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God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)

For a truly God-called man, one of his greatest fears is of his life not counting for Christ, all his efforts making little difference for the sake of the kingdom.
Unknown Author

We must, during all our labour and in all else we do, even in our reading and writing, holy though both may be – I say more, even during our formal devotions and spoken prayers – pause for some short moment, as often indeed as we can, to worship God in the depth of our heart, to savour Him, though it be but in passing, and as it were by stealth. Since you are not unaware that God is present before you whatever you are doing, that he is at the depth and centre of your soul, why not then pause from time to time at least from that which occupies you outwardly, even from your spoken prayers, to worship Him inwardly, to praise him, petition him, to offer him your heart and thank him? What can God have that gives Him greater satisfaction than that a thousand times a day all His creatures should thus pause to withdraw and worship him in the heart?
Brother Lawrence

    • 25 Xmas Education Ideas

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    25 Xmas Education Ideas

    25 Things You Can Do at Home to Enrich Your Child’s Learning During the Christmas Season By Mark E. Carpenter

    Christmas is a special time for children. Most children are really excited about the Christmas Season, and there is no better time to teach a child than when they are excited about what your are trying to teach them. I have designed 25 activities for you to do at home during this holiday season, that will allow your children to have exciting hands-on learning experiences.These activities are for grades 1-6. Some activities are developed for early elementary children and other more advanced activities are designed for upper elementary children.

    Math:
    1. Measurement- Allow your children to assist you in the kitchen while you are cooking holiday treats. Let the children measure out the quanities of things that you need for your recipes. Children can learn measurements such as cup,teaspoon, tablespoon, pint, gallon, etc.

    2. Time- Show your children how to set the timer that you use for cooking. Younger children can begin to learn the concept of passing time, and older children can learn how to use time more precisely.

    3. Counting and Subtraction- Keep a calendar and mark off the days that pass during the month of December. Have the children count how many days there are until Christmas Day. (You could purchase an Advent Calendar, and do the same thing.) Some children may want to subtract the date from the 25th to see how many days there are until Christmas.

    4. Comparing and Subtraction- Watch the Holiday football games with your children. Tell them the scores during the game. Ask them to compare the scores of the two teams playing. The conversation should go something like this: Parent: Auburn has 22 points, and Alabama has 14 points. Which team has more points? Child: Auburn has more points.Parent: How many points does Alabama need to make to tie the game? Child: Let’s see 22-14 = 8. Alabama needs eight points to tie. Parent: How many points does Alabama need to win? Child: Let’s see. 23-14=9. Alabama needs nine points to win.

    5. Time and Subtraction- On New Year’s Eve have your child figure out how many hours there are until the New Year.

    6. Percentages- Visit After Christmas Sales, and take your calculator along. Have your older children estimate what they think the sale prices will be, and then have them figure the sale prices after taking the sale percentage off. Reading, Writing, and Spelling

    7. Writing Letters- Ask your children to write a letter to Santa. Have your children make a list of things they want to ask Santa to bring them for Christmas. Show them where to place the date, how to indent, and how to close the letter. Have you children write a first draft, and let them do this on their own. Ask your children to sound out the words that they do not know how to spell, or ask them to look at catalogs and advertisements that may contain the words that they need to spell. After your children have written a first draft of their letter to Santa, ask them to read you the letter. Then go through it with them to correct the errors. Correct the mispelled words by finding them in the dictionary. Once you and your child have gone through and corrected the errors, allow them to recopy and write a final neat and corrected letter.

    8. Writing- Allow your children to make and send Christmas Cards to their friends and relatives.

    9. Writing- Watch one of your children’s favorite holiday specials, and ask them to write a new ending to the story. They could even write a sequel to their favorite program.

    10. Journal Writing- Have your children keep a journal during the Christmas vacation. Have them write in it about things that they enjoyed, or were really special for them during the holiday. Pack away the journal with the other Christmas things at the end of the Christmas season. Next year pull-out the journal and let the child read their own journal. Allow the Christmas journal to become a Christmas Tradition.

    11. Reading/Listening- Pick out a
    Christmas book and read it aloud. Discuss the following questions: Who was the story about? What happened in the story? Where and when did the story happen? How did the story end? What was your favorite part of the story? You may want to pick out chapter books if you have an older child or an advanced reader. You may also want to take turns reading the book.

    12. Reading- Have your children look in the encyclopedia for information on such Christmas symbols as the Nativity, the Christmas Tree, the poinsettia,mistletoe, and Santa Claus.

    13. A B C order- Make a list of things that the children have ask Santa to bring them for Christmas. Then have the children make a new list with the items in ABC order. Geography , Social Studies, and History

    14. Talk to your children about what Christmas was like when you were a child. Tell them how Christmas has changed from when you were a child.

    15. Adopt a family that is in need for Christmas. Contact organizations such as The Salvation Army, and Committee on Church Cooperation to adopt a family. Have the whole family work together on gathering items to send to the family in need. Talk about why your family is helping this family.

    16. Find a book, such as 101 Ideas for the Best-Ever Christmas by Caryl Waller Krueger, that has information on how other cultures celebrate Christmas. Read about the Christmas customs of different countries and locate them on a map. Find out what Language they speak in each country. Cook dishes that are eaten in these countries.

    17. Look up ways that other Languages say Merry Christmas. The French say Joyeux Noel, and Germans say Froeliche Weinachten. Talk about other countries that speak French and German.

    Science

    18. If you have a live Christmas tree in your house, then talk about why the tree needs water. Talk about how a tree can be a fire hazard if it gets dry and brittle.

    19. When you are using candles, talk about the three states of matter (solids,liquids, and gases) with your children. When the candle is unlit the wax is solid, but when the flame is lit the wax slowly melts it forms a liquid. The smoke that the candle puts off is a gas. Ask your children to think of other things that can be a solid, liquid, and gas. If they have a hard time coming up with an example, then mention ice, water, and steam.

    20. Purchase a poinsetta, and have the children take care of it. Keep a diary,and have the children keep track of how the plant looks.

    Art

    21. Have your children illustrate a Christmas Carol. Have the children write the words to the song at the bottom of plain white paper and then have them draw a picture to go with the text of the song that is on the bottom of the page. Put the pages in order and make a nice cover for the pages and put them together like a book. Pack the Carol book away with the Christmas decorations at the end of the holidays. Next year pull the carol book out and share it again.

    22. Watch the Christmas Parades on television. Have your child draw and design a picture of their ideal float.

    23. Have your children make an ornament to put on the Christmas Tree.

    Music

    24. Have a family sing-a-long with your family’s favorite Christmas carols. Have your children talk about why their favorite Christmas Carol is their favorite.

    25. Watch a holiday showing of Handel’s Messiah or The Nutcracker. Watching The Nutcracker is an excellent first way to expose your children to classical music.

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