To wrap up our week of traditions, Guest Blogger Lara shares 12 Christmas traditions to help bring the spirit of Christ into your homes this Christmas.
1. Plan your own 12 days of Christmas service for a neighbor or someone who could use a little TLC (click here for some ideas)
2. Make this Christmas Scripture Advent Calendar. Even if it's past December 1st, you can make it today and pick up wherever you're at.
3. Christmas in Bethlehem dinner (we usually do it right after Christmas when life has calmed down a bit)
5. Print off these Christmas Eve devotional books (that include songs, scriptures, and pictures) and spend about half-hour on Christmas Eve singing and reading the scriptures together
6. Instead of gingerbread houses, make a graham cracker and candy creche scene with graham crackers, candy, royal icing, and toothpicks.
7. Year by year drawings--Each year have your children draw a Nativity scene, then have them date and sign them and keep them in a binder as a scrapbook. It will be fun each Christmas to look back at the progression of their scenes.
8. Watch inspiring videos and musical performances--if not in person, then on the internet.
Here's one of our favorites this year. We also like this one and this one.
9. Using supplies and toys you can find around your house, have everyone create their own nativity. Here's the one my daughter made from Lincoln Logs and her dolls. Next we are going to try this gorgeous nativity art project.
10. Go to the library and check out a variety of meaningful Christmas books and read one each day in December. (this one
, this one 
, and this one
are a couple of our favorites and here is a link to my Christmas picture book review)
11. If you live near one, visit your temple visitors' center's Christmas displays and performances.
12. Invite the missionaries to your home to share a Christmas message. Even better...invite a friend too!
Thanks to Lara for all these fun ideas! Find more of Lara's great ideas at "Parenting in the Latter-days" featuring wonderful parenting and printable FHE ideas. (http://thegoldenseven.blogspot.com)
1. Plan your own 12 days of Christmas service for a neighbor or someone who could use a little TLC (click here for some ideas)
2. Make this Christmas Scripture Advent Calendar. Even if it's past December 1st, you can make it today and pick up wherever you're at.
3. Christmas in Bethlehem dinner (we usually do it right after Christmas when life has calmed down a bit)
4. Service chain--Instead of a countdown to Christmas chain, make a service chain out of strips of paper and a stapler. Family members add a link every time they perform an act of service for someone. We like to make a goal to have the chain reach a certain length and then we will go on a fun family outing together.
8. Watch inspiring videos and musical performances--if not in person, then on the internet.
Here's one of our favorites this year. We also like this one and this one.
9. Using supplies and toys you can find around your house, have everyone create their own nativity. Here's the one my daughter made from Lincoln Logs and her dolls. Next we are going to try this gorgeous nativity art project.
10. Go to the library and check out a variety of meaningful Christmas books and read one each day in December. (this one
, this one , and this one are a couple of our favorites and here is a link to my Christmas picture book review)
11. If you live near one, visit your temple visitors' center's Christmas displays and performances.
Thanks for these great ideas! I especially love the service chain and the idea of having kids draw a picture of the nativity scene each year. I'm excited to add those to the traditions we already do! Thanks again.
ReplyDelete