More Jesse Tree activities for Preschoolers

We are doing the Jesse tree devotional for the first time this year with our kids. I thought we'd make a little ornament together each day to put on the tree. We didn't. But, most days we have done some sort of an activity to go with the reading. I wrote about November 30-December 10 a while ago ago. Here's part two.

• December 11: Ruth 1:15-2:3 Played "Follow the Leader", since Ruth followed Naomi.
• December 12: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Talked about ways that kids (David was a kid) can serve other people -- like making cookies to take to neighbors at Christmas time.
• December 13: 2 Samuel 5:1-5 Made crowns from felt (these will be gifts in a dress-up kit for a friend, unless we ruin them by playing with them beforehand).
• December 14: Isaiah 9:2-7 Memorized John 5:24, about God's promise of Eternal life to those who believe Him. (It's a stretch -- the theme was God keeping promises -- any better suggestions?).
• December 15: 1 Kings 19:17-24, 36-39 Stacked stones to build an indoor "altar".
• December 16: Isaiah 11:6-9 Made Lion and Lamb masks from paper plates. Too bad the kids don't lie down peacefully together with their masks on....
• December 17: Micah 5:1-5 Looked up pictures of bethlehem on maps and online.

• December 18: Daniel 6 Played with our Lion masks from the other day again.
• December 19: Habbakuk 2:1-4 (probably will change out this scripture next year -- I had a really hard time coming up with an activity) We ended up just talking about waiting -- like for cookies to bake.
• December 20: Luke 1:5-25 Played Charades (because you have to communicate without talking). Also put dollies in our shirts to have a baby in our tummy. But we do that all the time anyway.

We also finally got around to decorating our tree (since we didn't make Jesse tree ornaments). All handmade ornaments that were given us by my grandmother, and (best of all) are unbreakable! The kids are re-decorating the tree all the time, and having a blast!

We tried last night to take the kids to a church that hosts a live nativity every year. It's really neat -- they have a town of Bethlehem that's bustling and busy, then you go through the hallways, are told "no room" at the inn, and eventually get to a live Baby Jesus nativity and a petting zoo. We got there only to find out that it was last week. That's what I get for thinking I remembered when it was an not checking the date. We came home and went sledding in the front yard instead. It was still special.

What are you doing to make Christmas season memorable and meaningful for your family?
This post is participating in Living Simply Saturdays.