More Advent Ideas!

I know you need MORE Advent ideas… right!? So, try not to get overwhelmed, or make yourself feel like you have to do EVERYTHING. (Remember back to the post about SIMPLIFYING Christmas…) But, I know that I'm always looking for ways to make Advent tangible for kiddos.

This is such a magical time of year and there is such a HUGE gift we can give our children in really taking the time to teach them the story of Christmas.

You know, including all the bits about God prophesying his gift for 100s of years - so clearly that Wise Men from the East read the stars and knew the time had come!!!

And, helping them imagine what it was like to be a shepherd on a hill… to suddenly have an ANGEL appear to them. And then a heavenly HOST of angels singing! Remember, these were probably very young men, the youngest of the family sent off to tend the flocks. Fantastic! Just imagine their energy and excitement (come on, you know what adolescent boys are like, right!?)

I could go on and on about this, but I think I'll refrain. :) And, I'll let y'all browse through a few sites I found with Advent activities specifically for kids. Free printables, free ideas, pure joy…

The Happy Home Fairy has put together these free printable cards with snippets of scripture for every day in December. Read them all and you have the whole story.

From happyhomefairy.com

Focus on the Family has a post on Celebrating Advent. It lists daily scriptures for all 4 weeks as well as ideas for preparing yourself and your kids for Christmas.

One Dog Woof has put together Advent flash cards that fit into an Advent Calendar with pockets. The flash cards are available free to print and have little pictures along with a scripture for each day. They would be great to just have around next to your dinner table or in a Christmasy basket for your kids too look at, read and play with. They'd even be great as a little sequencing game: mix them up and ask your kids to put the Christmas story in order.

Adriel Brooker with the site, I Still Belong, put together an Advent reading list using the Jesus Storybook Bible for her 3 year old. If you haven't seen the Jesus Storybook Bible, be sure to check it out! It really is great for the wee-ones. If you'd like to forgo reinventing the wheel, download her list and start the story-time!

www.adrielbooker.com

AND, Faith Gateway has a free Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Calendar printable by Zonderkidz. All the pictures are available in high resolution, so your prints will be pretty. :) You can use these as a calendar, as flashcards or hang them on a ribbon (or string) with clothes pins for a cute Christmas banner.

Sample Page from Jesus Storybook Bible Calendar

Happy Advent to you all! We can't wait to see you for our Christmas meeting on WEDNESDAY. Blessings upon your week.