A Book You Must Read Each Christmas

Day 15: 25 Days of Christmas Ideas

Read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

Not only will this book especially resonate with Children’s Pastors, teachers and parents, kids love it. Make it a tradition each year whether you have kids at home (or even have kids) to read it.

We all need a little perspective adjustment now and then. The Herdmans will definitely do that to you. Who can ever forget Imogene, the cigar smoking Mary, “getting” Christmas? Or the wise men substituting ham for gold, frankincense and myrrh? And of course, SHAZAM! (you have to read the book to get that one)

9 Creative Book Ideas for Families

When my children were preschoolers they especially loved to read certain books over and over again. When reading Hop on Pop, I would have to pause for the ritual of running and jumping on their dad until I would yell, “Stop, you must not hop on pop.” A breakfast of green eggs and ham always topped off the first reading of the book by the same name and of course we could never read Where the Wild Things Are without turning on music and dancing around the room like monsters. Books have a way of weaving themselves into kid’s lives and if you allow it, family life.

Make sure you take the time to create warm, fun and memorable moments with good books.

Not only does reading books create memories, they are a natural way to connect with kids spiritually. Jesus knew the power of a story and used them frequently when teaching.

Try some of these ideas from Dr. Seuss and the Bible and our Pinterest board.

1. Read Where the Wild Things Are. Talk about the consequences of dishonoring your parent. Make a fun “wild thing” mask out of paper plate, scraps of construction paper and a stick.

2. Transform a closet into a reading area.

Thanks to tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com

Thanks to prettyhandygirl.com

3. Build a reading nook with a hula hoop and some material.

Thanks to  designdazzle.blogspot.com

4. Throw a Dr. Seuss Book Party.

Thanks to  thecakeblog.com

5. Use ideas from The Little Red Hen to teach kids about cooperation.

6.  Make a Llama puppet out of a sock. Use it when reading one of the Llama, Llama stories written by Anna Dowdney. Have the child act out how the llama acts. Dialogue about whether the actions are right or wrong. For the wrong actions, have the child act out the right choice.

 

7.  Use The Rainbow Fish to teach kids about sharing. —— ideas can be found here.

8.  Download the parent e-book with ideas on using six different books to teach spiritual concepts.

9.  Read The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. Make a ladybug puppet to act out the way a grouchy person acts. Use the ladybug puppet to act out how the other ladybug (not the grouchy one) was patient with the grouchy ladybug.

10 Ideas for Are You My Mother?

 

My kids loved reading Dr. Seuss’ book, Are You My Mother?, when they were growing up. The silliness of the bird thinking that a cat or a machine could be his mother appeals to preschoolers. The book also evokes compassion for the little bird as most preschoolers know what it is like to lose sight of their mom even for a moment and the panic of trying to find her.

 

Ten ideas you can do in a classroom or in your home with preschoolers:

 1. Show a plastic (or real) egg. Crack it open. Ask what kind of animals come from eggs.

2. Collect stuffed animals and place them in a bag. Go through the animals asking each time if that animal could be a bird’s mother. (Make sure to add a stuffed bird to the mix.)

3. Talk about how a mother bird and a baby bird make a family. Name other families you know and name the members of that family. (In a classroom situation, have each child tell about his/her family.)

4. Read this poem and do the motions together:

          Some families are large. (Spread arms out wide.)

          Some families are small. (Bring arms close together.)

          But I love my family (cross arms over chest) best of all!

5. Pray thanking God for family. Name each family member and ask God to bless that family member.

6. Collect stuffed animals or action figures to represent each family member. Have the child say each family member and the relationship they have. Example: This is Kailie. She is my sister.

7. Act out the story. Have your child be a bird hopping from one thing in your house to another asking, “Are you my mother?” Finally, have the child ask you that question.

8. Eat gummy worms for a snack. Talk about how a mother bird feeds her baby bird.

9. God made each family special. Ask your child what is special about his/her family.

10. Make a bird’s nest using blankets, pillows and other cushy materials. Have fun snuggling in the nest and reading more books together.

 

Interested in more ideas how to use books to teach biblical concepts?

 Learn how to run a story time for preschoolers complete with 10 lessons. Coffee Shop Storytime.

 Indepth lessons plus a free parent resource e-book. Dr. Seuss and the Bible.

 Spend some time looking over our Coffeeshop Storytime  and Dr. Seuss and the Bible pinterest boards.