We’re planning to go to a carol service at the weekend, and I wondered how familiar my children would be with the songs, so I contacted the person in charge and asked what carols they would be singing. They sent me the list, saying that they hoped they wouldn’t get in trouble for sharing secrets!!! … Read more
Read through the Nativity Christmas story in four parts. Audio links included too!
Christmas is a great time to celebrate Jesus. However, it is also a very busy time, so we need to be intentional. Each year I try to prioritise three activities: The list below is a collection of ideas, one or two of which might be just right for your family this year. Why not chat … Read more
I love this book! It’s the Christmas and Easter stories told by the eloquent Madeleine L’Engle illustrated with frescoes from the Scrovegni Chapel by Giotto. You can see my review of the book here, but this post is about how I’ve used the pictures and story in this book to meditate on the Christmas story … Read more
This is a simple adaption of something lots of families do each year: Go and see the lights. I remember when I was little, occasionally my Dad would take us in the car to central London to drive through all the busy, light-decorated streets. It was a highlight of our Christmas season. With my own … Read more
Title: The Christmas Mystery Written by: Jostein Gaarder (author of Sophie’s World) Published by: Orion Children’s Books Useful for: parents of children aged 7–11 years old Best bit: The story is clever and beautiful, mysterious and fascinating, a treat for adults and children alike, with 24 chapters exploring the birth of Jesus, making it perfect … Read more
Wrap up 24 Christmas-y books then unwrap and read one a day during Advent. All you need to do is collect* and wrap up 24 Christmas books and number them 1—24. Open one a day and share together. I found seven Christmas books for £5.80 in three of my local charity/ secondhand book shops, so … Read more
Now, I’d love to tell you how to be ready for Christmas in three perfect steps, but I am just not that clever. Truly, I think I’d need magic to make that happen. However, I have given this some thought and have created a list of three things that we can do to ensure we … Read more
I’m sure, like me, you occasionally visit the Baker Ross website. I usually go looking for one thing, and am quickly overwhelmed by the sheer variety of wonderful crafty things! What I find tricky, is buying craft items which can only be used in one way, so here are seven ways you could use the … Read more
A friend of mine has bought a Play Mobil nativity set and asked if I had any ideas on how she could use it to explore the Christmas story with them this Advent. I LOVE my Play Mobil nativity set, and so I had a few ideas to share with her, and thought you might … Read more
I found these little wooden crowns in The Range where they are £1 for 12. I thought they would make nice Christmas cards, since Christmas is celebrating the birthday of the king of Kings! Here are a few ideas: Cut out squares of paper in ever decreasing sizes. Glue them onto the card, largest first, … Read more
This is a really simple, fun way to pray around Christmas. You could do this at home, or as part of a party or even a service! Blow up the balloons and write or draw on each something you love about Christmas. (This works best with Sharpies, but *Warning* they do stain clothes.) Play some … Read more