Celebrating CHRISTmas: Post #1 Keeping Christ Central the Whole Season

I have always enjoyed fun and traditions. I'll share some specifics about some things we do on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the next few posts, but today, here are 10 ways we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus during the Christmas Season:

1) We have a sticker chart on our calendar to countdown. Ending on Christmas with the sticker given at church that says "Sound the horn. Christ is born!"

2) We love to make fun crafts all December- paper snow flakes, ice cream snowman (this year marshmallow snowman), paper candles, foam ornaments, etc. (the snow focus gives an opportunity to talk about Jesus as pure and sinless and how His death and blood washes those who are His white as snow.)


3) We read the Christmas story broken down into weekly chunks from a children’s bible daily and act it out or make crafts to act out: (1st week- angel visits Mary and then Joseph; 2nd week- Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem and Jesus is born, 3rd week- Angels tell the shepherds -Last year during this week in class they talked about how we share the good news with others just like the angels did-so at home we shared ways we can share and then shared this good news with others in our life all week!!!)



4) We have a Veggie Tale nativity set we like to play with (Little People also has a cool one!)

5) We watch Christ-centered/Christian worldview Christmas dvds... we have BOZ, Veggie Tales (3 of them), the Wiggles, Hermie, and Really Woolly

6) We play Christmas music in the car and at home :
Ours: we love Shane and Shane's "Glory in the Highest" and Barlowgirl right now
Jimmy and Caleb: A Veggie Tales Christmas cd.
My favorite times are when we just get out my guitar and sing. This leads to good opportunities to talk about the lyrics

7) We play Christmas games: We have a Christmas bingo (You can totally hand make your own version of cards with Christmas themed pictures) and I’m making a matching game by printing off pictures that go with our weekly readings

8) We bake cookies. My favorite kind is a candy cane shaped twist sugar cookie (and it gives me a chance to share “the Legend of the Candy Cane”)

9) We have fun Christmas books for small kids. Some favorites: The Legend of the Candy Cane, What is Christmas?, and The Story of Christmas

10) We decorate a Christmas Tree- Andy and I (clueless at the time) picked up an ornament on our first date. It has become tradition for us to buy or make a new ornament each year that represents a major event (like our wedding and the birth of our boys), a fun trip we took, or a huge growth or milestone for us. Decorating the tree is a fun time to reflect and share our family history with our boys.

Our first ornament to go on the tree every year is the ornament we got on our first date

What are some of the ways you keep Christ central during the Christmas season?

Comments

A Satisfied Hunger said…
well, you know how we've always loved our Christmas tree - so last year we decided to make it more Christ-centered. We took blank index cards (no lines) and printed (using colored ink on our printer) scripture verses about who Christ is and why he came. Then we tucked the cards into the branches of our tree. It was a really special addition to our Christmas decorating.

Oh, and our favorite Christmas album is Sovereign Grace's "Savior."
November 30, 2010 at 9:14 AM
Making the Most said…
oh i love that idea, meg... and i want that album:)
November 30, 2010 at 11:13 AM
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