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Kids and adults alike get excited about Christmastime. As families of faith, we want our children to know and focus on the reason for Christmas.

God’s Word is the best source to teach His truths. When we include other activities, we can also encourage community, invite exploration, reiterate knowledge, engage additional senses, and more.

Read on for several great resources for advent and Christmas, including several you can still jump in on with just a week until Christmas!

Advent Readings, Studies, and Activities

• We love the Jesus Storybook Bible for anytime reading with your family. Erin at Home with the Boys has an advent reading plan that accompanies Jesus Storybook Bible with one story a night each day in December until Christmas. I particularly love how this Bible circles back around to Christ in every single story, including all the Old Testament retellings. It all points to Him!
  
• The Sparkle Box – Carisa at 1+1+1=1 shares their plan for using the Sparkle Box story and idea and blessing others this Christmas! Carisa also created some lovely Jesse Tree printables.
• Last year, Kathy shared 10 meaningful family Christmas activities here on Do Not Depart.
• Grapevine Studies provide family Bible studies focus on timeline and using stick figures to add a tactile component to learning and studying the Word. (I reviewed their studies here and here on my personal bog.) Be sure to check out their “Birth of Jesus” study! Because it’s a downloadable document, you could still get it this week and study a few lessons between now and Christmas! Click here to visit Grapevine Studies.
• Last year, I shared several ways to share the Word through serving others, including Christmastime ideas.
• Patti shared how her family throws a birthday party for Jesus at Christmas each year.
• Becky at This Reading Mama created an awesome, free Nativity Pre-K/K printable packet with loads of activities incorporating early literacy and math skills.
• Truth in the Tinsel is an advent program by Amanda White where kids create crafts to accompany studying a few verses within advent readings. It’s beautiful, simple, and engaging. Amanda offers many resources and blog posts at the Truth in the Tinsel website.

Christmas Crafts

While you’re reading the birth story aloud, you and your kids can also make these lovely Christmas crafts:

• Here are two versions of an angel craft – one using handprints and another using coffee filters.
• No Time for Flash Cards shows us a fun nativity shapes craft for a window display.
• I recently shared about a resourced called “Winter Brick Activities and More!” on my personal blog. This downloadable resource from Educating Laytons gives several winter- and nativity-themed templates for brick creations, plus many other hands-on activity ideas. Many of the ideas shared can be completed with minimal preparation, which can be helpful during Christmas week when visiting family!
• Maureen at Spell Outloud put together a useful list of activities to accompany Song of the Stars by Sally-Lloyd Jones (the same author as the Jesus Storybook Bible). (Maureen also posted a huge list of nativity resources here.)
• While crafting and reading, listen to some Christ-focused Christmas carols and look for Jesus in them using this series we did, or read about their origins in this post from (in)courage,  

How does your family prepare for advent and Christmas together? Share your activities and studies in the comments!