Holy Heroes 12 days of Christmas

The website "Holy Heroes" is offering a free download every day for the 12 days of Christmas. The offer for each item is valid only for one day, so you need to check the website every day.

Today it is a coloring book of the life of St Cecilia.

Holy heroes 12 Days of Christmas

A star is born

Constellations are always such a wonderful theme, since it combines Earth and Space Science with mythology and imagination!! If we add to it a bit of art and a bit of music, then it is an awesome theme for integrating different bits and pieces of knowledge and experiences into a beautiful whole.

We started out with some basic printables of the traditional constellations from this website. It also has a free printable with a short explanation of the history behind the main constellations.

Art, History and Science:

We also made some constellation cards:

After studying them for a while, we made our own constellation cards. 

All you need is 3 by 5” white cards, and 2 ½” by 4 1/2 “ blue construction paper rectangles.

Pick a constellation. 

Mark with a pencil in the blue paper where the stars would be. With a puncher, punch out the blue paper in the places marked, and glue onto the white cards. You may trace the lines joining the starts with a white pencil. Prepare labels if desired.

Drawing your favorite constellation story.

Together with your child (children) draw your favorite story. You can incorporate some writing into it.

Music and history:

Listen together to “Constellations” by Jonathan Peters (more about it in this site).

You can even download a free teachers guide for this CD  here

Free audio book: How the Grinch stole Christmas

I don't know how long this offer will last, but I downloaded it today and the kids had a blast :). This is an audio book from Audible.com : How the Grinch Stole Christmas for Free and no membership is required.

Details here:

Blank maps

This website has tons of blank maps, which are a wonderful tool for history/geography/biblical lessons!! I have been using it a lot with our "Story of the world" curriculum.

Blank maps from around the world: (http://d-maps.com)

Advent calendar and family readings

This is our very simple family Advent Calendar. 

 

Every day we light a candle in our Advent wreath and read a new verse or two from the Messianic Prophesies and reflect on preparing for the coming of Jesus. During the last two weeks of Advent we will be reading The Annunciation, Visitation and Birth of Christ texts.

Here are the texts we are using:

Prophecy of the Light ( Isaiah 9:1)
Prophesy of the Names (Isaiah 9:6)
Prophesy of the Mother (Isaiah 7:14)
Prophesy of Bethlehem (Micah 5:2)
Prophecy of the Star and the Scepter (Numbers 24:17) 
Prophecy of the Valleys and Mountains (Isaiah 40:3-5) 
Prophecy of the Shoot of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1-3) 
Prophecy of the Peaceable Kingdom (Isaiah 11:6-9) 
 
Annunciation: Luke 1: 26-38
Visitation: Luke 1: 39-49, 56
Birth of Christ: Luke 2: 1-20

During the 12 days of Christmas:

Adoration of the Magi:(Matthew 2: 1-12)
Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2: 22-33, 36-39)
Flight to Egypt : Matthew 2: 13-15, 19-23 

We keep it very simple with the little ones, but we enjoy many beautiful moments :) They love marking off the days and the whole sense of hopeful anticipation. We end with a song and with the snuffing of the candle(s) - an all time favourite :)