Advent & Christmas 2013

I thought I should update this post for 2013 as some of the links have changed (or are dead) and we have changed up some different things for the last couple of years. Mind you, this is not a CM list of activities - just ones we have enjoyed over the years.

I just have to go buy our candles for our Advent wreath. I always seem to forget to do that each and every year. So, it is off to Hallmark tomorrow with hopes that they will have a set of tapered Advent candles, otherwise, I will buy individual little ones and work with that (which might be safer from little fingers anyway).

For myself, I am reading Ann Voscamps's The Greatest Gift: An Advent Devotional.
 
Print the 2013 Inductive Advent study. Print it now so you are ready for Sunday (or since I just updating this, uhm....so you are ready for tomorrow & can play catch-up).

Free ebook from Knowledge Quest - Figgy Pudding, Stollen and Tamales when you sign up for their newsletter (if, like me, you already receive their newletter, just enter your current email addy - you will still get it).  Plus, you will be helping them send gifts to the needy through Gospel for Asia!

We have a Jesse Tree from HERE. When we did it, we made it simple. I printed the sheets, colored in the pictures with pencils and laminated them. Perhaps, I will print them again and have my older 2 do something a bit more formal with them.  The place I meant to buy cross-stitch patterns for the ornaments went out of business, it seems. But, there seem to be no shortage of other ideas that you can purchase out there.

We have enjoyed reading Jotham's Journey, Bartholomew's Passage, & Tabitha's Travels. We are on our 2nd reading of Tabitha's Travels for this year.

Here are a couple of freebies that are also available:
Free Nativity Lapbook for younger children
Free Christmas Symbols lapbook

Free TOS Digital Holiday Supplement - lots of great stuff here for Thanksgiving & Christmas!
You can also email to ask for their newest (?) supplement here. The information how to ask for it is on the right hand page.

Homeschool Radio Shows has an offer for The Cinnamon Bear. 

From the Ambleside Online page we have a list of Christmas Carols and they are available in a printable PDF format, Christmas Poetry, and a list of Christmas books to read.

That and along with making a few Christmas presents for some people, cookies, lots of Christmas themed books, a Christmas concert at church, driving around to see the lights (love the displays downtown!), some old radio shows I purchased several year ago from Homeschool Radio Shows and hopefully, some caroling, we should have a fun, Christ-centered month leading up to Christmas.

I hope some of these are of help to you as well. Feel free to share some of your favorite resources in the comments.  Have a blessed Advent.