Free printable Christmas nativity scenes, Advent manger sets for Bible holiday

Are you looking for religious Christmas crafts for little ones? You'll want these free printable nativity scenes. Children can color Bible characters and assemble manger sets. Here's a free printable manger scene with cut and paste coloring pages to put on paper towel tubes. Catholic Icing has eight coloring pages that you can click and print directly from her blog. Each page features Mary and Joseph, donkey, angel, wisemen, shepherds, Baby Jesus, camels. Download the set from the website.Free printable Christmas nativity scenes, Advent manger sets for Bible holiday

Free printable gingerbread house patterns, Christmas craft stencils

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, Christmas craft stencils 

Free printable Catholic Advent calendars for a Christian Bible Christmas

The Catholic Christian season of Advent begins November 30, 2014 and goes for four weeks till Christmas. Many families follow Advent calendars. If they're getting all season long, where's the magic of Christmas morning? Advent is about preparing for the coming of Christ with acts of charity.  Here are Free printable Catholic Advent calendars for a Christian Bible Christmas

Free Christmas Crafts and Holiday Printables

Martha Stewart is the DIY home goddess. On her website, you'll find printable crafts for every holiday, theme and occasion. Coming up, she's got Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and winter themed holiday crafts. You can also find Advent, Kwanzaa, Solstice, Chanukah and Epiphany crafts to print. And you can access any holiday from the page I linked. There are free printable greeting cards, invitations, decorations, games, banners, cut and paste, children's activities, gift crafts and more. Look for birthday, anniversary, new baby, wedding, bridal shower, graduation and religious events. Free Crafts and Printables from Martha Stewart

Free Printable Christmas Crafts, Cards, Games, Party Decorations and Recipes

I maintain several highly-performing niche blog, the most popular ones involving printable crafts for children. Internet searchers are always seeking freebies and crafts. Christmas is an especially popular time to hunt up free printable crafts. So here are links for free printable Christmas crafts, recipes, games, decorations and greeting cards! Free Crafts and Printables from Martha Stewart

Free Printable Advent Calendar Crafts

Advent is a penitential season that starts four weeks before Christmas in +Catholic and +Orthodox-christian churches. As in lent (before Easter) we pray, fast and give alms to prepare our hearts for the "coming" (advent) of Christ (from the Latin "adveniat regnum"--coming of Christ's kingdom.) The first Sunday of Advent in 2013 is December 1. Here are printable advent calendars for kids. Free Printable Advent Calendar Crafts for Kids

Printable Catholic Saints Paper Dolls

I enjoy looking for free printable cartoon coloring pages, but my real passion lies in finding homeschooling and religious education free printables. I remember my early teaching and homeschooling career, sans computer. I must have made thousands of lessons. Alas, I am woefully inept as an artist, so those that required drawing skills...lacked. But now, with the beauty of the Internet, we have access to free printable lesson plans, coloring pages, cut and paste crafts, games and activities. Here are printable Catholic paper dolls for Advent and Christmas. Free Printable Catholic Saints Paper Dolls and Coloring Page Activities

Chris VanAllsburg, Polar Express, Herpolsheimers' Grand Rapids Connections

I have a lot of hobbies and interests. One is incunabula, particularly collecting children's literature. I'm not au currant in modern adult fiction, but juvenilia I speak fluently. A favorite author/illustrator is Chris VanAllsburg--of Jumanji, The Polar Express (books, then movies) fame. When I was in college and a new teacher, VanAllsburg was writing and illustrating some of his best works. My favorite is a little-remembered volume of M.C. Escher-ish pictures with intriguing captions "The Mysteries of Harris Burdick." I used that extensively in creative writing with my Montessori students in the 80s. And I just discovered a neat connection. VanAllsburg is from my hometown Grand Rapids. I think the train he used for the Polar Express was modeled on Herpolsheimer's Santa Express--a little train that went around the top of the store, that all us kids rode years ago.  Oh, and here's a free printable Polar Express party kit perfect for children's Christmas festivities or birthday parties. Read more. Chris VanAllsburg is from My Hometown

Free Printable Christmas Party Games for Holiday Parties

Picture this: Christmas opened, dinner nicely settling and just when adults start to relax, the kids want to play. Why not pull out a little holiday magic with free printable Christmas puzzles and word games! Before Christmas or any other holiday, gather an assortment of books, toys, prizes. Put them in a Santa Surprise bag. When kids get restless, haul it out and add a free printable Christmas activity books. For each puzzle or coloring page successfully completed the child gets to choose one prize from Santa's Surprise bag!  Woo-hoo, mom and dad can half-nap for a good hour or two! Here are your Free Printable Christmas Party Games

Free Printable Feast of the Immaculate Conception Activities, Crafts

December 8 marks the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The Immaculate Conception is one of six recognized Holy Days in the liturgical calendar. Here are free printable activities and lessons to celebrate this feast day. I've gone through all the noted Catholic websites and linked this article to children's liturgy activities that explore the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Our Blessed Mother.  read more

Free Printable Christmas Decorations, Ornaments, Crafts

Finding yourself cash-strapped this holiday season? You're not alone! Many years, my Christmas budget barely covered gifts, let alone holiday decorations. I admired the lovely Christmas decor my friends and neighbors put up, but not the big bucks they shelled out. If I had any money left, I wanted to share with kids in need, not buy dust collectors or disposable decorations. Fortuneately, the internet provides a solution: free printable Christmas decorations and crafts. Print from your computer for cheap holiday decor. All you need is paper and ink and you can save on those by printing in black ink on recycled paper (be sure to set your printer to "economy" to use less ink). Then have kids color black and white images! A 25 cent box of crayons bought at back-to-school sales and you've got a child minder craft that will keep kids happily occupied all season long! And kids will love decorating with ornaments they've made themselves. You're making memories, saving money and keeping kids productively occupied all at once! Talk about multitasking--girl, you rock! read on

Free Printable Eastern Orthodox Catholic Coloring Activities

The Christian Orthodox church, whose branches include Russian, Ukrainian, Slavic, Slavonic and Greek Orthodox, is linked to the Byzantine Church. The eastern rite churches follow most of the same practices as the Christian Catholic church, such as veneration of saints, icons, holy relics and martyrs. Here are free printable coloring pages, activities and lesson plans to celebrate Orthodox Advent and Christmas. Epiphany is a specifically Orthodox holiday and the occasion on which most Orthodox families exchange gifts. Read more

Free Printable Winter Season Lessons, Activities

The winter season is a popular theme in preschool and early elementary. In science, the winter season makes an ideal focus for chemistry, physics, earth and life science topics. In social studies, students might explore winter-specific holidays and religious celebrations, like Yule, Saturnalia and the December solstice. Concepts are adaptable across different curricula: writing, math, reading, literature, art and crafts. Here are free printable winter season activities. Most are interactive, hands-on project-type activities. Perfect for many ages and grade levels. Great for special needs learners, too. Read more

Free Printable Coloring Page Manger Scene Nativity Set

Are you looking for great Bible, religious and Christmas crafts for little ones? Here is a free printable nativity scene with cut and paste coloring pages to make a complete manger scene using paper towel tubes. Catholic Icing is a nifty mom-made website for young and old. Lacy designs some beautiful coloring pages for children. She's really outdone herself on this advent nativity scene craft. She created eight coloring pages that you can click and print directly from her blog. Each page features different characters from the nativity scene. Read more

Free Printable Catholic Saints Coloring Pages for Christmas

I've just found a lovely blog today, called Waltzing Matilda, that features a whole collection of free printable Catholic saints organized in order of the Catholic liturgical and saints feast day calendar. Print these free coloring pages for All Saints' Day, Advent and Christmas. Many saints' feast days occur near Christmas: Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Bl. Juan Diego, St. Lucia, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Nicholas, St. Stephen, Feast of the Holy Innocents and others. This blog features beautiful hand drawn images. Read more

Free Printable Christmas Holiday Crafts, Decorations, Cards, Activities

Many schools will begin Christmas holiday vacation soon. Students rejoice, but parents worry: I've got so much work to do? Here is my 'bored kid first aid kit' with free printable coloring cards, ornaments,  decorations, gift tags and crafts. Read more

Free Printable Advent Countdown to Christmas Calendars

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. Read more

Free Printable Manger Scene and Nativity Set

Each Christmas season, I enjoy hunting up new and exciting crafts projects. Here are free printable Christian and Catholic nativity and manger scenes. Print these manger scenes for children to color, cut and paste. Use to teach Christmas Bible stories. Little ones can enjoy playing with homemade nativity figures without fear of breaking expensive sets. A great way to teach the Biblical story. read more

Free Printable Holiday and Craft Stencils

Stenciling is a heritage craft that had it's zenith in Victorian times with prairie and revival architecture styles. There are dozens of craft projects that employ stenciling. Here are free printable stencils and patterns for stenciling. read more

Free Printable Holiday and Christmas Coloring Pages

Free Printable Seasonal and Holiday Greeting Cards and Coloring Pages Looking for good seasonal and holiday coloring pages? Fisher-Price. Fisher-Price has free printable coloring pages for Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day. Read More