Theme: Saint Nicholas the Wonder-Worker
Mini-study on Saint Nicholas of Myra.
Feast day: 6th December
Overview
For the Bookshelf
For the Toy Shelves
Outings
Attend the festal Liturgy at St. Nicholas'.
Other Resources
Orthodox Pebbles
Colouring Sheets
Nine Gold Coins
Introduction
Watch a twelve-minute video, a reading of "Saint Nicholas and the Nine Gold Coins" with illustrations.
Activity 1
Do a bean-bag throw. Use a basket, hoop, or tape on the floor - or even a pair of shoes! - as a target and practice throwing bean-bags into them, just like St. Nicholas threw his pouch of coins into the girls' shoes.
Activity 2
Sort coins by size, colour, or denomination. Find the gold ones! Make patterns with them; gold-silver-gold-silver, or big-big-small-big-big-small, et cetera. Count out nine coins and divide them into three even groups.
Look at the pictures of Byzantine coins from St. Nicholas' time, found in the attachments. How are they different to modern coins in your country? How are they the same? What about modern coins in other countries?
Lunch Snack
Eat round, coin-shaped foods, such as banana slices on rice cakes.
Activity 3
Make up a batch of gingerbread dough. Form it into balls and flatten them (or roll out and cut with a round cookie cutter) and, for extra time or fun, use a skewer to draw Byzantine (or local) coin face designs on them.
Activity 4
Print out, cut, and glue the round icons (found in the attachments) to the foil wrappers of chocolate coins.
Secret Giving
Introduction
Watch a six-minute video, "Saint Nicholas".
Activity 1
Learn to sing (at least a verse of) "Nicholas the Saintly".
Activity 2
Find something to donate in your area: toys to a local buy-nothing group for a child in need, food to the local food bank, et cetera. Get the child involved with thinking of what to donate and choosing it.
Lunch Snack
Ideally themed to the topic.
Activity 3
Make a cardboard (or craft foam or felt) slipper - the template is in the attachments. Decorate the sole and toe piece, and then staple (or sew with a darning needle and yarn, if using felt) the two together. Store your gingerbread coins and chocolate coins from yesterday in it, and give it as a gift to a friend.
Activity 4
Write a nice note to someone from an anonymous friend.