When we had young children at home, Advent was simultaneously one of my favorite times of year and one of the most challenging. After Thanksgiving, our children loved opening up the box of Christmas decorations, hanging ornaments on the tree, and getting out the empty Advent calendar. Together we counted down the days to Christmas and added a new sheep, shepherd, or star to our Advent nativity scene each day. It was so much fun to feel their excitement and anticipation of the holiday! But some years—between Christmas concerts, school parties, work schedules, and the inevitable head colds—the weeks leading up to Christmas were a little too much for all of us. I suspect the true meaning of Advent and Christmas got lost in the shuffle.
As our children got older, I tried to be more intentional about Advent rituals and came to see those weeks as a time of preparation, with more focus on my own internal preparation and less focus on external preparations. I tried to simplify and be selective about what “must” be part of our holiday celebrations. Now our children are grown. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, I try to choose practices that will help me prepare to receive the good news of Jesus’ birth so that I can experience anew the story of God coming to us as a newborn baby and bringing light into the darkness.
For those of us celebrating Advent with young children—at home or in a congregation—the rituals we choose for ourselves can also help the
children in our lives find meaning during the season of Advent. Adding just one ritual or rhythm into the day or week can draw children into the story of God’s people waiting for a Savior and help them grow in their understanding of a faith rooted in the life of Jesus.
How can you help the children in your care become actively involved in waiting for Jesus and looking for God’s light in the world during Advent? Consider these suggestions and choose one or two that you can do together.
- Explain what Advent is—a time of waiting for new life to come into the world in baby Jesus and a time of preparing our hearts to receive him.
- Talk about your own experiences of waiting. Has a time of waiting ever been a blessing? Help children think of times when waiting is a necessary part of growth—like a bulb that needs to grow or a caterpillar in a cocoon who waits to become a butterfly.
- Notice and name what you are thankful for. Younger children often enjoy playing the game I Spy, in which players guess which item in a room someone has chosen in their head. A version of this game could include spying things you are grateful for.
- Choose a word of the week that aligns with the weekly Advent themes of hope, peace, joy, and love. Point out symbols or notice when you see others living out those themes.
- Read the scriptures suggested in Shine At Home each week and choose an activity to do together.
- Create a simple Advent candle wreath with five candles—one for each Sunday of Advent and the fifth one for Christmas. It doesn’t need to be fancy! One year, our Advent candles were tea lights in small jam jars. Lighting candles, singing a Christmas song, and spending a few minutes in silence each evening can be a meaningful way to be together.
- Help your children (and yourself!) slow down and practice waiting by spending reflective time together each day. Search for free Advent devotionals online or purchase one of the suggested books below. Read a devotion each evening before bed. It’s okay if you don’t get to it every day!
Here are some suggested devotional resources for all ages:
- Mennonite Church USA offers a free Advent resource available at this link: https://www.mennoniteeducation.org/resources/advent-at-home/
- 25 Days to Jesus: A Children’s Advent Devotional can be purchased at ShineCurriculum.com. In this book, children will meet those whose lives were changed by the birth of Jesus. Through a daily scripture, story, and prayer, you can begin a Christmas tradition the whole family can share. (ages 3 to 8)
- All Creation Waits—Children’s Edition: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings for Children by Gayle Boss. This is a lovely book that invites the practice of waiting with creation throughout Advent. Each daily reading features a different woodland animal and tells how each one adapts to the season of dark and cold as they wait for a new beginning. (ages 5 to 10)
Today’s post was written by Joyce Peachey Lind, Shine’s curriculum editor. Stay tuned for Friday’s post, “Make Room for Advent at Church.”
Illustrations by Sherry Neidigh.