Christmas
Schooling: Celebrating Advent
Christmas
schooling is a time of learning centered around the Christmas season including
Advent, the Christmas story, and other tenants of our faith. The mainline curriculum
is put on hold so we can come together as a family and learn the true meaning
of Christmas. Advent simply means “coming.” It is a time that we celebrate the
birth of Christ leading up to Christmas Day.
Today,
I wanted to share with you some of the activities and traditions we do in our
Christmas School in this Advent season (with links.)
This is our top 20….
(We trace the
genealogy of Jesus all the way back to God through devotional reading and ornament crafts.)
The Christmas Story
(We learn about the
birth of Jesus and the reason for his birth.)
Servanthood
(We lend our time
to feed the homeless, give random acts of kindness, and serve each other at home
purposefully.)
(We countdown the
days until Christmas by reading a holiday book each day.)
History of the
Christmas Tree (and St. Nick)
(We watch a “What’s
in the Bible?” DVD of the same name to better understand the history of
Christmas and the real meaning.)
(We use a cute
activity with the acronym C.H.R.I.S.T.M.A.S. that teaches us its meaning.)
(We read an e-book
that list 12 countries and their Christmas traditions. We “pack” our suitcases,
stamp our passports, and record what we have learned about each.)
(We follow a 15-day
journal that teaches us some character concepts of the Christmas season:
obedience, peace, joy, & charity)
(We learn a joke a
day for the 24 days leading to Christmas.)
(We learn that
Christmas is a true, factual event.)
Family
(We feel it is
important to spend some quality family together during this season, so we do!)
Meal Preparation
& Hospitality
(The boys learn
some valuable life skills as it relates to meals and etiquette.)
Christmas Crafts
& Projects (stay tuned for an Advent Activities Calendar)
(I normally make a
list of all the crafts and projects we will do to celebrate Christmas. We have
a few traditional items but I add some new one each year as well.)
(We use a link of
24 chains that all include a different name of Jesus.)
How to wrap a gift
(Each year, I show the
boys how to properly wrap a gift. We make our gift wrap too!)
Winter Solstice
(We learn more
about the winter season and daylight savings. We have a cute activity that we
do on Dec 21 to recognize the shortest day of the year.)
How to ice skate
(We are still
learning, but every since my oldest has been 3 we ice skate and get better each
year.)
(We have figurines
and cut outs that the boys use as I retell the story of Christmas. They love
creating the scene as it unfolds through the story.)
How to give gifts
(I teach the boys
what makes a gift important and the thought that should be behind it.)
Tell
us, what you do in your “Christmas School!”
Remember, God created you for His glory!
Blessings,
Miss Mom
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