Advent Ideas
Celebrating Christmas
With Small Children
Guide and Workbook
Anna S. Cumbow
Photography by Amanda Ditzel
Crittenden Press
Beaufort, SC
Copyright 2011 by Anna Cumbow.
Anna Cumbow
Copyright 2010 by Anna Cumbow
Smashwords Edition
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First Printing: November 2011
Letter From The Author
When my children grew old enough to really get sucked into the commercialism of Christmas, I decided that I wanted to find a way to help them sort through the excitement, and to begin to understand the real reason for the holiday.
I have to admit that I am a huge fan of all of the secular hubbub that surrounds the season, and don’t mind incorporating that into our family’s traditions, but I wanted to be sure that I found a way for my, then almost 4 year old, son to keep his heart and mind tuned into the real “reason for the season.”
I pondered what could be done to lead us up to the big day, in a way that let us celebrate and educate all at once. This Advent Celebration Guide is what resulted from our adventure that year, and I thought that I might pass it along, so that others might also enjoy creating their own similar traditions.
Anna Cumbow
Introduction
Setting the Stage
Setting the Stage
The Advent season can be one of great excitement and joy for the whole family. It is very easy to spend most of the month of December running between work, parties, and shopping, and to let a great opportunity to teach your children about God slip by you. If you have small children who are eager to talk about Christmas and presents, you may have a perfect pupil for teaching the true meaning of the holiday.
With this Advent Celebration Guide, you will have the chance to lead your child’s heart toward the birth of Jesus with joy and wonder. Each week you will focus on a different aspect of this story, circling closer and closer to the central theme of Christmas: the arrival of the Messiah.
We will begin with setting the stage, bringing the cast and crew to the front of the theater for a meet and greet. You will have the opportunity to highlight the different aspects of the Christmas Story, using different books and methods, and giving your child the playbook to follow along.
During the second week, we will learn about God, and who He tells us that He is, using images provided in scripture to paint a picture of His Character. Your child will enjoy this hands-on experience, taking this second week of the month to make some special memories together before the holiday season starts to really get hoppin’.
The second half of the month will be geared toward conceptualizing the Messiah. We will have opportunity to study the Old Testament, and paint a picture of who the Israelites were hoping and expecting to see as their Savior – their warrior king. Your child may be given the chance to act out some of these ideas through imaginative play, and through media and planned activities.