Here's an overdue post about what we did at Interactive Christmas last December at Rosefield. Our theme was "Shine".
Download Interactive Christmas Poster 2014 (860kb PDF)
1. Starry Christmas
The activity involved decorating a Christmas star. We had little Christmassy peg gift tags with stars on them. The pegs were glued to a wooden chopstick with some ribbon trailing and then decorated with glitter and stuff. I don't have a photo.
2. Bright Christmas
Our plenary session involved a drama with three not-very-wise people and live music with Kylie Brice.
Download Drama - Following a Star (48kb PDF)
(We preceded all of this with a special music half-hour for families with pre-schoolers. This was run by our Mainly Music team and about 50 people turned up.)
3. Clay Christmas
Make a symbol of the Christmas story using clay. We provided a number of cookie cutouts if people wanted to use them - stars, angel, animals.
4. Crafty Christmas
There was a table with a bunch of Christmas crafts on them. Someone else organised this and I can't remember what was there.
Plus an opportunity to make a decorative angel - angel cookie cutters that people could decorate with glue, glitter, cellophane, sparkly stuff.
5. Video Christmas
iMac with a bunch of Christmas videos including some from "Holy Moly" - three sets of headphones.
6. Arty Christmas - Face painting
7. Photo Christmas
We set up a photo room where people of any age can dress up and have their photo taken in a nativity scene. There's a backdrop, lighting and a good photographer, a manger and baby dolls in 2 skin colours, and boxes of dressup clothes. This is the third time we've done this, and we find people coming back year after year to have their photo taken. We email the photo to the family. In a simple way, it serves as a reminder of the Christmas story. I would love to post a photo as they are priceless but getting family permissions is complicated.
8. Tasty Christmas
Make and decorate and edible Christmas tree. Why? A good question... I wanted something with historical significance, like the Easter Pretzel. Oh well. Next time.
9. Tiny Christmas
Here we had nativity scenes and Christmas symbols (most were Christmas tree decorations) borrowed from church members and set out in a darkened room with candles. We also placed books with art and prose about Christmas in the room.
10. Quiet Christmas
We set up a story tent with a 'campfire', story books of Christmas and a torch. The idea was that people would read stories in their family groups.
11. Play Christmas
We set up several activities designed for families with children aged 2 to 4 years. These included the story tent, making play dough Christmas ornaments, painting on easels, and a baby play area. Apart from the baby play area, children of a range of ages joined in the activities.
12. Peg Christmas
Making nativity figures using pop-stick figures.
13. Silent Night
This darkened room was the stable (or cave) where we tell the story of Jesus' birth. We had a manger and a star, ambient music and a story about a star - "Star Bright". The story is OK but not great and next time I'd choose a different "star" story to fit with such a theme.
As people left the room they received a laminated blessing and a wooden cutout star with the word "Shine" designed by our artist daughter Grace. These were cut out in sheets using a laser cutter. (see below)
14. BBQ
We finish with a BBQ outside, designed at an opportunity to get to know new folks and foster community. There is space for kids to run around and for people to sit and chat.
A great evening. Adding the early plenary music time for families with pre-school children, designed to connect with our "Mainly Music" and "Playgroup" families, was a great initiative.
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