Ask any adult if they’re ready for Christmas, and they’ll likely respond with a groan. For what’s supposed to be the “most wonderful time of the year,” December usually ends up being too busy, too chaotic, and too stressful to really enjoy. Children, on the other hand, are completely opposite. My kids have been counting down to Christmas since the middle of November. You can see the excitement and wonder in their eyes when they think about the holiday. Christmas for a child is what Christmas is really about—waiting in eager expectation. Our Heavenly Father has given us the perfect gift in His Son. We know that’s what Christmas is all about, but sometimes it’s hard to keep that focus when we think about everything on our to-do list before December 25. So here are a few links of Advent and Christmas activities you can do with your children (or on your own!), to remind you to take a step back and celebrate Christmas through a child’s eyes.
Advent Chain: Just print the pages, cut out each Bible verse, and tape the links together to form a chain.
Advent Wreath: My kids make these every year. The “greenery” is made from their hands traced on green construction paper and cut out, and the candles are toilet paper tubes colored with purple and pink construction paper (or blue, if you prefer the updated Advent color).
Christmas Bookmarks: These black and white bookmarks are great for kids and adults alike to color. It keeps my kids busy for a while, and this year we plan to hand them out to nursing home residents when our church goes caroling.
Whether you do any of these activities or not, I encourage you to set aside a few minutes each day to read an Advent devotional and just contemplate the miracle of Jesus’ birth. Even if you don’t finish everything on your to-do list, Christmas will still come. The same wonder you see in a child’s eyes can be in your own, when you consider that the all-powerful God humbled Himself to be born as a helpless infant for you, to live a perfect life for you, die for you, and rise again for you. Truly, that’s the best gift you could ever receive!
TruthNotes 