In our home, advent is a big deal. The countdown to celebrating our Savior’s birth is such a special tradition we share as a family. We want our children to know the true meaning and why we celebrate year after year.
There can be so many distractions. What to buy for this person and that person, which decorations look the best on the mantle, how to decorate the Christmas tree, and a shopping list for each store. I’ve been guilty of allowing these things to take my eyes off what truly matters. That’s why this year we are sitting down and creating a list of how we would like to celebrate in our home and homeschool.
I wanted to share a few things we’ve done together in years past and what we plan to do this year as well. I’ve broken this list up into sections: Littles, Older Children, The Whole Family, and Giving.
Littles
· Decorate a Christmas tree mat from our Advent Study
· Camp out with sleeping bags near the Christmas tree during the homeschool day
· Print and color these FREE winter themed Scripture bookmarks
· Bake cookies together. Here is our Purposeful Bake Study: Taste of the Season
· Snow sensory bin
· Make snowflakes to decorate the window
· Hand print wreaths
· Sing Christmas carols
· Talk about the meaning of a Christmas Tree. Buck Denver Christmas does a wonderful job of explaining this to both young children and adults.
· Decorate pinecones
· Read Christmas books in your pajamas all day
· Look for woodland creatures and play a game of animal movements
Older Children
· Make ornaments
· Make pancakes with red and green sprinkles for breakfast
· Make cinnamon scented ornaments
· Setup a hot cocoa bar and serve the family
· Make Christmas candles. In our Garden Chronicles: Frankincense and Myrrh we have instructions on how to make frankincense candles for your home.
· Make Christmas in the Big Woods salt dough ornaments. This is one of our favorite Christmas books!
· Make a cranberry string for the Christmas tree
· Make homemade potpourri
· Paint a nativity scene
· Make fire starters
· Make a popsicle stick nativity set
· Make a Christmas banner for the homeschool room. Here’s the Names of Jesus study with a banner inside that we’ll be using.
The Whole Family
· Setup an Advent Calendar and read the Bible daily. In this one, we have Scripture prompts that walk you and your family through the account of Christ’s birth.
· Decorate the Christmas tree while listening to Christmas music
· Drink hot cocoa and sit by a fire
· Sing Christmas hymns
· Build a bonfire outdoors and have smores
· Go for a winter wonderland walk in the forest
· Play your favorite Christmas and board games
· Memorize Scripture together. The Scripture cards below are included in our Woodland Winter Advent study.
Giving
· Send cards to your family and friends
· Donate shelf-stable foods to a local food bank
· Fill up a shoebox for the Samaritan’s Purse
· Make gift bags for your mail delivery drivers (snacks for the road is a special treat)
· Deliver fresh baked goods to someone special
· Have lunch delivered to your child’s pediatrician
At the end of the day, it’s about shaping the hearts of our children and showing them the need for a Savior. Take this Christmas season to form a deeper relationship with them by using these ideas and creating a list of intentional ways you can celebrate the Christmas season.
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Xoxo,
Amanda
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