Make A Family Advent Journal
An easy way to make your kids think about Christmas
We were looking for something this Advent to do as a family that would help us prepare for Christmas properly. More than singing along to Christmas music (there's already a lot of that over here), and more than opening the doors of an Advent calendar, or decorating, or watching a bunch of Christmas movies.
We settled on doing a family Advent Journal. Each night after dinner, we head to the living room each with a journal, read the prompt, and write. Our kids are old enough that they can write but young enough that a page is a big effort. Our youngest (8) needs Mom's help to write a couple sentences. Our oldest (12) usually has a full page. Then we read them out loud and talk about them. It's been great fun to see what sticks out to our kids and why.
It doesn't have to be every day either — we're a week into this and we've skipped already. Crazy family schedules will do that. But if you're looking for a way to find some slower time with your kids and get ready for the birth of Christ together, this has been a winner so far.
Our oldest daughter helped my wife and I come up with the prompts, and we arranged them to maximize excitement and keep them going and still think about more than just presents under the tree.
Here's ours, modify however you want!
December 1: Describe the perfect Christmas morning!
December 2: Which reindeer and why?
December 3: Describe your favorite cozy Christmas space.. What makes it feel so special?
December 4: How would you decorate your gingerbread house?
December 5: If this Christmas had a soundtrack, what would be on it?
December 6: Imagine you got a letter back from Santa.. What would it say?
December 7: What is your favorite Christmas carol and why?
December 8: Describe your favorite Christmas meal? Who would be invited, how would you decorate the table? What would you serve? What would you wear?
December 9: What's something you're excited for in the new year??
December 10: Elf or reindeer? Why?
December 11: What food is a synonym for Christmas?
December 12: If you could perform an act of service this Christmas season to prepare for Jesus’s birth what would it be and why? Who would you serve?
December 13: What should a new Christmas day tradition be?
December 14: What is your favorite Christmas book? If you were to write your own Christmas book give us a brief outline of it?
December 15: What "gifts" beyond material presents would you like to give to people close to you this year?
December 16: What is the correct order of stockings and why?
December 17: Who is your favorite person to give a present to? Who is your favorite person to get a present from?
December 18: Design and describe what the North Pole looks like to you (Santa’s workshop)
December 19: Write about someone who deserves extra appreciation this year. What would you like to tell them?
December 20: In our family we love having our own nativity sets. What is so special about your own nativity set? What will yours look like when you have a family some day and where will you put it?
December 21: What is your favorite Christmas sweet and why?
December 22: Would you rather be a wise man who gets to be one of the first to welcome Jesus into this world or an animal in the manger that gets to witness the actual birth and share your home with him? Which wise man would you be or which animal?
December 23: Reflect on a moment of wonder from this year – a time when you felt connected to something bigger than yourself.
December 24: What does it mean to"prepare your heart for Christ"? How have you done that this year?
