Advent activities, coloring and project ideas for children and kids from CatholicMom.com

CatholicMom.com Advent and Christmas Crafts and Activities For Children

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Advent and Christmas

to prepare ourselves to worthily to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord's coming into the world as the incarnate God of love,

to make our souls fitting abodes for the Redeemer coming in Holy Communion and through grace

to make ourselves ready for His final coming as judge, at death and at the end of the world (from New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia)

Advent Resources

O Radiant Dawn: 5-Minute Prayers Around the Advent Wreath

by Lisa M. Hendey

Price: $1.25 – Order online at:

O Radiant Dawn is a daily prayer book created for use around an Advent wreath in Catholic households of any configuration. It contains twenty-eight devotional services, each designed to last only five minutes—an achievable goal for busy families. The single-page service includes: 1) a simple candle lighting, 2) a brief scripture passage paired with a reflection question for adults and older children and one for younger children, 3) silence, and 4) a closing prayer. Rooted in scriptural images of light, O Radiant Dawn can be used in family prayer year after year. With its many Advent wreath prayers, O Radiant Dawn is an ideal gift for parish-wide distribution and faith sharing groups. It can also be used as a part of an Advent retreat.

Archived Resources:

Advent Resources for Your Family - Jesse Tree, Make Your Own Nativity, Feast of St. Nicholas
Advent Lesson Plans
Advent Coloring Pages, Mass Worksheets, and Puzzles
Children's Advent Tree Project - an adorable version of the traditional Advent Calendar
Advent Wreath Craft - No burn Advent wreath made of construction paper with your child's handprints
Advent True or False Game
Printable Jesse Tree Coloring Symbols - From Our Sunday Visitor's "Take Out" magazine
Christmas Pageant Script - From Our Sunday Visitor's "Take Out" magazine
Recipe: Old Fashioned Gumdrops
Project: Scented Pinecones
Don't Cheat the Children at Christmas - Christmas Gifts to Make with Your Child by Ann Ball
He's Coming! A great new tool to teach your children about Advent
Advent Star Candle for Early Elementary
Celebrating Advent as a Family
Online Collection of Nativity Creche Sets from University of Dayton
Make Christmas Salt Dough Ornaments
Advent Wreaths
Felt Ornaments
Unique Tin Candle Holders
Nativities
Make a family Advent Chain - click here for complete instructions each day provides a "link" to a fun and faith filled holiday celebration
"Bless the Baby Jesus" Nativity Blessing - read about a wonderful new tradition taking place in the United States
Cotton Ball Crib: Here's another family Advent tradition for those with little ones. Build a simple (think popsicle stick) "crib". Get a large bag of cotton balls. Each evening, reflect on the day with your little ones and see if they had a good behavior day. If so, they get to add a cotton ball to the crib, and make it a little softer for Baby Jesus. (Sometimes it helps with the daytime behavior if you remind them during the day that unless they shape up, they won't get to put in a cotton ball that night.) Then on Christmas, you can put Baby Jesus in the soft crib that they helped to make. shared by Marabelle2
Christmas Story Advent Coloring Book - 24 pictures to color as you count down the days to Christmas. Put them together to make a booklet telling the story of Jesus' nativity.
Two Christmas Eves - A children's story (from www.Catholichomeschooling.com)
Don't Cheat the Kids at Christmas - Catholic author Ann Ball offers craft and recipe ideas to help the kids share in the joy of giving
Good Deeds Manger - a fun craft idea to gather "straw" for baby Jesus with each good do you do
Jesse Tree Craft - make this fun project with Domesticchurch.com
Advent craft projects for kids - from familycrafts.about.com
Integrated Literature unit for Advent and Christmas using wonderful children's literature

Jesse Tree Kit
The Advent tradition of creating a Jesse Tree comes from the verses in Isaiah and Matthew that speak of Jesse, the father of King David. On each branch hangs a picture of some of the forty-two generations of Jesus’ ancestors from both the Old and New Testaments. The pictures of the Holy Family are often placed at the top. This kit offers two options designed to make the Jesse Tree project accessible to any family, class or parish.Option 1: Prepare an actual tree with designs from do-it-yourself three-dimensional ornaments. Option 2: A Jesse Tree Poster with pre-drawn ornaments to be colored and attached. This three-piece kit also includes a short history of the Jesse Tree, suggested Scripture verses for each ornament, and a Jesse Tree prayer service. Click here for more information

Advent Wreath Projects

Advent Wreath Craft - No burn Advent wreath made of construction paper with your child's handprints
No Flame Advent Wreath - a great craft for even the youngest kiddos!
Advent Wreath coloring page - from Domestic-church.com

Advent Calendars - Online and Make Your Own

Abbey Press Advent Calendar - make the season meaningful with a new insight for each day
Online Advent Calendar with a devotion for each day - from the Mary Page, click on the nativity set and be treated to scripture meditations related to the season
EWTN Advent Calendar and Resources- including audio devotionals to listen to online
Celtic and Nature Advent Calendar

Christmas Craft Ideas:

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