Love to Laugh and Learn

Fun and interesting learning activities to do with the children in your life

Unusual Advent Reading for Children

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What is Advent?

Some churches celebrate a season of Advent leading up to Christmas. They are celebrating the coming of Jesus, God’s Son. The simple definition of advent is “the arrival of a notable person, thing or event.” We focus on Jesus coming to earth as a baby and celebrate it at Christmas.

Did you realize that the whole Bible, every story, was pointing to the Advent (coming/birth) of Jesus? I am a grandmother and I have read and studied the Bible since I was 9 years old but I am just now learning that. I knew those Old Testament stories were showing God’s power and leading but I had no idea that, even then, they were pointing to Jesus. 

The Jesus Storybook Bible

Since the Christmas season is here, and celebrating Jesus’ birth should be the center of the activities, I’ve created a Christmas Bible Reading plan using “The Jesus Storybook Bible”.

It’s simple enough, start with the first story and read one each day. I’m including the title and a short summary of each story. This Advent reading is a bit unusual because it doesn’t simply cover the birth of Jesus. It starts at the Creation and goes through several Old Testament Bible stories all the way to the birth of Jesus. Experience how each story points to the Advent of Jesus. 

This December, take time each day to remember that at Christmastime we are celebrating God’s most precious gift, Jesus, His only Son.

December 1 – “The Story and the Song” pg 12

 The introduction of the story of Jesus; the young Hero, the brave Prince. Most of all, it’s the story of God’s love. His love is shown in the greatest Christmas present ever; the birth of Jesus. 

December 2 – “The Beginning: a Perfect Home” pg 18

God created everything. He loved His children (all people) more than anything He made. “Whatever happened, Whatever it cost Him, He would ALWAYS love them.”

December 3 – “The Terrible Lie” pg 28

 Adam and Eve break the rule and break God’s heart. God still loves them – “with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.” He would show that love by sending the Rescuer, Jesus. 

December 4 – “A New Beginning” pg 38

The flood was going to wash away all the hate and sadness, and make the world clean again. The coming of Jesus made it possible for us to be clean.

December 5 – “A Giant Staircase to Heaven” pg 48

Although the people were trying to get to Heaven by themselves, God knew they couldn’t do it. “Heaven would have to come down to them.” And it came in the form of a baby.

December 6 – “Son of Laughter” pg 56

Abraham and Sarah named their baby, Isaac, because he brought them laughter and made their dreams come true. God was going to send another baby that would make the whole world’s dreams come true.

December 7 – “The Present” pg 62

The story of Abraham and Isaac may seem cruel but look deeper. God was showing that a sacrifice would have to be made to make the world right again. God didn’t want Isaac to die. God provided a ram to take Isaac’s place. God provided The Lamb (Jesus) to take our place.

December 8 –“The Girl No One Wanted” pg 70

You don’t have to be beautiful for God to love you, but you ARE beautiful because God loves you. When God looked at Leah, He saw a princess. Through her family He would send The Prince of Peace (Jesus).

December 9 –“The Forgiving Prince” pg 76

“Joseph would leave his home and his father. His brothers would hate him and want him dead. He would be sold for pieces of silver. He would be punished even though he had done nothing wrong.” Can you think of someone else, from the Bible, that was treated this way? (hint: We celebrate His birthday at Christmas.)

December 10 – “God to the Rescue” pg 84

God sent many warnings to Pharaoh but he wouldn’t listen. God sent one last horrible warning but the Israelites were protected by the blood of the lamb. You and I can be protected by the blood of THE LAMB if only we will accept it. 

December 11 – “God Makes a Way”pg 92

God knows how to make a path when there seems to be no way. One time the path was made through a deep sea another time the path was made through a baby. (Baby Jesus)

December 12 – “Ten Ways to be Perfect” pg 100

No matter how much we try, we can’t be perfect. We can’t keep all the rules, all the time. Only Jesus can be perfect and stand in our place.

December 13 – “The Warrior Leader” pg 108

The battle was won without a fight. Jesus would later win the battler over sin without a fight either. 

December 14 – “The Teeny, Weenie…True King” pg 116

David may not have been the biggest or the strongest, but he was full of love and compassion. Jesus came as a tiny baby full of love and compassion.

December 15 – “The Young Hero and the Horrible Giant”   pg 122

David defeats the giant but David admits it wasn’t him or his strength, God was the one to win the battle. Later God would send another young Hero to win the greatest battle the world ever knew. 

December 16 – “The Good Shepherd”   pg 130

David was a good shepherd but nothing like the one whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas. The Good Shepherd (Jesus) would lead all God’s lambs (us) back where we belong – close to God’s heart.

December 17 – “A Little Servant Girl and the Proud General”pg 136

Naaman had sick skin but even worse, he had a sick, proud heart. God allowed Elisha to heal Naaman’s skin and God healed his heart. Years later, Jesus would come to heal the terrible sickness in our hearts.

December 18 – “Operation – No More Tears”   pg 144

God sent the world a message through Isaiah. God told everyone that He was going to send Someone to rescue them but He wouldn’t be what they were expecting. God sent a King; but not one that had riches and lived in a palace, but one that was born in a stable among farm animals. 

December 19 – “Daniel and the Scary Sleepover”   pg 152

Daniel obeyed God, no matter what it might cost him, and God rescued him. “God would send another brave Hero, like Daniel, who would love God and do what God said – whatever it cost Him, even if it meant He would die.”  (quote from The Jesus Storybook Bible)

December 20 – “God’s Messenger”   pg 160

At first, Jonah tried to run away and hide from God (which you can’t do). Jonah spent three days in a dark, disgusting place (the belly of a large fish). After that he went to Nineveh and shared God’s message. “Many years later God was going to send another Messenger, like Jonah, He would spend three days in utter darkness. But this Messenger would be God’s own Son.” (quote from The Jesus Storybook Bible)

December 21 – “Get Ready”   pg 170

“It had taken centuries for God’s people to be ready, but now the time had almost come for the best part of God’ plan.” God, Himself, was coming.  “The true party was about to begin.” (quotes from The Jesus Storybook Bible)

December 22 – “He’s Here!”   pg 176

The Maker of the universe could have arrived in great glory and splendor but that’s not how it happened. He came as a small, seemingly, insignificant baby. Not born in a palace but in a barn. “Mary and Joseph named Him Jesus, ‘Emmanuel’ – which means, ‘God has come to live with us’, because, of course, He had!”

December 23 – “The Light of the World”   pg 184

God wanted everyone to know about the birth of His Son. He put an especially large, bright star in the sky. He sent angels to make the announcement to the shepherds. Baby Jesus would be like that bright star. Jesus would chase away darkness, helping people to see Him. 

December 24 – “The King of All Kings”   pg 192

The King God had promised David, all those years before, had arrived. “But this Child was a new kind of King. Though He was the Prince of Heaven, He had become poor.  Though He was the Mighty God, He had become a helpless baby. This King hadn’t come to be the boss. He had come to be a servant.”

December 25 – “Merry Christmas!”  

“Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, good will toward men.”  Luke 2:14

Christmas Angels to Laugh and Learn With

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Christmas Angels to Laugh and Learn With




Christmas Angels – Appeared to shepherds to announce the birth of Christ

Luke 2: 8-10 “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’”

The Christmas Angels appeared in the sky, over the fields near Bethlehem. They announced the birth of Christ. You will usually find either an angel or a star on the top of a Christmas tree because of the importance of their appearances in the sky.

Following are some activities to do in relation to the angels. I hope you and the children in your life enjoy them.

Coloring Pages

If your child likes to color, here are a couple of free coloring pages from about.com
Angel coloring page
Cheerful Angel

Crafts:

Paper Plate Angels
I just had to share these adorable little angels I found online. They are made from paper plates. Click on Paper Plate Angels to go to the link. The one thing that I didn’t see mentioned, in the instructions, was the size of the paper plate. I used a small 6-inch sized plate. It made an adorable little angel. I was very happy with the size. If you want to put it on top of a large Christmas tree, I would use a bigger paper plate.

Christmas Angels from a paper plate.

Hand Print Angel
I have used this craft in my preschool classrooms. The parents always adore them. I love hand print crafts because they become a piece of family history. Be sure to always date the back of any special craft your child does and put their name on it. It will make a great conversation piece as you decorate for Christmas, in later years.

1) Trace the child’s hand three times. Have them keep their fingers together. Don’t spread them out like a fan.
2) Cut out the hand prints.
3) Use one hand print as the body of the angel and the other two as the wings. The wings will look the best if you be sure to place the hand prints so that the thumbs are facing down. (Refer to picture)

Christmas Angels made from hand prints

4) You can either cut out a circle to use for the head or you can use a picture of your child’s head. They both make nice looking angels.
5) As a final touch, (which I forgot to add to one of my samples) you can make a halo out of a silver or gold pipe cleaner or make one out of a piece of aluminum foil. To make the halo out of aluminum foil, cut off an 8 inch by 1 inch piece of aluminum foil. Gently squish and twist it. Then form it into a circle and tape it to the back of the angel’s head.

Christmas Angels from Handprint

Story Time

  “The Christmas Angel” by Hans Wilhelm
Reading Level: Ages 3 – 8
Your child will fall in love with this adorable little angel. All he wants to do is to travel from heaven down to earth; so he can sing his special song to the Son of God. But his wings are too small and he is not allowed to make the trip. Find out what happens to the scared little angel after his accidental fall off of a cloud.

“An Angel Came to Nazareth” by Anthony Knott
Reading Level: Ages 5 and up
This is a very interesting poem of an angel who came to a stable in Nazareth. The angel asks a camel, a donkey, a horse and an ox to pick which one of the four travelers they would carry. One of them would end up carrying “the greatest of them all.” Can you guess, before ever reading the poem, which animal carried “the greatest of them all”?

Please take the time to stop by my Facebook page, Love to Laugh and Learn, and tell me about any of the crafts or books that you shared with your children. I would love to see pictures too.

Related Posts:

The Santa Claus Debate
The True Meaning of Christmas
The Christmas Star
Love to Learn the Meaning of Candy Canes for Christmas
Review – Christmas on Monument Circle, Indianapolis

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The Christmas Star

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The Christmas Star




Christmas Star

The Christmas Star: A heavenly sign that the wise men were able to follow to find the birth place of Jesus

“Teach the children that the star is the heavenly sign of promise,” he said. “God sent a Savior to the world and the star was the sign of that promise being fulfilled. The countless shining stars in the heavens, one star for each person on earth, represents the hope of all mankind.” (A quote from the story, Teach the Children the True Meaning of Christmas)

Matthew 2:2b “We saw His star when it rose and have come
to worship Him.”

Matthew 2:9 “After they had heard the king, they went on their way,
and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them
until it stopped over the place where the child was.”

The Christmas Star and the Christmas Angel would take turns setting on the top of our Christmas tree. To me, both are important because each one announced the birth of God’s Son. Here are some different activities to use during this blessed holiday season as you remember the real reason for the season.

Finger Play

A Shining Star
(Action Rhyme)

On the very first Christmas night,
(Put hands together; lay head on hands as if sleeping.)
A wondrous star shone big and bright.
(Hold hands above head; move fingers like stars shining.)
It marked the spot where the baby lay,
(Pretend to rock baby.)
So kings and shepherds could come to pray.
(Fold hands and kneel.)
– Original Author Unknown

Crafts

Cinnamon Ornaments
Cinnamon ornaments were something that I made with my children when they were younger. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas we would make ornaments to give to family and friends as presents. They were always a big hit. This is a wonderful gift that also makes your house smell delicious. I am using the recipe from allrecipes.com because I have no idea where my recipe has gone.

Ingredients
1 cup ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons glue

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Mix in the applesauce and glue. Work the mixture with your hands 2 to 3 minutes to form a ball. If mixture is too wet, add more cinnamon. If mixture is too dry, add more applesauce.
2. Lightly dust a clean surface with cinnamon. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters, and use a toothpick or straw to make a hole at the top for hanging with a ribbon.
3. Dry in a slow oven 200 degrees F (100 degrees C) for several hours, or air dry in a sunny spot for 4 or 5 days. When dry, decorate with gingham and/ or ribbon.

Popsicle Star
I have created a lot of popsicle crafts in my time and enjoyed every one. This would be a good one if you have children of different ages. The older ones can create the stars and the younger ones can paint them and add sparkles or buttons to give it a little extra “shine”. Although I’m sure that some of the older children will want to add their own artistic touches to the stars. (This craft came from kaboose.com)

Materials Needed:
• 10 Popsicle sticks, coloured or plain
• Hot glue gun or ordinary glue
• Length of fishing line
• Paint or markers, glitter, etc.

Instructions:
1. Draw up a template of a star using craft sticks.
2. Place one stick inside one line then add some glue to the top. Position second stick on this.
3. Continue step 2 until all 10 sticks are in place.
4. Attach some fishing line to one point for hanging.
5. Decorate as desired. Using the colors yellow, gold, red and green make for a great Christmas star. Try different colors for theme parties, or use glow-in-the-dark paint for a magical bedroom at night.

Homemade Paper Stars
I recently found this ornament on the Family Fun website. I have never done this craft before but I can’t wait until my great-niece, nephews and grandkids are old enough to do this with them. It looks like it could get messy but sometimes messy is half the fun.

Materials Needed:
• 3 (9- by 12-inch) sheets of construction paper
• Blender
• Very hot water
• Folded cloth towel
• Plate
• 3-inch star-shaped cookie cutter
• Sieve
• Glitter
• Rag
• Baking sheet
• Ribbon loops

Instructions:
1. Tear 3 (9- by 12-inch) sheets of construction paper into small pieces, about the size of a domino, and place them in a blender. Pour in about 1 1/2 cups of very hot water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile put a folded cloth towel on a plate, add a paper towel and top with a 3-inch star-shaped cookie cutter.
2. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Pulse the blender until the mix is pulpy, about 30 seconds. Ina sieve set over the sink, drain the pulp, then spoon some into the cookie cutter to the top, taking care to fill the points. Sprinkle with glitter. Use a rag to press the pulp down into the cookie cutter until most of the water is gone, then gently push the star out onto a baking sheet. Repeat to make two more stars.
3. Bake them for 2 hours or until the moisture has evaporated (they should be firm and lightweight). Let the stars cool, the glue ribbon loops to the backs for hanging. Makes 3 stars.

Snacks

Here are a couple of healthier alternatives to cookies, as you are making crafts and reading books together.

Crispy Cheese Stars from FamilyFun.com
I love cheese so these look extra yummy to me.

Ingredients
• Flour tortillas
• Sliced cheese (cheddar, provolone, or mozzarella)
• Chili powder or paprika

Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 350º. Use the larger cookie cutter to cut out stars from flour tortillas (about 5 per 10-inch tortilla). It’s easy for kids to do if you use a rolling pin to roll back and forth over the cutter. Bake the stars on a foil-covered cookie sheet for 5 minutes.
2. Use the smaller cookie cutter to cut out an equal number of cheese stars from the sliced cheese and place them atop the tortilla ones. Bake the stars for 2 more minutes or so until the cheese melts.
3. Sprinkle the stars with chili powder or paprika and let them cool before serving.

Star Fruit – A little fruit with your cheese is always a good thing.

Story Time

The Christmas Star Book & Advent Calendar by Marcus Pfister
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 8
Here is another great book from the author of “The Rainbow Fish”. The sparkling silver stars add so much to the illustrations. A wonderful story of how the shepherds, the Wise Men and even the animals followed the star to Bethlehem, where they welcomed the Holy Child.

Small Camel Follows the Star by Rachel W.N. Brown
Reading Level: Ages 3 to 8 yrs old
This is a sweet story of Small Camel’s first trip across the desert. It is a special trip to follow the, much sought after, star that leads the wise men to Bethlehem. Under the star they find the young King, in a very simple house. I love that this story in Biblically correct, in the fact that the wise men find the baby King, a few months later, in a house. (Matthew 2: 1- 12)

Song of the Stars: A Christmas Story
 by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Reading Level: Ages 4 – 8
I love the way this story describes how all of creation was anticipating the arrival of our Savior. It talks of how the trees, the flowers and the animals were crying out, “It’s time. It’s time,” as the birth of Jesus drew near. This was a very different way to look at the Nativity scene. No shepherd, no wise men but all of creation celebrating: “Heaven’s Son sleeping under the stars that He made.”

Related Posts:

The Santa Claus Debate
The True Meaning of Christmas
Christmas Angels to Laugh and Learn With
Love to Learn About the Nativity
Love to Learn the Meaning of Candy Canes for Christmas
Review – Christmas on Monument Circle, Indianapolis



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