redirect Birth of Jesus Study for Kids (GrapeVine Studies Review)

 

Do you want to intentionally keep Christ in Christmas this year with your family? Looking for a simple but effective way to focus on Jesus during the holiday season? 

Me too.

That’s why I am so that my family was able to review Birth of Jesus from GrapeVine Studies!

GrapeVine Studies Birth of Jesus Review

Disclosure: *This post may include affiliate links. As an affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read the disclosures and terms for more information.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are always busy times of the year, and my husband and I strive to keep them as simple as possible. This is true for this year in particular, since we plan to welcome a new baby on Dec 1! I wanted to be able to do a focused study on the Birth of Jesus, but I don’t have the capacity for anything too involved right now. These studies fit the bill perfectly!

About GrapeVine Studies

*** In October 2015 all GrapeVine books and ebooks are 20% off! Use code Oct2015 to claim your discount AND download a free lesson on the 12 Apostles! ***

GrapeVine Studies are unique. They start at ages 3 and up. For the younger kids, the lessons use a “Hear-Draw-Review” method. The children hear the scriptures and the Bible story events and characters, draw them out using stick figuring, and then answer review questions. Going into elementary years, the method becomes “Read-Draw-Review,” and new skills are introduced such as timelines, basic geography, and Bible research skills.

There are several studies and features to choose from: 

  • Studies by topic
    • Birth of Jesus
    • The Resurrection
    • Biblical feasts
    • Various books/characters of the Bible
    • NT or OT catechism
    • Timelines
  • Studies by level 
    • Traceables (ages 3-5)
    • Beginners (ages 5-7)
    • Level 1 (ages 6-8)
    • Level 2 (ages 8-10)
    • Level 3 (ages 10-13)
    • Level 4 (ages 13 and up)
    • Multi-Level (ages 7 and up)

Studies are available as digital downloads or as printed books. You can view sample lessons and teacher manuals for the lessons on the GrapeVine site (with the product descriptions) as well as browse additional resource books.

Birth of Jesus Study

BBOJT-307x395 BOJS-307x395

For the Birth of Jesus study, the Traceable (3-5), Beginners (5-7) and Multi-Level (7 and up) books are available.

There are 30 pages and 7 weekly lessons, with a final review at the end:

  1. Mary
  2. Joseph
  3. Birth of Jesus
  4. The Shepherds
  5. The Temple
  6. The Wise Men
  7. Herod

The study starts with Mary hearing that she will bear a son and that He will be the Messiah, and ends after the family returns back from Egypt to Nazareth.

Each lesson includes the same basic steps: 

  • Review last lesson(s) and memory verses
  • Teacher reads the day’s storyline (3-4 events) and illustrates it with stick figuring
  • Students stick figure the story on their student sheets
  • Review questions and answers
  • Practice memory verse

How We Used the Birth of Jesus Study

GrapeVine Birth of Jesus Study Stick Figures
Notice how my son’s stick figures are better than mine? Yah.

 

We reviewed the studies for Traceables and Beginners, as my kids range from 1 to almost 7 years old. the 3.5 and 5 year old used the traceable sheets and the oldest used the blank box ones. Even though the lessons are designed to work for up to 7 weeks, they are so fun and so short that we are easily completing them in under two weeks by doing a lesson every day or so.

I take a few minutes to get the kids’ sheets out and quickly scan the teacher’s guide. We keep a running timeline on our dining room white board, so before beginning the new lesson, I copy the previous lesson’s figures up to the end of the timeline.

The kids and I review the story so far with the stick figure timeline. As they memorized the pieces, they recite those on their own. Then they listen as I read the story prompts from the teacher’s guide and draw the new stick figures on the board. Instead of reading the actual scripture verses before or during the lessons, I read them during mealtimes as a reminder and reinforcement.

The kids then draw their own stick figures on their sheets for that lesson. I encourage them to use colors and add elements to their pictures – things that help them remember the story or just express their creativity. We go through the review questions together and then we’re done!

Bottom Line

Birth of Jesus

The Birth of Jesus study is just perfect for our kids and this busy time of year. I really like the stick figuring aspect as it lends a hands-on way of the children to commit the story to memory. The lessons are a bit too easy for my oldest (who will be 7 in December) but it was nice to be able to do a study all together. We will definitely be trying some of the other studies in the future (perhaps the Easter one).

One point of interest: I was glad to see the wise men in their proper place and time. I twitch a little every time I see the wise men visiting baby Jesus in the manger since that is not biblically accurate. In the Beginner’s studies, you can see that they come after the temple visit. Their place is even more accurately depicted in the multi-level teacher’s guide, and they are shown presenting gifts to Jesus as a small child (not in a manger). This makes me happy. Twitching crisis averted and we are sold on GrapeVine Studies!

These studies are simple and effective enough that I am confident we can add them on easily to our regular Bible curriculum when we get back into the groove of homeschooling. We are now nearing the end of the Birth of Jesus study and we may just do it again in December!

Get the Birth of Jesus Study

From now through December 15th, the Birth of Jesus studies are available for 20% off, starting as low as $5.20!

Be sure to keep up with Grapevine Studies on Facebook and Twitter.

Enter to Win!

GrapeVine is generously offering a Proverbial Homemaker reader their choice of a print or digital download of the Birth of Jesus study! (Beginner (ages 5-7) or Multi-Level (Ages 7 and up))

The giveaway is open until 11:59PM PST on November 27. Winner will be notified via email and has 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected.

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This Post Has 15 Comments

  1. Deana

    We try to do something special and family-focused for Advent. We are doing Truth in the Tinsel again this year, possibly combining with Grapevine studies.

  2. crystal mccord

    We love doing Biblical based advent calendars with lots of Scriptures of Luke. We also love baking a cake together and having a birthday party for Jesus.

  3. Whitney

    We try to read lots of picture books about the true meaning of Christmas and use a Christ-centered Advent Calendar.

  4. LynnFru

    Reading and memorizing scripture. Showing Christ’s love to others by preparing a meal, participating in the giving tree, etc.

  5. Anne

    I’ve really enjoyed other Grapevine studies. This one looks awesome too!

  6. faith

    We go to Midnight mass at the Cathedral in Denver every year

  7. Regan

    Jesse Tree and Asdvent Conspiracy. We make a gift and buy one for each member. Then we all choose an activity to do together. This year, I chose snowshoeing!

  8. Misty Folwell

    We enjoy the reading of the accounts of Christ’s birth.

  9. Christy

    We use an advent calendar, read about the Jesse tree (which is new to me as I am learning a lot these days) and read scripture daily.

  10. Kristy Jensen

    We use Truth in the Tinsel. I love that program.

  11. Tonya Alderman

    We do an advent calendar that encompasses acts of kindness. We have a day that we take homemade treats to firemen and police in our area that are wrapped up with a scripture. We also read part of the Christmas story each week.

  12. Elizabeth B

    It’s hard with extended family, but we try to keep gifts separate from Christmas day and only focus on Christ’s birth on the 25th. We’re thinking of adding a Saint Nicholas day this year for stocking stuffers and small gifts. But usually our main gifts for each other we open on New Year’s or Epiphany. We’re still working it out…

  13. Charlotte Lyvers

    I remind my children often to remember Jesus is the reason we celebrate. If He hadn’t been born, He couldn’t have died to save us all.

  14. katie

    We focus on how Christ is in all of our traditions and why Christ came to the earth as a baby.

  15. Tara

    We focus more on giving than receiving. Our focus is on the Gospel and we have Christmas tracts we give out and for the past several years we make up treat bags for everyone in our neighborhood.

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