Free printable Advent wreath crafts for children to make

Advent is the four-week season before Christmas, celebrated by Catholics, Orthodox and some protestant Christian denominations. Most people think of Advent calendars with candies and treats. But that, like a commercial Christmas, is miles from the real purpose.. Advent is a lesser penitential season, a minor Lent. Christians observe spiritual acts of prayer, fasting and charity. They follow Bible-based Advent calendars and count down to Christmas reflecting on Jesus. One evangelical pastor is pushing protestant churches to celebrate Advent and put Christ back in Christmas, said Time magazine, Dec. 1.   Free printable Advent wreath crafts for children to make | Examiner.com

Free printable children's Advent calendars and Christmas countdown crafts | Examiner.com

 Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas. During Advent we focus on prayer, fasting and almsgiving in preparation for the Feast of Christmas. Many people use an Advent calendar to countdown to Christmas. Here are free printable advent calendars for children. Advent calendars feature little windows that are numbered. Children open one window each day before Christmas. Some advent calendars have a Bible verse that follows the Christmas story of Jesus's birth in Bethlehem.Free printable children's Advent calendars and Christmas countdown crafts

Free printable gingerbread house patterns and recipes, Christmas craft stencils | Examiner.com

 Making holiday gingerbread houses is a favorite family traditions. Not being very artistic, I'd cheat and get the gingerbread house kit. But I've found a better way: free printable gingerbread house patterns, recipes and templates. People approach gingerbread house making in two ways. The first is to painstakingly design a work of art--not to be eaten, let alone touched. Then there's our youngest son's method: slap together a ramshackle gingerbread shed, lather in two inches of frosting, cover every inch in candy and devour immediately. Whichever school you subscribe to, you'll want these free printable gingerbread recipes, templates and patterns.Free printable gingerbread house patterns and recipes, Christmas craft stencils | Examiner.com

Thanksgiving decorations, homemade, recycled holiday crafts for preschool kids

 Parents does the Thanksgiving holiday find you up to your eyebrows in kids and work? Why not put those youngsters to work making Thanksgiving decoration? Keep busy little ones productively occupied with homemade, recycled holiday crafts for preschool kids. Get your work done and keep children out from under foot and happily making holiday crafts for your celebration.Thanksgiving decorations, homemade, recycled holiday crafts for preschool kids | Examiner.com

Celebrate a haunt-less Halloween with non-scary trick-or-treat activities

Halloween is a top-grossing holiday and consumer spending will hit record highs in 2014 predicts U.S News and World Report. Young and old alike eagerly anticipate trick-or-treat, spending an average of $80 per person on costumes, spook house venues, decorations and candy. Not everyone looks forward to Halloween, however. Some children are terrified by scary costumes. Parents don't want them to miss out on the fun, just avoid the creepier aspects. Is it possible to celebrate a haunt-less Halloween? Absolutely! Here are alternative trick-or-treat activities.  Celebrate a haunt-less Halloween with non-scary trick-or-treat activities | Examiner.com

Free printable spooky Halloween crafts, paper toys and creepy decorations | Examiner.com

Do you love yourself a deliciously spooky Halloween? Do you anticipate a terrifically terrifying trick-or-treat? Maybe you go all out on a ghostly decorations Hallow-palooza? If so, don't miss this website.



Ravens Blight (how's that for dark, and foreboding) redefines Halloween fun with a gigantic collection of vintage Gothic paper toys you can print free. There are free printable Halloween decorations featuring any kind of creepy thing you could want.

Free printable spooky Halloween crafts, paper toys and creepy decorations | Examiner.com

Free printable Harry Potter coloring pages: National Literacy Month book crafts - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com

 September is National Literacy Month. The Harry Potter books are the most popular series in children's literature. The novels make good reader's workshop selections and read-alouds for younger or reluctant readers. The books expose kids to many genres and literary elements: medieval folk lore, mythology, German fairy tales, Greek oral tradition, epic poetry, Norse legends, African fables and more. You'll find Harry Potter connections to Virgil, Homer, Parzifal, Siegfried, Shakespeare, King Arthur, Macbeth, Beowulf, Song of Roland and even the Bible. J.K. Rowling has blended these literary traditions together and added some secret fairy dust of her own to create the wonder of Harry Potter.Free printable Harry Potter coloring pages: National Literacy Month book crafts - Grand Rapids Holidays | Examiner.com