Preparing for Advent as a Family

The season of Advent is quickly upon us and as Christians this means this is the time where we begin to prepare for the birth of Jesus.  For children, this time of year often involves trips to see Santa, watching holiday themed movies and television shows, waiting to see where their elves hide everyday, and anxiously anticipating the arrival of Santa.  However, children may not be as excited about the journey of Advent as they are about the potential presents they will see under the tree.  The best way to help them understand the significance of Advent is to get them involved.  Here are a few ideas to help you and your family celebrate Advent:

Make an Advent Wreath

Children love crafts and other hands-on activities.  Making an Advent wreath is an easy way to get kids excited about the season.  It can be as easy as purchasing a kit on Amazon or at Autom.  However, if you have more time and enjoy the creative process, you can always make one from scratch. Making a wreath at home can be simple. You can buy artificial evergreen branches or greenery garland, or you can find evergreen branches outside. Find a wire or styrofoam wreath form to use as your base, and help your child attach the branches using a glue gun. Add three purple and one pink candle to represent each week of Advent.  Consider adding pinecones, which represent resurrection, to give the wreath a little bit of color. 

Set Up a Nativity Scene

Nativity scenes can simply consist of statues of Mary and Joseph with a manger in between, or they can be more complex with full-on barn scenes including animals and wise men. To help your child understand the meaning of the season, you can start with an empty manger, then add Jesus on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning. Other figures like the wise men can start far away and slowly move closer every Sunday. Pre-made nativity scenes can be expensive, so you may want to consider crafting one with your child’s help.

BUY OR MAKE AN ADVENT CALENDAR

There are all kinds of fun Advent calendars you can buy, but if your child is an aspiring artist, he or she might appreciate the experience of making one more. You can find DIY ideas on websites like Pinterest or in craft stores. A daily reminder that Christmas is coming will help your child appreciate the anticipation just as much as the main event. 

At Blessed Trinity Academy we strive to help children grow to their fullest potential and become leaders within their communities. We offer unique and dynamic learning environments that engage students and encourage them to become confident and responsible adults. To learn more about BTA and what we can offer your family, visit www.btacademy.net today.