Teaching Triplets Tuesday: Christmas

  As I mentioned last week, we are taking a break from our usual lessons to learn about Christmas.  We continued Prayer, Calendar Time, and Weather and we focused mainly on activities this week.  For next weeks post, we'll include songs and videos.

Activities:
1.   Hanging Stockings:  I let the kids help me hang the stockings and decorate the fireplace.  They mainly played with the plastic ornaments, but had a great time.

2.   Christmas Trees:  For Christmas trees this year, we're doing something a little different; instead of having the traditional tall Christmas tree, we went and purchased five small potted tree.  I placed them all on a niche above our couch and covered them with lights.  Each family member has their own tree to decorate and when Christmas is over, we'll plant them in the yard.

3.   Christmas Ornaments:  We will be making our own Christmas tree ornaments.  This week we made cinnamon ornaments by combining 1 cup apple sauce and 1 cup cinnamon and then adjusting to find the right constancy.  We rolled out the dough and used mini cookie cutters to shape our ornaments (don't forget to make a hole to hang the decoration).  We allowed them to dry in a 200 degree oven for about two hours, turning often.  I then applied a layer of glue and the kids went crazy sprinkling them with glitter.

4.  Outdoor Decorations:  I also let the kids help with the outdoor decorations.  They mainly just played, both with the decorations and with other things outside.

5.  Advent:  We are lighting an advent wreath and reading a devotion (starting on Sunday) during breakfast.  I'm also trying to teach them the meaning of advent; preparing, awaiting, and anticipating the birth of Jesus.  I have a small, child proof manager scene that I used to play with as a child.  Each week we will add a character and build the manager and on Christmas Eve we will add the baby Jesus.  On Sunday we started out with the stable.  HERE is the advent devotional that we are using.  We read the entire devotional on the first day that we light the candle and throughout the week we read the accompanying scriptures.  each morning we talk about the meaning of advent and we pray "Come Baby Jesus".  Each morning I also remind them that we've prepare the stable for baby Jesus.  While we're preparing our house for Christmas, I also remind them that we are preparing for Baby Jesus' birthday.