Our Christmas won't be dramatically different this year, but since Bubbie is older, we are now able to incorporate a little more of what Christmas really means. I am very excited to be able to teach Bubbie what Christmas is all about. Since I was able to find our Advent Calendar at the yard sale a few months ago (cha-ching!), we will have that to use this year. I have wondered how exactly we would use it and done a lot of research online. I think we have decided to open the door every night- at dinner- and read through the book of Luke. Behind each door will also have a little candy or treat and an activity for the family to do. I am very excited to be able to spend some quality time with my men- doing some things for other people and just having fun celebrating Jesus' birth!
Door 1- Read Luke 1; Color Advent page, read Scripture and make Christmas rings
Door 2- Read Luke 2; Color Advent page, read Scripture and make ginger bread house
Door 3- Read Luke 3; Color Advent page, read Scripture and visit a local church
Door 4- Read Luke 4; Color Advent page; read Scripture and make snow flakes
Also, Bubbie's birthday so we'll be having cake and a fun family night!
Door 5- Read Luke 5; Color Advent page, read Scripture and play a game, eat popcorn and turn on Christmas music
Door 6- Read Luke 6; Color Advent page, read Scripture and lots of fun things out and about
Also, we'll be having fun at Bubbie's 4th Birthday party
Door 7- Read Luke 7; Color Advent page, read Scripture and enjoying the Christmas parade with Frick and Frack
Door 8- Read Luke 8; Color Advent page, read Scripture and make a birthday card for Jesus- put it under the tree
Door 9- Read Luke 9; Color Advent page, read Scripture and make gifts for our neighbors
Door 10- Read Luke 10; Color Advent page, read Scripture and pray for and deliver gifts to the neighbors
Door 11- Read Luke 11; Color Advent page, read Scripture and make cookies
Door 12- Read Luke 12; Color Advent page, read Scripture and finish cookies
Door 13- Read Luke 13; Color Advent page, read Scripture and we'll walk through a "Bethlehem village"
Door 14- Read Luke 14; Color Advent page, read Scripture and go to Jesus' birthday party (if you are in town and want to come, let me know!).
Door 15- Read Luke 15; Color Advent page, read Scripture and do a fun Christmas craft
Door 16- Read Luke 16; Color Advent page, read Scripture and go see Christmas lights
Door 17- Read Luke 17; Color Advent page, read Scripture and watch a Christmas movie
Door 18- Read Luke 18; Color Advent page, read Scripture and go downtown, see Santa and walk the streets
Door 19- Read Luke 19; Color Advent page, read Scripture and celebrate Peanut's 1st birthday-
w/ cake and family!
Door 20- Read Luke 20; Color Advent page, read Scripture and celebrate the boy's birthdays w/ a trip to the aquarium, children's museum or zoo (if its warm!)
Door 21- Read Luke 21; Color Advent page, read Scripture and enjoy our JTEAM's Christmas fun night
Door 22- Read Luke 22; Color Advent page, read Scripture and talk about the Christmas story we've read so far
Door 23- Read Luke 23; Color Advent page, read Scripture and drive through town looking at lights
Door 24- Read Luke 24; Color Advent page, read Scripture and go to 2 Christmas Eve services, eat yummy food, watch a Christmas movie and read "The Night Before Christmas"
I sat down and made my list with the calendar. Monday nights I am away at my BSF study, so these activities are easy for Hubbie and Bubbie to do while I'm away. We probably won't get to EVERYTHING on our calendar, but this just gives us an idea of what we could do! Most important thing is for us to show Bubbie that Christ is the real reason WE celebrate Christmas and that family time is important.
I got ideas from Kristen and our coloring pages w/ Scripture verses on them are from the internet. Need the link, let me know.
Merry Christmas!
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7 thoughtful comments:
That is a very unique advent activity! Looks fun. WHen I was a kid, we had an advent wreath and prayed and read scripture every night when it was lit.
I love this list. December always sneaks up on me and I never get on the ball until the second week. Maybe by day 3 I can work up our Advent plans this year. :) Thanks for the inspiration.
Wow, this is awesome! I love your ideas!
Wow! That is an awesome list Lauren!! I just printed it off! :)
Beautiful!
We're doing something similar.
We light our wreath during family dinner, dh leads the prayer, we all say a prayer together, then after dinner Aidan blows out the candle.
I'm working on teaching him some prayers, and we have a list from this Holy Heroes site with daily suggestions, such as help a sibling one day, say an extra prayer to Jesus, etc.
I love Advent now and the family prayer time. :)
Fun, fun! It is so neat when kids understand that Santa, etc, is fun, BUT there is more to it than that! Last year, Gavin was putting up a nativity set in his room. He held up the Baby Jesus figure and said, "THIS is the true meaning of Christmas!" I thought my heart would melt. :-)
Sounds great. I want to do an advent wreath this year, but we missed the first Sunday (didn't think about it until Sunday evening). Maybe we'll catch up this week. :-)
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