Day 1: God's creation. (This decoration reminded us of the planets around the sun)
As we seek to focus our family on the true meaning of Christmas, we have been taking deliberate steps to create yearly Christmas traditions and memories. I have finally finished all the symbols and readings for our Jesse tree for Advent this year. The children have been involved in searching for and choosing the symbols for each day (some alternative ideas here.) Most were found in discount variety stores, some were gathered from around the house and we even made a couple. I spray-painted them all gold to keep a constant theme (and just to look nice!) and it was amazing how good even the cheap plastic animals look with a coat of gold. The readings we chose came from some of the many online choices available (links at the bottom of this post about Jesse trees.)
Bible reading scrolls
I have typed up the bible readings, printed them out onto thin card and hot glue gunned on thin craft sticks to make scrolls. Each one has a small circle of ribbon to hold it closed that can be slipped off to read the scroll. Each night the children will take it in turns to open the scroll and unwrap each symbol after the reading. (I thought wrapping the symbols would make it even more exciting and they could guess what symbol would represent the readings we had heard before seeing what it was.)
Day 2 Adam and Eve (The forbidden fruit)
Day 3 Noah's ark (birds sent out 3 times to find dry land) There are lots of bird decorations out this year so these were easy to find.
Day 4 Abram (descendants as many as the stars)
Day 5 Isaac (ram as sacrifice) This is just a plastic ram sprayed gold but it looks great!
Day 6 Jacob's ladder (This ladder came from a bird cage set.)
Day 7 Joseph (Sold for 30 pieces of silver into slavery)
Day 8 Moses (in basket) This miniature frame had what looked like reeds around the edge.
Day 9 The 10 commandments (Not quite a stone tablet but as close as we could get.)
Day 10 Joshua (The battle of Jericho) This was a cheap plastic tower with a plastic knight to build inside. We used the knight's shield and sword for Gideon so 2 for the price of one!
Day 11 Gideon (A sword for the Lord and for Gideon)
Day 12 Samuel (His Mother takes him a little coat each year) My least favourite decoration - fabric does not spray-paint well.
Day 13 David (5 stones for Goliath)
Day 14 Elijah (fed by the ravens)
Day 15 Hezekiah (empty enemy tent)
Day 16 Isaiah (Tongs and hot coal)
Day 17 Jeremiah (Known as the weeping prophet) Made of salt dough.
Day 18 Habakkuk (His watchtower) Already dropped and broken and we haven't even got it on the tree yet!! More salt dough.
Day 19 Nehemiah (Rebuilding the city wall) A previously useless gate from a plastic doll's house - perfect for this.
Day 20 John (baptizing in the river) Think laterally!
Day 21 Mary & Elizabeth (Messenger angel) It's impossible to find male angels!
Day 22 Zechariah (Tablet and stylus) The modern day version.
Day 23 Joseph (Loves and marries Mary) The rings are wedding favours that come in bags of 50.
Day 24 Magi (3 Wise Men's gifts to Jesus)
Day 25 Jesus' birth (Star of Bethlehem) There are 2 readings and 2 symbols today - the second symbol is tree lights which are turned on to represent the light of Jesus now shining in the world.
Filed under: Celebrations, events & festivals (Christmas, birthdays etc.), Christian Education, character, Sundays and the Sabbath | Tagged: Advent activities, Advent bible readings, Christian Christmas, Christmas traditions, home made Jesse tree, Jesse tree 2011, Jesse tree symbols, tree decorations | 5 Comments »
angathome 