Wandering Wise Men, Part 1

Advent as a time of waiting can be hard for kids to understand.  They are surrounded by Christmas everywhere they look during December.  At the Catholic school where I work, we try to keep Advent as its own season, but I have to admit that can also be a little hard, especially because we don't have school during the end of Advent and most of the actual Christmas season.  As a result, things like our Christmas music program, Christmas parties, Christmas decorations, etc. are all a part of the first three weeks of December, and are over when we come back to school in the first week of January.

One tradition I have missed experiencing with the kids is moving the figures of our Nativity around during the Christmas season.  In our classroom, Baby Jesus is not with the Nativity- he sits in the center of the Advent wreath as a reminder of what we are waiting for.  This year I decided to be adventurous and moved our Wise Men around the room every day.  A bit inspired by the Elf-on-the-Shelf-craze, but with a very different motive, I wanted to add some fun and whimsy to the season and also some real feeling of anticipation. We were also able to incorporate a deeper meaning to an all school tradition as well.  During our morning prayer, the school teaches about the Jesse Tree throughout each day in December.  The symbols on the Jesse Tree remind us of the people in Christ's bloodline and the prophecies of the coming Messiah.  The real Wise Men came to see that very Messiah, and knew of what the prophets had said of Him.

Each morning when my students came in to the classroom, they found our Wise Men somewhere doing something new, sometimes just for fun, and sometimes with a deeper message.  They also brought our piece for the classroom Jesse Tree each day, and we discussed the addition of that piece and how it pointed to Christ.  When we go back to school on the day after Epiphany, the kids will find the Wise Men gathered with Mary and Joseph where we left them, adoring the Baby Jesus.

I think that this could be a great tradition for you to start, whether you move the Wise Men just in the days between Christmas and Epiphany for your own children at home, do it weekdays in a classroom during Advent, or use the idea for a once a week CCD or Sunday School class.  It could be lots of fun, and I would love to share some ideas with you!  Some of these will be very specific to my classroom culture, but they might inspire you.  Here are five ideas to get us started:



Day One:
The Wise Men were found googling directions to Bethlehem, zeroing in on the Church of the Nativity.  They left the map up on the Smart Board, and we explored pictures of the area where Christ was born.  Tucked under the Wise Men was a piece for our Jesse Tree for Adam and Eve.

Day Two:
The Wise Men were caught playing one of our Beatitudes Card Games with Fr. Juan Pablo and Sr. Mary Clara.  This game was a great way to remind us of the virtues Christ calls us to emulate, which are great to practice during Advent.  The winner of the game brought us our Jesse Tree Card.

Day Three:
The Wise Men were "caught" up trying to make their own KidKnits hat, maybe to use as a gift for the new baby Jesus.  They were having a little trouble though, because the yarn wound all the way around our classroom, leading us to the Jesse Tree Card.

Day Four:
Owls continue to over run the theme of my classroom, so on this day, the Wise Men decided to masquerade as owls bringing gifts.  They had these owl and present stickers stuck to their backs...

...and then hid in among Miss Bogner's owl collection shelf!

This was one of the hardest spots for the kids to find, but they were still pretty quick!

Day Five:
The Wise Men parachuted in on our classroom clothesline with a reminder of who we are really waiting for!

Check out these posts for more Wandering Wise Men ideas:

I didn't know about it beforehand, but now that I have this post finished, Catholic Inspired is hosting a Wise Men Adventures Link Up!  Head on over there for more ideas, and I'll be back with the rest of our classroom Wise Men hijinks!

Seven Quick Takes: December in Review

Hello, friends. 

This dear neglected blog has been all but forgotten for most of the month... and a while before.  I have lots of stories and projects and draft posts in the works, so let's hope that 2015 sees me back a little more often in this corner of the internet.  I'll start off right with some stories from last month!

~1~

Chronological order might make this more readable, but really, lets just go in order of importance.    Meet my niece, Violet Irene!

Proud mama and papa Stephanie and Steven welcomed this little beauty into the world on December 18th.  Watching them become parents has been so fun, inspiring, and awesome.

We are so in love with her!  Fortunately, Christmas break from school (and my generous sister and brother-in-law) have allowed me to spend most of the past two weeks with her, helping and soaking up her adorableness.  Seriously, she is the cutest.

~2~

In other news, my mom made me this manger earlier in December.  The nativity figures had been my Grandma's and I have used them for years.  I really like it because of its gold and ivory simplicity.  My mom took it upon herself to design and build this awesome manger to give the Holy Family a bit more of a home for the season. 

It has two separate rooms, a fence, a hay loft, a ladder... and the best part is that the whole thing easily comes apart and stores flat, without using any nails or screws.  St. Joseph would be proud of my brilliant mom.

~3~

My other Nativity (not nearly as beautiful) is in my classroom.  I have always regretted that because the kids are not in school during the last days leading to Christmas and the days between Christmas and Epiphany, we have never been able to move the Nativity figures around representing the events of the Christmas story.  This year I changed that a bit and had to get creative to remind the kids that Advent is about looking for Jesus.  Hence "The Wandering Wise Men" moved about our classroom every day, making mischief and teaching my students about the things around them that point to the coming of Christ.  More about these guys coming this weekend as we prepare to celebrate Epiphany.

~4~

Another memorable event at school this December was me making a complete fool of myself for a good cause.  My dear cousin/friend/former-co-worker/NCIS buddy issued me a challenge.  It started as a request to do the following hairstyle for my students.  I said no, she issued a bet involving a donation to charity, and Facebook escalated it from there.  Anyone who donated could add something to my lovely Christmas outfit.  I ended up raising $357 plus a box of canned good for the Food Pantry at the parish where I teach.

It was for a good cause, and I looked (and thanks to all of the bells, also sounded) ridiculous.  My students enjoyed the spectacle I made of myself and laughed all day.  However, one Kindergartener saw me and genuinely said, "Ooooh, you look beautiful!" :)

~5~

Back to family-

I was able to go and help S&S with Violet at their house for part of my break, and then Emily & Luke came home from Colorado and we all piled into my parents' house for one-big-family-of-eight week of joy.

It involved lots of pots of coffee, and lots and lots of cooking. 

And lots and lots and lots of adorable baby snuggling.

We have one picture of her from the week laying in her bassinet.   Steven saw it and said, "When was someone not holding her?"  It was a valid question.

~6~

Being away from my apartment for two weeks has its pro and cons, but one fun thing is stopping to get the mail and having a pile of Christmas cards waiting for me.  I have them all hung up now across the big window in my living room/kitchen.  This is the only possible perk of having vertical blinds.

~7~

And speaking of Christmas cards, I just finished and mailed mine today.  I am not sure when I am going to stop myself from making my cards each year, because I keep thinking that it is crazy, and then I do it again.  I only made 60 cards this year, because I had already given/sent/written about 60 store bought cards earlier in the season.  I do really like how this year's turned out, and if the mail works fast, many people might get them this weekend just in time for Epiphany!

I'm out of quick takes, but lets just have more more look at sweet Miss Vi.  Goodness gracious, isn't she the cutest!

Thanks, Kelly, for hosting!  

Favorite Advent Videos

Looking for some great Advent videos to use in your classroom/youth group/Bible study?

Here are some of my favorites:

Ideas for Advent

Here are some ideas for you to use with your kiddos this Advent:

Seeking our Savior: An Advent Detective Journey based on Scripture, showing how Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Christ.  Printable coloring book, Scripture cards, mini craft projects, and a leaders guide.

 Advent Jeopardy Trivia games here and here.

 Party Like a Saint- A December-Saint-Themed Advent Party with crafts and games.

What if they had email?  Youth Group Advent lesson idea putting the Christmas story in a new perspective.

 A Stocking For Jesus: Activities to go along with the book, including some Advent printables.

A Nativity Photo Booth, putting all of those Nativity play costumes and props to good use!

Advent Prayer Ring- Great for Youth Groups or Bible Studies:

My Gift- An Epiphany Readers' Theater:

Printable Advent Candles for an Advent Wreath:

Kids' Advent Wreath- Free Printables

*** Update: Click here to get the printable in Spanish and here in Dutch!

This year at our CCD Family Advent Night, we decided that we would focus on the meaning of the Advent Wreath and have the kids make their own to take home.  I will post pictures of how we make that work for a group, but I wanted to make sure to share the printables before the first week of Advent. Here is how I put them all together:

1. Print out the three page printable.  I like to have kids color before cutting, so they don't have to worry so much about staying in the lines or tearing edges while coloring.  I colored the flames and the holly with marker to make them more vibrant, and colored the actual candle with crayon so that the words would be more visible.

Side Note: Do you know the Christian meaning of holly?  The prickly leaves remind us of Christ's crown of thorns, and the red berries symbolize the blood He shed.

 2.  Then cut out the candles.

 3.  Next, wrap the candle printables around a toilet paper tube.  (Note: if you or your school are not big on using toilet paper rolls, you can use paper towel rolls cut down or a cylinder of card stock.)

I first taped the printable on the little tab (which has a reminder about which Sunday of Advent it is for) and then taped the opposite edge.  There is also a Scripture verse on each candle from the Sunday readings this year.

 4.  The candle flames can be lit or unlit.  Here is the Hope candle lit...

 ...or you can gently fold and push the flame inside the tube...

 ...where it isn't visible.

 I also made a Christ Candle to use during the Octave of Christmas.

5. The candles could just be set on/in an evergreen wreath on a table, or you can make a wreath to put it all together.  I used a paper plate- green would have been great, but white is what I had.  I traced a glass to make the circle in the middle and then drew four Xs that were about 1 3/4" in length.

6.  The I cut out the circle and the Xs.  I would recommend this job for adults or older kids only.  Scissors work, but an xacto knife is better.

 7.  If you have a green plate, you could stop here, or you can add the leaves as decoration.  One of the printables has holly & berries that you can use.

 I also cut out some simple leaves from green paper:

8.  Glue the leave and the berries on the plate, not covering up the Xs that you cut out.

 9.  Next, add some glue on those Xs and put the candle on top of it.  To stabilize it and make the glue stick, roll up a strip of cardstock (mine was about 8" long), put a little glue on it, and stick it on the inside of the Xs. Let it unfurl and it will help everything stick together as it dries.

 10.  Let it all dry and use it to count down the weeks as we wait for the coming of Christ!

Another cute idea: A former coworker sent me the pictures of her kindergartners making these wreaths and she added battery operated tea lights to them!  She said she used the rolled cardstock inside (that was holding the candle to the plate) tall enough that the tea lights could rest on at the top.  Love it!

Click here for the free printable: