Delivering food, shelter, and hope to the poorest of the poor
Advent Activity Guide
For Children and Families
Advent Activity Guide
For Children and Families
How Catechists Can Use This Activity Guide
This guide is designed to be used alongside the U.S. Council Catholic Bishops’ Liturgical Calendar. The “Scripture Meditations and Reflection” section is based on Sunday Mass Readings throughout the four weeks of Advent that culminate in the celebration of Christmas. Some of the activities, such as the “Verse to Memorize,” can be encouraged as a family activity. You can also urge students and parents to join together to fundraise on behalf of low-income Haitian families.
We encourage you to be creative in your use of this guide, incorporating your own ideas to enrich your experience. You can also urge students and parents to join together to fundraise on behalf of our special Advent fundraising campaign to provide safe and sturdy homes to low-income Haitian families … just in time for Christmas.
Getting Started: Handmade Advent Wreath
To draw your children into the Advent journey, make a personalized Advent wreath to use during the next four weeks.
Instructions
- 1. Have your children trace their hands on the green construction paper. Once the tracing is complete, cut out each handprint. Repeat this process until each student has enough hands to form the shape of a wreath.
- 2. Glue or tape the paper hands together in a circle, making the wreath.
- 3. Using glue or tape, wrap three cardboard tubes in purple construction paper, one in pink and a longer one in white.
- 4. These tubes represent the Advent candles. Place the colored “candles” on the wreath, with the white candle in the center. Each week, fill each tube with yellow or orange tissue paper, to represent the lighting of the candles.
Supplies
Green construction paper or card stock
1 sheet of pink paper
3 sheets of purple paper
1 sheet of white paper
5 cardboard tubes
Yellow or orange tissue paper
Scissors
Pencil
Glue or tape
Supplies You’ll Need Throughout the Advent Season
Week 1: Small cardboard box (such as an empty tissue box) or empty container (such as a milk carton), wrapping paper, tape, scissors.
Week 2: Wrapping paper, tape, scissors.
Week 3: Supplies to bake and decorate Christmas cookies and plastic bags to distribute them to customers.
Week 4: Markers, crayons, colored pencils and other graphic tools to decorate your children’s cookbook (before it is photocopied).
Epiphany Week: Supplies to construct a paper crown. If your parish allows it, bring cupcakes and share a traditional “King’s Cake” with your class. Present the king with a crown and a little gift.
For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress; Shelter from the rain, shade from the heat.
Isaiah 25:4
