During the COVID years, St. Paul’s Caledonia started giving out educational packages to the children in the weeks leading up to Christmas and Easter. We were all lonely and also wanted to keep the children connected. We chose a simple craft or gift to accompany the traditional story. I remember an enthusiastic Zoom session where the children showed off their completed craft.
In the fall of 2023, I wanted to do something special for the children, and the concept of an Advent calendar popped into my head. Instead of counting down 24 days to Christmas, each child received four envelopes, one to be opened each Sunday of Advent. During week one, the child learned about the Advent wreath, by reading the story and building their own wreath from a salt-and-flour disc, which they painted green. The package contained appropriately coloured birthday candles, which fitted into the holes pre-drilled into the base. There was a prayer and a song. We often use ‘A Candle is Burning,’ sung to the tune of ‘Away in a Manger.’ Each week, they lit the appropriate candles as they read the story. For weeks two and four, the craft was a salt-and-flour Christmas tree ornament to paint, with a new prayer and another verse to the song. For week three, I used the story of the candy cane and gave directions to share the box of candy canes they received with family and friends! They were also asked to tell the story when they gifted the candy cane. I made and gave out ten kits, all to children whose parents or grandparents brought them to church.
During Holy Week 2024, I prepared a package called “A Lot Can Happen in Eight Days.” Twelve little boxes fit inside a box I crafted for the purpose. Each box contained a token to help tell the story. For example, a donkey and a palm branch illustrated Palm Sunday, with strips of cloth to represent the cloaks thrown on the roadway as Jesus rode by. A rooster helped to tell the story of Peter’s denials. I made a crown of thorns from a length of fine wire. I confess, that I ‘borrowed’ the concept from the Resurrection Eggs package marketed by the FamilyLife store. Using their concept, I changed tokens to fit the stories as I would tell them to the children.
This year, I prepared 20 Advent packages. Continuing with the theme of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, I wrote a story, and a prayer, and added the same song as the previous year. The packages were simpler this time. A flat wooden ornament was placed inside the folded story page for each week and then inserted into a numbered blue envelope. The four envelopes were tied together with purple ribbon. The activity for each week was to paint the ornament – an angel, a dove, a heart, or a star. Each week, I asked them a question, with the answer promised in the next envelope! The first question was ‘Why were the envelopes blue and the ribbon purple?’
I realize that my ideas are not unique, and I would welcome conversations with others who might like to share ideas.
Learning Packages for Children
During the COVID years, St. Paul’s Caledonia started giving out educational packages to the children in the weeks leading up to Christmas and Easter. We were all lonely and also wanted to keep the children connected. We chose a simple craft or gift to accompany the traditional story. I remember an enthusiastic Zoom session where the children showed off their completed craft.
In the fall of 2023, I wanted to do something special for the children, and the concept of an Advent calendar popped into my head. Instead of counting down 24 days to Christmas, each child received four envelopes, one to be opened each Sunday of Advent. During week one, the child learned about the Advent wreath, by reading the story and building their own wreath from a salt-and-flour disc, which they painted green. The package contained appropriately coloured birthday candles, which fitted into the holes pre-drilled into the base. There was a prayer and a song. We often use ‘A Candle is Burning,’ sung to the tune of ‘Away in a Manger.’ Each week, they lit the appropriate candles as they read the story. For weeks two and four, the craft was a salt-and-flour Christmas tree ornament to paint, with a new prayer and another verse to the song. For week three, I used the story of the candy cane and gave directions to share the box of candy canes they received with family and friends! They were also asked to tell the story when they gifted the candy cane. I made and gave out ten kits, all to children whose parents or grandparents brought them to church.
During Holy Week 2024, I prepared a package called “A Lot Can Happen in Eight Days.” Twelve little boxes fit inside a box I crafted for the purpose. Each box contained a token to help tell the story. For example, a donkey and a palm branch illustrated Palm Sunday, with strips of cloth to represent the cloaks thrown on the roadway as Jesus rode by. A rooster helped to tell the story of Peter’s denials. I made a crown of thorns from a length of fine wire. I confess, that I ‘borrowed’ the concept from the Resurrection Eggs package marketed by the FamilyLife store. Using their concept, I changed tokens to fit the stories as I would tell them to the children.
This year, I prepared 20 Advent packages. Continuing with the theme of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, I wrote a story, and a prayer, and added the same song as the previous year. The packages were simpler this time. A flat wooden ornament was placed inside the folded story page for each week and then inserted into a numbered blue envelope. The four envelopes were tied together with purple ribbon. The activity for each week was to paint the ornament – an angel, a dove, a heart, or a star. Each week, I asked them a question, with the answer promised in the next envelope! The first question was ‘Why were the envelopes blue and the ribbon purple?’
I realize that my ideas are not unique, and I would welcome conversations with others who might like to share ideas.
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