Updated on November 24, 2024
(First Published on 11/28/23)
'TIS THE SEASON!
Like many of you, we are busy decorating our homes and yards,
we are making list upon list
and our calendars are filling up with lots of holiday fun!
As Grands, we are excited to welcome it all,
especially as we see it anew through the eyes of our grandkids,
our wide-eyed Littles!
Today, our focus turns to the season of Advent,
that special time in the church year,
when we prepare our homes and, most importantly, our hearts
for the birth of the Christ child!
As we wait with anticipation,
it’s a time for us to remember that Holy night long ago
and reflect on the impact of Jesus’s birth in today’s world!
We can share this joy with the Littles in our lives, too!
Advent begins soon
and it’s the perfect time to introduce, revisit or retell
the Christmas story of Jesus’s birth with our young Littles!
In one of our very first "Our Grand Lives" posts,
we devoted time to Advent and ways to explore its meaning with our Littles.
One of the most powerful ways we’ve found
is to introduce our Littles to the Christmas story through a hands-on Nativity!
At that time, Laurie shared…
When my own kids were little, we had the typical Nativity set displayed in our home - one made of glass and quite fancy! Young children are quite curious and mine were no exception! So often I found myself reminding my children over and over again - “Don’t touch!” Not surprisingly, one of the kings and the shepherds are now broken and glued together!
As my children grew, I started reading about how our Littles should be able to handle and play with Nativity sets to allow them to explore the Christmas story. When my first grandchild, Little D, was born, I searched for a toddler-friendly set to give her as a gift for her baptism in late November of 2021. I found this lovely Fisher Price Little People Nativity Set for ages 12+ months.
Little D started playing with it at 5 months (under supervision and there was no problem with small parts) She loved exploring it. In fact, her parents kept it out through the following March because Little D enjoyed the Little People so much! What a great way to start introducing the story and language of the First Christmas to my Little!
Laurie also reported that at 16 months old, the play set was out once again, and Little D was learning the names of all the pieces and enjoyed finding them for her parents when they requested them.
And then last year Little D was THRILLED when her mom brought it out once again!
Baby Jesus was here!
Meanwhile, Laura was excited in 2022 to celebrate Little L’s first holiday season. Based on Laurie’s recommendation, she made a similar purchase as an Advent gift for her sweet Little! (NOTE: Laura found her set on eBay!)
Little L, at ten months old, loved exploring each piece and we spent time introducing her to the various characters as Bacco acted out the story with her!
Then, in 2023, Little L was equally excited
when we pulled out her Nativity set during a Thanksgiving visit!
It was stored in her special Christmas box
and the delight on Little L's face as she revealed each piece found inside
was absolutely priceless!
She had such fun unwrapping each figure
and then setting up the "friends" to play together!
Both Laurie and Laura have found the Fisher Price Nativity to be a great investment.
It's durable, easy for little hands to manipulate and very simple to clean!
And this year, two new Littles will be able to explore the Nativity, too!
NOTE:
Please know that neither of us are affiliated with any companies…
These are truly our own recommendations based on personal experience!
We understand that the above set is a bit spendy!
We found many other Nativity options available online at different price points
so don't hesitate to check them out!
What we both love most about a Nativity set specifically made for young children
is that it gives our Littles the opportunity to hold and feel each figure
as they hear the Christmas story told again and again
and now... year after year!
Read on for engaging and meaningful ways we’ve created
to use with our Littles and their Nativity sets!
A Review of a Few Past Faves!
In our original Advent post, we shared three games that highlighted the Nativity!
Laura played a few with Little L (who was 10 months old at the time)
and we've played them again and again ever since!
Here’s a review of those activities and games!
⭐ Where is Baby Jesus? (Best for Toddler & Preschool Littles)
Toddlers especially like this simple version of a hide and seek game. Each day the adult hides Baby Jesus - depending on the age of your Little(s) you may want to keep the piece in relatively plain sight or make it more challenging to find. Once Baby Jesus has been hidden, your Little goes hunting until the piece is found! You can also hide different Nativity pieces on another day or, if you have older Littles you can hide more than one piece at a time. This game is a fun way to introduce the names of the characters in the Christmas story!
For younger Littles another version of this game is Who’s in the Box?
Hide one of the figures in a box and let your little Little(s) discover which one is hiding in there! Littles, like Little L above, will be tickled each time they look inside the box!
⭐ Who’s Missing? (Best for Older Toddler & Preschool Littles)
Did you ever play concentration games as a youngster? This game is similar and works best with Littles who are a bit older or who are familiar with the Nativity figures. In this game, one person removes a piece from the Nativity. Your Little will then look closely at the Nativity to see which character is missing! For really young Littles simply hide one figure at a time under a blanket and play "Peek-a-Boo!"
⭐ Hot or Cold! (Best for Older Toddler & Older Littles)
This guessing game is best played with Littles that are 3 years old or older. One person is chosen to be the seeker and goes out of the room while someone else hides the Nativity piece. When the seeker returns, the rest of the group says “hotter” or “colder” while the seeker is searching for the hidden piece. (When the clue “hotter” is given, it means that the seeker is getting close to finding the Nativity piece; when the clue “colder” is given, the Nativity piece is further away.)
And a Few More Recent Faves!
Our Littles continue to make connections with the Nativity year after year...
soon it will be their turn to share it with their younger siblings!
We just had to add a few new games and activities to our repertoire!
⭐ A Gift Wrapped Nativity! (Best for Toddler & Preschool Littles)
Who doesn’t love unwrapping a present or two? For this activity, Laura wrapped some of Little L’s Nativity figures individually in tissue paper, as shown above. Little L had fun unwrapping each (great fine motor practice) and often squealed with excitement when she saw each! She was also intrigued with the tissue paper and would wrap and unwrap the characters over and over again!
⭐ Nativity Match Up! (Best for Toddler & Preschool Littles)
This game would be fun to play as a follow up to the gift wrapping activity described above and, once again, it reinforces the vocabulary needed to fully understand the Christmas story later in life! Laura printed a set of picture cards to match the Nativity figurines and, as Little L unwrapped each, she found the matching picture, as shown! Of course, your Little can simply pull a figurine out of a box or bag and find the matching photo, too!
How to Make the Photo Cards...
Ahead of time, Laura made a set of picture cards to use for this game..
She found the photos online by googling,
(for example, "Fisher Price Nativity set camel") and so on.
She looked for an image that matched the version of the figure Little L has,
took a screenshot of each and
then added them to a document before printing a color copy.
Don't worry though, if you don't have access to a printer or this just seems too complicated! We get it! Instead, play the game by simply setting the figures in front of your Little and then ask him/her to find the camel or Mary or Baby Jesus!
⭐ Story & Song Time! (Best for Toddler & Preschool Littles)
This is a great activity to do with young Littles, especially before a nap or in the evening before bedtime. With your Little, place a candle near your Little(s)’ Nativity set (we used a battery operated one) and then enjoy a story together and/or sing a song like “Away in a Manger.”
Finally… Here's a song Little L and Laura found on Youtube that celebrates the Nativity and specifically the animals in the story! We loved listening and singing along… we think you might, too!
If your family is seeking a Christian based countdown to Christmas,
and one that works well for older Littles,
The Christmas Star from Afar is a delightful way to do this!
In fact, several years ago, Laurie gifted this set to her nieces and their families
and now it’s become an annual Advent tradition for each of their families!
The Christmas Star is hidden to create a fun and challenging hide & seek game
for kids of all ages!
The Nativity set also doubles as a Christmas Countdown activity!
NOTE: This set can be purchased from most major retailers
and we even spotted a few available on Ebay!
The directions for preparing and doing the daily/regular activities
are included in the set materials.
Laurie’s nieces also shared with her how this activity works for their families
during the Advent season and we're sharing their thoughts below!
You can begin this activity any time during the Advent season although the book suggests that you begin on the first of December.
When introducing this ongoing activity, sit down with your Little(s) and read the story together.
Then, invite your Little(s) to set up the manger scene (without the three Wise Men).
Explain to your Little(s) that you all will be making the journey with the Wise Men during the coming weeks, following the star until you ultimately reach the manger (on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day).
On that first night, once the Little(s) have gone to bed, the adults in the home will hide the star in the farthest part of your house from the manger scene. For example, if you have a 2-level house, hide the star on the other level. Choose your hiding place based on your Little(s) ages - making it difficult for older Littles or easy to find for younger Littles. You choose!
The next day, when your Little(s) search for and locate the star, they move the three Wise Men close to it. There is also a short Bible reading/devotion that goes with each move! .(If you begin this game after the first of December, just adjust the readings to fit your family’s journey.)
Each night, after the Little(s) have gone to bed, the adults (or even a teenage Little) can move the star closer and closer to the manger (going up stairs or down stairs, as needed) to be discovered the next day by your eager little ones! Again, be sure to move your Wise Men to the star each time it's discovered in its new surroundings!
Remember to pace the travels of the star out so it lasts the whole time you are using the game.
The star and the three Kings should arrive at the manger on Christmas!
Please Note... Technically, we know that, this countdown is slightly incorrect since, in the Christmas story, the three Wise Men actually arrived at the manger much later than that first Christmas night. However, younger Littles can easily accept the large company of shepherds and kings celebrating baby Jesus together, while older Littles may enjoy learning more about the actual Christmas timeline.
If you have Littles that are able to visit your home regularly during the week,
you could even begin this tradition with your Littles yourself!
Just make sure the star travels a bit farther during each visit
as compared to moving it every night!
And One More Thought...
Again, we know that to buy a premade set could be more than you want to spend. While we love this version and all it offers you could certainly find a Nativity set at home or a garage sale/Goodwill to use instead... just make sure it's one you are comfortable letting your Littles love on! Add a homemade star or a battery operated candle and use that for your Littles to follow each day! Read a few Bible verses from the Christmas story or a few pages from a picture book and say a prayer together. Make the activity match your family's needs!
Most importantly...
Use this opportunity to share your faith and love
and the excitement for this beautiful story with your Littles!
Through play, our Littles will truly make long lasting connections
to the Christmas story!
We each think of it as planting seeds as Little D and Little L (and now their sisters)
grow in faith and understanding from year to year!
That feels like one of the greatest gifts we could share with them!
We hope you agree!
Are you a Grand who loves learning and growing with your Little(s)?
If so, we’d love to hear from you!
If you have any fun ways of sharing the Christmas story
with your own Littles, please share your thoughts with us, too!
Feel free to comment at the bottom of this post
or you can always email us directly at ourgrandlives@gmail.com.
We’ll continue to share new content there often!
And, you can always find most of our posts available as links on our Pinterest board!
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Wishing you all a blessed Advent season ahead!
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Sundays on Silverado from The House on Silverado
Tuesdays with a Twist from God's Growing Garden
Homestead Blog Hop from Ridgehaven Homestead & Simple Life Mom
Thank you for featuring this post on your sites!
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This is such a sweet post... I love being a grandparent and you've given some tactile, meaningful suggestions regarding Christmas. Thanks! Stopping by from #letshavecoffee 😀
Such great ideas for this very special time of year, Laura. Your little ones are gorgeous and I can just imagine their faces on Christmas eve. Thanks for linking up with us at both #WWWhimsy and also #WeekendTrafficJamReboot. Have a lovely weekend. x
What great ideas for the tiny kids to enjoy learning about the nativity! Thanks so much for sharing! It will be featured on Sundays on Silverado tomorrow!
Hi Laura, thanks for linking up with us for #WWWhimsy with your delightful post. You always share such interesting and fun posts and this is no exception. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
Debbie #TeamWWWhimsy
Hi Laura, I love this time of year especially when there are little ones. Each year I buy a Christmas Tree decoration for my grandsons. I've done this since they were born and my eldest is now 10. It is a wonderful time of year that's for sure. Thanks for sharing your Nativity idea with us at WWWhimsy and have a very happy Thanksgiving. Sue L #TeamWWWhimsy x