Mortimer's Christmas Manger

This week we are participating with over 25 other bloggers in a Nativity Blog Hop, sharing lots of fun activities and ideas to do with our children in our homes.  Please link up any child friendly posts at the end of this post that relate to the nativity story in any way.

I shared Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman with our Mommy and Me class this week.

 It is a sweet story about a little mouse who finds a nativity set up in his house and wants the manger for his own bed.  He climbs the Christmas tree to reach the manger and moves all of the statues out so he can sleep in the manger. He doesn't understand the importance of the Baby Jesus.  But once he learns of Jesus and His role in saving mankind, Mortimer returns the manger to its rightful owner and prays to ask for a new home for himself.  The story ends sweetly, with Mortimer discovering an empty gingerbread house. 

Gathering Activity- Mouse in a Manger Craft

Materials Needed: brown for the mouse's body,white for ears, and black foam for eyes and pink nose,yellow strips of construction paper for hay, brown construction paper cut in the shape of a manger, glue, half sheet of construction paper

We gave each child the materials and allowed them to assemble the mouse in the manger with hay.

Art : Manger Scene Painting

This was a very simple activity, but lovely. 

Materials needed: blue paint, foam brushes, card stock, nativity die cut

Each child painted the entire sheet of paper blue.  I love using foam brushes with children this age.  They can manipulate the brush easily to cover the entire space.   After painting the paper, the children glued down a sihlouette diecut of a nativity. 

Snack: Christmas Tree and Strawberry Mice

In the story, Mortimer climbs up the tree to reach the nativity set. 

We made this fruit tree that inspired by one at  Good and Happy Day and served it with these cute strawberry mice, made from strawberries, licorice, and mini chocolate chips.

 

Activity: Explore Nativities

The children played with Christmas Nativity Sets while we played Christmas music in the background.  It was fun to watch them retell the story using the props. 

Here is the list of the other bloggers who are co-hosting the Nativity Blog Hop!  Please share your activities with us!  I can't wait to find new traditions for our family.  I hope you find some, too!

The Imagination Tree Living Montessori Now Kindergarten & Preschool for Parents & Teachers My Nearest And Dearest Life At The Zoo Creative Connection for Kids This Reading Mama Adventures in Mommydom Train up A Child Rainy Day Mum 3 Dinosaurs Crafty Mom Share The Magic Of Play Sun Hats and Wellieboots The Fairy and The Frog Housing a Forest The Iowa Farmers Wife Mommy & Me Book Club Craft To Art The Golden Gleam Here Come The Girls Mamas Like Me In Lieu Of Preschool Kids Creative Chaos My Small Potatoes Love Play And Learn

If you join us, feel free to grab a button!

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