My name is Victoria and I’m a nativity scene addict. There. I’ve said it. I just love nativity sets, especially ones which everyone can touch, play with and enjoy. There are some lovely ones about, and although it may seem like quite a bit of money, I’ve found this is one of the best ways to engage … Read more
We use watercolours a lot at our house. I love that I can leave them out for the children to use whenever they want, and even when my 2-year-old chooses to paint herself blue (quite often!), she can just be washed down! Coming up to Christmas I see lots of cute hand and footprint pictures, … Read more
A simple way to bring a moment of quiet in a busy Advent season is to use a candle. Just lighting it and watching the flame seems to allow time to slow a little. You can use an Advent Candle (see here for ways of making one) or simply a plain one. Here’s some ideas … Read more
Home is the perfect place to have a nativity scene which children can play with. Often sets are so beautiful and delicate that they aren’t appropriate for children’s touch, which is a shame. There isn’t any other Bible story which has so many versions available, and play is a wonderful way for children (and adults!) … Read more
As the nights get darker, and we get closer to eating our evening meal in the dark, it’s the perfect time to try out a candle prayer. You could use– a large, chunky, church candle which will last a long time– a long, thin candle in a candle stick which will raise the flame away … Read more
Home is the perfect place to have a nativity scene which children can play with. Often sets are so beautiful and delicate that they aren’t appropriate for children’s touch, which is a shame. Play is a wonderful way for children of all ages (and adults!) to explore the meaning of this incredible story–the one which … Read more
The run-up to Christmas, traditionally celebrated as Advent, is such a busy time, but also a powerful time to remember, celebrate and absorb the incredible story of when God became a human baby. All families have traditions around Christmas, so all we need to do is intentionally use them to give everyone the opportunity to … Read more
Cut a set of simple geometric shapes from felt and use them to create pictures of the Christmas story using this template. Here’s how to do it: 1. Choose your felt colours. You could cut all the shapes out of one colour sheet, or choose different colours. I chose colours which lent themselves towards certain … Read more
Advent pockets or even little advent drawers are popular these days. I found some good-value ones in TK Max. But there are others here or here. It’s easy to pop in a choccy for each day, but if you want something which helps children explore the Christmas story over the 24 or 25 days. I’ve … Read more
One of the things I love about late Autumn and Winter are satsumas. I eat loads of them so I thought it would be a good idea to have a way to pray while I indulge. So here’s a prayer idea using satsumas 🙂 It’s so simple: Pray for a different person as you eat each segment. … Read more
Make your own nativity set using yogurt pots. Benecol bottles (any yogurty type bottles will do!) work well, and it’s easy to use the stickers from A Christmas Family GodVenture. The book has 400+ stickers including lots of faces, buttons and the like to create your own nativity scene.In fact, you don’t even need bottles, … Read more
Advent is the four weeks running up to Christmas. It is a time of expectant waiting and preparation and many Christian traditions light candles during this time. How to make a wreath: To do this you will need four or five candles, and perhaps some spares in case the early ones burn right down. Try … Read more