UPDATED November 2022
Before I go on and on sharing wonderful resources and talking about how our family celebrates advent. Lets begin at the beginning. What is advent?
AD’VENT, noun [Latin adventus, from advenio, of ad and venio, to come. See Find.]
A coming; appropriately the coming of our Savior, and in the calendar, it includes four sabbaths before Christmas, beginning of St. Andrew’s Day, or on the sabbath next before or after it. It is intended as a season of devotion, with reference to the coming of Christ in the flesh, and his second coming to judge the world.
The definition above is from Websters Dictionary 1828
And this is from dictionary.com
noun
a coming into place, view, or being; arrival: the advent of the holiday season. Usually Advent . the coming of Christ into the world. Advent, the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, observed in commemoration of the coming of Christ into the world. Usually Advent . Second Coming.
Advent has made a come-back among Christians. I am not sure exactly what that means for us in a deeper spiritual sense but I think it is a very good thing for family celebrations. What I love most about the advent season is that it helps our family focus on the coming of Jesus rather than on all the extras ie. trees, gifts, caroling, food, etc. Those are all wonderful things and some are even a part of our advent celebration but as part of advent they are all pointing to one thing…our waiting for Jesus. Both His birth in the seasonal Christmas sense and also His second coming in the theological sense. Highlighting the waiting has a profound effect on how we celebrate the season – like waiting for the most wonderful present.
There are so many beautiful resources for the celebration of Advent. It can be overwhelming both as a parent and just as an individual. I thought it would be helpful to compile all the resources I know of into one place. I will do my best to categorize the resources but some may fit into multiple categories so decide for yourself how to use them. I have not personally used each of the items listed but I did my best to curate the list so that anything here is something I would use.
NOTE: In 2020, the first Sunday of Advent is November 29th.
Curriculum Style Resources
As a homeschool family, we take off the month of December for “Advent School” I got the name and idea from a dear homeschool friend early in our homeschooling and as long as I am teacher here, we will have Advent School. It is the best thing for our school year. We all get to stop, rest and focus on what is most important while also spending meaningful school days together. With that in mind, lets begin with the “curriculum style” advent options. I do not always use a curriculum version for our Advent School. Most often I use a combination of picture books, crafts and family traditions. You do what works best for your family in the season you are in.
A Gentle Classical Christmas – We used this for our 2020 Advent School and are using it this year with our coop group. I love the simplicity. There are a few crafts but not too many and I already have most of what we need. I love the inclusion of hymns and acts of service. This curriculum is divided into 4 units and there is a very easy to follow schedule with lots of flexibility – just my style. According the creator, this is good for “your two-year-old through your Grandmother”.
Sonlight Advent Unit Study – Sonlight is a well known and well respected literature based curriculum. I was so pleased when I saw they had an Advent unit study. This is almost guaranteed to be one we use in the future. The Arnold Ytreeide books are a favorite of ours (I will link them later in this post) and Sonlight has some of my favorite read-alouds. This study is ideal for 2nd-8th grades (7-13 years). They have guides for Jotham’s Journey, Bartholomew’s Passage, & Tabitha’s Travels!
Gather Round Homeschool Christmas Unit – GRHS has some beautiful unit studies. I appreciate the way they keep 1 teacher’s guide but divide the students based on age/skill level. The First Christmas unit (available in English & Spanish) is designed to be done 4 days a week for the three weeks leading up to Christmas OR in the 12 days before Christmas as an advent activity. They also have Christmas Around the World which is new for 2022 includes recipes and ornament ideas, & customs from various countries.
Truth in the Tinsel – This is one of the first Advent School “curriculums” I used 6 years ago. Although, confession – we didn’t do all the ornaments. It is ok, these resources are tools not masters. Each day has a different ornament to make. It is very craft focused BUT it is so sweet. Because we did this several years I now have several adorable homemade ornaments from my children’s little hands. I definitely plan to go back and use this resource (in part) with my two youngest so they get to make some of the neat ornaments my oldest two did. If you don’t want to make ornaments you can buy the printable version and still use the lessons for day.
The Peaceful Press Preschool Christmas Unit – A Peaceful Press is known for their sweet literature inspired Classical/Charlotte Mason blend. This Christmas unit is specifically created for ages 2-5. The guide is designed to prepare children for academic success through strengthening processing skills. This special Christmas Guide is also created to promote happy memory making among families.
Christmas with Tales is a simple 4 week guide for preschool & early elementary. The creator has beautiful illustrations and incorporates nature study, art, Bible study, poems, & recipes. It even includes a full set of advent countdown cards for you to print.
A Connected Christmas from Treehouse Schoolhouse is a 3 week Advent guide designed to be used by the whole family. The teacher’s guide has an easy layout and the student activities even include a narration notebook. I love the storybooks they chose and the activities remind me of things I would want to do with my kids anyway – making cookies, decorating, etc The author has a blog post about how to use the guide with all ages so if you have a wide range of ages, check it out to see if this guide would be a good fit for your family.
25 Activities for Christmas Science – Ok, this one isn’t specifically Advent focused but it is so neat I wanted to include it. Plus, I think a science-loving-family could utilize these experiments and make Advent connections (if you do this PLEASE comment and tell me!) Elemental science is not specifically Christian but their Sassafras Science series is our favorite so this one is definitely on my list for the future.
Rabbit Trails through Christmas is one lesson that is meant to last 1-2 weeks. This is a new resource for me but I am excited to check it out. At $8 it is very affordable! They also have a membership you can purchase to study a different book each month. The month of December (2022) will be the Polar Express and you will also receive a family Bible study to use as part of your Advent celebration.
Read Aloud Revival Christmas School – As a member of RAR Premium you get access to Christmas School for 2020. I am not sure if this is something that they will do every year or if this is just 2020 but either way I am sure its good. I love Read Aloud Revival and their booklists!
Not Consumed Ministries has some fabulous Bible studies for kids & teens. I am excited about this Christmas study because it is different from some of the other resources listed. This is a personal Bible study for kids. It can be used as a family with the parent facilitating discussion or you can allow your older child or teen to use it as their independent Bible study for the month of December. They also have some beautiful Christmas Countdown cards that you can incorporate with the study.
A new addition to the list is the St Lucia guide a dear friend and I created last year. This guide isn’t for the whole advent season but can be used as part of your celebration of Advent. It includes activities, recipes, book suggestions & even a devotional reading for moms.
Morning Time Plans
If you are unfamiliar with Morning Baskets and Morning Time see my post all about it here
A Gentle Feast – I love A Gentle Feast’s morning time plans. Each one includes art, hymn, a composer study, scripture and a handicraft. The creator says “This digital PDF is 65 color pages taking your family through seven lessons following the Christmas story. You can use this packet in several ways:
- Start seven weeks before Christmas and do one lesson per week, doing one of the activities each day.
- Start the week before Christmas and do all the lesson’s activities each day.
- Use the readings on Sundays and save the rest do when your children are out of school on break.”
A Gentle Feast also has an Christmas Around the World Morning Time Guide. New for 2022 this guide includes morning time activities like poetry & picture study as well as video instructions for crafts & recipes. It covers 10 countries.
Mighty Oaks & Arrows digital Christmas Morning Time Guide is beautiful! It includes all the subjects you expect to include in a Charlotte Mason morning time – picture study, rich literature, poetry and more.
Christmas Celebration – Your Morning Basket has a variety of morning time plans including this one for Christmas. Combining advent themes as well as traditional Christmas themes (like the Nutcracker) the plan is all laid out for you. Designed for grades 1-6 the plans can easily be adapted to include preschool to adult age groups.
A Gentle Advent – I couldn’t decide whether to put this one under morning time plans or curriculum resources. After looking at what is included I think it may have more than what would be included in just a morning time for a regular school time but it sounds just right for Advent School. I admit I am a sucker for these kinds of beautiful, Charlotte Mason resources. Good thing I have many years to try new things before my children graduate.
There is also a Gentle Jesse Tree option.
Christmas School Morning Riches – This is a companion guide to the Jesse Tree advent tradition. Designed by a homeschool mom, it is affordable and is a great addition to morning time. You could also use it as your main “curriculum” for seasons when less is more. If you don’t want the guide but still want to use the ornaments you can buy them here.
Brighter Day Press creates beautiful resources for homeschool families. This Advent morning time option is designed for 4 weeks. It includes the usual morning time activities. Available in English & Spanish. If you are looking for more of a curriculum and not just a morning time option they also have Come to the Manger. I won this holiday curriculum last year and it is lovely. The author does a great job of incorporating activities that little hands enjoy – it is designed for 3-7 year olds but I think it could be expanded to 10 with some creativity.
All Creatures of Our God and King – This is a simple hymn and scripture copywork curriculum that would be a beautiful addition to an Advent morning time. The full curriculum includes 24 weeks of copywork but you could easily pull out the passages you want to focus on for Advent.
Unearthing Wonder: A Family Advents Guide from The Peaceful Press – This family guide is a companion to All Creation Waits. Designed for the whole family to share together. The guide includes verses, activities, recipes, and songs that are geared towards helping your family develop meaningful traditions.
Cards & Ornaments
Brighter Day Press Advent Bible reading cards. Each day has a scripture that follows the story of Jesus’ birth. Begins Dec 1 & goes through the whole month.
Jesus Storybook Bible Printable – This FREE printable includes an advent guide as well as ornaments to color & memory cards. For those starting out and feeling overwhelmed with all the options, this could be a good place to start. You will need the Jesus Storybook Bible and some crayons but not much else.
Advent Calendar Activity Pack – This is a neat option I found on Etsy. There are many versions available online via different artists. I like the simplicity of the cards and I think the illustrations would be fun for kids. This pack contains one double sided card for each day of December leading up to Christmas. The front side is beautifully designed to display, while the back side includes a Scripture, Prayer and Activity for each day.
Family Devotional/Storybook Style Resources
Why Christmas? – I absolutely love this series by Barbara Reaoch. We also have Why Easter? and I love it as well. This book includes a helpful devotional with Scripture readings, memory verses, Christmas carols and questions to direct your child’s heart towards God. Beginning the first day of December and lasting through Christmas, I think this devotional will bless you and your family.
We Light the Candles – This small, sweet devotional is about as simple as you can get for an advent reading. All you need are the advent candles and this book. We have used this book for several years and I have been especially grateful for it during times when we were traveling. Keeping up our advent tradition wasn’t a burden since all I needed was this little book. It is beautifully old fashioned and I love it. It is now out of print but you can find the digital version here.
Arnold Ytreeide Books – This series of books combines family devotional, exciting read aloud and candle readings. Each book tells the story of a different fictional character within the Christmas story. Each character intertwines with the others so you recognize old friends as you read. This is the perfect family read aloud and devotional especially for those with kids 8 and up. Some of the stories are pretty suspenseful so younger children may not be ready for them – read a little from chapter 1 and see what you think, you know your child best.
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift – This combination of advent and Jesse Tree serves as a wonderful family devotional. The illustrations are beautiful and so is the story. There is also an interactive advent devotional for families to enjoy.
Christmas Carols for a Kid’s Heart – This book and others in the series are hard to find. When/if you find one, snatch it up! Trust me, you will not regret it. This book tells the story of cherished Christmas carols – Who wrote them? How God used the writer to share HIStory. Each chapter also includes a devotional from Joni Eareckson Tada. I only own a few of these but I cherish each one and love reading them with my kids. You could use it during morning time or as a family devotional.
The Way to the Manger – This is a new family devotional that I just discovered in 2020. According to several reviews, this is a great addition for families with young children who want simple, relatable truths to discuss. There is also a section with questions for kids to ask their parents. It includes questions about their childhood and favorite things. I know my kids love to hear stories about when my husband and I were their age. This offers some good prompts.
The Advent Storybook Collection – Created by a homeschool Mom and a ministry minded Dad these books (both the Christmas and Easter versions) beautifully point to Jesus. 25 Bible stories to share so you can use them at bedtime, morning time or any time in between. There is also a coordinating coloring book.
Advent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas – While many of the previous resources share Bible stories specifically, this storybook takes a different approach. Instead of sharing individual Bible stories, this book shares the story of a small bear who can’t wait for Christmas. To help pass the time, his mother tells him a story each night about another bear and the first Christmas. Obviously fictional, there are still beautiful truths taught in each story. If you have a shelf filled with various children’s Bible books this just might be the book for you.
Beneath Bethlehem Skies by Brandon Anthony Shuman – This beautiful book is a wonderful family devotional. It includes 26 readings “comprised of scriptural interludes, contemplations from saints, past and present, and fifteen original compositions seasoned over the course of twelve Decembers” I recommend it for families with older children as pre-k kids may struggle to stay focused.
Advent Devotions & Christmas Crafts for Families – Another option that would work as an all-in-one. This book includes devotional readings as well as fun crafts to do as a family. The crafts are not complicated and many are meant to be shared with others – gifts to share etc. Each devotional through the four weeks of Advent is focused on the themes of Hope, Preparation, Joy, and Love. Since this is designed for families, the crafts are better suited to older children or families. Small children will need help but that doesn’t mean they can’t participate.
Driven By Grace has several Bible study options for the Advent season. The Savior was Born is geared for family use and Christ Centered Christmas is designed for kids. They include a Bible lesson, crafts, recipes, & read aloud suggestions. Both look beautiful and encourage a love of God’s word.
Candle Holders and Other Resources
This wooden Advent wreath kit is a great option for those with littles – no flames to worry about. Once your kids are older it can still be used as a beautiful decoration and reminder of both Advent and those little years.
Cradle to the Cross Wreath – This is not your traditional advent candle holder but I think it is a beautiful addition to the advent celebration. This can also be used in preparation for Easter.
This pocket Advent set is perfect for individuals, to keep at your office, or for those traveling during the holidays. It includes a guide with 20 minute reflections for each day but you can use your own guide as well.
There are many options for traditional advent wreaths online or you can make your own.
Shepherd on the Search – This is such a fun alternative to the Elf on the Shelf. It includes a cute picture book, shepherd and Dayspring also has a devotional advent book. My kids LOVE this tradition and I love the way it points to Jesus.
The Giving Manger – Another possibility for a sweet family tradition that focuses on Jesus and serving others rather than gifts and mischief. We do not own this set but every time I see it I think about buying it. Its definitely on my list for the future.
Read Aloud Revival has a podcast that talks all about Advent & Christmas read-alouds.
Adventures in Odyssey: Countdown to Christmas – This is just a fun audio from my childhood. I love AIO and this compilation has a seasonal episode for every day until Christmas. Listen to it in the car, while putting up the tree or at nap time. There is also a calendar you can get for a bit of crafting.
Resources for Adults
Unwrapping the Names of Jesus – This devotional can be used by readers in their own personal worship times or as a tool to engage in family worship during the busy holiday season. The author highlights the four weeks of Advent (Hope, Preparation, Joy, and Love). Each week includes an interactive family devotional, daily reflections that focus on that week’s name of Jesus, suggestions for fun-filled family activities or service projects.
Joy to the World Daily Readings for Advent by Charles Spurgeon – These 5 minute devotions from the “Prince of Preachers” will encourage and help you focus during the busy holiday rush.
Hallelujah: Cultivating Advent Traditions with Handel’s Messiah – This gem by Cindy Rollins is a perfect addition for classical music lovers. I plan to use this with my kids as they get older but may go ahead and purchase it just for me. The book includes…
- Weekly Scripture passages, hymns, and poems,
- Daily Messiah listening schedule with background information from Greg Wilbur
- An overview of the church calendar by Thomas Banks
- Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany recipes, and
- Suggestions for celebrating the Advent feasts of St. Nicholas
and St. Lucia
Devoted Motherhood’s Advent devotional is a 4 week study created for women. It explores the topic of worship which is perfect for the Advent season because that is what this time of year should be all about. This study comes in both digital and physical versions and it looks like it would make a beautiful gift…maybe to yourself 🙂
Watch for the Light – This compilation of readings includes excerpts from a variety of men and women of the faith.
God is in the Manger – Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of my favorite Christians to read about. His life and faith fascinate and inspire me. These readings are will leave you with something to ponder throughout the day.
The Characters of Christmas – Sometimes the characters in the Christmas story can become too familiar and we don’t appreciate the simple people involved in such an epic story. This book lets you step back and think about who these people were and how God used them.
The Dawning of Indestructible Joy – John Piper fans will enjoy these readings which encourage reflection and rest as we await the arrival of Jesus.
From Heaven – “Advent is as much about looking back as it is looking ahead—back to Christ’s incarnation, ahead to His return. From Heaven combines A. W. Tozer’s best reflections on these two themes to help us better appreciate the season of Advent. Each daily reading is paired with Scripture for meditation, drawing our attention to the rising light of Christ.”
A Homespun Hallelujah – These readings are specifically written for busy Mom’s. Designed as a restful course, each week includes…
- A Scripture Journal for writing out Scriptures, prayers, gratitude journaling, and guided reflection
- Beautiful handicrafts, tutorials, and needle working
- A special art lesson
- Tea time recipes for you and friends
- Music and audiobooks to enjoy
- Intentional rest time
The Case for Christmas FREE online Bible Study – This online Bible study is a great add on for those that have read Lee Strobel’s Case for Christmas. I am excited to join!
I hope you enjoyed walking through these Advent resources with me. As time passes I will do my best to update this post. If you have any resources you love and would like to see added please comment. I hope you and yours have a wonderful season of Advent – awaiting His coming and enjoying His daily grace.
