Critters around the Crèche: Activities for Sensing the Seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany

In Critters around the Cr鋃he ...

• a donkey guides us to hear love,
• a dog leads us to smell hope,
• a dove helps us to taste peace,
• a cow steers us to touch joy,
• a lamb shepherds us to see light,
• and a camel prompts us to follow faith.

Critters around the Cr鋃he weaves together several themes: animals that might have been present at the time of Jesus' birth, each "critter's" connection with the five senses, and words traditionally associated with the weeks of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. As humans, our primary way of learning from the world around us is through our eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin. Our senses evoke both our physical awareness of the world and our spiritual perception beyond this world. Using the gifts each animal brings to these seasonal stories emphasizes how we can better sense God's presence in our lives.

Includes:

• Weekly sessions with prayer, Scripture, music, ritual, visuals, story, and talking points.
• Prayer resources for celebrating the Christmas story and Epiphany.
• Eleven animal crafts, plus reproducible outlines for all featured animals.
• Rich ideas for "sensory" bulletin board decorations throughout the season.
• A weekly "Riddle Me!" game.
• Music suggestions, including a theme song and two anthems.
• Six interactive hymn stories telling the backstory behind familiar Christmas songs.
• Six animal-themed snacks
• Weekly family time pages, plus at-home "Come to Your Senses" reflections and "Advent Festival."
• Additional "Sharing the Story" activities and service projects.
• Connections to the Menagerie at the Manger Christmas Pageant (sold separately).

The beauty of this thematic approach is that it also benefits learners who may prefer one style of understanding over another. Some are inspired by seeing, many by hearing, and still others by their sense of touch, or taste, or smell. Using a theme that emphasizes each of those senses challenges participants to use sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch to appreciate the true gifts of Christmas: faith, hope, light, love, joy, and peace. Activities used in church, home, and school provide many ways for children-as well as youth and adults-to explore, learn, and remember as they use their senses to celebrate the birth of the Savior.