The story of Elijah’s faith is one of the coolest in the Bible. Can you imagine being there when Elijah prayed to God, asking Him to send fire (on wet wood) so that everyone would know that He is the ONE, true God? I am sure there were more than a few fist pumps going around as the fire lit up the sky.

This story is one of the easier ones for preschoolers to understand because fire is a concrete concept. Your young one has probably already seen fire many times. They may have even experienced fire while roasting s’mores in your backyard.

But Elijah whispered, “Please send fire, one real God, so everyone will know you are the one real God.” And fire fell like flaming stars out of the sky.

– Unwrapping the Greatest Gift – p.92

Make a fire and gather around it for today’s lesson. Draw your young listeners into this story simply by changing your voice, dimming the lights, or using hand motions.

Finish off the evening with s’mores or other special family snack around the fire. Share examples from your own life when God strengthened your faith.

Only 9 more days until we celebrate Jesus’ birthday!

Preschoolers love playing with light. Light provides a new dimension to play, and is a wonderful sensory component to add to activities. Today we are talking about the prophecy in Isaiah:

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. 

For those who live in a land of deep darkness,

A light will shine….

Isaiah 9:2

Give your child a nativity scene to manipulate. If you don’t have one, there are many fine ones on the market. I saw the Fisher Price one at Sams Club yesterday.  Give them some battery operated LED candles and dim the lights as you read tonight’s devotion. Let them tell the story of the baby Jesus to you.

As for you, let the baby be your light this advent season. It’s so easy to get caught up in your to-do-to-mail-to-bake list this time of year. We found ourselves getting overwhelmed with activity this weekend, and I sensed the anxiety rising. I had to make the difficult decision to clear the deck a little bit today, and say “no” to some things. Don’t be afraid to guard your peace this advent year, so you can focus on the light…the baby in the manger.

“For a Baby has been born, the only One who is blazing Light,

and all the people who had been bumping around in the dark blink their eyes to the relief and the miracle of Light warming their faces, and they name the Baby Amazing. Strong God. Eternal Father. (Yes, they name the Baby that, because under that fresh baby skin is the forever Father God who is without end!)

We don’t have to stumble around in the dark, because Jesus is running the world. We don’t have to be scared of the dark, because Jesus is our forever Light.”

-Ann Voskamp, Unwrapping the Greatest Gift

People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. – 1 Samuel 16:7

Today’s advent devotional is about Samuel choosing king David. We are going to talk with our preschoolers about hidden things today!

Slice some apples so that you can see the star inside, and point it out to your children. Share the apples together as you read your family devotional.

If you have any left over, let your preschoolers stamp star wrapping paper!

“Why should the eye be so lazy? Let us exercise the eye until it learns to see,” writes G.K. Chesterton. Let us exercise the eye until it sees through the fat of things, down to the eternal of things. Let us exercise the eye by walking with Christ.

There is the call for every Christian to answer his calling to be an ocular surgeon. Our seeing must cut through surfaces and down to souls.

– Ann Voskamp, The Greatest Gift

Today we are going to work on some social-emotional play with our preschoolers, and throw in some fine-motor skills as well. Since agriculture and wheat are talked about in the story of Ruth and Boaz, we are going to grow some crops. You can do this several ways. You can fill a sensory bin with potting soil and use that to “plant” your wheat and beans, or you can use play dough or clay to be your dirt. We happen to have some of our play dough left from a few days ago, so we will use that.

We found some wheat stalks in the floral supply section of the craft store and added some dried beans for planting. Pushing the beans into the play dough is great for building finger strength and fine motor skills. Provide some forks for “tilling”…they make nice lines in play dough. Of course, your little ones may find other adventures with the supplies you provide, and that is okay! Explain how farmers till the soil, dig a hole, plant a seed, and cover it up, but beyond that, let them work in their own way.

“It sure didn’t look like miracles were happening in the story of Naomi and Ruth, did it? No angels appeared stage left, no donkeys started talking, no fireballs fell from heaven. But did you see that? All the little things that happened – they happened to be little miracles. All that’s happening around you every day is happening to make miracles.

Every little thing is going to be okay, because God is working good through every little thing. There is never a night, never a darkness when gifts and miracles and joy aren’t coming – coming right to you.”

– Ann Voskamp, Unwrapping the Greatest Gift

Today’s Unwrapping the Greatest Gift lesson is one of my favorites. Gifts. Unexpected Gifts. Even as a grown woman I get excited over unexpected gifts. Especially when I have been in a season of sadness, disappointment, or confusion. Those are the times the unexpected gifts are the sweetest. I wonder if that is how Joseph felt so many years ago when he received the unexpected gift of his family reunion? My favorite part of this story is when Joseph shares with his family that what was meant for bad by men, was meant for good by God. LOVE that.

Of course, one of the most talked about parts of this story is the coat, that beautiful coat of colors that Joseph received from his father. As we considered how to help your young ones connect with today’s story, we thought it would be beautiful to offer them their own unexpected gift. A rainbow surprise. During nap time or other quiet time (haha, we have so many of those), tape a rainbow of crepe paper across a room or narrow hallway. When your young one discovers this unexpected gift of many colors, they will enjoy climbing and crawling their way back to you. Just like Joseph. After Joseph received his “rainbow” coat, God took him on an unexpected journey that led him right back to his family.

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

Today we are working on our fine-motor skills while making giving some sweet little sheep some wool. Just like God provides warm coats for real sheep, you will guide your preschooler to wrap yarn around cardboard forms to give them colorful wooly coats. The different colors and textures of the yarn will give your child a wonderful sensory rich experience while increasing their hand-eye and fine motor coordination.

Start by cutting some cardboard into oval shapes, making one end slightly skinnier for the nose. Color the nose black with a permanent marker or some acrylic paint. Clip two wooden clothespins to each cardboard shape. Ours were left over from another activity and were colored with liquid watercolor. Plain wood ones would be just as darling, and would give you a more natural look. We offered some odds and ends of different yarns to wrap, and a pair of scissors. These will make a nice little flock to graze at your Christmas table!

The act of God seeing means God acts. God’s observing means He always serves. This is the thing: your God’s constant vision is your constant provision. 

You don’t need to climb mountains named “I Will Perform.”

You don’t need to climb mountains named “I Will Produce.”

Every mountain that every Christian ever faces, the Lord levels with sufficient grace: The Lord Will Provide.

– The Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp

Today’s preschool sensory activity focuses on the fizzy bubbly laughter that Sarah laughed when God told her that she would have a child. We are going to let our little ones have a little fizzy fun! Pour some baking soda into a pan or tray. Fill some small cups with white vinegar tinted with food coloring. Add some medicine droppers or pipettes. (The ones from our color mixing kit will work perfect for this)

Let your little one drop the colored water on the baking soda…make sure you tell them “No pouring, only dripping” or it will be over pretty quick! Ask me how I know. This is a wonderful fine motor/art/science activity for preschoolers!

I was thinking about laughter today, and remembering back to one of my favorite times with my children. I’m normally not a beach person, and rarely get into the water. Sharks and tsunamis and all. I prefer to watch them all play from the comfort of a beach chair with a book and a Diet Coke in hand. Dad is usually the one taking them out into the waves, and giving me a heart attack with how far out they go. But my daughter begged me to come in, and I obliged. I played tag with the waves for her a bit and began to enjoy myself. Suddenly, out of nowhere, an unusually strong wave came up and knocked me completely over. My daughter looked at me sitting in the sand with seaweed in my hair, and we both began to belly-laugh so hard. Her bright eyes crinkled with laughter…I still remember her face. I will always remember that simple moment as one of the very best of my entire life. I’m so glad I got out of that beach chair and played with my child.

Joy is the gigantic secret gift that God gives us and we never stop unwrapping. We were once all alone, but now we’ve been given a Child – the many-many-many-great-grandson of Abraham, the Baby Jesus. And Jesus makes us laugh because he’s coming to save us and free us from all our fears.

                                                                                 – Unwrapping the Greatest Gift by Ann Voskamp  

For tomorrow you will need some nubby yarn in different colors, wooden clothespins, a little bit of cardboard, and some black felt or paper scraps.  We will be practicing some fine motor skills making some sheep!

Toddlers and Preschoolers love sensory water play. This does not have to be restricted to outdoors or the bathroom. Beach towels are one of our favorite tools for preschool sensory water play! At the Homegrown Preschooler, we keep a big stack around just so we can say “Yes” more often! If you double fold a few beach towels on the floor and give a little one a sturdy tub with a few inches of water in it, they will happily spoon and pour. As their little hands splash in the water, deep inside their brains, neurons form synapses! This is powerful brain building play! We will use this sensory play to help our children focus during our family devotion.

Today in Unwrapping the Greatest Gift we point our families back to Noah and God’s care for him in the flood.

God’s love for you made Him weep over all our sadness and sin, and His heart filled with ache and spilled like a flood. And God offered everyone a gift, a rescue, a massive wooden ark – an ark much like a cradle on water – and He whispered, “Come to the ark.”

Offer your little ones a little water to play with. It doesn’t take much to make them happy…not enough to do any damage, and your towels are right there to take care of any accidental splashing. Remind them that they can play quietly with the water while you read, and that the water will help them listen. We provided a few sea animals, measuring cups, spoons and a turkey baster. Be creative and use what you have around the house.

“Where are you?”

This is the first question recorded in the bible…and a question that comes out of my mouth daily with my little one. Rosie is a hider! Just this morning she ran and hid as I ran her bath. “Where are you?” I called. I saw little bare toes peeking out from under the bed. “Oh man, you found me!” she exclaimed through her giggles as I tickled and kissed her toes. I found her with love in mind. And God finds us with love in mind too, despite our disobedience. Becoming a parent teaches one so much about His love for us.

Day 3 of Ann Voskamp’s advent devotional Unwrapping the Greatest Gift deals with the fall of man. A heavy story for preschoolers…but she handles this hard truth so well. With our little ones, we are emphasizing that there is nowhere we can hide from God’s love for us. Play lots of hide and seek today!

Our focus activity for family devotions today is a sensory bin of things to find. We filled a Christmas tin with red and white dried beans, and added some colored counters. You could use coins or small toys as well. We gave her the bean container with a slit cut in to drop the counters into as she finds them.

We will bring this activity out periodically throughout the week, perhaps hiding different items and reinforcing the idea that there is nowhere we can hide from God’s love!

In all of humanity’s religions, man reaches after God.

But in all His relationships, God reaches for man.

Reaches for you who have fallen and scraped your heart raw,

for you who feel the shame of words that have snaked off your tongue and poisoned corners of your life,

for you who keep trying to cover up pain with perfectionism.

Three words come through the thicket of failure:

“WHERE ARE YOU?”

Your God refuses to give up on you.

–The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas by Ann Voskamp