Advent Classroom Activities

The four candles represent each of the four Sundays during the Advent season.

Many Christians celebrate a period of time during the Christmas season called Advent. Advent begins four Sundays prior to Christmas day and continues until Christmas Eve. During this time, Christians prepare to celebrate the day Jesus was born. Schools may choose to acknowledge this time with Advent activities.

Advent Wreath

The Advent wreath is a circle made of evergreens that holds four candles. Each candle represents a Sunday in Advent. There are three purple candles and one pink candle. Make or purchase an Advent wreath for your classroom. Make a simple wreath by wrapping live evergreen branches around a Styrofoam circle. Secure the evergreens with florist's wire. Evenly space four plastic florist candle holders and push them into the Styrofoam. Place each of the four candles into the candle holders. Light a purple candle the first day you are in school after the fourth Sunday before Christmas day. Say a prayer or talk about getting ready for Christmas day. Continue to light the first candle everyday throughout the week. On the second week, light the purple candle from the previous week and a new purple candle. On the third week, light the two previous purple candles and the pink candle. On the fourth week, light all four candles. You may use battery-operated candles for safety.

Advent Calender

Cut out a stable from craft paper and hang the stable up in the front of the classroom. Print out pictures from the manger scene in the Bible. Examples for pictures include Mary and Joseph, farm animals, the wise men and baby Jesus. Ask each child to color and cut out one of the pictures. Each day, after the fourth Sunday before Christmas, call up a child to place one of the pictures in the stable. The students will get to see the stable fill up as Christmas day approaches. Add baby Jesus to the manger scene last.

Jesse Tree

Place a real or artificial tree in the classroom. Assign each child to make an ornament, at home or during class time, for the tree. At the start of Advent, call one child to come up and hang her ornament on the tree. Read a Bible verse after the child hangs the ornament. (See Resources for scripture suggestions for each day during Advent.) You might also ask each child to donate and hang something small on the tree for a charity. For example, collect warm gloves and scarves for a homeless shelter.

Advent Chain

Cut 25 strips of paper, each 1/2 inch wide, from red, green and white construction paper. Write on the back of each strip an activity for each day. Have the activity prepared prior to the day the students will perform it. Examples of activities include singing a Christmas song, sharing a favorite Christmas memory with the class, and reading a Christmas story. Staple the first strip in a circle. Link and staple the rest of the strips to form a chain. Have a different student remove a link every day until Christmas. You may need to remove more than one link in a day to make up for weekends.

References

• American Catholic: Advent FAQs
• Catholic Culture: Advent Wreath --- Background and How to Make Your Own Wreath
• Catholic Culture: Advent Calendar II
• Reformed Church in America: Family Ideas for Advent

Resources

• The Voice: The Jesse Tree
• The Voice: Daily Readings for Advent