Patriotic Summer Music Activities for Kids
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Patriotic Summer Music Activities for Kids

Patriotic Summer Music Activities for Kids Since we have several patriotic holidays over the summer, you can bring a little structure and fun to your days by doing patriotic summer music activities with your kids. Sing patriotic songs, learn a little history, add in crafts, and you will have a fun America-themed unit study for even just 15 minutes a day. Where to start: A great place to start is to learn some of the American songs of the past and their history, like The Star-Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful, God Bless America, My Country ‘Tis of Thee, and Yankee…

Best Christmas Books for Kids
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Best Christmas Books for Kids

Christmas is coming, and as intentional parents seeking to point our children to Jesus in every holiday, one way of enjoying the holiday, teaching its meaning, and creating memories is through reading the many wonderful Christmas books for kids as a family. These are the best Christmas books for kids that keep the focus on Christ or tell the legends of Saint Nicholas, candy canes, and cookies or teach valuable character lessons. Retellings of Christ’s birth: The Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt The Tale of Three Trees (Hardcover) By Angela Elwell Hunt Featuring the wonderful illustrations of Tim Jonke,…

7 Reasons to Start an Advent Calendar Devotional Tradition
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7 Reasons to Start an Advent Calendar Devotional Tradition

Advent calendars are a popular way to count down the days to Christmas. I have seen a variety of them, such as boxes with doors to open each day to get a piece of chocolate, Lego calendars, garlands, etc. But most of the Advent calendars I see in big box stores focus on the arrival of Santa at Christmas rather than on the arrival of Christ. While it is a clever commercial tactic, Advent is actually a church tradition. What is Advent? Advent (adventus) is a Latin word meaning arrival or coming. In the liturgical calendar of the church, Advent…

Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids
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Easy Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids

As we seek to redeem every holiday with our children by pointing them to God and all He has done for us, Thanksgiving is a terrific holiday for making crafts which teach gratitude, while some are just fun for fall! Here are some of our favorite easy Thanksgiving crafts for kids! Fun Crafts for Thanksgiving 1. Thanksgiving Turkey Headband Our kids love to dress up, so we have a pilgrim hat, a native costume, and for super cute pictures, each child has a Thanksgiving Turkey Headband. Get the pattern here. 2. Turkey Placemats We often make crafts as decorations for…

Best Thanksgiving Books for Kids
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Best Thanksgiving Books for Kids

Thanksgiving is an especially valuable holiday to pause and remember our history and to thank God for all He has done for us. As we seek to redeem every holiday with our children by pointing them to God, one way of enjoying the holiday and teaching its meaning is through the many wonderful Thanksgiving books for kids. History of the Thanksgiving holiday The history of Thanksgiving is of a people who desired to venerate God in every aspect of their lives, so we can start by teaching our children the history of the Pilgrims, the journey on the Mayflower, and…

First Day of School Supply Treasure Hunt
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First Day of School Supply Treasure Hunt

Starting up the school year should be an exciting time! As homeschool moms, we can set the tone of having a good attitude and a delight in learning so our children also fall in love with learning. When my children were little and just starting kindergarten and pre-school, I wanted them to have a pleasurable experience with the idea of education. While learning requires a lot of work, it also can and should be enjoyable for especially young students. To get my children excited, I made a treasure hunt for them on the first day of school to find their…

Treasuring Christ in Christmas Traditions
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Treasuring Christ in Christmas Traditions

When my oldest daughter was three, I wanted to start some Christmas traditions with my kids that would teach them about the real meaning of Christmas and add to our family memories. As the biggest holiday we celebrate, especially for Christmas, I began to look at establishing traditions with my children where we would treasure Christ. After all, when it comes to redeeming holidays with our children – that is, treasuring Christ first in our family traditions at holidays (and ultimately in all things) – Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year! In seeking to love the Lord our God…

Remembering Thanksgiving
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Remembering Thanksgiving

Remembering Thanksgiving is especially important in what becomes an over-commercialized season of the year. As we seek to redeem every holiday with our children by pointing them to God and all He has done for us, Thanksgiving is a perfect holiday in which to honor God. History of the Thanksgiving holiday The history of Thanksgiving is of a people who desired to venerate God in every aspect of their lives, so we can start by teaching our children the history of the Pilgrims, the journey on the Mayflower, and Plymouth Plantation. The history of the holiday in America starts with…

Redeeming Holidays With Our Children
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Redeeming Holidays With Our Children

As parents, we desire to be intentional in living out Christ in front of our children in every way, including redeeming holidays with our children or using the opportunity of celebrating a holiday to show them Christ. So when our children were little, my husband and I talked about how we had celebrated holidays in our families growing up and what traditions we might want to share in our own family. We asked ourselves why we observed each holiday and talked to Christian friends about their traditions at holidays.  Also, we read Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper….

The Pumpkin Patch Parable: Book Review
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The Pumpkin Patch Parable: Book Review

We choose not to celebrate Halloween, commemorating Reformation Day instead, but we love fall and pumpkins and having fun at pumpkin patches. Our third child was born in October, so we called her Pumpkin even before birth. When she was almost two, I found a delightful book at the library, which tells the story of God’s care for His people through choosing them and cleaning their hearts in Christ in the form of a parable about a pumpkin farmer. If you love fall and want a simple story to teach your child about new birth in Christ through one of…

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