Christmas is all about family. Here is a collection of five crafts that you can do as a family to teach the true meaning and symbols of Christmas. Children will learn to identify Christmas using their five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Pick and choose the activities you think your family will enjoy the most and spread them out throughout the season. Start new traditions. The most important thing is to use the activities to talk as a family.

vision activities

Grab a Holiday Lights Drive – Load everyone into the van after dark and tour your town or a well-decorated neighborhood. Some cities will have a city center that will be illuminated. Ask your children which decorations are their favorite and why. Talk about how the twinkling lights look like stars. Remind them that the night Jesus was born, a new star shone in the sky, announcing his birth to the whole world. Even people in different countries knew that baby Jesus had been born, and some wise men traveled to find him.

sound activities

Christmas Carols: Delight your neighbors by singing at their doorsteps, or just gather around the piano and sing as a family. You can even attend a community “sing-in” or other recital, or watch one on TV. Christmas carols and Christmas carols have a somewhat dark history. In fact, in many countries, any jovial celebration of the holiday was prohibited until the 18th century! Christmas carol singing dates back to England around this period, and was a community event. Groups went from house to house, singing for eggnog or wassail. Singing Christmas carols fosters a feeling of community as we reach out to others and spread joy. Some of the most popular Christmas carols to sing are Silent Night, Jingle Bells, and We Wish you a Merry Christmas.

sweet activities

Prune the Tree: Like the holly, the evergreen reminds us that life will return. The scent of pine fills our hearts and minds with hope for the coming year. If you use an artificial tree in your home, you can take your kids for a walk through a Christmas tree lot. You can hang a loot, or even a branch with a fragrant pineapple.

taste activities

Peppermint Candy Canes – While enjoying a candy cane with your family, point out the shepherd’s crook symbols and colors. The red represents the sacrifice of Jesus, and the white is for its purity. When she flips it over, the shape also becomes a “J”, which can also be a reminder that Christmas is a time to remember Jesus. The mint flavor also has seasonal significance. Hyssop, a plant in the mint family, was used in Old Testament times to purify (or cleanse) oneself. The mint could now remind us of the purity of Jesus.

tactile activities

Snow Angels: After a good snowfall, bundle up everyone and walk to the park or your own backyard. Demonstrate how to make snow angels by falling backwards on a cool bank. Move the stretched arms and legs back and forth to create the angel’s wings and dress. Stand carefully and admire everyone’s work. When the family returns home, talk about the visit of the angel Gabriel to Mary, when she learned that she would soon give birth to baby Jesus. Also talk about the angel who visited the shepherds the night Jesus was born. He told them: “Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news of great joy!” Although Christ was not actually born in December, it is the time chosen to celebrate his birth. During the winter all the plants seem dead, but after Christmas the world approaches spring when all the flowers come back to life. The birth of Jesus was a promise that all who followed him would also live after death.