Seven ways to use Baker Ross Nativity Mini Wooden Shapes

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

Review: On Angel’s Wings

a beautiful version of the Christmas story Title: On Angels’ Wings Author: Michael Morpurgo Illustrator: Quentin Blake Published by: Egmont UK RRP: Â£5.99 or only £2.90 here Best for: families looking for a different route into the Christmas story, full of wonder and beauty Best bit: glorious story telling by Michael matched by stunning illustration by Quentin – a match made in … Read more

50 Faith at Home Ideas for Christmas

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 to help us: The list below is a collection of ideas, one or two of which might be just right for your family this year. … Read more

Three questions for a connected Christmas

It’s December, the last month in what has been a pretty dreadful year in many ways. How do we celebrate Christmas? In order to work out our answer to that question, I’ve got three questions (I’ve put each in three different ways – make your choice!): What is your family like? / What do you … Read more

8 ways to use the Nativity I-spy Colouring Poster

I love colouring and I love Christmas, so this Nativity I-spy Colouring Poster is a perfect combination. I’m also a big fan of using the activities we do around Christmas to celebrate Jesus in some way, so here are some ideas on how you can use this colouring poster: 1 Just colour it. Use it … Read more

Christmas Carol Bingo!

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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

Balloon Christmas prayers

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

Christmas art meditation using The Glorious Impossible

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

Review: The Nativity

Title: The Nativity By: Bethan Lycett and Hannah Stout Price: £3.50 Published by: 10 of those Useful for: children aged 2-7 Best bit: The lovely artwork and simple, easy-to-read Christmas story including Simeon and Anna Worst bit: The rhyme isn’t always as smooth as it could be, but still enjoyable. More: This is a simple, … Read more

Review: Love came down

Title: Love came down By: Bethan Lycett and Hannah Stout Price: £3.99 for 1, in a pack as low as £1 each Published by: 10 of those Useful for: children age 2-7 Best bit: It tells the whole story of Jesus, including why he was born. My favourite page is the picture of the boy … Read more

God’s message to Mary

Here’s an activity to explore a well known part of the Christmas Bible story. Read Luke 1:26-38, preferably from a read-aloud-family-friendly Bible such as the Contemporary English Version. (It sounds like a lot to read, but it’s only really 3 paragraphs.) You might like to try this Bible idea for helping everyone concentrate: Invent an … Read more