Preschool Nativity and Christmas Party

Last year, as part of Emma's Joy School curriculum, we took a Christmas field trip to the nursing home, and the kids put on a little nativity for the grandmas and grandpas there. It was such a good experience that, even though we didn't use the Joy School curriculum again for Mason's preschool, we decided to repeat our nativity production anyway.  The week of the production fell when preschool was at my house this time around, so I got the privilege of teaching the kids about the nativity and rehearsing the play over and over with them.

We began our teaching session with reading a simplified version of the nativity story, and then I let all of the kids use my children's nativity to act it all out.  Next we drew names out of a hat to find out which part each child would play, and afterwards began rehearsing the simple one act play over and over.  The kids did wonderfully and were so excited to get to put on a "real" performance.

On the day of the nursing home visit, the kids met at my house and we spent a half an hour making little tree ornaments that they could give away after the production.

Then we drove to the nursing home, and the kids thrilled the nursing home residents with their performance.  It's amazing really.  As I said last year, I really didn't think it was that good of an idea initially.  Then, however, when I saw how carefully Emma wrapped the baby Jesus in the blanket, and how moved the residents were at the tenderness of our little four year olds, I immediately changed my mind.  This year was no different.  My older kids even joined in all the fun, and the show was another great success!

After the performance, the kids sang some carols, handed out their ornaments, and visited with the residents.  Then we snapped a few more pictures,

and headed back to my house for a little preschool Christmas party.  It was a pretty low key party, but nobody seemed to mind.  The highlight, of course, was making---not to mention eating---mini gingerbread houses.

It's hard to believe that we have now hosted our last preschool Halloween AND Christmas party.  I'm not sure we'll know what to do with the holidays next year when we're on our own. I definitely feel; however,  like we're coming to the end of an era in our family.  When Mason finishes his year of preschool in the spring, it will be the end of our home preschools and time to prepare for all four of our kids to be in our home school program next year.  It's completely crazy.  I remember making candy ABC trains with Madison's first preschool group, and now, seven years later, I'm almost out of the business.  I better enjoy it while I still can!