The most wonderful time of the year is upon us! Believers all around the world are getting ready for a special season: Advent. If you’re like many parents, you’re looking for ways to observe Advent that inspire anticipation for the coming of Jesus while also drawing the family together.
You might also want ways to help you and the family slow down amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Despite the true reason for this season, it’s easy to lose sight of Christ amidst the chaos around Christmas. Below are some wonderful ideas that can help.
An Advent wreath is the perfect opportunity for a fun craft with the kids, as well as ways to mark the passage of the Advent season. Lighting one candle each week while reading Scripture passages regarding the arrival of our Savior is a simple and effective way to nurture anticipation.
If you are looking for good passages to use for this activity, this article is a great resource. Or you can join our Facebook group and find inspiration from churches all around the world!
Cut strips of construction paper. On each one, write a charitable activity. You can ask the kids to help you come up with ideas. Write down one idea for each day of Advent.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Every day, have the kids pull a strip out of a hat, then have the family do that activity and make a loop out of the strip. Loop each new strip through the last one, creating a colorful chain. On Christmas Day, review the chain and talk as a family about all you learned about loving your neighbor and how this helped you prepare for celebrating the coming of Jesus.
If you would rather use a printable list of activities, check out this idea on Pinterest.
This one is great because you likely already put one out every year. But consider adding each animal and character slowly over the season, talking about their significance and meaning as you go. For instance:
The sky's the limit for how creative you can be with this activity! You can introduce the Wise Men early, but move them from room to room through the house every few days to emphasize their long journey. When you introduce Mary and Joseph, help the kids research the town of Bethlehem to make the place more real to them. There’s no end of opportunity to get the whole family involved.
This is only the beginning of all the ways families can come together as Christmas approaches. To find more inspiration or to share your own ideas, join our Facebook group with believers all over the world. We would love to know what you are doing this year to celebrate.
No matter what you do this Advent season, the ChurchTrac team will be joining you in celebrating the coming of Jesus and sharing His love this Christmas season.