Every year for Advent, we make a Jesse Tree. This is one of our favorite traditions for Advent. One of the kids draws and colors a large tree, hangs it on the wall, and then every day we read a story in the Bible (starting with Adam and Eve and ending with Jesus’ birth) and hang an ornament on our tree. The ornaments always display a symbol related to that day’s Bible figure, and we print them out from various websites each year.
This year, I am especially happy with our Jesse Tree. The website we’re using this year is much better than in years past. The ornaments and readings are great. Check it out at:
http://www.eriercd.org/jessetree.htm
Websites: Our favorite Advent website this year has to be www.holyheroes.com. They have videos, audio, printables… you name it!
Books! What better way to prepare for Christmas than some great picture books? Here are some great books about Christmas, Advent, or just winter in general:
Berger, Barbara Helen. The Donkey’s Dream
Brett, Jan. Jan Brett’s Christmas Treasury
Burton, Virginia Lee. Katy and the Big Snow
Collington, Peter. A small miracle
Demi. St. Nicholas
De Paola, Tomie. Country angel Christmas
DePaola, Tomie. The Friendly Beasts
DePaola, Tomie. Four Friends at Christmas
DePaola, Tomie. Jingle the Christmas Clown
De Paola, Tomie. The Legend of the Poinsettia
De Paola, Tomie. The Night of Las Posadas
DePaola, Tomie. The Legend of Old Befana.
Dobrozsi, Beth Braunecker. The Christian Origin of the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Dunbar, Joyce. This is the Star
Fox-Davies, Sarah. Snow Bears
French, Fiona. Bethlehem.
Hader. The Big Snow
Jeram, Anita. A Snowy Surprise
Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day
Kroll, Virginia. Marta and the Manger Straw: A Christmas Tradition from Poland
Lewis. First Snow
Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. Snowflake Bentley
McKissack, Patricia & Fredrick. All Paths Lead to Bethlehem
Moore, Clement Clarke. The Night Before Christmas.
Neale, John. Good King Wenceslas.
Seuss, Dr. How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
Slate, Joseph. Who’s Coming to Our House?
Shepard, Aaron. The Baker’s Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale.
Tompert, Ann. St. Nicholas
Walburg, Lori. The Legend of the Candy Cane
Williams. The Velveteen Rabbit
Wormell, Christopher. Through the animals’ eyes: a story of the first Christmas
Crafts
Here’s a great link for the kids to make their own Nativity set: Just print it, color, and cut. It’s Free! http://www.packagetech.com/SS-PDF/free-printable-nativity.pdf
