Advent Activity: Make a Rain Jar

In Guatemala and other developing countries around the world, poor families often live in homes made from mud, sticks, scrap wood, rusted metal or plastic tarps. When it rains, the roofs leak and the dirt floors turn into mud. These conditions often lead to illnesses, poor hygiene and a feeling of being trapped in a cycle of day-to-day survival.

But this Advent, Catholics across the United States are coming together to build 240 sturdy homes for families in 22 destitute communities in Guatemala. Each home will have a solid cement foundation, a galvanized metal roof, secure doors and windows, and a full bathroom. They will be a miracle for poor families, protecting them from the elements and offering a security they’ve never known before!

To build greater solidarity with these precious families and help us understand their circumstances, engage your family in a science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM) activity — making “rain in a cup” — that helps them visualize what life is like without safe housing.