advent celebrations

This year we decided to do a countdown until Christmas Day as a part of Advent :: a string of envelopes marking the passing of time, each with a card explaining an activity we’ll do to keep focused on the ‘reason for the season’. What fun we’re having! This simple tool helped me to prioritize the many, many ideas I had floating through my head and to plan them out. All other thoughts were put to rest for another year.

Each day we open a card during morning basket time. There is a short focus on a theme of the season, such as sharing or giving, and then we have a craft or activity to complete. I opted for some quick & easy ideas some days and others have more time & effort required.

Practical and fun is what I was aiming for :: ideas that could work for a 4-yr old or an 11-yr old, and the 6-yr old in between! So far we’ve….

~prayed for those who may feel alone this season, may Jesus be near to them

~given the gift of a smile

~bought a gift for our Angel Tree sponsor child {our church is participating in this program}

~given the gift of a hug

~written notes of appreciation (or draw a picture) for someone in our family

~shared a special something with a family member

~shared the gift of a Christmas carol with someone—over the phone, at home or somewhere else

~made a treat for those in our community who serve us; example~the lady who delivers our mail

The activities or crafts that have been a part of our celebration (such as the treat mentioned in the last idea)?….well, I’ll share those in another post!

advent celebrations