1. Learn about it: Access the Bozhi Dity (God’s Little Children) lesson on the Edmonton Eparchy Website. You will learn about the events leading up to the birth of Mary and have fun making a one decade rosary to honour and pray to her: https://eeparchy.com/children/ 

2. Celebrate: Throw a birthday party! Blow up balloons, decorate, bake and decorate a cake, and sing Happy Birthday to Mary! This will make the birth of the Mother of God more real in the children’s minds. And what’s more fun than a party?

3. Bird watch: Talk together about how in the story of Mary’s birth, Anna, her mother, watched the mother bird take care of her young and prayed to God for a child. Go for a walk and see how many birds you can find. Take the time to watch and enjoy listening to them sing. Say a thank you to God for the miracle of the birth of the Mother of God and for these lovely creatures that remind us of God’s goodness.

4. Read: The Story of Mary the Mother of God by Dorrie Papademetriou. This wonderfully illustrated book is available to borrow from Edmonton Eparchy Catechetical Resource centre or to purchase at St. Macrina Books and Gifts. You may also read a simplified version of the story for children below.

5. Pray together: Standing in your icon corner, pray the prayer to the Mother of God
   Rejoice, Mother of God, Virgin Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
   Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb;
   for you have borne Christ the Saviour and Redeemer of our souls.
   Or
   The Troparion for the Feast
   Your nativity, O Virgin Mother of God,* has made joy known to all the world,* for
   from you dawned the Sun of Righteousness, Christ our God.* He abolished the curse
   and gave the blessing;* and by making death of no effect He bestowed on us eternal
   life. (3X)
   + Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Now and for ever and
   ever. Amen.

The Nativity of the Holy Mother of God (Theotokos) for Children

Mary’s parents, Joachim and Anna were wealthy people who loved God.  They lived a long and happy life together, doing good for others and praying to God. They gave away lots of their wealth to the poor and to the Temple.  Although they were happy because they loved God and each other, they were sad because they were already old and they did not have any children. But they trusted God and even though they were old they still prayed to Him that they might have a child. 

One year on the day of a feast, they went to the Temple to offer their sacrifices to the Lord, but the priest turned them away saying they could not give the sacrifice because they had no children.  Joachim was so sad about this that he went to a cave in the wilderness to pray to God for a child for 40 days and nights.  Anna was sad too. She stayed at home and prayed while she walked in her garden. Then she saw a mother bird taking care of her babies. She cried because she was not able to have any babies herself.

As Anna was praying, an angel came to her and told her that the Lord had heard her prayer, and that she would have a daughter who would serve God. Anna said that she would give her child as a gift to God.  An angel also visited Joachim and told him the same thing!

Joachim and Anna ran to each other and hugged. They were filled with joy over the promise of the Lord’s blessing.  Soon their daughter Mary was born.  What a miracle this was! This little baby girl would grow up to be the Mother of Jesus, the Saviour of the world!