Friday, November 25, 2011

Review: Truth in the Tinsel

It’s a black Friday…

The people who are now living in darkness
      will see a great light.
   They are now living in a very dark land.
      But a light will shine on them.

~Isaiah 9:2

And with those words, our celebration of the Light has begun.

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I’ve been a follower of Impress Your Kids (a blog with crafts, tips & fun to impress God's Word on your kids' hearts) for quite a while now, and I was excited to find out blogger Amanda had put together an ebook for the Christmas season:  Truth in Tinsel:  An Advent Experience for Little Hands.  What a perfect way to not only keep Christ as the focus, but to use the season as an opportunity to delve deeper into God’s Word!

imageSynopsis:

Spend the first 24 days of December experiencing the Christmas story. Each day I'll lead you through a passage of scripture, a corresponding ornament craft and talking points for you and your kids. It's more than a devotion--it's meditation and hands-on learning for kids. It's more than a craft-book, it's a memory-builder for your family. It's more than an e-book, it's an experience and adventure in God's Word!

Recommended Age:  Preschool to early elementary
Price:  Today (Friday, November 25) ONLY:  $2.99. 
Regularly $4.99.
For More Info or To Purchase: http://truthinthetinsel.com/ – you can also find Amanda at  http://impressyourkids.com, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

What Mom Liked Loved:

  • All of It.  Oh, where do I start?!
  • P1050384 (2)The Focus.  It starts with Light and ends with the Cross.  It’s all about Him!
  • The Clue. Each day’s activity starts out with a “clue” – something for little hands to open up and “hunt for” during a scripture reading – to talk about during a craft.  What kid doesn’t love the idea of hunting for and solving a mystery?  There are two printable versions included:  one for use in a fillable advent calendar, and the one we’re using – a paper chain.
  • The Scripture.  This isn’t a devotional reading – though there’s certainly a place for such a book.  It references passages to be read straight from the Bible each day – long enough to get the context, but short enough to keep a preschooler’s attention.
  • The Ornament.  The craft to be created each day is an ornament – something that can be hung up and referred to throughout the season.
  • P1050387 (2)The Talk.  The crafting time allows for plenty of discussion on the topic of the day – that’s perhaps the most meaningful time as your child internalizes the message.  Discussion ideas and questions are included.
  • The Flexibility.  While there is a list of supplies given for each craft, Amanda makes the point that many items are interchangeable.  Use what you’ve got!  There are also some alternate schedules given if you can’t commit to all 24 days.  If you’ve got extra time or want to extend a topic, there is a “Do More Together” idea each day.
  • The Layout and Design.  The book is professionally laid out and total eye-candy to look at.  There are step-by-step photos for each craft, as well as quality printables where applicable.

Esmé’s Thoughts

P1050377 (2)At the end of our first session:  “Can’t we do the next clue NOW?”

“No!  Only one a day, remember?” I reply.

“But it’s NIGHT-time right now.  How can we be doing one a DAY when we’re doing it at night?” rebuts my 4yo teenager.

Amidst the shredded tissue paper and sticky fingers, lots of talking happens.  Esmé’s synopsis on the first day’s scripture:

“When you see the Light, you know God is there.  You don’t have to see God, you just have to BELIEVE that He’s there.”

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Thanks to Truth in the Tinsel for providing the ebook for our review.  We are not being paid for this review, and all opinions are our own.

2 comments:

The HSV said...

loving the pictures !!!

Heather@Cultivated Lives said...

We started day 1 too. I couldn't help myself! :) It is fun to read what everyone thought of it!