As Christmas quickly approaches after a hard and uncertain year, now more than ever is the time to help our kids look to Jesus. While there are many ways for families to celebrate Advent, we should prioritize the reading of scripture with our kids. If you do not regularly have a time for your family to read and talk about God’s word, now is the perfect time to start. If you are looking for biblical resources to read or work through with your family this year for advent, there are some really great options out there. If you’re not sure what to use or how to start, I have compiled a few resources here. This year Advent starts on Sunday, November 29th and goes through December 24th – so go ahead and order any resources you want to use.
My family is joining you as we prepare and wait expectantly to celebrate the Messiah who has come and ultimately anticipate his coming again! Oh, what a day that will be for those who believe! A day when he will wipe away all our tears and there will be no more pain, no more sickness, no more sorrow! Come friends, let us prepare him room in our lives, our hearts and our homes.
NC Baptist Advent Guide:
This is a FREE resource with 25 daily devotions to read through with your family. It includes scripture, a short devotion, discussion questions and a prayer prompt. There is a guide you can download and print or use the digital flip book.
https://ncbaptist.org/resource-family-advent-devotions/
LifeWay Kids
This guide is broken up into four weeks plus Christmas day Bible readings, explanations, prayer, family activities and…. song suggestions! You do have to sign up for this one with an email but you can immediately download it for FREE!
Jesus Storybook Bible
The Jesus Storybook Bible is one of my favorite Bibles for kids. They also produce an Advent Guide every year. This year, they have turned the guide into a book that has beautiful pictures, the same wonderful scriptures, audio buttons, activities and more. It is really lovely.
With your email, you can download the free guide here: Jesus Storybook Bible Advent Printables
You can order the book here: The Jesus Storybook Bible A Christmas Collection
And if you do not have the Jesus Storybook Bible, you will need it! Order it here!
Unwrapping the Greatest Gift
This Advent study is perhaps my personal favorite. There are few people who can write as beautifully poetic as Ann Voskamp. This is the Advent study we have done with our family for the past few years. There are twenty-five days of scripture reading, devotion, activity suggestions and discussion questions. There are also downloadable ornaments that correspond to each day and instructions for putting them on a Jesse Tree. This book is probably better for school aged children as preschoolers may not be able to listen and engage as well.
You can order Unwrapping the Greatest Gift here.
Or if this is more your style, Ann Voskamp also has The Wonder of the Greatest Gift: An Interactive Family Celebration of Advent. It includes a pop-up paper tree with ornaments and a booklet with twenty-five family devotions. Order that one here.
Kids Read Truth
If you desire something a little less structured and flexible for your family, I highly recommend anything from Kids Read Truth (She Reads Truth for the mommas and He Reads Truth for the daddies). These guys produce fantastic, gospel-centered daily devotions and resources. I have used some of their card sets as stocking stuffers for my kids. The matching Isaiah prophecy cards are really fun and go along well with the Christmas story.
Specifically for Advent, they have The Christmas Story book and Advent conversation cards. I’m giving you the link for the entire Kids Read Truth Shop site because everything in it is really that wonderful.
Tiny Theologians
This is another fantastic kid’s biblical resource site that I get very excited about. The card sets are so easy to work through, take just a few minutes to use and point our kids to Jesus every time. I love using these especially with preschool age kids.
They have the “ABC’s of Christmas” and “The Family Tree of Christ Advent Cards” sets for Advent. Find all of their products here!
Truly, any of these options will be a wonderful choice for your family. Even if you don’t read every single day or feel like you stumble over your words as you talk to your kids, don’t give up! Start somewhere. Pray often! Keep going. I am praying for you and your family as you walk with your kids through this Advent season and gaze in awe and wonder at our coming Savior.
Lindsey Fescoe blog 