Snowflake from Doilies Included in box: You will need to gather: Doilies Washable markers An eye dropper Scissors Water Cookie sheet Instructions: Lay a doily out on a cookie sheet Choose whatever marker colors you would like your snowflake to be. Color your snowflakes. Leave as little white space as possible for a brighter snowflake. Use an eye dropper to drip water on the doily. Doily should be wet but not “swimming” in water. Let it dry. Use a hair dryer for speedy drying. Iron flat if desired. Folding Directions: Lay your doily flat, and fold it in half to form a semi-circle. Press and crease the edges to make a sharp fold. Fold in half again. You should have one quarter of a circle. Fold your quarter-circle into thirds. Adjust as necessary to get the edges to line up correctly and crease the edges firmly. Now cut along the 2 straight sides to make your design. Unfold your snowflake to see your creative designs! As you cut and unfold your snowflakes, read the following: Psalm 139:14 - I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Discuss: God has created snowflakes to be uniquely and wonderfully made! There are no two snowflakes exactly alike, just like us! How did God make us unique? Family Devotional Snowman Object Lesson Included in box: You will need to gather: White circles 2 small sticks Black circles Scissors Orange paper Glue Red paper Black hat Instructions: As you build your snowman, use the prompts to guide your child in a conversation about their faith in God. Note: You may cut out the carrot nose and scarf ahead of time or as you do this. ASK “What color is the snow when it first falls? (white) ASK “What happens to the color of the snow when it has been around for awhile and cars have driven on it?”(It becomes dirty and gray) God created us to be pure and bright and clean like the fresh snow, but when we make selfish, unkind choices (sin) we get ourselves all dirty. Kind of like that dirty gray snow. But God sent us Jesus, to take away our sins. He makes us all bright, white and clean again like new snow! You can read Isaiah 1:18. ASK “What shape are the snowballs that make the snowman?” (circles) Let’s trace the edge of the circle with our finger. Where does it start and where does it end? (It keeps going on and on forever.) Just like there is not a beginning or end to the snowball, God has always loved you and his love goes on forever! Psalm 136:1 ASK “Do you know why we usually have black pieces for the eyes and mouth on a snowman?” (Traditionally, lumps of coal were used for these.) Coal is used to create electric power. This electricity gives us light in our homes. Coal reminds us that God is all powerful. He brings His light of love into our hearts. James 1:17 ASK “Where do we get carrots? (Grocery store, garden) The carrot reminds us that God has made everything we need to live and grow! Even veggies like carrots! ASK “How does a scarf make you feel when you have been playing outside in the cold snow?” (Warm) When we put the scarf on our snowman we can remember that God warms our hearts with His loving care. Psalm 100:5 ASK “What goes at the very top of our snowman? A Hat! Jesus is the top priority in our family. He is our leader and we look to Jesus everyday to help us show His love to everyone we meet! ASK “What are the snowman’s arms usually made out of?” (Sticks) The sticks are outstretched like Jesus’s arms when he died on the cross for us. He died for us so that we can be forgiven of all of our selfish, unkind choices. (sin) Take turns as a family praying out loud, thanking God for sending Jesus to be born, and to die to make us pure as snow! Cooking Fun Popcorn Snowballs Included in box: You will need to gather: 2 cups popped popcorn 2 TBSP butter 1 cup marshmallows Snowflake sprinkles Instructions: Pop the popcorn bag in the microwave. Measure out 2 cups. Set aside. Put your marshmallows and butter into a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 25 second intervals, stirring each time, until all is melted. Pour over popcorn and gently stir to coat the popcorn. Allow to cool a few minutes, and then shape into snowballs, adding in your sprinkles! As you do this activity together, make a point to encourage your child and ask for their input. “I am so thankful God gave me you! You are doing an awesome job of stirring that popcorn. How big do you think we should make these snowballs?” Deposit into your child’s love tank words that build them up. “Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body.” Proverbs 16:24 Family Keepsake Craft Baby Jesus Snow Globe Ornament Included in box: You will need to gather: Mason Jar Snow Globe Ornament Holder Glue Wooden Peg Doll (Baby Jesus) Optional: glue gun for parent use White cloth Raffia Twine String Snow confetti Craft wire 2 Star stickers Instructions: Wrap one end of the craft wire around the head of the peg doll. Take the other end of the craft wire and sandwich it between two star stickers and bend the wire so that the star hovers over Baby Jesus. Wrap the peg doll in the white fabric. Shape the raffia to cradle around the peg doll. Use the twine to secure the raffia to the doll. Tie it in front of the doll. Take your lid off the ornament jar and put some glue on the inside of the lid. Place the Baby Jesus ensemble on it, standing up. Allow to dry. Take the Mason jar, turn it so the opening is up. Pour the snow into the jar. When the Baby Jesus has dried to the lid, turn it upside down and carefully screw the lid onto the mason jar. Fun ideas: Spray the inside of the mason jar with hair spray right before you pour the snow in. Swirl the snow around. Some will stick to the sides! Take a sharpie and put the year on the star or on the lid to remember the year you recreated this together. Christmas can be such a busy time of the year. Take this moment to remind your child that the most important part of Christmas is celebrating Jesus. Our Jesus doll is wrapped in a piece of cloth. Ask your child what they think they were wrapped in when they were born. Show them a picture if you can! Our Jesus doll is laying in something that resembles straw because he was placed in a livestock feeding trough with straw when he was born. Ask your child what they think they slept in as a newborn. One way God announced Jesus’s birth was to place a bright star in the sky where he was born. Tell your child how you announced their birth when they were born! Family Game Snowman Slammer Included in box: You will need to gather: Foam Cups Scissors Snow Ball Glue Orange Construction Paper Black Circles Instructions: Decorate the foam cups! Start by gluing black circles as coal for the mouth and eyes of the Snowman. Then cut out triangles of orange paper for the noses. Use glue to stick the features on to the cups. Allow time to dry. Stack the cups into a pyramid shape, like you would see at a carnival for a ball toss game. Pick up that snowball and slam those snowmen!! **if throwing the ball isn’t a great option for your space, set the cups up in a triangle on the floor and roll it! As you play, be sure to cheer each other on! This is a great opportunity to practice good sportsmanship. To add to the game, every time someone knocks a cup over they must sing a line from a Christmas song. Pick any Christmas song and get everyone to sing along! When the song is finished you can pick another to start the game over, or stack all of the cups and store for another game later! 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Kids Craft Icicles and Snowflakes Included in box: Pipe cleaners Beads Instructions: Icicles: Pick a pipe cleaner String on as many or as few beads as you would like (make sure to make each one unique!) Twist the pipe cleaner around your finger or a pencil to curl it, softly pull on the ends to make them a little longer. Voila! you’ve just created an icicle as unique as you! Snowflakes: Pick up 2-3 pipe cleaners Take two of your pipe cleaners and lay them across one another to make an X Twist the two pipe cleaners together where they cross Take the third pipe cleaner and put it on top of the center going any direction you like Twist it where it crosses the first two String beads on each pipe cleaner, leaving about an inch at the end. Now shape the end of your pipe cleaners, by bending and twisting, however you like to resemble a snowflake Voila!! Now you have a Snowflake as unique as you! When God created you He made you unique and beautiful.