We don't do Santa in our house. Don't get me wrong. There are plenty of Christmas cartoons and silly fun. But my girls know there is no Santa. Their gifts come from family. And they're OK with that. We just don't want to muddy their belief system. Santa and Jesus are both "supernatural beings" who can be everywhere and know everything - like whether you are being good or bad. We just don't want to take the chance that, when they find out we weren't truthful about Santa, they think we aren't being truthful about Jesus - even for a moment. Its just not worth the risk.
Now, please don't get me wrong. If you do Santa with your kids, I don't in any way think you are a "bad parent." This is simply the way our family has decided to handle Christmas. That's why I LOVE the idea of Star From Afar! Think "elf on the shelf" with a focus on Jesus! And, for all you moms who have pulled your hair out trying to think of creative ways to put that blasted elf out every night - mini marshmallow bubble baths, pooping Hershey's kisses in the toilet - this is so much easier!!!
Here's how it works. You set up the nativity scene with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and the shepherd and sheep in the creche. Place the Wise Men somewhere in the house (as far away from the nativity as possible). Then, while the kids are sleeping, hide the star somewhere in your house. The next morning, the kids have to search for the star. Once they find it, they take the wise men and place them next to the Star. Repeat this every night. The star even has a hook on it so that you can get creative! Hang it on the tree (and then have the kids place the wise men on the nearest table). The instructions say that, on Christmas Eve night, you move the star to the top of the nativity. Then the kids can move the wise men into the nativity on Christmas morning.
There are so many things to love about this set! To begin with, its well made! The set costs $34.95 plus shipping, but you get the nativity, the creche, a hardback book, and a reusable box to keep the whole thing safe until next year! The book even has a helpful list of daily Scriptures to read as you do the activity!
So let me give you a rundown of what I like and dislike about the set.
First my likes:
1.) Its seems very well made. You seem to get a lot for $35.
2.) The idea is so creative and a great way to get your kids interested in the Christmas story! It really brings them in and makes them part of the story!
3.) Its easy! As I mentioned, you don't have to do in-depth planning like you have to do with the elf on the shelf. You simply have to move the star each night - and not forget where you put it. (I add that part because that is TOTALLY something I would do! Haha!)
4.) The book contains Bible verses for each day - and they aren't all nativity verses! December 2 is Psalm 119-105 - "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." December 13 is 2 Corinthians 9:15 - "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"
5.) The instructions for the crèche are on the side of the box - along with a picture! Some how I missed this when I first set it up, and even though it's a simple setup, I couldn't figure it out! (We've been lacking in sleep in our house lately. A two year old having nightmares about Tigers will do that to you.) But once you follow the instructions (or even just look at the pic) you can figure it out with no problem! And I love that the crèche comes apart so that everything fits back in the box for easy storage!
Now some dislikes:
1.) The book and the instructions insinuate that the wise men ended up in Bethlehem on the night of Jesus' birth. Although there are differing opinions on when they actually met Jesus, its pretty universally accepted that they did not arrive on the night of the birth. This doesn't bother me greatly though. After all, EVERY nativity scene out there includes the wisemen. And they really should be incorporated in the story since they are such a key part. There are many ways to change the game to fit what you're teaching. You can simply explain to your kids that the wise men didn't arrive that night, but arrived later. Or you can continue the game through January 6th - The Day of the Kings. If you aren't familiar with this holiday, its a celebration of the day the wise men met Jesus and presented their gifts. (You can learn a little more Here.) Continuing the game through January 6th is a great way to differentiate between the day of Jesus' birth and the day the wise men arrived (which many scholars believe happened at least several months later). If you want to get even more realistic, you can take down the creche and remove the shepherd and sheep after Christmas day. You could even put the baby Jesus and his family in your child's doll house - or make a little house out of one of the boxes the Christmas gifts came in (another fun craft)! Then, have the wise men arrive on January 6th at the house of Mary and Joseph.
All in all, I love this product and the idea behind it! I would definitely recommend it! And I know its gonna become a Christmas tradition in our house!
Update (February, 2016): We used this throughout the Christmas season and my kids LOVED it! Seriously!!! Some days when we would get up, I'd say, "Hey, let's find the star!" But some days I wouldn't even mention it and they would either wake up and start searching or they'd be busy with their morning activities and come across it by accident - which they absolutely loved! This set is definitely a must have! I can't wait until next year to use it again! It requires no creativity - you just have to be able to hide it - but it gives the kids so much joy! And it gives you a natural discussion starter everyday to help you talk to your kids about Jesus' birth!
I received product free of charge, from Star From Afar LLC, in exchange for my honest review.
Now some dislikes:
1.) The book and the instructions insinuate that the wise men ended up in Bethlehem on the night of Jesus' birth. Although there are differing opinions on when they actually met Jesus, its pretty universally accepted that they did not arrive on the night of the birth. This doesn't bother me greatly though. After all, EVERY nativity scene out there includes the wisemen. And they really should be incorporated in the story since they are such a key part. There are many ways to change the game to fit what you're teaching. You can simply explain to your kids that the wise men didn't arrive that night, but arrived later. Or you can continue the game through January 6th - The Day of the Kings. If you aren't familiar with this holiday, its a celebration of the day the wise men met Jesus and presented their gifts. (You can learn a little more Here.) Continuing the game through January 6th is a great way to differentiate between the day of Jesus' birth and the day the wise men arrived (which many scholars believe happened at least several months later). If you want to get even more realistic, you can take down the creche and remove the shepherd and sheep after Christmas day. You could even put the baby Jesus and his family in your child's doll house - or make a little house out of one of the boxes the Christmas gifts came in (another fun craft)! Then, have the wise men arrive on January 6th at the house of Mary and Joseph.
All in all, I love this product and the idea behind it! I would definitely recommend it! And I know its gonna become a Christmas tradition in our house!
Update (February, 2016): We used this throughout the Christmas season and my kids LOVED it! Seriously!!! Some days when we would get up, I'd say, "Hey, let's find the star!" But some days I wouldn't even mention it and they would either wake up and start searching or they'd be busy with their morning activities and come across it by accident - which they absolutely loved! This set is definitely a must have! I can't wait until next year to use it again! It requires no creativity - you just have to be able to hide it - but it gives the kids so much joy! And it gives you a natural discussion starter everyday to help you talk to your kids about Jesus' birth!
I received product free of charge, from Star From Afar LLC, in exchange for my honest review.
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