SHOP ALL GIFTS
Donate
child building with popsicle sticks

Build a House

When the Holy Family found no room at the inn, they had to seek out a much humbler shelter — so Jesus was born in a stable surrounded by animals. Imagine what that must have been like. The smell of the animals. The cold night air sweeping through that simple structure. It was undoubtedly a challenging birth, but through it, God’s son experienced the poverty many men, women and children still face today, as they live without the benefits of a safe, clean home.

That’s why we believe sheltering vulnerable families is the perfect way to prepare for Christ’s birth —and his coming into our hearts!

Getting Started

To help illustrate to children the needs of their peers in developing countries, we invite families to build a model house with materials on hand, like building blocks, popsicle sticks, playing cards or even gingerbread. While doing the project, we encourage parents to ask their kids what it might be like to only be able to build a house out of whatever they can find. Would that house be comfortable or safe? For young children, here is a simple way to adapt the activity. Materials needed:
  • Butcher paper
  • Tape
  • Markers
  • Glue
  • Popsicle sticks
Directions:
  1. Tape a large piece of butcher paper to a wall.
  2. Draw a simple house outline on it.
  3. Glue popsicle sticks to the paper to create the walls of the house.
  4. Optional: Color some of the popsicle sticks or glue other craft materials to the house to make it more your own — get creative!

Share With Us

We’d love to hear from you! Post your house on Facebook or Instagram. Share what you learned as a family and tag Cross Catholic Outreach. For more activities and conversation starters, download our Advent activity guide.

Donate to Make a Difference

$0.00$50.00
$0.00$100.00
$0.00$250.00
or
$0.00

Recent posts

Picture of Michele Sagarino

Michele Sagarino

Michele Sagarino, president of Cross Catholic Outreach, has nearly three decades of experience in nonprofit leadership. After graduating from the University of Maryland, Michele answered the call on her life to begin service for various charitable organizations, including Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Gateway Community Outreach and Food For The Poor. She joined Cross Catholic Outreach in 2004 and served as vice president for development for 15 years. Through the years, Michele has been an important leader in the organization. Her expertise and heart for service will continue to lead us forward with wisdom and integrity, allowing us and our donors to impact even more lives.

Donations from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures for this project incurred through June 30, 2027, the close of our ministry’s fiscal year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the project, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry.