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8 Brilliant Advent Activities the Whole Family Will Love

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Advent Activities for the Whole Family

In search of Advent activities for your family? I know, how is this possible?! It feels as though we were just writing about getting back into the swing of the school year. But, here we are. Thanksgiving’s a recent memory. And now, Christmas is just around the corner. We’re getting pretty excited over here at ICM. So, we’ve put together a list of Advent activities to prepare you and your family for the wondrous mystery of Christmas.

Advent Activities

Advent Activities For the Whole Family

Bake a Loaf of Stollen: This traditional Christmas bread, with a line down the middle or side, symbolizes the infant Jesus wrapped up snug in swaddling cloths. Make a loaf with your children using this fantastic recipe. Even better, share loaves with friends and neighbors! No time to bake? Swing by a local bakery to pick one up. Explain the symbolism to your kids over a yummy, warm beverage.

Create a Birth Story Picture Book: Invite your children to create a picture book of their own that tells the birth story of Jesus. Use a children’s Bible or a Gospel account to help them remember all the parts to include. Then, use their picture book to encourage their own retelling of Jesus’ birth story. Additionally, try telling them their birth story as a way of relating it to their own life.

Advent Activities

Read Jesus’ Birth Narrative: At bedtime, read the Christmas story with your children. There are lots of ways to do this. For example, each of the Gospels contains a different account. Additionally, if you have a children’s Bible or two, include those in the mix. Looking for one? Try the Children of God Storybook Bible. We recently reviewed it here, if you’ve never heard of it! And invite your children to tell the story a few nights in their own words using their Birth Story Picture Book.

Create Wrapping Paper: First, using blue and purple (the liturgical colors of Advent), create wrapping paper with symbols of the Advent season. Advent symbols could include the Jesse Tree, Advent wreath, Advent candles, Advent calendar, Mary and Joseph, Mary’s donkey, the star over Bethlehem, the Magi, the Magi’s camels, the angel Gabriel who visits Mary. Then, wrap gifts with your artistic creation.

Advent Activities

Share Together During Devotionals: Still looking for a family Advent devotional? Never done a family Advent devotional? Check out what we just released here. An Illustrated Advent for Families is one way to slow down, ask questions, have fun, be intentional about how you spend your time and try new things. There are coloring pages for your children, but we’ve often found that parents enjoy coloring them as much (if not more…) as their children enjoy the coloring. There are simple but meaningful devotions for families to do throughout Advent, an Advent Wreath activity, and our Advent Calendar.

Make a Family Advent Wreath: Discuss the symbolism (and maybe even learn more of it yourself) as you work together to create an Advent wreath. Keep the wreath on your table throughout the season. Learn how to make one together with our Advent devotionals.

Light the Advent Wreath: At mealtime or before bed, join together in lighting the Advent wreath together. Explore this together using our Advent activities and devotionals for families.

Advent Activities

Make a Kindness Advent Calendar: Cut 6 pieces of construction paper into 22 strips, each strip measuring 2.25″ x 12″. (This is a piece of construction paper cut in fourths along the long edge.) Write on each strip a kind act. Brainstorm ideas with the kids. Once all 22 strips have an act of kindness written upon it, staple the first one into a circle. From there, loop the next piece of paper around the last loop and staple it to create a chain. Each day of Advent, tear off one ring and read it together. Later, if there’s been an opportunity to do the act of kindness, discuss with the kids what it was like.

FREE SAMPLE OF OUR ADVENT RESOURCE: You can check out a free sample of our Illustrated Advent for Families by clicking here.

5 Easy Practices to Inspire Gratitude in Children

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Inspiring gratitude in children is a huge gift we can give them. Throughout the Bible, we read verse after verse describing and encouraging the practice of gratitude. And now, there is research backing up the wisdom that’s flowed from these scriptures since their penning.

Gratitude in Children

Effects of Gratitude on Our Health

Dr. Emmons, professor of psychology at UC Davis and leading expert on the science of gratitude, conducted a study on gratitude and found the following:

Gratitude…

  • can lower blood pressure and improve immune health
  • can reduce lifetime risk for depression, anxiety and substance abuse disorders
  • is a key resiliency factor in the prevention of suicide
  • can decrease the likelihood of smoking, alcohol abuse
  • blocks toxic emotions like envy, resentment, regret and depression
  • is associated with healthy levels of cholesterol
  • can facilitate more efficient sleep
  • reduces stress hormones and contributes to a healthy nervous system
  • lowers levels of creatinine (an indicator of the kidney’s ability to filter waste in the body)
  • can improve diet and exercise routines

Holy cow! That’s a ton of benefit to our well-being, emotionally and physically! So, how can we help our children access these benefits?

FREEBIE! And if you’d like to download a free printable Gratitude Fridge Sign to help you remember these 5 ways of inspiring gratitude in children, you can click this link to get your free Fridge Sign.

Gratitude in Children

Inspiring Gratitude in Children

  1. Model it. Children learn and form habits around things they observe. Therefore, say thank you to children often and sincerely. Be kind to others while in public, expressing gratitude for services rendered. Speak with children about how helpful others are and point out blessings in your midst.
  2. Express gratitude as families. Set aside time to share things to be thankful for. This may be done by saying grace before dinner, through conversation around meals or on drives to and from school. Sharing more formalized times of gratitude can ensure it becomes a routine part of life going forward.
  3. Give. Make it a common practice to give things, time, and resources to others, particularly those in need. This allows for children to understand the concept of abundance and to recognize how much they have. Additionally, it also expands their sense of perspective and instills generosity.
  4. Support children’s autonomy. As children grow, they become familiar with their values and strengths. Within a firm but flexible environment children have the safety to explore who they are. Along the way, they find things they naturally appreciate, both in themselves and in the world.
  5. Cultivate children’s intrinsic goals. Western culture particularly, steeped in consumerism, is fueled by dissatisfaction with the present and withers in the midst of sustained contentment. Sadly, this doesn’t inspire gratitude in any of us. As a result, we must counter this by helping children find value within. This means we focus on things not associated with image, wealth and status. Help children find activities they love and bring them joy, those that cultivate community and growth.

We hope these five practices for inspiring gratitude in children has sparked your thinking. We’d love to hear your ideas in the comments below! And don’t forget to grab your Gratitude Fridge Sign below.

Further Reading

For even more information and ideas on inspiring gratitude in children, have a look at the following articles:

BONUS: “I am Thankful” Coloring Pages

As you find ways to express gratitude together while spending time with family and friends, we thought you might be interested in our “I am Thankful” Coloring Pages. Check out previews of the coloring pages below. These could be great coloring pages for any time of the year, but especially fun to do around the Thanksgiving holiday. Both are great for all ages, though the one with “Thankful” in the middle of the design might be especially good for any adult coloring fans in your family! You can pick up both of these coloring sheets for just $5 here.

Creative and Engaging Advent Devotions & Activities for Families

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This is the first truly “family friendly” devotional for Advent that I’ve found. There was something to which everyone in the family could relate – from our preschoolers all the way through adults. The coloring pages were wonderful! Even my little two-year-old was able to participate. My kindergartner read the devotional book as part of her reading practice at night. It was great that the words were easy and straightforward!
– Rev. Meredith Keseley, Senior Pastor, Abiding Presence Lutheran Church, Burke, VA

We are excited to announce the launch of our newest family Advent devotional resource: An Illustrated Advent for Families (2017 edition)!

Family Advent Devotional

This is our third year of providing families with a resource for engaging their children in faith formation at home during the Advent season. Our Illustrated Advent for Families and Illustrated Lent for Families have been used by thousands of families around the world, and we’re looking forward to sharing this new edition for 2017.

It can be difficult to find meaningful ways to engage our families in faith formation. It can sometimes feel awkward, we don’t always know what to do, and sometimes we have a hard time talking about our own faith stories.

FREE SAMPLE: Click here to download a free sample of An Illustrated Advent for Families.

An Illustrated Advent for Families

An Illustrated Advent for Families is one way to do that – to slow down, ask questions, have fun, be intentional about how you spend your time, and try new things. There are coloring pages for your children, but we’ve often found that parents enjoy coloring them as much (if not more…) as their children enjoy the coloring. There are simple but meaningful devotions for families to do throughout Advent, an Advent Wreath activity, and our Advent Calendar.

Keep reading to learn a bit more about the activities in this year’s edition, and to hear testimonials from people who have used our previous editions of An Illustrated Advent for Families.

Our family, like many, struggles to find opportunities for prayer and faith formation. My children were attracted by this resource, and even asked about when we were going to do the next portions. As a widow with three elementary-school-aged children, I was grateful for this resource, because it had a marvelous combination of flexibility and structure, and let me find ways to fit activities in as it became possible.
– Elise Erikson Barrett, Consultant with Indianapolis Center for Congregations

Family Advent Devotional

Family Advent Devotional

This year, our family devotions will walk participants through Advent by focusing on a different Advent hymn each week. The hymns will be accompanied by a set of Advent scripture texts and the traditional Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love.

Incorporated into the devotion is a time for coloring the Advent Wreath candles if you would like to do so, however that can also be used as a stand-alone activity.

These weekly devotionals are written so they can be used by children of all ages (and adults as well), and we believe you’ll find questions and discussion topics in each of the devotionals that will work for your children, no matter the age. Each devotion includes scripture, an Advent hymn to listen to, a brief reflection and discussion questions, an activity a family can do over the week and a short prayer.

Having a weekly Advent activity rather than a daily one was helpful for our family. We liked spending a more meaningful block of time on this activity once a week rather than trying not to squeeze in a daily activity that was shorter but less meaningful. We have felt guilty in the past for missing a day of other Advent devotions, and knowing we had a week to complete the activity removed the pressure and stress.
– Emily Barlow, volunteer worship planner at The Well, Long Beach, MS

Coloring Pages

Obviously, we love coloring here at Illustrated Ministry. But it’s not just that we like getting messy with markers and crayons. It’s really the conversations that happen when you’re coloring that we treasure.

If you’ve used any of our products and resources before, you may have experienced some of these types of conversations with children. When they’re immersed in coloring, you’ll be amazed at what they will share with you.

Our coloring pages for this year’s Illustrated Advent for Families follow the traditional Advent themes of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. But they also connect with the Advent and Christmas hymns (some of which may be new to you) and you’ll find lines from the hymns incorporated into the coloring sheets as well.

As a Christian educator who is also a mom, I found this resource to be an excellent guide for our family and our congregation’s families during Advent. I appreciated how both my 8-year-old and 5-year-old could engage with the writings, questions, and prayers. The coloring is always a hit and creates space for conversations and questions around scripture…I’ve done a lot of research on Advent devotionals for families and hands down, An Illustrated Advent for Families is the best. Sound theology with content that has depth and engages families while understanding the realities of a family’s life makes this resource a must-have for Advent.
– Jenna Campbell, Director of Children and Youth Ministry, First Presbyterian Church, Stillwater, OK

Illustrated Advent Wreath

DIY Advent Wreath

This year, we invite you to create your own Illustrated Advent Wreath to aid you as you travel through Advent on your own or with your family. Each week of Advent, you will have the opportunity to color an Advent candle as you read through the devotional materials.

We encourage you to cut out the candles and display them in a creative way (make a poster, hang them on your refrigerator, post them near your doorway) to help you remember and reflect on Advent throughout the week. Or you can use our paper “wreath” and place each of the candles on the appropriate circle. It is our hope that our Advent resources will deepen your faith and connection with God and your family as you journey together through Advent.

Our family has used An Illustrated Advent for Families for the last several years, and each year it brings a new sense of joy and understanding to our family’s Advent season. Each Sunday night, we all sit down with the activities, light our family Advent wreath, and share in a special time together that helps start off each week of Advent with intention and focus. The devotions are well-written and thoughtful and the calendar has great ideas. But I think the coloring sheets are my favorite part overall. If nothing else, reading the scripture and coloring together offers a point in our week where we can reflect together, pray together, and meditate on Advent as a family.
– Courtney Willis, part-time contract minister with young parents, First Baptist Church, Greensboro, NC

Advent Activities for Families

While many Advent calendars today come with the promise of chocolates or toys behind each of the numbered doors, this Advent calendar is a little different. Our Advent calendar is more of an activity calendar — activities that can help you get into the Advent and Christmas spirit. Some of these activities will be great for your kids to do by themselves—others will require the whole family. And there are some activities that require you to get out of your house and go into your community.

We think these activities will be a lot of fun for your kids and your family and maybe some of the prompts will cause you and your family to get creative and make up other activities on your own.

Each of the weeks of Advent has a different theme and focus, and we hope that this will provide you with meaningful ways to get into the Christmas spirit.

The feedback from our congregation was that the resources were really great quality and easy to access. Parents felt that they could discuss the ideas without needing to check with the vicar first, and children were keen to undertake the activities. The quality of this product is wonderful! We loved that the devotionals were geared towards families, but weren’t in any way ‘dumbed down’ – adults felt they were just as relevant to them as to our youngest members.
– Deb Scoble, Authorised Lay Minister (Worship Leader), St Mary-the-Virgin Dover, Kent, United Kingdom

We hope you’ll take some time to check out An Illustrated Advent for Families, and let us know if you have any questions. If you’d like to download a sample of the resource to check out before you purchase, you can click here.