Glitter finally gets to put up her Christmas tree and she is super excited about it! What are some things that bring you joy during the Holiday Season?
What makes you joyful?
Daily Prayer
Jesus, you are joy even in the saddest times. Help us to praise you when we are upset or grieving. Shine joy into our hearts we pray. Amen.
Sing A Song.
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Serving others
Organize a stocking stuffing event as a way to have family members bless each other with non-material blessings. Have each family member hang a mini-stocking. Put each person’s picture on their stocking, then have each family member write a note or draw a picture for every other family member, telling or displaying something they appreciate about them. Encourage your kids to be creative and provide assistance as needed. When you open the stockings, do so one person at a time, allowing time for each person to share what the other family members have written or drawn. To make the occasion even sweeter, you may want to hand out candy canes (or flavored hard candy sticks) to savor while you enjoy the sweetness of your together time.
Fun with food
Make mini-gingerbread “stables” out of graham crackers. Use one cracker for each side wall, one for the roof and one for a back wall. Leave the front side open. While your kids are decorating the walls and interior, ask your kids what they think Jesus was like when He was a child. Have them think of a “Jesus-like” character trait that each type of candy, cereal or dried fruit can represent. For example, cinnamon hearts can serve as a reminder that there is joy in a home when family members are loving toward each other. Another child might say that a gummy blue whale reminds him to be generous and share his toys.
To make the icing for your gingerbread stables, you will need:
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla or peppermint extract
2 ½ – 3 cups of icing sugar
Use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites until they are fluffy. Add the flavoring, along with half a cup of powdered sugar. Beat the mixture until it’s smooth. Keep adding icing sugar, half a cup at a time, until the icing forms stiff peaks. This icing is ideal for decorating as it hardens quickly. If you are not going to use it right away, cover it tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate it.
Build a Nativity
Using whatever items you want – Lego, blocks, play-dough, or anything else, build a nativity scene. Don’t forget to add the baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, some shepherds and animals.
Questions for discussion
- What is your most favorite Christmas tradition of all?
- If you could play a part in the Christmas story, which character would you like to be?
- What do you think it would have been like to have Jesus as a brother?
- How does Jesus bring joy to your life?
- How does knowing Jesus change the way you treat others?
Sing Another Song
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