Santas on every corner, crowded shopping malls, neighborhood lighting displays … the list of events and things that pull our focus away from Jesus at Christmastime seems endless. With just a little planning and thought, you can keep the heart of your family quietly worshiping before the manger.

1. Toy nativity sets – Children love to play and re-enact stories that they know. One way to really saturate children with the true message of Christmas is to give them nativity toys to play with. Sit down with them and tell them the story, using the figures yourself to portray the story. Allow them to play with the sets, and encourage them to provide voices and characteristics.

• Fisher-Price Little People Christmas (great for babies and toddlers) or the Playmobile Christmas set (great for older children). Time: none, however the sets are a bit on the expensive side.
• 2x4 block sets – easy to make with 2x4 scraps and markers or paints (this makes a great gift!) Making these sets can be time consuming, but lots of fun, and it can involve the whole family – Dad too! The 2x4 chunks of wood are easy for little hands to manipulate, and you’ll have an enduring example of your children’s artwork, if you let them draw the pieces.
• Paper doll sets – paper dolls you either already have or download off the Internet. One great site with lots of extras is MakingFriends.com.
• Reuse doll sets and create costumes. I still have my set of Honey Hill Bunch dolls with nativity costumes that I made when I was in 6th grade. Time varies depending on sewing skills.
• Make pipe cleaner dolls: jas.familyfun.go.com (1) and jas.familyfun.go.com (2). Time: 30 minutes to 1 hour per figure.
• If you sew, check the fabric stores for panels of nativity dolls or sew-books that tell the story.
• Dress up the kids and let them act out the story – robes and such. Time: Endless fun!

2. Jesus received only three gifts—gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Have a basket on the table with three containers holding those three gifts. This activity provides lots of discussion and teaching opportunities! Last year’s After Christmas Sale, I was able to find three different lovely decorative boxes to use in the coming years, but anyone can use simple boxes, baskets, or whatever is on hand. Use Sacagawea dollars or chocolate foil-coins for the gold. Health food stores often carry frankincense and myrrh, and just an inexpensive teaspoon of each makes the room smell exotic. Bible commentaries abound in opinions about the symbolism of the three gifts. Here’s one take I particularly like: Gold - something practical. Joseph and Mary were literally dirt poor, and this was practical provision by God for their journey into Egypt and the following years. Frankincense - used in spiritual offerings and sacrifices, denoting Jesus' holiness and His office as our High Priest. Myrrh - a perfume used in ointments, denoting Jesus' future death, since His body was anointed. Now, these translate into modern times as something needed and practical (like a textbook or socks/underwear), something to help spiritual growth (like a new Bible, devotional, or Veggie Tales video), and something to prepare for the future (like a savings bond or an educational toy to encourage creative thinking). Limiting the number of gifts a child receives helps the greed/thanksgiving factor.
    (Time: just planning ahead)

3. Thankfulness basket – Gratitude shouldn’t end when the turkey leftovers are finished. Keep that thankfulness mindset all through the holidays! Set out a decorated basket, Christmas bag, or other decorated container on the dining table. Attach a bell or jingle to the basket. Also set out a small notepad and a pencil. It might help to tether the notepad and pencil to the basket with colorful ribbon. Have family members write notes of thankfulness throughout the Advent season. The notes can range from the serious to the frivolous, from acknowledging servant-heart actions to special events to particular items. Every time someone puts a slip in the basket, that person rings the bell and calls out “Glory to God in the Highest!” Adults can help smaller children express their thankfulness. Then, on Christmas morning, before opening any presents, read the different expressions of gratitude aloud as a family. Saving the slips of paper from year to year can help revive memories and help track your children’s spiritual growth.
    (Time: 1-2 minutes each time)

4. Kids love magnets. Kids love marbles. Combine the two and create a great, inexpensive gift at the same time. Materials: ¾” magazine images, clip art, or photographs, ¾” clear flat-bottom glass gems, tacky glue, small tin, ¾” round magnets, small tin (like Sucrets or Altoids). Trim images to fit the flat bottoms of the marbles so they show through the glass. Glue pictures to marbles and allow to dry. Then glue each marble to a magnet. Decorate the small tin for an extra splash of cheer. Bonus: create a different magnet for each character in the nativity and turn the fridge into a showplace. There is plenty of Christmas artwork available on the Internet.
    (Time: less than 1 hour to make, but several hours to dry. Note: because this uses small pieces, this activity is not appropriate for the under-three set.)

5. Jesse Tree – Another Advent tradition that incorporates a great deal more teaching into each day of Advent, not just the Sundays. The Jesse Tree was started as an effort to give Christmas trees a more Biblical focus, overcoming the suspicious pagan symbolism. Some use wreathes, garlands, or a tree or branch of some shape. The Jesse Tree is named from Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots.” The Jesse Tree becomes a way to tell the Story of God in the Old Testament, and connect the Advent Season with the faithfulness of God across 4,000 years of history. A detailed discussion of the Jesse Tree can be found at www.cresourcei.org. There are several different symbols that can be used for your own Jesse Tree. Some patterns can be found at www.rca.org. [Editor's Note: See Below for suggested scripture readings for the Jesse Tree.]
    (Time: 15-30 minutes per day)

6. Chrismon Tree – Christ Monograms—Chrismons are another type of Christmas Tree decoration used in many churches and often in the homes of Christians. The symbols used represent a variety of biblical and theological concepts that are well known among most believers. Some people decorate trees with symbols representing the many various names of Jesus. Technically, if the ornaments on a Christmas tree are comprised mostly of Christian symbols, the tree is known as a "Chrismon Tree." Most Chrismons are white with gold decorations of beads, ribbon, glitter, etc.
    (Time: 15-30 minutes per day)
www.paperchrismons.com

7. Holiday Hunt – A great quiet activity that keeps young children occupied for long periods of time looking for various objects. Take a clear plastic bottle and fill with various shapes from the nativity – small plastic barnyard animals, tiny angels, glitter stars, a tiny baby, etc. Then fill the bottle with birdseed or macaroni (maybe star-shaped
pasta?). Add some glitter for extra shine. Secure the lid with super glue. Happy Hunting! I found tiny nativity figures at Hobby Lobby very inexpensively.
    (Time: less than 15 minutes to make)

8. Glitter Stars – The Wise Men followed a brilliant star to find the infant Jesus. Wise men today still look for Jesus. Make your own stars to hang on your tree or place in your windows! Lay out tag board or white cardboard on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet. Using white all-purpose glue, draw stars thickly. Then allow children to liberally shake glitter on the stars. Allow the stars to dry flat overnight, shake off excess glitter, and allow the stars to dry flat another full 24 hours. Cut the stars out of the paper, punch a hole for thread, and hang in windows or on the tree. Or attach magnets to the back and decorate the fridge.
    (Time: less than 5 minutes to make, several hours to dry)

Scripture Readings for the Jesse Tree

Copyright © 2006 by Anni Welborne
Photo by Brandy Dopkins.