How to Prepare Kids for Advent
When the pictures of turkeys appear in school windows across the land (sometimes each feather a different color!), we know that Thanksgiving is near. After a full weekend of food, family, and friends, it can be a jolt to arrive in church on Sunday and discover, “Oh, my! It’s the first Sunday of Advent!”
Are you prepared for this (usually) four-week season of preparation for Christmas? Here are some ideas to help you “prepare to prepare” during the month of November.
Prepare an Advent space
- Locate your Advent wreath. Make sure you have the correct number of candles in the correct colors (three purple and one pink).
- Collect books and posters about Advent.
- Find a simple Nativity scene with wooden or plaster figures. Set the baby Jesus figure aside until the last day that your class meets before Christmas.
- Find a purple cloth that can be used to cover the table or desk on which the Advent wreath is displayed.
- Label a small basket with “Prayers.” Leave small pieces of paper next to the basket. When Advent begins, invite the group to write down their prayer intentions and leave them in the basket. Every so often, have a “prayer break” and pray for the intentions left in the basket.
- Set up your Advent space right after your group leaves for Thanksgiving break. Then you can feel relieved when the first Monday of Advent rolls around. You are prepared to prepare!
Personal Advent calendars
Provide each student with a blank calendar. Ask them to mark the following important dates and feasts on their calendars:
- First Sunday of Advent
- Second Sunday of Advent
- Third Sunday of Advent
- Fourth Sunday of Advent
- December 3: Saint Francis Xavier
- December 6: Saint Nicholas
- December 8: The Immaculate Conception of Mary
- December 9: Saint Juan Diego
- December 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe
- December 13: Saint Lucy
- December 14: Saint John of the Cross
- December 24: Christmas Eve
- December 25: Christmas Day
- December 26: Saint Stephen, the First Martyr
- December 27: Saint John the Apostle
- December 28: The Holy Innocents
- December 29: Saint Thomas Becket
- December 30 or the Sunday after Christmas: The Feast of the Holy Family
Personal Advent notebooks
- Distribute 12 blank sheets of paper to each student so that when folded, each half-sheet will cover one day of Advent for 2024.
- Distribute one piece of purple construction paper to use as a cover, folded.
- Ask the students to mark the date for each day on each of the half-sheets. Allow time each day for the students to write a “note to Jesus,” a prayer, or a personal reflection on that day. Some may want to use the page for drawing a picture as a reflection or prayer.
- The pages may be stapled along the fold like a book. The cover can be decorated by drawing four candles to symbolize a week of Advent. As the Sundays of Advent come around, the flame can be drawn on the candle.
An Advent play
- During November, think about the “Advent scenes” presented to us in Scripture: the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary, Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, Joseph’s dream and the angel’s reassurance, the journey to Bethlehem, the innkeeper’s refusal to give Mary and Joseph a room, and the innkeeper’s suggestion that they stay in the stable.
- Write a simple script for each scene. Include “crowd commentary” and “crowd reaction” to include children who do not have major speaking parts.
- Gather costumes and props that could be useful in acting out the above scenes. Colorful towels can serve as veils and aprons. Angel wings can be made from cardboard or poster board. The play can be presented just before the Christmas break, with the announcement that we will know the ending on December 25!
Blessings as you “prepare to prepare” this year!
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