: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (1969)

#30: Brown, Bear, Brown Bear, What do you See? by Bill Martin Jr., ill. Eric Carle (1967)

#31: No, David by David Shannon (1998)

#32: Click Clack Moo, Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin, ill. by Betsy Lewin (2000)

#33: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi and Ron Barrett (1978)

#34: Olivia by Ian Falconer (2000)

#35: Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel, ill. Blair Lent (1968)

#36: Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka, ill. Lane Smith (1992)

#37: Eloise by Kay Thompson, ill. Hilary Knight (1955)

#38: Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion, ill. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1956)

#39: The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood (1984)

#40: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton (1939)

#41: The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant, ill. Stephen Gammell (1985)

#42: Curious George by H.A. Rey (1941)

#43: Tuesday by David Wiesner (1991)

#44: Strega Nona by Tomie de Paola (1975)

#45: The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (1985)

#46: Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt (2006)

#47: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff (1985)

#48: The Big Orange Splot, by Daniel Pinkwater (1977)

#49: King Bidgood is in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood, ill. Don Wood (1985)

#50: Black and White by David Macaulay (1990)

#51: Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg (1981)

#52: Miss Nelson is Missing by Harry Allard, ill. James Marshall (1977)

#53: The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (1978)

#54: The Three Pigs by David Wiesner (2001)

#55: The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper, ill. George & Doris Hauman (1961)

#56: Frederick by Leo Lionni (1967)

#57: Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin, ill. Harry Bliss (2003)

#58: Flotsam by David Wiesner (2006)

#59: Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears (1975) by Verna Aardema, ill.Leo and Diane Dillon (1975)

#60: Chicken Soup With Rice: A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak (1962)

#61: Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers (2005)

#62: The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack (1933)

#63: Traction Man is Here!, by Mini Grey (2005)

#64: “I Can't,” Said the Ant: A Second Book of Nonsense by Polly Cameron (1961)

#65: Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner (2003)

#66: Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann (1995)

#67: Little Blue and Little Yellow by Leo Lionni (1959)

#68: The Arrival by Shaun Tan (2006)

#69: We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen, ill. Helen Oxenbury (1989)

#70: Miss Fanshawe and the Great Dragon Adventure by Sue Scullard (1986)

#71: The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch, ill by Michael Martchenko (1980)

#72: The Little Brute Family by Russell Hoban, ill. Lilian Hoban (1966)

#73: The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant (1933) by Jean de Brunhoff

#74: Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown (1942)

#75: Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss (1940)

#76: Zoom at Sea by Tim Wynne-Jones, ill. Eric Beddows (1983)

#77: The Library by Sarah Stewart, ill. David Small (1995)

#78: How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

#79: Our Animal Friends at Maple Hill Farm, by Alice and Martin Provensen (1974)

#80: The Jolly Postman: or, Other People's Letters by Janet Ahlberg (1986)

#81: Possum Magic by Mem Fox, ill. Julie Vivas (1983)

#82: Who Needs Donuts? by Mark Alan Stamaty (1973)

#83: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss (1971)

#84: Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes (1988)

#85: Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats (1964)

#86: Yoko by Rosemary Wells (1998)

#87: Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (2004)

#88: Stellaluna by Janell Cannon (1993)

#89: A Hole is to Dig: A First Book of First Definitions by Ruth Krauss, ill. Maurice Sendak (1952)

#90: Not a Box by Antoinette Portis (2006)

#91: Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures With the Family Lazardo by William Joyce (1988)

#92: Swimmy by Leo Lionni (1963)

#93: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (1964)

#94: The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Audrey and Don Wood (1984)

#95: The Gardener by Sarah Stewart, ill. David Small (1997)

#96: The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle (1990)

#97: Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox, ill. Judy Horacek (2004)

#98: Anatole by Eve Titus (1956)

#99: Little Pea by Amy Krause Rosenthal, ill. by Jen Corace (2005)

#100: Go Away, Big Green Monster by Ed Emberley (1992)

#101: More, More, More Said the Baby: Three Love Stories by Vera B. Williams