Circle Time! Advent, Week One

Opening verse, from Wynstones Winter book:
Winter is dark,
Yet each tiny spark
Brightens the way
To Christmas Day. (Light candle)

Shine little light
And show us the way
To the bright light
Of Christmas Day!

Adventsong from Pentatonic Songs
From the forest bring the boughs
Of fir and spruce and pine.
Bring them home, bedeck the house
For now it's Advent time.

Light the candles one by one,
Count off the days in rhyme.
Every day a task well done
For now it's Advent time!

Light the Advent candle.
Stay awake, be ready,
You do not know the hour when the Lord is coming.
Stay awake, be ready,
The Lord is coming soon -
Alleluia, alleluia, the Lord is coming soon.

For week one, St. Nicholas!
Sing "Jolly Old St. Nicholas".

Another St. Nicholas rhyme:
Kind old man, St. Nicholas dear.
Come into our house this year.
Here's some straw and here's some hay
For your little donkey gray.

Pray put something in my shoe.
I've been good the whole year through!
Kind old man, St. Nicholas dear,
Come into our house this year.

And another one from Let Us Form a Ring.
Nicholas, St. Nicholas
Come to us today.
Ride upon your white horse
From far, far away.

Bring us golden treasure,
Fill our hearts with love,
Ready for the Christ child,
Fill our hearts with love,
Ready for the Christ child
Coming from above.

Clap Your Hands
Oh clap, clap, your hands and sing out with glee!
Christmas is coming and merry are we.
Now over the snow comes old St. Nick
He comes with his donkey, quick, quick, quick.
We'll put out our shoes and when we're asleep
Into our house St. Nicholas will creep.
He'll fill our shoes with presents and then
St. Nicholas and his donkey will scamper off again.
So clap, clap your hands and sing out with glee!
Christmas is coming and merry are we.

A circle play: From Heaven's Arch on High. If you have Nativity figures, you could also do this as a little table play.
Begin by holding hands and walking in a circle.
From heaven's arch on high
A little light draws nigh.
Stops to hear,
Stands quite near,
Wonder what is happening here.

Stand still and rock a "baby". Beckon with hands where appropriate.
The mother with her baby
Calls the light in gaily:
"Come in here!
Come in here!
Light us with your radiance clear."

Two hold hands so a third can walk through.
And shining ever clearer
The light comes softly nearer
In the night
Shines so bright
That the child may take delight.

End by kneeling on the floor.
Then all the lights divine
They bring their golden shine
And the bow
Deep and low
Bringing him their heavenly glow.

We say this verse from Journey Through Time in Verse and Rhyme before we add something to our Advent nature table. For the first week, we added some interesting rocks/stones each day.
Sun, sun, shining one,
Have you a gift for my little son?
Moon, moon, glittering one,
Have you a gift for my little son?
Stars, stars, twinkling ones...
Fir tree, fir tree, strong ones...
Flowers, flowers, fragrant ones...
Lamb, lamb, gentle ones...
Oh children, children of the earth,
Have you a gift for my new son's birth?

Five Little Bells
Five little bells hanging in a row
Hold up five fingers
The first one said, "Ring me slow!"
The second one said, "Ring me fast!"
The third one said, "Ring me last."
The fourth said, "I'm like a chime."
The fifth one said, "It's almost Christmas time!"

Before we blow out the candles we sing
Peace, peace, peace on earth
And good will to all.
This is the time for love.
This is the time for joy.
Now let us all sing together
Of peace, peace, peace on earth.