Today we are doing some social-emotional and sensory play! It has been such a long day getting five children to their various parties and obligations. My 8-year-old decided that we should set up a beauty shop while we had our devotions so that I could relax, and Rosie could brush my hair, lotion my hands, and put sparkles on my eyes. It was a wonderful idea, and Rosie enjoyed listening to the story and treating Mommy like Queen Esther. Rosie is the kind of little one who makes messes if she doesn’t get enough sensory input, so after a day in the car, lots of slippy lotion was a great treat.

It was such a nice relaxing time, and Rosalie was listening carefully to our devotion. Like her mama, she listens better when she has something to do with her hands! We talked about looking forward to the offering at church this weekend, which is benefiting a women’s and children’s shelter. Our children had an opportunity to work for some friends this week and were paid today. Today’s teaching helped them see that they can be a bridge to the King for some suffering families. They are eagerly awaiting this weekends offering to bring their gifts in honor of the Baby King.

When you unwrap your worth in the Gift of Christ, you release your grip on all the other gifts. You are loved and carried and secure, and what else do you need when you have Him? You are free, free, to lavishly give away your gifts when all your value, worth, joy and riches are in the greatest of gifts.

-Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp

As we read today’s devotional in Unwrapping the Greatest Gift with our preschoolers, today’s activity is a simple one. Block play. Block play is one of the most valuable educational activities young child can engage in, and is often overlooked. Studies show that preschoolers and toddlers who play with blocks frequently have significantly higher math skills in high school. Building with blocks builds motor coordination and spatial skills, encourages problem solving, and creativity. For more information on the science behind block play and preschoolers, and how to use blocks with your child to build language and social skills, check out this informative article at Parenting Science.

But isn’t this just playing? Won’t it be a distraction for them?

Yes, it is play, but also work. And it shouldn’t be a major distraction. As a matter of fact, a basket of blocks is a wonderful tool to help children of all ages focus during read-aloud time. Many children are able to listen better when they have something to do with their hands.  While they are working, they are taking in more than you think! We like to vary our construction materials, and rotate blocks, Lincoln Logs, and Tinker Toys and Duplo during our read-aloud times.

The blocks you see in this picture come from an art activity from A Year of Playing Skillfully,  our home school curriculum for children three to seven. This was an ongoing art project in shapes and color value that delighted our children and provided our family with a huge basket of these gorgeous blocks.

Today in Unwrapping the Greatest Gift, we are talking about Jacob and his ladder. Provide some construction toys for your child to explore while you read.

See, Jesus doesn’t just come down to show you the steps you have to take to get up to heaven – Jesus comes down and makes Himself into the steps to carry you up to heaven. 

Everybody else may tell you the steps you have to take  to get better. But Jesus is the only One who becomes the steps to take you there Himself- because He loves you already, just as you are.

Jesus doesn’t wait for you to be good. He comes to be with us who are having very awful, miserable, no-good days right now. Jesus comes to carry us who are feeling mad and bad and sad and anything but glad, and He left heaven to be with us who feel left out. Jesus comes to us who seem to get every step wrong – He becomes the step just to get us.

– Ann Voskamp, Unwrapping the Greatest Gift