Tag Archives: Activities for children

A Child’s Love Message

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by Pat Lamb

Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is… (Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com)

Raising Children…

A Child’s Love Message

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Matthew 18:2,3 (NKJV)

It’s a big deal to be leader for the day in kindergarten!  When it was Dylan’s turn, he surprised his teacher and asked her if he could have a little boy  help him.  He had noticed that this little boy never got to be leader.  An adult lady was always with him to help him.  The surprised teacher answered, “Why, yes, Dylan.  That would be fine”.  

Dylan took the little boy by the hand and together they took the lunch count to the office.  They led the children to the playground at recess.  They led the children back inside, hand in hand.  Whatever needed to be done, they did together.  At the end of the day, the teacher was not surprised to see them touch each other’s forehead, an action to show that they were friends. You see, this little boy was a “special ed” student who couldn’t talk like other children. 

A mother shared with me that one day on a shopping trip, when she went to lift her little boy from the car seat at the mall, he said, “I luv’ you Mommy”.  While inside the store, he pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it!

Why did these two examples happen?  Could it be that they have experienced love at home as they have watched the example set by their parents?  As in the second example, could it be that the child has experienced this same kind of love from his mom?  It has been said that children learn what they live.  If they live with love in the home, they will be more apt to show love to others.  

When I taught kindergarten, I had a parent bring her child to school on the first day and say, “I won’t believe anything he says about you if you won’t believe anything he says about me!”  It was meant as a joke, but truthfully, I found it very easy, in many cases,  to  tell what kind of home life the children had.  Not only did they tell you things, but it was easy to see that they patterned their behavior from their home life.  I have heard it said that, “Children learn what they live!”  In many cases this is very true.  

How, then, can we teach our children to love?  Setting an example is probably the most important way.  Bible study at home and church will give them examples of how Jesus demonstrated love.  Conversation overheard by children should always show love and concern.

In the verse cited above, Jesus was teaching us to humble ourselves.  If we pattern ourselves after Jesus, as the children so often pattern their behavior after us, we will set a good example for the children.   


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Children’s Books Should be Chosen Wisely

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

Children’s Books Should be Chosen Wisely

         It is so important that children have good books to read, and that children have good books read to them by parents, teachers, grandparents, or others.  There is value in reading almost any book in that a child will improve reading skills.  However, there can be much more value obtained than just improving reading skills if careful selection of those books is made.

         What makes a book especially good for a child?  There are some things to consider in making a wise choice of a book.  Whether a child is to read the book for self, or an adult is to read the book to the child, content should be considered.  If the child is to read the book, a book should be selected that is easy enough for the child to read to be enjoyed. Also, illustrations in books are more important than one might think.

         Everyday thousands of books come from publishers.  There is a great amount of competition in the marketplace.  Quite often children’s books are written to sell rather than written for the real benefit of the child.  Publishers do not want to go to the expense of publishing a book unless they think it will sell.  This results in book content that is popular and may not do very much to help the child’s character or knowledge.  Personally, I like books that do more than simply improve reading skills.  Why not “kill two birds with one stone” and teach valuable lessons while entertaining the child and developing reading skills.  Some of the older stories in books in school did just that.  I was in one school library that had four copies of The Boxcar Children.  The covers were almost off, and the books were ragged because they had been checked out so much.  The Boxcar Children teaches resourcefulness and lets the child’s mind wander into the area of “what if I had to take care of myself?”  It stimulates a great deal of thinking. 

         To choose a book for a child to read, a good rule of thumb is to have the child read one page in the book.  If the child misses five words, the book is too difficult for that child.  It is better to choose books easy enough for a child to enjoy than to try to force the child to learn too many new words all at once.  The more a child reads, the more fluent s/he becomes in reading, and new words will be picked up a few at a time.

         Illustrations in books can greatly affect the concepts children get from the reading.  I am appalled at some of the illustrations in Bible story books that I have seen.  Some of those illustrations border on being ridiculous and give children warped ideas of what Bible characters were really like.  It seems that in an effort to make the books interesting, outlandish illustrations are created.  In my opinion, those illustrations affect the child’s learning of the truth of the Bible.

         Children’s books are very expensive.  Some are worth the money, but many are not.  Going to the library is a good alternative to spending the money, but sometimes a child will cherish a book as a personal treasure and want to own it.  At any rate, whether a book is purchased or checked out from the library, we need to be sure it is worth the time, money, or effort 

involved.

The Value of Storytelling

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

The Value of Storytelling

       In recent years there has been a significant emphasis on reading books to children.  Reading to children is a very good thing, but telling stories to children adds a dimension that reading to children does not.  Books for young children usually provide illustrations for children to use for understanding.  When children listen to stories, they must make their own mental images, and to do so requires listening carefully. Storytelling has almost become a lost art in many households.  It is an art that, in my opinion, needs to be revived.

         As children listen to stories, they develop listening skills, become creative as they are required to visualize scenes, and are treated to many subjects not covered in books.  As parents or grandparents tell stories of past experiences, the children gain a better understanding of the storyteller.  

         What kind of stories can we tell children?  Our own experiences provide a wealth of material.  In addition, Bible stories or some of the oldies that contain morals are good.  Many of Aesop’s fables teach children valuable behavioral lessons.  “The Fox and the Crane” teaches consideration of others.  “The Fox and the Crow” teaches not to be taken in by flattery.  “The Lion and the Mouse” teaches that size is not always the important thing and that even a little mouse can be more powerful than a lion.  This story can help a child feel self-worth.  The “Emperor’s New Clothes” is a story that teaches children to be careful what they believe.  “Stone Soup” helps children understand the power of persuasion.  It also helps a child understand how easily it is to be taken in and that we should not be selfish.  These are only a few of the old stories that children love to hear and provide good learning at the same time.

         Sometimes it is good to let children or others participate in telling the story.  There is benefit in letting them be creative and change stories if they want.  For example, on one occasion two of our grandchildren, their mother, grandfather, and I were traveling.  I suggested we all participate in telling the story of the three pigs.  We took turns and each person added to what had been said before.  When it was grandpa’s turn, he said, “Those little pigs decided they didn’t want apples at all.  They said, ‘Let’s go get some ice cream and let that ole wolf get apples if he wants!” The grandchildren laughed for the next 10 miles or so.  That was a springboard for them to become creative and make up their own variations of the story.

         Telling stories costs no money but creates pleasant life-long memories.  They can be told while sitting and waiting in a car, at bedtime, while traveling, or perhaps on a cold winter evening.  Storytelling provides a great amount of satisfaction for both the storyteller and the listener while the children learn invaluable lessons.

Note:  Some of the lessons in my book, Let the Children Come, contain additional stories that can be told to children.  It is available on Amazon and   can also be ordered from me through my website or e-mail.

patsylamb1936@gmail.com

www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Stuffed Animals can be Teaching Tools

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child….

Stuffed Animals Can be Teaching Tools

         Playing with my young grandson and his stuffed animals when he was young reminded me of how much a child can learn from this activity.  As an adult plays with a child, the conversation can be guided in such a way that the child can learn about manners and consideration of the needs and feelings of others.  In addition, the child can develop empathy that can be transferred into real life in interrelationships with people.  Creative skills are enhanced and children learn social skills.

         Most children really enjoy playing “pretend”.  A child and adult may pretend any number of situations using the animals.  My grandson and I pretended that Leo, the Lion, had a birthday and we were giving him a birthday party.  We took the other animals shopping for Leo and talked about what would be appropriate for a lion.  I pointed out that Leo liked to eat meat while some of the other animals, such as the lambs, liked to eat grass.  We talked about how we should choose a gift that would make Leo happy and not pick a gift that would just make us happy.  Each animal knocked politely on the door before entering the home of Leo.  Each animal said “please”, “thank you”, and “excuse me” when appropriate.  Leo mentioned that he would be writing thank-you notes to all who brought a gift. In these actions, my grandson learned about saying “excuse me”, thank you”, and “please”.  He also learned about considering the wants and needs of others instead of self.  The play could have been carried further and play money could have been used to purchase a gift.  In doing so, proper use of money could have been taught.

         On another occasion, I used his stuffed roadrunner and his stuffed dog to tell a story patterned after Aesop’s fable, “The Fox and the Crane”.  This story emphasizes consideration of others.  Letting the roadrunner substitute for the crane and the dog substitute for the fox, I told how the dog invited the roadrunner for dinner and served milk in a flat plate.  The dog liked the flat plate because the dog laps the milk, but the roadrunner could not get the milk with his beak. The roadrunner decided to teach the dog a lesson and invited the dog to dinner at his house.  The roadrunner served milk in a tall, narrow, vessel that he could put his beak in, but the dog couldn’t lap the milk from.  They each realized that they should have considered the needs of the other and apologized.  I briefly mentioned that people have different needs and that we should consider those needs.

         Most children have at least one stuffed animal. There are many opportunities to use other common things around the house to teach children and develop good attitudes.  If we take advantage of these opportunities while the children are young, they grow up with proper feelings toward others and we save them, as well as ourselves, many headaches. My grandson begged me over and over to play with him with his stuffed animals.  I considered it time well spent.  As he enjoyed playing, he learned many important things to help him in later life and stimulated his creative ability at the same time.  He developed conversational skills and learned to think quickly as he responded to my conversation in our pretend games.  

When Children Get Sick

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble; www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

When Children Get Sick

         When children get sick, as they inevitably do, we often ponder about how much to “baby” them or just how to care for them.  What mother has not sat by the side of a sick child and thought, “I’d rather it were me feeling that way than my child”?  It hurts us emotionally while at the same time it is hurting the child physically.

         Of course, we try to do all we can to prevent that sickness in the first place.  We encourage the children to wash their hands often, singing “Happy Birthday” while scrubbing with soap and warm water to make sure the hands are scrubbed long enough to get clean.  We do our best to make sure the child has plenty of fruit and vegetables in the diet to provide the vitamin C and other nutrients needed to fight the germs.  We try to see that the child is dressed properly for the cold weather, and we try to keep the child away from places where we know germs are present.  In spite of all our care, we often feel at least a little guilt when the child gets sick as we wonder if we did all we could have done to prevent the illness.

         There are actually some positive things that come from sickness.  One such positive learning is that children come to realize that they are vulnerable.  Many young people often feel as though they can do anything and nothing bad will ever happen.  Sickness teaches a child that we each need to be careful with how we care for ourselves. A time of sickness in the home can become a time of bonding between family members as all pitch in and help the sick one.  The sick child may learn to appreciate the love and care of others.  A third benefit is a possible development of sympathy and understanding of others when they become sick.  It seems that we can never truly appreciate the feelings of others until we, ourselves, have experienced what they are going through.  People who seldom get sick often are impatient with those who do get sick more often.

         How much care should be given to a sick child?  In my opinion, we need to take advantage of this time to “coddle” the child a bit.  There are, of course, occasions when this is not true.  If a child starts to take advantage of the extra attention, we need to back off.  When a child is truly sick, however, that child needs assurance of love and care.  We need a balance of not seeming overly concerned but, at the same time, children need to know that we wish the best for them. To this day, I can remember my mom’s hand on my forehead when, as a child, I would get sick and throw up.  I’m sure that hand did no physical good, but it showed that she cared.  Another memory is a time when my dad brought a pretty colored ear of corn from the field for me when I had tonsillitis.  

Should a child be allowed to watch TV?  Yes, but only educational programs. Should a child do homework?  The child should do homework only if he/she is not feeling too badly.  I would not force it but would check occasionally to see if he/she feels like it, and then I would give assistance. Should a child be allowed to get up and run around?  Generally, we need to allow a child to do what that child feels like doing until the temperature has been normal for at least 24 hours.  Then the child probably needs to go back to school.  Sometimes, medicine can make a child feel better while he/she is getting worse.  This may be the case when medicine is given to treat symptoms only and the medicine does not treat the cause of the symptoms.  

         We probably will not do everything perfectly when our children get sick.  We simply try to give proper physical and emotional care to the best of our ability and pray that the Great Physician will do whatever else is needed.  

      

                         

Snow Days can be Pleasant

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble; www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a Child…

Snow Days Can Be Pleasant

       Almost every school year we have a few “snow days”.  We may not have any more this year, but it is good to be prepared just in case we do.  Some people seem to really dislike them.  Others keep hoping for a snow day.  Since we know they happen almost every year, it is a good idea to consider how to use them wisely.

         There is no doubt that challenges come with the knowledge that all routines have changed.  Many questions arise.  What do I do to entertain the kids?  What do I feed the kids for lunch?  What do I do about the unfinished chores at my job?  What if the electricity goes off?  How long will this last?  All of these things have to be dealt with while at the same time the children are wondering what to do.

         Children do not have to be, nor should they be, entertained.  Children need to learn to think for themselves.  No child ever died from boredom! Sometimes it is good for a child not to have something going all the time.  Many parents seem to think that raising children is like the story of the carrot and the horse.  They think there should be something in front of a child to look forward to all the time.  When a child says, “I’m bored”, simply say, “What do you plan to do about that?”  Put the responsibility back on the child.  Chances are that anything the parent suggests will not be accepted.  It is best to say, “I hope you find a way to use your time wisely”.  It is good if parents make themselves available to play board games or other games with the children; however, it is best to have the child make the decision whenever possible.

         Allowing the children to become part of the family team to plan for electricity outage or other happenings is good.  Also, storytelling about the time when there was no electricity in homes, or cars to go places, is more meaningful at a time like this.  The children can better understand the time when it was necessary to saddle a horse or hitch up a wagon in order to go someplace.  This helps them understand their history courses in school.  A discussion of how families lived when children were home most of the time, can further develop this understanding.

         Chores are ever present for children to help with.  It is a good time to reorganize a study place and check for overlooked homework.  Good cooking lessons can be learned as children assist with the preparation of lunch.  It is also a good time to simply rest and take things slowly.

         I remember a phone conversation with our daughter when our grandchildren were small.  “Mom”, she said, “they are just a ball!”  She was genuinely enjoying the children.  Both of those children have done well.  It would be nice if we all remembered that children are a gift from God.  Let’s enjoy our gifts!  Snow days give us an opportunity to do just that.

It’s Not Just Child’s Play

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

It’s Not Just Child’s Play!

         It is a wonderful thing when parents will play with their children.  There is great value in time spent simply having fun with them.  This time is an opportunity for bonding, teaching, and creating memories.

Right after Christmas there is an opportunity to explore the new toys and games together.  When dad or mom get on the level of the child and explore the new possibilities of enjoyment, the child learns to appreciate the fact that the parent has interest in his/her world.  A special relationship between the child and parent is created.  This new relationship results in a better understanding of each another. 

In the event that a toy breaks, as many are apt to do, as the parent helps repair that toy, the child learns about how things work.  Parents have an opportunity to teach new words and understandings to the child.

Even if there are no new games or toys, parents and children can create their own games. Our grown children still laugh about playing “sandwich” or “slobber ear” with their dad, and I laugh when I see them play the same games with their children.  These are rough and tumble games on the floor (or grass in the summer) where all involved laugh and giggle as they try to get away from each other to avoid having an ear chewed or to become the bottom bread of a sandwich.  They laugh as “the meat” wriggles out to try to become the top bread and the bottom bread tries even harder to escape being the bottom bread.  It is important, however, for the parent to know when enough is enough in these games.  It is cruel to tickle children too much.  Also, weight of individuals needs to be considered so no person is hurt.

Many board games offer opportunities for learning as well as having fun.  Long winter evenings are well spent in playing games such as Monopoly, Balderdash, Sequence, or others with older children. In Monopoly, children learn much about money.  They learn to count the money as well as a great deal about how business works.  Balderdash is a great game for teaching writing, persuasion, and vocabulary.  Our family has laughed until we cried at some of the silly definitions written for some of the words in Balderdash. Board games designed for younger children teach a child to take turns and that they cannot always win.  They can learn to lose graciously.

Laughter is a good medicine. King Solomon tells us in Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine”.  Playing and laughing with our children relieves our stress as well as theirs.  We sometimes forget that children, too, have stress as they seek to please their parents and teachers.  

Time spent playing with children is a wonderful investment that yields dividends for eternity.  Children grow up so fast!  Let’s take advantage of the opportunities we have to spend time with them while we can. 

The Most Important Gift We Give

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

The Most Important Gift We Give

         Isn’t it strange how it is Jesus’ birthday and yet we sometimes forget to give a gift to him? How would we like to go to a birthday party in our honor and have all the gifts there be given to someone else?  Our children need to understand that we are celebrating the birthday of Christ.  They need to think of a gift that they can give to Jesus.

         Of course, we all know that the reason for the season is the gift that God gave the earth by sending his only son to the world for our sakes.  We are told that in John 3:16. so, what could we possibly give that would begin to show our appreciation for that gift?

         In the book of Matthew we read, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?  The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine; you did for me’. (Matthew 26: 7, 8) We see by this passage that we give gifts to Jesus by doing things for others.

         It is so heartening to see so many wonderful things being done at Christmas time for others.  I stopped to make a deposit at the bank recently and saw a notice that the bank had adopted a family to help this Christmas. .  One Springfield TV station had an article about someone providing coats to children.  A church in a nearby town gave a ham to every family in town.  Many of the shows in Branson have collected food to disperse.  Shows in Branson have given benefits for the LUC Boy’s Ranch.  One church gives the opportunity for folks to give a Christmas gift by giving to the building fund.  Many of the clubs and organizations have selected special Christmas projects that consider the needs of those around us.  All these things provide ways to give to Jesus

         We are tempted to think that we should spend our money on our own family, but we need to teach our family to think of others.  Each family needs to choose at least one thing to do to give a gift to Jesus by giving to others.  There are wonderful stories of children taking some of their own Christmas gifts and giving them to children in other countries, or even in America, who have less than they have.

         Let’s make sure that our children experience the wonderful feeling of giving to others.  Let’s discuss with our children how they would like to give the most important gift of all—a gift to Jesus.

Finding Time for the Kids in the Christmas Season

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is….) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble; www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

Finding Time for the Kids in the Christmas Season

         It is ironic that most of what we busy ourselves with in the Christmas season is for the kids, yet because we are so busy, we don’t have time for the kids.  The truth of the matter is that time spent with the kids may be far more valuable than any toy or other gift that we may give them.

         There is no doubt that intentions are good as we scurry about decorating, baking, buying, making gifts, singing songs, and all the other things that go along with the ideal picture we have painted in our minds of Christmas. Even with the best of intentions, we often miss the true meaning of Christmas and fall short of the ideal goal we have set for ourselves.

         It is unrealistic to think that we can go all year filling every moment and doing all we can, and then at Christmas time add “umpteen” other activities without subtracting something.  If our schedules are already full, how can we add anything?  Yet, we seem to think we can be super parents and do just that.  If we are already doing all we can, something must be subtracted before we can add anything else.  

         What can be subtracted from our schedules to add the special Christmas activities?  Of course, this is an individual matter.  Each of us must scrutinize the daily schedule to see what can be eliminated.  Perhaps this is the time to check the freezer for foods that can be heated and served without a great deal of cooking.  Deep cleaning is not a necessity.  It can wait until after the holidays.  Family togetherness can be accomplished in doing Christmas projects together.  Many things may simply be put off until after the first of the year.

         Incorporating the children in the Christmas activities allows us to accomplish the special tasks and also spend time with the children. Children love to be a part of secrets.  They can help select a gift for dad from mom or for mom from dad or for grandparents.    It is surprising what children can think of that we often overlook.  They can be a big help in providing ideas.  While on that shopping outing, have lunch with the children at a special place of their choosing.

         By all means, let the children help decorate.  Their ideas may not be perfect in our eyes, but that is not the important thing.  The children will remember more about what they contributed than what we thought looked acceptable to our friends and neighbors.  To this day, I remember pasting together red and green strips of construction paper to make chains to go on the Christmas tree or to hang around the elementary classroom at school Those chains were not the prettiest decorations, but we had a part in making them! 

         Planning ahead and grouping activities together really helps to save time and nerves.  The more trips we make, the more time it takes.  (Also, the more gas it takes!)  

         A child can do without “a perfectly decorated home” or “the perfect toy” easier than that child can do without his/her parent’s time and attention.  Perhaps we should put on a DVD of soothing Christmas music, calm down, and really enjoy time with the children as all work together to show love to one another.  After all, isn’t showing love what Christmas is all about?  John Peterson wrote a cantata titled, “Love Transcending”. Christmas is “love transcending” from heaven to earth.  We can help spread that love around the earth as we remember the real purpose of Christmas. 

Which is Best? Giving or Receiving?

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

 Giving or Receiving? Which is Best?

In today’s world, it seems that most of the focus on raising children centers around what we can do for them.  The truth is, children learn much more by what they do for others and participating in events rather than simply being onlookers.

As Christmas approaches, let us incorporate children in as many activities as possible.  There is actually more self satisfaction in giving an appropriate gift than in getting a gift that children think they “just have to have”!  How often have we seen children receive a gift just to have it set aside after a few days?  On the other hand, when they give an appropriate gift, they have a sense of self-satisfaction that cannot be matched.

When our youngest son was in the upper elementary grades, he took a shop class.  His teacher wisely had the students make a gift for their parents.  I remember how he had this unusually happy look on his face as he tried in many ways to get me to encourage him to tell me what he had for me for Christmas!  I was tempted to give in, but I didn’t.  He went for days with a beaming face.  He was feeling a real sense of satisfaction!

Finally Christmas morning came.  He kept watching me to see when I was going to open his gift to me.  Finally the gift was handed to me and I opened it.  It was a gumball dispenser made with two slabs of wood and a pint jar filled with gumballs on top.  There was a third piece of wood that slid in and out with two holes drilled in it.  When it was pulled out, two gumballs filled the holes and a nail was there to pry them out!  What a nice gift!  

Last Christmas when our son’s family came to visit, I put out the gum ball dispenser for his two sons to enjoy.  They certainly did enjoy it!

The experience that our son had of making the gift for me far outweighs the pleasure he got by his gifts.  I doubt if he can remember any gifts he got that Christmas, but I’m sure he remembers making and giving the gift to me!