Advent is upon us, and I thought to pass on some children’s resources that I have come across or used over the years. It is so important to create traditions in our home that point our children to Christ – remembering His coming as a baby; longing for His second coming. Let us not feel pressure to do fancy or complicated things; but be intentional about the things we DO plan to do!
As always, please reach out to me if you ever need anything! I am sending this to the congregation in case some of you want to pass this along to grandchildren or cousins!
In Christ,
Ashley
Advent Resources
One of our favorite musical resources at Christmas is Behold the Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson. It tells the story of the coming of the Lord (from Genesis to Matthew) through song. I highly recommend this CD. Bonus: He is performing the show THIS Sunday, 12/1, at the VBC Concert Hall. You can still buy tickets HERE. Our family will be there!
THIS is a blog from one of my favorite authors, Sally Clarkson, on the season of Advent. She also includes several links to music and books to help your family during this season. She updated her blog post this week to talk about the importance of traditions.
And speaking of Christmas books: a friend suggested years ago that I start a Christmas book collection for the children. Each year, I buy 1 or 2 books that come recommended to me. Some are picture books, some are short chapter books. They sit in a basket on our coffee table, and the kids love to reach in and grab one to read aloud on cold December nights. Here is a great list that has been helpful in my collection. You can download the book list. We are up to 15 Christmas books now!
The Jesse Tree is a neat way to go through the Advent season and focus your family’s attention on Christ. Years ago, some of us gathered and made beautiful felt ornaments. But HERE is an easy printable from the author of the Jesus Storybook Bible. There are many Jesse Tree printables found online, and the readings are very kid-friendly.
The Gibsons passed a PDF on to me that I have attached. This is a print-out that you could use to go through the Jesse Tree.
Paul David Tripp’s book Come, Let us Adore Thee is a great resource for parents wanting a daily devotion to read each day of Advent.
Finally, I will link to Risen Motherhood. They are a trusted resource and have compiled a huge list of books and printables that you may want to peruse. Also see their page “children’s resources” for some great books, devotionals, etc.