Ornaments, Traditions and HistoryOrnaments take many different forms, from a simple round ball to highly artistic designs. Ornaments are almost always reused year after year, rather than purchased annually, and family collections often contain a combination of commercially produced ornaments and decorations created by family members.Christmas Activities- November 24, 2006 Take a Christmas Lights Drive: Pile everyone in the van after dark and tour your city or a nicely decorated neighborhood. Some cities will have a town center that will be lit up. Ask your children which decorations are their favorites and why. Talk about how the twinkling lights resemble the stars. Remind them that on the night Jesus was born a new star shone in the sky, announcing his birth to the whole world. Even people in different countries knew the Christ-child was born, and some wise men.http://www.ornament-shop.net/christmas-activities.htm Teach the Meaning of Christmas With 5 Sensory Crafts- November 20, 2006 Christmas is about family. Here is a collection of five crafts that you can make as a family to teach the true meaning and symbols of Christmas. Children will learn to identify Christmas using their five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Pick and choose the activities you think your family will best enjoy, and spread them throughout the season. Start new traditions. Most importantly, use the activities to talk as a family. Christmas Craftshttp://www.ornament-shop.net/christmas-crafts.htm Christmas Pyramids: A 300 year old Tradition- November 13, 2006 Before the grand Tannenbaum, there was the Weinachts pyramide, or lightstock. This holiday tradition can be traced to Dresden, the largest city in the Erzibirge region of Germany, where in 1168 AD silver and tin were discovered. Hundreds of miners flocked to the Ore Mountains to make their fortunes. But foreign competition and warfare resulted in many miners losing their jobs. To compensate, many took up woodcarving, incorporating mining symbols and religious elements into their designs. Thus a.http://www.ornament-shop.net/christmas-pyramids.htm How to Make Q-Tip Snowflakes- November 6, 2006 I first heard this idea at a teachers convention, and have been making Q-tip snowflakes with my elementary classes for years. The activity was so enjoyable that we do it at home too, and hang the intricate snowflakes from the ceiling using fishing line. The result is incredibletransforming hallways, windows, and entries into a winter wonderland. How to Make Q-tip Snowflakeshttp://www.ornament-shop.net/make-snowflakes.htm |