Kerry Beck, ​Christmas Unit Study for Preschool & Kindergarten

Copyright 2019, by Kerry Beck

All rights reserved. This book may copied or printed by the original purchaser for
personal or family use only. Such reproductions may not be sold. Except for the
above stated authorization to photocopy, no part of this book may be reproduced
by any means without written permission of the author. Unless otherwise stated,
Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible, 1998 by
Thomas Nelson, Inc, Nashville, Tennessee

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 Table of Contents

How to Use ​Christmas Unit Study for Preschool & Kindergarten

Day 1 - Christmas in Germany
Day 2 - Christmas in Sweden
Day 3 - Christmas in Italy
Day 4 - Christmas in Mexico
Day 5 - Christmas Candy Canes
Day 7 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Day 8 - The Christmas Story
Other Advent & Christmas Books for Preschoolers & Kindergarten
BONUS​: ​Surviving Christmas with Littles
 How to Use​ Christmas Unit Study
for Preschool & Kindergarten

One of the best pieces of advice I received the first year I homeschooled was to
take a break during December. A friend of mine who had kids the same ages, but
had homeschooled since Kindergarten, told me she “quits” formal
homeschooling.
What you might say?
Quit homeschooling for a month.
Well, not really!
From this piece of advice, our family began a Christmas tradition of integrating
Christmas and Advent into our homeschooling.
In this ​Christmas Unit Study for Preschool & Kindergarten,​ you’ll find more
activities and ideas based on an early learning book. The first few lessons are
storybooks about Christmas in other countries.
If you choose to do any of the country celebrations, you can plan to read the book
on or before the day of celebration. In other words, if you choose to celebrate St.
Nicholas Day on December 6th, you might read your book and talk about St.
Nicholas before December 6th. You would do the same before December 13th
for St. Lucia’s Day.
My recommendation is to gather the books (from the library or book store) and
other supplies you need for each activity. Once you are ready, follow this routine:
● Read the book
● If the book is about a country’s Christmas, find the country on a globe or
world map
● Let your child tell the story … back to you
● Optional for primary grades:​ Type your child’s retelling. Use the retelling for
copywork the following day
 ● Sing a Christmas carol. Depending on your children’s ages, you might
choose one Christmas carol to sing every day. Ask your children questions
about the carol to see what they understand
● Choose 1 or 2 hands-on activities
● Tell Dad at dinnertime about the storybook
Be Flexible!
I’d love to hear of any other activities you may use with your family during
Christmas. If you give me permission, I’ll include them in updated versions of this
unit study. Send them to me at ​kerry@HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com
Kerry
 Christmas in Germany

Read:​ ​O Christmas Tree,​ by Kristin Thoennes Keller

Allow your children to retell (narrate) the story back to you. Moms can type out
the narration and use it for copywork the following day. Keep all the Christmas
narrations in a Christmas notebook.

Teach:​ How to say Merry Christmas in German … “Froehliche Weihnachten”

Imaginative Play:​ Wall Felt Tree
Hang life-size felt green tree on a wall in your home. Place velcro on
ornament circles, gift box rectangles and bow shapes of felt in a box. Allow your
children to decorate and tell stories about their Christmas tree.
Sing​:​ ​O, Christmas Tree
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
How steadfast are your branches!
Your boughs are green in summer's clime
And through the snows of wintertime
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
How steadfast are your branches!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

What happiness befalls me
When oft at joyous Christmas-time
Your form inspires my song and rhyme
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
What happiness befalls me

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Your boughs can teach a lesson
That constant faith and hope sublime
Lend strength and comfort through all time
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
Your boughs can teach a lesson

Teach your children as much or as little of this Christmas carol as they can
learn. Discuss the meaning of any verse you sing together.
Art: ​Christmas trees fingerpaint
Use green fingerpaint to color a tree-shaped posterboard. Paint a toilet
paper roll with brown fingerpaint.
After the paint dries, squirt glue as garland strands. Let your child sprinkle
red glitter on glue strands. Decorate with construction paper circles for
ornaments.
Celebrate:​ St. Nicholas Day (December 6)
St. Nicholas is based on the 4th century bishop of Myra, part of modern day
Turkey. He had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the
shoes of those who left them out for him. That’s where we get the Dutch &
German tradition on the night of December 5th. Children in Germany leave their
shoes outside their bedroom door. In the morning, they are filled with fruits,
nuts, and little toys.
Some families placed these treats in stockings drying along the warm
hearthside on his feast day, December 6 (that’s tomorrow). Thus, the tradition of

🙂
hanging stockings over your fireplace began. Good children receive small gifts or
delicious, edible treats. Bad children receive twigs in their shoes
My dad is 100% German and they celebrated this tradition. Our kids
remember putting their shoes in the hallway on December 5th. We filled them
with very small treats & candies.
Who was St Nicholas?
Legend has it that a poor man had three daughters but could not afford a
proper dowry for them. This meant they would remain unmarried and probably,
in absence of any other possible employment, would have to become prostitutes.
Hearing of the poor man’s plight, Nicholas decided to help him, but being
too modest to help the man in public (or to save the man the humiliation of
accepting charity), he went to his house under the cover of night and threw three
purses (one for each daughter) filled with gold coins through the window opening
into the man’s house.
When you look at the historical background of St. Nicholas, I think it puts
some of our Christmas traditions in perspective. What do you think?
Eat Your Way through School:​ Christmas Tree Cones
All you need are sugar cones, green frosting (I made buttercream), mini
M&M’s and other decorations of your choice. You’ll get a wide variety of trees.

Buttercream Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
3 drops green food coloring, or as
needed
Cream room temperature butter
with a mixer until smooth and
fluffy. Gradually beat in
confectioners' sugar until fully
Pour in milk and beat for an
additional 3-4 minutes.
Add food coloring & vanilla and
beat for thirty seconds until
smooth or until desired color is
reached.

Young children may need help spreading the icing on the cone, but they can easily
decorate with small candies.
Eat Your Way through School:​ Pretzel Log Christmas Trees
All you need are large pretzel sticks, small milky way squares, green candy
melts, mini M&Ms.

Watch this video for instructions:

https://www.facebook.com/HowToHomeschoolMyChild/videos/2263700297221
735/

Young children will enjoy putting the pretzel stick in the Milky Way and decorating
the trees with small candies.
 Christmas in Sweden

Read:​ ​Annika's Secret Wish​, by Beverly Lewis

Allow your children to retell (narrate) the

story back to you.

Read:​ ​Christmas in Noisy Village,​ by

Astrid Lindgren
Allow your children to retell (narrate) the
story back to you

Read: ​Bible verses about Jesus being the

Light of the world. Discuss how Christ
brought light (salvation) into darkness
(world full of sin)
Teach:​ How to say Merry Christmas in Swedish … “God Jul”

Sing​:​ ​It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

It came upon the midnight clear
That glorious song of old
From Angels playing near the earth
To touch their harps of gold

Peace on the earth could will two men

From Heaven's all-gracious King
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the Angels sing

And I hear them singing

Sing, I do hear them singing

The first Noel the Angel did say

Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay, they keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep

Teach your children as much or as little of this Christmas carol as they can
learn. Discuss the meaning of any verse you sing together.
Sing​:​ ​Silent Night, Holy Night
Silent night, holy night
All is calm and all is bright
Round yon virgin, mother and child
Holy infant, so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace, ooh
Sleep, sleep in heaven, heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night

Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories streams from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing, alleluia
Christ the savior is born, he's born
Christ the savior is born
Round yon virgin, mother and child
Holy infant, so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace, oh
Sleep in heavenly peace

Teach your children as much or as little of this Christmas carol as they can learn.
Discuss the meaning of any verse you sing together.
Art: ​Saint Lucia Wreath & Hat
Materials:
● White poster board
● Glue
● Gold glitter
● Silk leaves or green construction paper
● White paper
● Stapler

For Santa Lucia Crown

Cut five pieces of paper 2" by 5". Roll each piece into a tube, and cut one end to
look like a flame. Carefully spread glue on the flame, and sprinkle with glitter.
Make all five candles.
For the headband, cut a piece of posterboard 25" long and 1 ½ " wide. Staple the
candles to the headband. Cut small green leaves from construction paper. (Fold
the paper to cut several at one time.) Glue them around the headband. Fit crown
to head, and staple to correct size.

For Boy's Star Hat

Cut posterboard into quarter-circle shape to make a cone-shaped hat. While still
flat, put stars on the hat with glue, and sprinkle glitter on them. Dump off excess
glitter. Roll into hat, glue and staple together.
Celebrate:​ St. Lucia’s Day (December 13)

St. Lucia’s Day is December 13 and a great chance to study Christmas

around the world. You can have some fun along the way.

My middle daughter, Gentry loved this celebration. It all started when she
read​ ​Kirsten’s Surprise​, one of the American Girl books. Kirsten was Gentry’s
favorite character, so she enjoyed dressing up as Kirsten.

I made Gentry a St. Lucia’s costume, similar to the one Kirsten wore in the
story. On December 13, Gentry got up early to make St. Lucia Buns. After
breakfast was ready, she dressed in her all-white costume and served her brother
& sister breakfast in bed.

I almost forgot, she also wore a crown with candles in her hair. We didn’t
have a crown for the candles, so we used a Christmas wreath.
Wondering who St. Lucia is? Why celebrate her day?

Lucia of Syracuse is remembered as the patron of light. Thus, Christians

have celebrated Light and Life on December 13. Ironically, December 13th is one
of the shortest days of the year, as well as one of the darkest.

In the 2nd century, St. Lucia was a young girl living in Italy with her mother.
Even though Christianity was banned, Lucia was a strong Christian believer. She
thought her family should give away their wealth to the poor, but others in her
family disagreed.

Lucia’s mother became very ill & was persuaded to travel to a Christian holy
place. After several days, her mother was cured of her illness. As a way of saying
thanks, she agreed to give her wealth to the poor. After this event, the
government discovered that Lucia was a believer and put her to death.

Hundreds of years later, Lucia was declared a saint for her good deeds.
Lucia’s name means light, thus she became the saint of light & vision.

St. Lucia’s Day was celebrated in only a few Swedish villages until recently.
It was believed those villagers could see Lucia serving hot rolls and drink to the
poor nearby. Today, the oldest daughter of the house dresses up in all white to
symbolize light. She serves hot Lucia buns & coffee as breakfast in bed. Serving
the buns reminds us of Lucia serving the poor in her area.

December 13 is one of the shortest days of the year. In Sweden, the sun
shines for only one hour. What a contrast between light and dark, an excellent
reminder that Lucia represents light & goodwill in this fallen world.

Girls in Sweden dress up as Saint Lucia wearing a white dress and a crown
of candles . Boys carry a candle and wear a kind of white pajama. They wear hats
that are pointy with golden stars on them.

When my children were young, one of my daughters wanted to celebrate

St. Lucia’s Day. The night before, she made St. Lucia Bread. She woke up before
the rest of the family to bake the rolls. Then she put on her white dress and her
candle wreath. She brought the bread to her brother & sister who were still
sleeping.
 Eat Your Way through School:​ ​St. Lucia’s Buns

We make the dough the night before (that’s tonight) and let it rise overnight. All
you have to do in the morning is bake.

Young children will enjoy rolling the dough into logs and placing raisins.
Easy Version:
1 Tbsp yeast
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup oil
2 cups buttermilk (or 2 cups milk + 2 Tbsp lemon juice)

Mix together. Add dry ingredients below and blend together

5 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Glaze: ⅓ cup powdered sugar

1-2 tsp water or milk

Grab large ball of dough. Roll into log

and shape into S (see above). Repeat to
make “bun”. Place on cookie sheet.
Place a raisin in center of each
pinwheel. We actually use chocolate
chips.

Let rise overnight. Place 2 raisins on S.

Bake 400, about 10 minutes until
golden brown. Brush melted butter or
powdered sugar glaze on top if you like.

Super-Easy Version, for

non-baking types:
Buy pop out of the can biscuits and roll
them into S shapes. Place on cookie sheet with raisin in the middle of each S (see
above). Bake according to package.
 Christmas in Mexico

Read: ​The Legend of the Poinsettia,​ by Tommie dePoala

Allow your children to retell (narrate) the story back to you.

Read: ​Uno, Dos, Tres, Posada!​ ,​ by Virginia Kroll

Practice saying the Spanish words that are in this book.

Teach:​ How to say Merry Christmas in Spanish … “Feliz Navidad”. Literally,

these words mean “Happy Nativity”
Art:​ Felt Poinsettia Napkin Rings.
Poinsettia Day (December 12)
● Poster board
● Green felt
● Red felt
● Scissors
To begin, measure and cut out three pieces of poster board:
one 5-inch square, one 3 1/2-inch square, and one 9-by-4-inch
rectangle. On the 5-inch square, draw a four-pointed leaf; on
the 3 1/2-inch square, draw four rounded petals; and on the
rectangle, draw the shape of a dog bone.
Cut out the templates. Trace around the leaf template on the
green felt and around the petals and dog bone on the red felt.
Cut out the shapes, and then cut 1-inch slits in the center of the petals and leaf.
Lay the red petals over the green leaf, fold the dog bone shape in half, pull the
ends up through the slits, and open the felt into a flower.
Crafter’s Tip:
At season's end, take apart the holders and lay the pieces flat in a box so the
petals don't get crushed or permanently creased.
Science: ​Plants
What do plants need to grow & live?
1. Light
2. Water
3. Air
4. Soil

Observe a real poinsettia plant. Draw what you see. Color the leaves & blooms
the correct color.

Are colored leaves actually flowers or just leaves of a different color?

The colored portion of the plant actually comprises leaves, not flowers. Discuss
the special care that a poinsettia needs.

Buy a poinsettia plant. Let your child take care of watering it during the holidays.
Celebrate:​ Las Posadas (December 16-24) with a pinata
On December 16th, the first posada is held. Posada means “sheltering
place” and reminds us of Mary & Joseph’s search for lodging in Bethlehem.
How does it work?
Las Posadas is like a parade in your local village. Many people, carrying
candles & statues of Mary & Joseph, join the procession of the posada soon after
dark. Each night they search for lodging, reenacting Joseph & Mary’s journey.
Each night they are told, “There is no room”, until Christmas.
On Christmas, one house is opened to everyone for food & dancing. At the
party, they break a piñata, filled with candy and toys. Spanish songs are sung and
games are played until the children are tired & ready for bed.
You can reenact a posada by having a procession to your home one evening
this week. If you have several families, be sure to break a pinata. Or, you can have
your kids walk from bedroom to bedroom, if it’s too cold to go outside.
Even if you don’t have your “posada” on Christmas, your kids will have a
better understanding of what happened that first Christmas.
Eat Your Way through School:​ Mexican Cookies

1 cup butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a medium bowl, cream together 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and butter until
smooth. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, salt, and 1 tsp of cinnamon; stir into the
creamed mixture to form a stiff dough. Shape dough into 1 inch balls.
Mix together the other 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon; roll balls
in cinnamon mixture.
Bake for 12 - 15 minutes in preheated oven, or until nicely browned. Cool cookies
on wire racks.
Feel free to sift over more of your cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Young children will enjoy rolling the dough into small balls and rolling them in
cinnamon sugar.
 Christmas in Italy

Read:​ ​The Legend of Old Befana,​ b​ y Tomie dePoala

Allow your children to retell (narrate) the story back to you.

Teach:​ How to say Merry Christmas in Italian … “Buon Natale”

Imaginative Play:​ Nativity Scene
Children in Italy often make a variety of nativity scenes during the Christmas
season. Be sure you have a nativity set that is not breakable for your kids to play
with.
My mom made our kids a stuffed nativity set. We still have it and our grandkids (&
other kids) continue to play with it three decades later. At their own home, my
granddaughters play with their ​Little People Nativity​ set all the time.
Art:​ Befana’s Broom
Making Befana’s broom is a simple art project. All you need is a brown paper bag,
scissors, yarn/twist-tie and a sucker.
Click here to watch this tutorial​ to see how to do it with your kids:

Art & Eat Your Way through School:​ Nativity Scene

Let me share a fun activity that you can do this week to put Christ back in
Christmas. While we made our graham cracker nativity, we discussed the
Christmas story. You can also remind your children that kids in Italy make many
nativity scenes.

These photos are from real kids, making a real candy nativity. Not perfect!
 First we made sheep from large
marshmallows, toothpicks, and black
licorice.

Next, we made horses from tootsie rolls

and toothpicks.

We made Joseph, Mary & shepherds

from gumdrops. Fruit Roll Ups were cut
in squares to make the shepherds scarf.

We made the stable and manger with

graham crackers and chocolate frosting
for the glue. Coconut for the hay and a
small marshmallow for baby Jesus.

A little fun & eating as we worked

A fun, fun time for all!

 Celebrate:​ Epiphany Feast (January 6)
Tradition has it that this celebration of the arrival of the wise men brought
an abundance of food & hospitality. I found an article about the Epiphany feast
and the symbolism used in the past, so I’ve followed their menu. It’s an Italian
meal with cheese appetizers, pasta & sausage dishes, as well as oranges & cenci
for dessert. I’ve used this menu for most of our feasts.
Oranges are a symbol of sunlight which reminds us of the Star of
Bethlehem, the light that guided the Wise Men to our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ.
Epiphany is the holiday of light when the Star of Bethlehem led the Magi to Christ!
Epiphany means to “show” or “reveal”. The wise men were the first ones
to worship Jesus as King & Lord. They were Gentiles recognizing Jesus Christ as
King, the first ones to reveal Jesus to a wider world as incarnate Christ (from CRI)

Read: ​Matthew 2 can be read at your dinner table tonight. Or read one
of your children’s Bible story books about the Wise Men.
 The custom of the Star Singers, reminiscent of the travel of the Three Kings
is still very much alive in Bavaria and Austria. Beginning with New Years and
through January 6, children dressed as the kings, and holding up a large star, go
from door to door, caroling and singing a Three Kings’ song. For this they receive
money or sweets.
Formerly the collected donations went to unemployed craftsmen and
veterans, today they go to charities of the church or the Third World. (from 3
Kings Day)
Italians enjoy cheese and sliced meats as appetizers, so I followed suit. I
read that Italians serve sausage & pasta for the feast of the Epiphany.

Easy Feast for Kids:​ Add sausage to spaghetti sauce. Serve over hot
pasta.

While I cooked, Hunter peeled the clementines – our salad. Oranges

represent light in our feast of the Epiphany. The Wise Men are following a special
light, the Star of Bethlehem. Others use oranges as a symbol of the gold the Wise
Men brought to Jesus.

Although young children can’t make your sausage or pasta, they can peel
clementines. Great fine motor skill.
 Eat Your Way through School:​ Cenci
Cenci means “rags”. In Italy, it is believed that La Befana flies around in her rags,
filling the kids’ socks with small gifts. This recipe makes enough for 8.
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons almond flavoring
1 tablespoon vanilla
Roll the cenci dough to 1/8″ thickness. I should have rolled ours thinner.

Using a pastry wheel, cut strips of dough (about 3″ x 1″). Then cut a strip down
the middle, so you have 2 strips that can be twisted, but still connected at the top.
Twist the 2 strips and seal ends together. Fry the twists in hot oil. I have a small
skillet that I used and loved using it.
Why?

The small skilled took very little oil. After draining on a paper towel, immediately
sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Enjoy while warm…that’s the best way to eat
cenci.

Young children can help cut dough, twist the dough and sprinkle powdered sugar.
 Candy Cane Story

Read: ​The Legend of the Candy Cane​, by Lori Walburg

In the back of this book is a one-page history of the candy cane. I discovered the
original white candy canes came from Germany, so you may want to do this
lesson when you study Germany.
Allow your children to retell (narrate) the story back to you.
Art:​ Candy Cane Ornaments

Push a red bead on to the pipe cleaner. Then a white one and continue to
alternate colored beads. Once you are done, shape the beaded pipe cleaner into
the shape of a candy cane.
You can get the​ ​red beads here​ and the​ ​white beads here​. You’ll also need​ ​pipe
cleaners​ that you can find​ here​.
Science:​ Candy Cane Crystal Ornament
What You’ll Need:
Borax
Pipe cleaners
Mason jars or glasses
Pencil
Yarn
Twist pipe cleaners into candy cane shapes. Tie yarn to the hook. Tie the yarn to a
pencil or stick.
Place pencil across top of mason jar or glass so pipe cleaner candy cane is hanging
down.

Mix 6 Tablespoons Borax to 2 cups hot water. You want hot water. Bring the
water to just boiling. Measure the correct amount of water and stir in the correct
amount of borax powder. It will be cloudy and not dissolve. Don’t panic.
This is your saturated solution. Perfect crystal growing conditions!
Pour into your glass or jar so the solution comes above your candy canes.

Check back every few hours to see the changes taking place. I recommend leaving
the pipe cleaners in the solution overnight. Pull candy cane from solution and
remove the yarn. Allow to dry. Once it’s dry, you can hang on the tree or hang
with a pretty red ribbon.
If you have older kids, you may want to discuss the science of what happened.
(taken from ​Steve Spangle​r)
When you mixed the borax and water, you created a suspension of borax. A
suspension is a mixture that contains solid particles large enough to make the
liquid appear cloudy or murky.

By mixing the borax into hot water, instead of room temperature or cold
water, the borax can stay suspended much longer. Very hot water can hold much
more dissolved borax than cold water. Hot water molecules are moving very fast
and are spread way out which makes space available for more borax to dissolve
into it.

As the mixture cools, the water molecules slow down and move closer
together. That means there’s less room for the dissolved borax and it begins to
fall out of the water.

As the borax settles out out of the cooling suspension due to gravity, it
bonds with other borax on nucleation sites (bumps, tiny cracks, impurities, etc. in
the container) and begins to form seeds for further crystallization. Crystals come
together in specific, repeated patterns due to the shape of the molecules forming
them.

You’ll see this crystallization on the bottom and sides of the container, on
the string hanging from the pencil, and on the pipe cleaner arms of the snowflake.
The borax continues to fall and crystalize on top of the snowflake and on top of
other borax crystals until you pull it out of the water the next morning.
Game: ​Candy Cane Hunt
Hide 15-20 candy canes in your home. Let your children hunt for all the candy
canes. Once you collect all of them, line them up and count how many candy
canes you have.
Hold one candy cane up as a J. Ask your children to tell you words that begin with
J. Allow your kids to trace the J candy cane with your fingers.

Eat Your Way through School:​ Healthy Candy Cane Snack

Slice bananas and strawberries ½ thick. Line them up, alternating banana slice
with strawberry slice. As you get to the top, curve your fruit to make a candy cane
shape.
 How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Read: ​How the Grinch Stole Christmas​, by Dr. Seuss

Allow your children to retell (narrate) the story back to you.

Discussion​: Discuss the changes in the Grinch over time.

1. What kind of character was the Grinch at the beginning of the story?
2. Did he like Christmas? Why or why not?
3. What happened to the Grinch’s heart in the story?
4. What was the Grinch like at the end of the story?
 5. How could our family be more like the “good” Grinch at the end of the
story?

Eat Your Way through School:​ Grinch Popcorn

Pop your popcorn. Melt green candy melts according to package directions. Pour
over popcorn. Toss to cover. Voila … green, grinch popcorn
Slice bananas and strawberries ½ thick. Line them up, alternating banana slice
with strawberry slice. As you get to the top, curve your fruit to make a candy cane
shape.
 Advent & Christmas Books
for ​Preschool & Kindergarten
After reading one of these books, encourage your children to retell the story back
to you. Click on any book title to read more about it. Remember there is good
content in many picture books.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever ​ - Good starting read aloud for young kids. Other
read alouds listed at the bottom of this list
How the Grinch Stole Christmas ​ - great book to discuss how our hearts change
The Legend of the Candy Cane
The Legend of the Poinsettia
Annika's Secret Wish
The Christmas Story
The Little Match Girl
Little Blue Truck's Christmas
The Snowman
The Polar Express
Llama Lllama Jingle Bells
LLama Llama Holiday Drama
Olive, the Other Reindeer
The Reindeer Wish
Peter Spier's Christmas!
The Twelve Days of Christmas
A Christmas Goodnight - Brings Christmas story to light
The Night Before Christmas
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree
God Gave Us Christmas
Fancy Nancy’s Splendiferous Christmas
Christmas in the Big Woods

Chapter books
… to be read for several days … possibly before bedtime.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Kirsten’s Surprise
Molly’s Surprise (​ American Girl Christmas books)
Felicity’s Surprise (​ American Girl Christmas books)
Kit’s Surprise (​ American Girl Christmas books)
Samantha’s Surprise ​(American Girl Christmas books)
Addy’s Surprise (​ American Girl Christmas books)
 Surviving Christmas with Littles
Let me ask you a few questions.
Is your life peaceful during Advent & Christmas?
Is it really a time of joy & peace?
Do you have enough margin in your life to reflect on Christ?
When my kids were young, I thought the answer to those questions was
“yes, yes, yes”. But if I was honest with myself, I realized the answers were “no”. I
did not have peace, nor was I surviving Christmas season . . . as a wife, as a mom
or as Christ's child.
We were so busy doing all the Christmas activities, that I fell apart the week
before Christmas. I crammed so many activities between Thanksgiving and
Christmas and didn’t realize the stress I placed on myself.
I wanted to take the kids to the live nativity.
I wanted to bake goodies for our neighbors.
I wanted to make hand-made Christmas cards.
I wanted to attend the Christmas Cantata as a family.
I wanted to enjoy the hayride through the park.
I wanted to go Christmas caroling.
I wanted to watch the local Christmas parade…or better yet, let our kids be
in the parade.
And the list goes on & on & on & on!
By Christmas Day, we were driving to one of our family celebrations and I was in
tears. I accused Steve of not helping with Christmas and leaving all the Christmas
activities to me.
Why didn’t he help out?
 Skip The Rest . . .
If you’ve never plan too many activities, skip this section.
Go enjoy your peace & quiet.
If you’re like me, read on to see how God solved this problem in my life,
how I started surviving Christmas.
After one of those tearful drives to my family’s Christmas celebration, I
listened to what Steve had to say. He told me that he didn’t want to participate in
every Christmas activity known to our town. He wanted to enjoy our family and
our home.
What a concept! Enjoy each other.
I also realized that I was training my kids to be busy-bees. Even at the ages
of three or four. I was not encouraging them to appreciate home life or enjoy
their family. If I continued down that course, I would raise kids who were more
interested in activities than their family (which includes me).
I needed to change, but how?
Slow Down!
We decided to choose 2 activities each Christmas season in which to
participate. The rest of the season, we would enjoy our family, read books, sit by
the fire, discuss the true meaning of Christmas.
Did we do it?
Yep, I quit dragging our family to all those extra activities and we started
enjoying our family & friends. It's been many years since I cried on Christmas Day
from stress. I thank God for my dear husband, Steve, who patiently helped me
see what is truly important at this season.
Relationships are absolutely more important than Activities, especially at
Christmas.
Our relationship to our kids
Our relationship to our family & friends
And most of all, our relationship with our Lord
What are you cultivating this Christmas?
Activities & Busy-bees?
Or life-long relationships with your kids, your family, your friends?
 Christian Holiday Resources
Click on any title to read more

Christmas Around the World Unit Study

Christmas Around the World is perfect for

homeschooling in December. Tie together history,
math, science, art and more as you look at customs and
traditions from Great Britain, Mexico, Sweden and
more.

For each country, you will receive Christmas traditions,

as well as Activities, Recipes, Christmas Carols,
Christmas Poetry, Christmas Books, Christmas Movies.
There is even a plan for your to use each day you study the country of the day.

In addition to Christmas traditions from each country, you’ll also receive:

● Merry Christmas in a variety of languages

● Christmas Poetry
● Christmas Book List
● Christmas Movie List
● Detailed instructions for activities & recipes
● Christmas Printables, Symbols & Coloring Pages List

Save yourself some time and energy by using our plan! I’ve already done the
work for you.
Star of Bethlehem Family Study Guide

The Study is called ​Star of Bethlehem Bible Study Ebook.

Not only is there a fresh focus on God’s AWESOME
communication with us throughout time, but you will
learn more Astronomy than YEARS of study in a text!
Kerry takes you deeply into the Word of God to dig out
what God has to say about stars, astronomy, astrology,
and neatest of all, how God used STARS to tell about His
plan for salvation through Jesus Christ!

http://HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com/star

Christmas Celebrations: Advent, Christmas & Epiphany

Keep Christ the center of your holiday celebrations as

you learn Biblical ways to celebrate 3 special times of
year. When I look around me and see how empty and
commercialized Christmas Celebrations have become, I
realize I need to watch out for my own family Christmas
celebrations. I may not be able to change the world, but
I can add purpose & meaning to celebrating Christmas in
my home. I can be sure to keep “Christ” in the center of
my family’s Christmas, and so can you!
​ kies of the Cross Family Study Guide
S

Many wonders occurred the day Jesus died. Spend time

as a family discovering when, what & how all the
wonders. Besides Easter Bible verses, what will you
discover in our guide? Clues about Christ’s Crucifixion,
Prophecies Fulfilled at the Cross, Timing of the Day of the
Cross, Blood Moons Today, Solar & Lunar Eclipses, How
God Uses the Skies as a Sign

http://HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com/skies

A Father’s Stew: Biblical Integration of Family, Work, Ministry,

by Stephen Beck

In an age where fathers are separated from their families for most of the day,
how can we fulfill the biblical mandate to train our children
when "​you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when
you lie down, and when you rise up​" (Deuteronomy 6)? Given
our current culture, is it possible to integrate family, work and
ministry in a biblical manner?

What is God's provision for raising godly children & what are
our responsibilities?

Discover God's vision for fathers as we are challenged from the Scripture to
balance the areas of family, work and ministry and to blend these three
ingredients to form a godly stew, a sweet smelling aroma to God.
 Christian Homeschool Resources
Click on any title to read more.

Everything You Want to Know About Homeschooling

{FREE for you} ​ ​http://HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com

Tool Kits

Unit Studies Tool Kit Charlotte Mason Tool Kit

Character Training Tool Kit Quick Study in Debt Bundle

Making Biblical Decisions Drama-Free Mom

 Christian Leadership Education Series
http://HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com/leaders

Raising Leaders, Not Followers, Book 1

Most homeschoolers continue to offer their children

the same type of education they received; they just
do it at home. Parents prepare their children in a
public school-grade level fashion for a future job,
teaching them only “what to think”. Our founding
fathers received something different – a leadership
education through mentoring. Leadership education
trains our children “how to think” in a variety of
situations.

Kerry Beck discuss three types of educational models, how to move from
“what to think” to “how to think” in your homeschool and practical ways to
implement a Biblical Leadership Education from young
kids to young adults.

Teach Your Children “How to Think” with

Mentoring, Book 2

Go beyond the early years of training leaders and learn

how to provide self-directed study for your own
children. Mentoring has been the successful model to
train statesmen, entrepreneurs and community leaders.
 Discover clues to becoming a successful mentor to your children and to offer
your children opportunities to study their own interests.

Don’t be fooled by the conveyor-belt model! We all

learn more when we are self-motivated to study. Use
mentoring this coming year to encourage your own
children to be self-motivated in their studies.

Hop Off the Conveyor Belt: Tips & Stories, Book 3

Real-life stories compiled from homeschool moms – tips,

tricks & real-life stories of what worked and what didn’t.

Resources for Each Approach to Christian Homeschooling

If you want specific resources that Kerry recommends for
each approach to Christian homeschooling, you may be
interested in one of the following resources.

Get it everything you need to decide which approach is best

for your family when you invest in . . .

Approaches to Christian Homeschooling 7-Week E-Course

● 7 Weekly Assignments sent via email

● Approaches to Christian Homeschooling ebook
● Approaches to Christian Homeschooling Resource Guide-clickable links
● 8 Video Workshops on each approach (digital)
 About Kerry Beck

After 10 years of homeschooling (her kids have

graduated), she enjoys meeting with moms to
encourage them in raising, educating and
encouraging their own kids. She also has a strong
desire to show families how to give their children a
love of learning. Kerry loves being a mom and loves
homeschooling. Sit back and let her help YOU . . . as
you give your kids the best education, a superb,
Christian education, where they will love learning,
as well as be able to think critically & Biblically.

Kerry and Stephen raised three kids. Ashley is

married to Jesse and stays at home with their two
daughters. Gentry is married to Andrews. She stays
home with her daughter and works part-time from home. Hunter works in
management consulting out of Houston.

Kerry shares fun activities to use in your homeschooling and would love to
connect with you online:

Blog: ​ ​http://HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com/blog
Facebook: ​http://facebook.com/HowToHomeschoolMyChild
Twitter: ​http://twitter.com/kerrybeck
Pinterest: ​http://pinterest.com/HowToHomeschool
email: ​Kerry@HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com

Speaking

If you are looking for a speaker about homeschooling, please contact Kerry at
Kerry@CurriculumConnection.net or call (979)703-5724. You can read more
about her speaking topics here:

http://HowToHomeschoolMyChild.com/resources/speaking