Dear Parent,

The goal of this week's lesson is to "keep their eye on the prize".  Christmas is so fun with its activities, wishes, traditions, hustle and bustle.  It can be hard to stay focused and keep your child focused on the reason for the season: Jesus.  You can do it though!  Persevere!  And, start THIS countdown to Christmas activity.

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Materials Needed: Calendar, Red and Green Paper, Scissors, Crayons, and Stapler

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Bible Scripture: Romans 6:23

...The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Today’s Script:

Christmas is getting closer by the day!

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I am continuing to enjoy the holiday season with you, and, at the same time, I'm counting down to Christmas!  It's the day that Jesus was born!

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Actually, I have a special way that we can countdown to Christmas together!  Can we try it?

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(Let your child answer.) 

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Great!  First, we need to look at this calendar and see how many days are left until Christmas.

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(Count together.  This lesson was written with 18 days until Christmas, as an example.)

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OK!  So, we need to cut out the same number of strips of paper as there are the number of days until Christmas. 

 

Then, we are going to make the strips of paper into a paper ring chain.

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People have been making paper ring chains to countdown to Christmas for centuries...but not like ours!

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We are going to write one gift that God has blessed us with on each paper ring from 1 to 18. 

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On the number 1 ring, the day of Christmas Eve, what should we write down as our greatest gift? 

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(Let your child answer.)

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"JESUS!"

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On the number 2 ring, the day before Christmas Eve, what should we write down as our greatest gift?

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(Let your child answer.)

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"Our family"

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(Continue to write down gifts and blessings that God has brought into your lives from the number 3 ring through the number 18 ring.  Some more examples are: your home, your job, your church, friends can be listed by name, your child's school, certain personality traits of you and your child, etc.)

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We did it!  We finished all 18 rings with 18 Gifts from God.  Let me connect them with our stapler.  Watch your fingers!  We don't want any injuries.

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Each day, we can remove one ring from the chain.  As the days pass, we will be that much more knowledgeable about how many days until Christmas AND that much more focused on which gifts at Christmas time are the most precious of all!

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AMEN!