Friday Fun - Thankful Snowflakes

Here's an activity for Family Night:

Use small, white doilies as snowflakes. On each snowflake, write a short thank you note to Jesus. Decorate the snowflakes with silver and blue glitter glue, or sequins. When they have dried, tape them to the windows.

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Friday Fun - Happy Birthday Jesus Cakes

This is my family's favorite Christmas tradition:

I bake everyone in the family a round, single layer cake. When the cakes have cooled, everyone gets to frost and decorate their own cake. We use various colors of frosting, candy, flaked coconut, marshmallows, and sprinkles. When the decorating is done, we light a candle in each cake and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. Then everyone gets to start eating their own cake.
I've also invited the neighbor over to make cakes with us as an evangelistic activity.

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Adventures in Odyssey
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Friday Fun - Family Slumber Party

Set up your sleeping bags and pillows around the Christmas tree. Have snacks and play games. It will be fun to fall asleep looking at the lights and ornaments on the tree.

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Friday Fun - Christmas Craft Night

Spend family night making Christmas Crafts. You can make crafts to decorate your house and to give away as presents. Maybe you'll want to deliver them to the neighbors as you sing Christmas carols at their door.



Here's a family night snack to make - Rudolf Cupcakes.


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Adventures in Odyssey
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Friday Fun - Family Christmas Traditions

The Christmas season is here. It's time to plan out your family Christmas traditions.

I've made a blog with 100 Family Christmas Traditions.

You may want to choose a few to make your Christmas season more memorable. If you're really ambitious, choose one a day starting the day after Thanksgiving.

Here are some of my favorites:

• Slumber Party Under the Tree
• Lights in the Bedroom
• Birthday Party for Jesus
• A Craft a Day
• Track Santa's Flight
• Magic Reindeer Food
• Attend a Light Parade
• Date With Dad
• Attend a Christmas Eve Service
• A Tree for the Animals
• Kid's Christmas Tree
• Kris Kringle
• Earn Money for the Kettle
• Cold Night BBQ
• Christmas Eve Family Gift
• Christmas Day Special Activity

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Daily Devotion

Adventures in Odyssey
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Friday Fun - Two Missionaries in India

Here's something that you could do for Family Night.

Make a snack and watch these videos about Gospel for Asia missionaries.

These video segments tell about 2 native missionaries who witness to their own people in India.

(Total length of all three segments is 25 minutes.)

Part 2

Part 3

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Daily Devotion

Adventures in Odyssey
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Friday Fun - Orphan Related Family Night

How your family can Help Orphans

• Listen to a free episode of Adventures in Odyssey - The Chosen One (about a foster child)
• Watch Anne of Green Gables (about an adopted orphan) at YouTube.
  
• Watch Little House on the Prairie - Family Tree (when Albert was adopted by the Ingalls) at YouTube.
  

Keys for Kids
Daily Devotion

Adventures in Odyssey
Online Radio Show

Friday Fun - Discuss the Bible and Prayer

A Family Night Idea: Discuss the Importance of reading the Bible and praying.

I like visiting Christian blogs, reading Christian books, and listening to Christian radio stations. All of these things teach me more about Jesus.

However, my pastor reminded me that these Christian things do not replace reading the Bible and praying. It is more important that we read the Bible; it is God's word. It is our Christian instruction manual, telling us the best way to live. Prayer also needs to be a priority, because it is the time when we actually talk to God.

I don't want to just know about Jesus, I want to have a personal relationship with Him. That means that I must spend more time with Him - reading the Bible and praying to Him.

Ideas:

• Make a chart recording your daily Bible reading and prayer.
• Set a special time each day to pray and read the Bible.
• Listen to an Audio Version of the Bible
  
• Use the Kid's Prayer Calendar

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Daily Devotion

Adventures in Odyssey
Online Radio Show

Friday Fun - Thankfulness Activity

Here's an activity for Family Night:

We don't have to wait until Thanksgiving to be thankful. We can express our appreciation to God right now in September. Using the 9 letters in the word September, write down what you are thankful for.

I am thankful for:

S - Snacks
God gives me an abundance of food to eat. Everyday, I get full on meals and snacks. I am so thankful for this because I know that there are many people in the world who do not have enough to eat. Thank you, Jesus, that I get snacks too.

E - Exercise
There are many fun ways to exercise my body. Hiking, biking, and swimming are some of my favorites.

P - Prayer
I'm thankful that I can talk to God through prayer. I feel closer to Him and comforted when I pray.

T - Travel
I love to visit new places and see new things. I'm thankful for the times I get to travel to see parts of this wonderful world that God made.

E - Electricity
I can't imagine my life without the convenience of electricity. It powers things like my computer, heaters, TV, lights, and oven.

M - Music
There are so many Christian songs to be sung. I enjoy listening to Christian praise music and Christian rock. I love to sing along and worship God.

B - Bible
The word of God teaches me so many wonderful lessons about how God wants me to act as a Christian. It also teaches me about who God is.

E - Eternity
Since I'm a Christian, I will live for eternity in heaven. That is so exciting.

R - Resurrection
It's wonderful to appreciate the Resurrection of Jesus. He came to this earth to die for our sins and to come back to life. Thank you so much, Jesus.

Keys for Kids
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Adventures in Odyssey
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Friday Fun - Family Night Campfire

Gather as a family around a fire pit or bonfire. If it isn't possible to make a fire, it can be just as fun to set up lawn chairs and look at the stars. Here are some things to do while you're sitting outside:

• sing
• play a guitar
• tell stories
• read the Bible
• read a devotion
  
• make s'mores or eat a snack
• look for shooting stars

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Adventures in Odyssey
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Friday Fun - Family Picnic

Get the family together and go on a picnic.

Spend time together making the food. You may want to choose a location where you can go for a hike, toss a ball, or play Frisbee.

The important thing is - have fun as a family.


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Daily Devotion

Adventures in Odyssey
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Friday Fun - Family Mission Statement

Here are a couple activities that you can do for family night.

Write a Family Mission Statement

God has a unique mission for your family. The Christian-Parent site has ideas and a sample statement to help your family write it's mission statement.

Make a Snack Mix

6 cups Crispix cereal
1 can (10 oz.) mixed nuts
1 package (10 oz.) pretzel sticks
3/4 cup margarine
3/4 cup packed brown sugar

In a large bowl, combine the cereal, nuts, and pretzels. In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt butter. Add brown sugar; cook and stir until dissolved. Pour over cereal mixture; stir to coat. Place a third of the mixture on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 8 minutes; stir and bake for 6 minutes more. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Repeat with remaining mixture.

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Adventures in Odyssey
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Friday Fun - Share Cookies

Make up dozens of cookies (or pies).

Go for a family walk and deliver bags of cookies to your neighbors.

Keys for Kids
Daily Devotion

Adventures in Odyssey
Online Radio Show

Friday Fun - Easter Activities

Manger to the Cross

Thank you Jesus. You were born to die - to save the lost, to set us free, to give us eternal life.

Group Games for Easter

• Classic Egg Relay
• Egg and Wooden Spoon Race
• Lame Hen Game
• Carrot Scavenger Hunt
• Easter Egg Treasure Hunt
• Egg Rolling
• Egg Bowling
• Egg Toss
• Knock 'ems
• Cream Countryside
• Easter Pictionary

Easter Crafts

• Family Fun
• DLTK
• Danielle's Place
• Twin Grove Middle School
  

Easter Facts

• Read about the history of Easter at Annie's Easter History Page.
• The history of Easter Candy.
• The history of the White House Easter Egg Roll.

Miscellaneous

• Send Easter Ecards
• Make Easter Paper Crafts and Decorations
• Make Easter Bunny Cupcakes
  

Keys for Kids
Daily Devotion for March 20, 2008 "Dead or Alive"