Weekly Fun Plan: Away in a Manger

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Welcome to this week’s Weekly Fun Plan: Away in a Manger! If you haven’t already I recommend you read my introductory blog post “Faith-filled Fun: What Is It? And Why I Started It”. That post will give you some background into this blog and a little more in-depth explanation of my Weekly Fun Plans and how to use them.

This Week’s Theme: Away in a Manger

Happy December and welcome to the 2nd of 4 Christmas-themed Weekly Fun Plans that I have in the works for this month! This week’s lesson “Away in a Manger” will go over the birth of baby Jesus and answer our next big Christmas question. All our craft, snack, and activity ideas are going to be Nativity-themed. If you try anything in this week’s plan don’t forget to share your experiences on social media! Tag us @faithfilledfun on Instagram or use #faithfilledfun. New Weekly Fun Plans drop each Monday so stay up to date with the blog each week by subscribing to my email list!

Bible Lesson: What to Read or Watch this week

Since this week we are covering the birth of Jesus, here are some great resources to read/watch:

If you have young children (ages 0-8):

Read: Luke 2:1-7
Watch: “BIG Christmas Questions for Kids: Part 2 – The Birth of Jesus” by Minno-Bible Stories for Kids on YouTube. This is a cute 7-minute video and the second of 4 Minno Christmas videos we will go through over the coming weeks.

BIG Christmas Questions for Kids: Part 2 - The Birth of Jesus

If you have older children/teens (ages 9-18):

Read or have them read the following verses in their own personal study time:
- Luke 2:1-7
- Matthew 1:18-25

Bible Lesson: Questions to Ask Your Kids/Discuss this week

If you read the recommended Bible verses or watched the YouTube videos your kids should be able to answer this week’s question:

How did God’s Blessing (Jesus) arrive? Answer “As a baby in a manger!”

If you have little ones (ages 0-8):

I would focus on that one question this week, and work on having them memorize the answer. Ask them that same question every morning or evening and see if they can remember the answer.

If you have older children (ages 9-18):

Here are some additional questions you can discuss with them throughout the week:

In what way was Jesus’ arrival different than people expected?
What do you think God was trying to show the world by sending his son this way?

Bible Lesson: Memory Verse

Memorizing scripture is vital to teaching our children at a young age. Recalling and reciting scripture that they’ve memorized will help them as they grow and go through trials in life. It will also encourage them, equip them to go out and be little disciples of Jesus, and strengthen their faith as they age.

This week let’s have your kids work on memorizing Matthew 1:21.

Memorizing scripture is so much easier for kids if you can find a way to make it fun. Here are some different ideas to try as a family to help memorize this week’s verse:

Come up with some simple motions for each word of the verse and make a cheer or dance out of it.
Come up with your own melody and create a song out of it.
Make it a game. Start by saying one word or phrase of the verse at a time and have your kids repeat after you until you’ve gotten through the whole verse. Then repeat the process saying the words differently every time. Examples: slow, fast, in a silly voice, quiet, loud, etc.

Once your child/children have got it, I recommend practicing reciting the verse each morning over breakfast or before they leave for school and maybe even again before bed. Make it a part of your routine and you’ll be amazed at how fast they will begin to pick it up.

Supplies needed for this week’s activities

Here is a quick list of all the supplies that you will need to complete all the suggested crafts, activities, and snacks for this week’s plan. For a list of my most used craft supplies, and things I will be utilizing often in future Weekly Fun Plans be sure to check out my Links page.

Recipe: Nativity Lunch

This week instead of a snack recipe I’ve got a cute lunch idea for you and your kids. Talk about the birth of Jesus with your little ones while you try this easy Nativity Lunch.

Simply start by making some “pigs in a blanket”:

Open up a package of Pillsbury Original Crescent Rolls and cut each designated triangle in half.
Next, roll one Cocktail Smokie into each new smaller crescent roll slice.
Cook them according to the directions on the Pillsbury package.
Once they’re cooked and cooled, arrange one “pig in a blanket” on top of some shredded cheese (this will be your baby Jesus in the hay), and use some pretzel logs to create your manger shape. See the image below for reference.
Of course one “pig in a blanket” isn’t enough for a lunch, so serve some more and let your child build their own nativity scene with their food. You can even make a star above your manger with some ketchup if you’d like.

Crafts:

For this week’s crafts, we are making “J is for Jesus Candy Cane Art” and “Stained Glass Nativity Suncatchers”. Both crafts will get your kids talking and asking questions about the birth of Jesus and make great holiday decorations.

J is for Jesus Candy Cane Art:

Ever noticed that if you flip a candy cane upside down it looks like the letter J? Well this week let’s teach your kids whose name started with a J and is the real reason for the season by making this J is for Jesus Candy Cane Art! Follow the link to easy step-by-step instructions for this craft.

Stained Glass Nativity Suncatcher:

For our second craft this week, we have these beautiful Stained Glass Nativity Suncatchers. This craft does require a little more prep work from the parents but they make stunning window art, and the perfect holiday decoration for your home, so in my opinion it’s worth it! Follow the link for an easy step-by-step guide.

Activities:

With our theme this week “Away in a Manger” here are a few extra ideas for activities to do with your children. Feel free to come up with your own ideas too:

Play dress up and act out the nativity story together.
Have your child see if they can recreate a nativity scene using toys from around the house.
Paint your own nativity characters using these wooden peg dolls.

Parenting Tip of the Week:

One easy way we can help our children build a strong foundation of faith is through the music we listen to in our homes and in the car. It can be such a passive activity having music on in the background while we cook dinner, while they play with their toys, or while we drive them to school or practice, but it can make such an impact. Fill your home with praise and worship music whenever possible. You’ll see the greatest effects of this when you suddenly hear your children singing along to the words of your favorite worship song. Check out my Spotify for playlists I’ve created specifically with Christian Songs for Kids and My Current Worship Favs to play in our home!

christian songs for kids spotify playlist

Prayers:

Lastly, I like to end each Weekly Fun Plan with some example prayers for your week. One is to pray with your kids, maybe before they get on the bus in the morning, before a meal, or before bed, and the other prayer is for you, the parent, to pray over your kids throughout the week.

Prayer to say with your kids this week:

Dear God, Thank You for sending your son, Jesus, as a blessing for the whole world. Amen.

(From this week’s Minno BIG Christmas Questions for Kids: Part 2 – The Birth of Jesus video)

Prayer to pray over your kids this week:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending your Son as the ultimate gift from you into this world. This season as we celebrate his birth and this week as I talk about it with my children, remind us of the hope and love that Jesus showed us. Thank you for the joy this holiday season brings. I pray for blessings and joy for my children and my family as we aim to learn more and more about you each day. Amen.

I hope you have an amazing week and don’t forget to subscribe to my email list and follow me on Instagram @faithfilledfun to stay up to date with the blog!