Joseph Activities

Here are a few wonderful activities to do at home with your children during our week of study on Joseph.

www.toddler-activities-at-home.com/joseph-crafts.html
(Several Joseph crafts including a coat mosaic, Joseph in prison - make a card chain, Joseph interprets the Baker's dream - make some bread, Joseph stores up grain - make a pyramid of wheat or barley)

ministry-to-children.com/sunday-school-craft-josephs-coat-of-many-colors/
(Make a coat of many colors using tissue paper - contains a video)

www.makingfriends.com/joseph.htm
(Joseph's coat of many colors paper doll)

www.gospelhall.org/downloads/children-bible-activities-crafts--printable-games/sunday-school-lesson-activity-123-josephs-dreams/dowmload.html
(Make a story wheel showing Joseph's dreams)

daniellesplace.com/html/egyptian_crafts.html
(Make some Egyptian crafts like Joseph may have seen or worn in Egypt including a headband, a bracelet, a collar (wesekh), a falcon amulet)

www.mssscrafts.com/crafts/chariot/index.htm
(Make an Egyptian chariot out of a small milk carton or disposable cup and printable horse templates)

Interacting with your Nativity Set

Nativity sets are wonderful tools to use to help children understand in a fundamental way what happened so, so, so many years ago, when Jesus came to walk among us. Playing with the characters in the manger and retelling the story themselves are powerful ways to encourage children to have a personal relationship with the true story of Christmas. It will develop in children a sense of ownership, and this is a meaningful building block of spiritual understanding and maturity.

Sometimes it's difficult for parents to know how to encourage such play, however.  We are *ahem* a bit removed from our own childhoods, and it sometimes hard to know how to use the figures of the nativity set both as fun tools and as teaching tools.

I have outlined here the generally accepted timeline of events leading up to Jesus' birth to help your family use the nativity set not only as decoration this Christmas season, but also as fun and meaningful ways to incorporate spiritual learning into your family time.

Week One:
On the first Sunday of Advent, set up the stable.

Week Two:
On the second Sunday of Advent, add animals.

Week Three:
On the third Sunday of Advent, add shepherds to watch over their flocks.

Week Four:
Set up the empty manger. On the morning of the 24th, add Joseph and Mary as they come to Bethlehem. On Christmas day, put Baby Jesus in the manger. Then start the wise men, coming to pay tribute to the new King. Each day they get a little closer, until they arrive on the feast of the Epiphany.

Encourage children to tell the story and to explain why you are moving the figures as you are. If they need help, fill in the gaps or give them prompts. The four week span may be difficult for younger children, who are not yet capable of retaining information for such long periods of time, so feel free to act out the entire story in one sitting, putting the figures back in their spaces when you're finished. If children add play that isn't part of the traditional story, let their creativity flow. There is plenty of time to teach them the "correct" version later- let them make the ideas and the story their own now.

*Note: it's really helpful to have a nativity set which allows Baby Jesus to come out of the manger. We use the Melissa and Doug version at our house, which uses painted wooden figures- one side contains Jesus and the other is empty.

Toilet Paper Nativity Craft

Here's a great craft from Catholic Icing- a nativity set that kids can make and play with (without damaging your nice set from Grandma)!

It's simple: download and print the free printables, color them in, and glue them to toilet paper rolls so they stand up. Voila! Instant fun for the kids, and instant educational tool! (We all know that using manipulatives and encouraging imaginary play is how kids interpret and assign meaning to the information they learn, right?) Well this activity does it all!

Joseph's Coat Preschool Craft

I saw this wonderful craft today to help children learn about the story of Joseph and his colorful coat. It uses a paper bag and lots of colorful paper and odds and ends to replicate the wonderful coat that Joseph must have worn.

I am always looking for crafts and activities to bring the Bible to life, and this craft was an excellent way to do just that! Go here for a great tutorial!
Photo Credit


While we're at it, here are several great coloring pages for kids to use who are learning about Joseph and his coat of many colors.

Try here, here, and here.

Oh yes, and if you don't know this wonderful Bible story, then read on! Joseph, eleventh son of Jacob, was given a coat of many colors, which his brothers took as a sign to show their father's favor. Joseph then had dreams which told him that he would assume leadership and even his brothers would bow down to him. In a jealous rage, his brothers threw him into a pit and later sold him into slavery to a passing group. The brothers then dipped Joseph's coat in goat's blood and told their father that he had been slain. Instead, Joseph had been sold into slavery in Egypt and worked very hard to continue in God's favor by being a faithful servant to Him.

While he was in Egypt, Pharaoh sent for Joseph because he had some dreams which he could not understand. Joseph told him that there was a hard time coming for Egypt and that the Pharaoh should begin to prepare. Pharaoh was happy and he let Joseph go free. Pharaoh asked him to stay and help him to prepare for the hard time to come, which Joseph agreed to do. Thanks to Joseph and his faithful reliance upon God's word, Egypt did not go hungry.