Today, I am BEYOND thrilled to welcome my friend Amanda from Oh Amanda!
When I was little my brother and I had a little paper Advent Calendar. Every day we would rush to open the flaps on our calendars (mine was a Christmas tree and his was a Bethlehem scene). I love that thing so much I still have it and use it every year!
When my daughter was born, I wanted to do some kind of advent calendar with her, too. I bought her a book that included the little flaps AND had some devotions and activities with it, too. The first day was so fun! We lifted the flap, read the devotion and then followed the directions to make an ornament! She could not wait to do it the next day. Alas, there wasn’t an ornament craft that day. In fact, if I remember correctly, the Bible verse didn’t even go with the Christmas story. So, I got creative and we made up our own ornaments every day.
Aren’t they cute?! (And can’t you tell how they don’t really go with the Christmas story? What’s that heart about? And the bird?!)
It was just a spur of the moment decision based on a random little book I had. And somehow it has turned it into a big tradition! Every year since then we’ve read the Christmas story daily and made an ornament to go with it.
It has become one of the best things I’ve done with my kids. They know the details of the story because we have spent time each day talking about the Christmas story. And discussing the details. And creating with our hands something that represents the story. My daughter (almost 6) and my son (3) know the details of the Christmas story (from Gabriel to Zechariah to the manger to Anna and Simeon) because I took a few minutes each day to help them meditate on it.
I heard somewhere that “meditate” means “to chew”. When you meditate on God’s Word, it’s like you are chewing something delicious–something you are savoring and trying to get all the flavor out of! Kids can’t chew on words and meanings yet. But they can chew on concepts, they can chew on ideas and events. And the way they chew is through play and creating. When kids get to use their hands to color, to make a craft or act out a story, it’s like a meditation for them!
Advent is more than lighting candles. It’s more than chocolate behind a door. Or lifting a flap to read a verse. Advent is about anticipating God’s greatest gift. And I want to do anything I can to help my kids experience that anticipation. I want them to know GOd’s greatest gift! This ornament-a-day experience has done that for them.
In fact, I even wrote a book about it, Truth in the Tinsel: An Advent Experience for Little Hands. If you need a Christmas tradition that will help your kids not just know, but understand and experience the best story of all, I encourage you to check it out. I pray you’ll enjoy it as much as my family has!
Note from Chelsey: it’s NOT to late to get your hands on this book – Amanda even has a special 4 day Advent you can do with your kids this week before Christmas! We love it and it will be a treasure that you will use year after year! Click here: The Truth in the Tinsel to get it today!
Amanda is a stay-at-home mom of two who blogs at OhAmanda.com and Impress Your Kids and is the author of Truth in the Tinsel. In her former life, Amanda was a Children’s Pastor — overseeing, organizing and developing ministry for kids in nursery through middle school, but now that she is a mom, her “skills” are used up on her kids!
Make sure to visit these wonderful gals in our 25 Days of Christmas Series for the month of December:
25 Days of Christmas: Home for the Holidays @ Graceful Abandon
25 Days of Easy Christmas Crafts for Toddlers & Preschoolers @ Sidetracked Sarah
25 Days of Simple Christmas @ Simply Living for Him
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