Jesse Tree

Every year we put up our Christmas tree and decorate it.

As a Christian and a mom,
I want to be sure to teach my son the true meaning of Christmas.

A couple years ago I kept hearing of people who were busy preparing their 'Jesse Tree'.

After googling and searching about Jesse Trees, I realized it was something I definitely wanted to implement into our family's Christmas traditions.

The Jesse Tree is simply a tool used to share the stories of the Bible with our children during the Advent Season.

It seemed like most people I read about had a second Christmas tree
as their Jesse Tree.
They decorated it with ornaments that told the stories
in the Bible leading up to Jesus' birth.

Each day/night leading up to Christmas, a different ornament was hung on the tree and the story that matched it was shared along with a short devotional.

On Christmas Eve, the last ornament is hung.
This one is of the nativity scene and the story of Jesus' birth is shared!

Our house was too small for a second tree, but we decided we could squeeze more ornaments on ours in order to create this special tradition with Dash.

I spent months preparing unique ornaments that aligned with the Bible stories I wanted to share with Dash as we prepared for Christmas. 

Stories like...

Creation

 And, I created a devotional about taking care

of the world God has blessed us with.

Stories like...

Adam & Eve

And, I created a devotional about disobeying and forgiveness.

Stories like...

Joseph

And, I created a devotional about doing right and using our gifts and talents for God EVEN when life is unfair and doesn't make sense.

Stories like...

The Burning Bush

And, I created a devotional about how God can use us with all our imperfections, fears, and mistakes to do mighty things for Him.

Stories like...

Daniel and the Lion's Den

And, I created a devotional about trusting God and honoring Him even

when we are persecuted for it.

Some of the ornaments I purchased or already had.

The best part of doing this was Dash's reaction!!!
He LOVED it!
Probably because I was crazy enough to wrap all the ornaments in reusable bags (using velcro so they'll last over the years) and place them under the Christmas tree.

Each morning we'd pull out the numbered gift that
matched that day and set it on the table.
He'd spend all day staring at it and asking when Daddy would be home for dinner so we could open it.  

Finally, he'd get to open it!

And, he'd try to guess which Bible story matched the ornament.

And, then he'd hang it on the tree.
And, YES, all the ornaments were hung on the very bottom
where he could reach and preferred them being!

We'd share the Bible story and discuss how it applied to our lives.

Throughout the whole Advent season he'd stare or
touch the ornaments and retell me the stories-
it warmed my heart!

Now, since I loved this tradition, I wanted to bless a couple friends with
'Jesse Tree' kits this year as gifts.
But, I realized I didn't have time to make elaborate ornaments and figured most people don't want 25 presents under their Christmas tree.

So, I came up with a simpler method and I ended up liking the results even better than the kit I had made for my family.

I thought I'd share a very quick tutorial
on how to make your own Jesse Tree kit!

First, I bought a package of these wooden squares at Michael's craft store.

Then, my amazing, wonderful, servant-hearted husband spray painted them black and drilled two holes into each square.

Next, I printed out clipart to match the Bible stories I wanted.  I actually purchased some clipart off a digital scrapbooking website and others my talented husband helped me to create on Photoshop. 

Then, I cut them out.  This is probably the step that took the longest and I had to use small, sharp scissors as the squares I had were
only an inch and a half by an inch and a half.

Next, I used one of my favorite products- Mod Podge.

I love this stuff!

You simply use it like Elmer's glue and glue the pictures onto the squares but then place a thick coat over the top of the whole square to seal it.
It dries clear but looks professional.

Next, I used some of this floral wire to make the hangers.

Don't they look great?

On the back, I used a white paint-pen to number them in the correct order.

I also purchased small red envelopes from Michael's and stamped numbers onto them.

With these tiny envelopes, my friends won't have to fill under their Christmas tree with bags.  They can simply set the small envelopes in a pile somewhere or in a decorative basket under the tree.

Last, I created devotions to match each of the ornaments.
This is a step that could be skipped if you'd rather
tell your child the story or read it from a Children's Bible.
I printed the devotionals onto index cards and laminated them.

And then used these metal rings

to make it into a devotional book.

Here's hoping your family shares many wonderful
family traditions this Christmas season!

Plastic Sleeves

Gotta admit-
I LOVE plastic sleeves!

Or, I guess they are sometimes called 'page protectors'

Do you know what I'm talking about?

Those clear sleeves that you can slide any sheet of paper into.  

They're three-hole punched so you can put them in a binder.

I love them because you can use dry-erase markers on them and they 

wipe off easily!

Super easily!

And, I can give Dash any type of sheet to work on and they simply become re-usable because I insert them into a plastic sleeve!

Lately, Dash has been SUPER into mazes.

It started with the back of a children's menu at a restaurant.  

Then, he kept asking when we could go back to that restaurant because he wanted to do another maze.  

I had purchased a book of kids' mazes from an educational store years ago when I was teaching. 

 

I thought of ripping out the mazes and giving them to Dash but I wanted to keep the originals in case I ever needed them for teaching, in the future. 

I thought about photocopying the whole book for Dash- ugh.

I thought about scanning and printing the whole book for Dash- yuck.

And, then it hit me!  Plastic Sleeves!

I've been inserting the originals into plastic sleeves and he can do the mazes with his dry-erase marker and then simply erase it when he is done. 

My originals are still in tact!  

And, the best part-
Dash can  redo  the mazes as many times as he wants!

We've been using plastic sleeves for all sorts learning activities.

Dash is much more eager to do any learning activity if he gets to use a dry-erase marker instead of a pencil!

So, next time you are at Target, pick up a small package of page protectors/plastic sleeves.  

They kept Dash and his binder full of mazes busy for hours!

Talk-Tickle Time

A few weeks ago, Dash started back at preschool.

He only attends three mornings a week,

for a couple of hours each day,

BUT

I totally miss him and 

wonder what he is up to while he is gone!

Is he having fun?

Is he learning anything?

Are the kids being nice to him?

Is he being nice to the kids?

So,

I created 'Talk-Tickle-Time'!!!!

Dash LOVES Talk-Tickle Time! 

He literally gets giddy when I say that we're going to have Talk-Tickle-Time-

It warms my heart!

So, what is Talk-Tickle-Time?

It's exactly what it sounds like.  

We talk,

We tickle,

We enjoy a special time together ONLY 

on days when he returns from preschool... 

with the hidden agenda of me trying to find out details about his day while he gets to be hugged on, loved on, and centered with my full-attention!

I lay out a special blanket on the carpet. 

And, we review the 'rules':

(1) We have to stay on the blanket

(2) I get to tickle him, wrestle him, snuggle him, and love on him UNTIL 

he yells 'FREEZE', then, I must stop.

(3) When he yells 'Freeze', I get to ask him a question about his day...

"What did you do at preschool?"

"Did anything funny happen?"

"Did anyone or anything make you sad?"

"Did you help anyone or do anything kind today?"

(4) Then we go back to tickling (he tickles me, too) and the next time one of us yells 'FREEZE', he gets to ask me a question.

We go back and forth until I feel satisfied with learning about his day and he has thoroughly enjoyed being tickled, wrestled, and hugged.

It's seriously becoming one of his most favorite times of day!

And, mine too!

Look at that handsome fellow...aren't I blessed?!?!?!

Wash Cloths

This post isn't actually about learning.  

But, if you are following this blog, you probably have young kids and therefore, you have messes!

So, this post is about a way to clean up messes...

A couple years ago I was finding that I was spending way too much money on paper towels.

Not to mention, using all those paper towels was not helping our planet!

And, then I came across a bundle of washcloths on sale for $2.99 at Target.  It was one of those end of the aisle clearance things.  I bought a couple bundles and then picked up a matching little basket.

We set this little basket of wash cloths in our kitchen

I don't think it looks too tacky :)

We use these in place of paper towels for almost everything kid-related you could think of...

messy faces, wiping down tables/place mats/floors, cleaning up hands full of paint, and even as napkins at meals (unless we have guests over).

We still have a roll of paper towels for those messes that you just need to sometimes throw right away, but most messes get a washcloth.

All the wash cloths go into the hamper when used and washed in the laundry.

They get reused and reused and reused....

Maps

I picked up a few maps from a teaching store back when I was teaching.

I was sure to laminate them so they'd last.  

But, laminating them ended up being a perfect way to

get Dash exposed to maps.

He LOVES to use dry-erase markers on pretty much anything.  

So, why not let him circle, mark, and put X's on different places on the maps?

We can draw lines from where we are to 

where relatives across the country live.

 

We can locate and circle the continents and countries of our favorite movie characters (i.e. Africa for Simba, Asia for Kung Fu Panda, etc.)

I wasn't expecting a lot of learning to take place just by having maps lying 

around, but I have been impressed with how interested
Dash has become in geography.  

Anytime he hears of a place he wants me to find it on a map.  

And, when we recently took a trip to the mountains, he tried so hard to figure the map out and follow our GPS...it was so cute :)

So, since Dash seems interested...

I made it my goal to teach him the seven continents.

It's not going real great, but that's quite alright considering he is only
four years old- hee hee :)

But, he loves me "quizzing" him on them.

I simply name a continent (usually with a hint...example: 'It's really cold there' for Antarctica) and he puts an 'X' or circles it.  

He usually ends up drawing all over the map by the time we're done.  

But, the main point is-

He's having fun and I think he may be learning something :)

So, is it important to have my four year old familiar with maps?

Absolutely not.

Does it give us something fun to do besides sitting in front of the television or playing Candyland for the 20th time that day?

Yep!

And, let me tell you...Dash has become quite an expert on where the USA is on a world map and where the general area of our state is on any map!

Something about it being 'where WE live' makes it memorable! We can be walking through a store and he'll see a USA outline on something and get thrilled that he knows where we live.

Maybe its my own lack of geography knowledge (I blame the school district in which I attended) but I am excited that Dash has been learning so much!

Watch this clip of Dash and I playing a 'game' to locate the seven continents.  (Please excuse the part where he announces loudly that he farted- hee hee). 

I think it's classic!

So....why not pick up some maps, laminate them, and have them available for your kiddos to draw all over and ask questions about?

Keep 'em Movin'!

Dash has NO idea that the following two activities are educational.

He was just excited that Mommy wanted to play a game with him!

The first one is an

alphabetical order activity

Watch the following video clip:

Write some letters on pieces of paper and let your little one jump, scoot, crawl, or hop their way through them!

The second one is 

an activity to practice letter sounds.

Here's that clip!

Use a bean bag or a pebble or anything else they can
throw at a letter and relay the sounds!

Enjoy!

School Buses, American Flags, & Palm Trees

When Dash was younger he LOVED school buses! 

In fact, before he could even talk he would sign 'bus' every time he saw one (using baby signs/ASL).  

When he turned three, we started counting school buses.

Now, for most people that might not be very difficult but we happen to live near the hub for all the school buses in our county.  Around 9am or 3pm, each day, you will see LOTS of school buses!!!

One time we counted 39 buses on our way to a playdate- no joke!

So, began our routine of counting school buses. 

At first, he did all the searching, "Look another school bus!"
And, I did all the counting. 

But, as time went on, he started counting with me. 

And, he became VERY good at counting.

Recently, after learning what an American Flag was, he started pointing those out as we drove around town. 

Now...maybe it's because we live in a military town...but, we have LOTS of American flags around.
I never noticed how many there were until Dash started pointing them all out.

We counted 44 American flags going to a restaurant 15 minutes away, the other night!

So, once again, he is practicing his counting along with getting to play a game of sorts-

it's like

'Where's Waldo'

but finding buses or American Flags!

When I was a kid, we used to count palm trees on the trip to my grandparents' house...they didn't live far but that's how I learned to count to 100!

So, next time you are in the car, have your child start searching for something.

City buses, school buses, American flags, red cars, anything really!
And, start counting...

You'll be surprised how well the eagle eyes on your little one work and how fast they learn to count!