Thank you to Laura
Grace, from St. Nicholas Chapel at the Pax River Naval Air Station in
Patuxent River, MD for generously sharing her Catholic Religious Education
lesson plans and activities. To share your activities and ideas, email
lisa@catholicmom.com with your
suggestions.
Advent
and Jesse Tree Activities
Activities from Books
Advent Adventure- Take the children on an Advent adventure. (Big Book of Ideas for Children's Faith Formation: Fun Activities, Projects, Crafts , by Branigan, McNamara, and
Robinson, page 6).
Advent Calendar- A take home Advent calendar that you make. (Big Book of Ideas for Children's Faith Formation: Fun Activities, Projects, Crafts, by Branigan, McNamara, and
Robinson, page 7 & 8).
Advent Guessing Game- Familiarized the children with some of the signs
and symbols of Advent while having fun. (Big Book of Ideas for Children's Faith Formation: Fun Activities, Projects, Crafts, by Branigan, McNamara, and Robinson, page
9).
Advent Prayer Cube- Introduce a new prayer each week during the four
weeks of Advent with a prayer cube. (Big Book of Ideas for Children's Faith Formation: Fun Activities, Projects, Crafts, by Branigan, McNamara, and Robinson, page 10).
Preparation Station- This game will help your kids understand what it
means to prepare their hearts, minds, and lives for Jesus’ coming
during Advent season. (The Encyclopedia Of Bible Games For Children's Ministry , page 156).
The Waiting Game- This icebreaker game will help your kids discover
that god delivers on his promises even when waiting is part of his
plan. (The Encyclopedia Of Bible Games For Children's Ministry , page
157).
Activity Links
(*Note, some activities may come from non-Catholic resources)
domestic-church.com - http://www.domestic-church.com/
Advent and Christmas references. Click on Fridge Art, then Advent and
Christmas.
Activities, crafts, coloring pages, puzzles, etc.
rca.org -
http://www.rca.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=1600&srcid=1880
Tons of resources listed that are available online to assist in the
planning and development of programs for the Advent, Christmas, and
Epiphany seasons.
annieshomepage.com -
http://www.annieshomepage.com/advent.html
Annie's Advent Page- Dictionary meaning, What does the Bible say about
Advent?, More Information from The Word Book Encyclopedia, Compton's
Encyclopedia tells us about Advent, Advent Links Page, etc.
apmethodist.org - http://apmethodist.org/advent-activity.htm
Advent activities.
catholicculture.org -
http://www.catholicculture.org/lit/activities/
browse.cfm?actionfiltered=list&filter=seasons&id=1
Advent activities.
Catholicmom.com - http://www.catholicmom.com/advent_kids.htm
Advent and Christmas Crafts and Activities For Children
herbaltreas.com -
http://www.herbaltreas.com/AdventWreath.html
Background and Historical Symbolism, Candle "Names" & Symbolism:
Meaning & Order of Lighting, Advent Wreath Making, etc.
just4kidsmagazine.com -
http://www.just4kidsmagazine.com/
advent1.html
Advent activities.
cptryon.org -
http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/adx/adwreath.html
Prayers and Customs of Advent and Christmas- About the Advent Wreath,
A Rite for the Beginning of Advent at Home, Daily Prayers for Each
Week of Advent
cresourcei.org - http://www.cresourcei.org/cyadvent.html
The Season of Advent- The colors of Advent, The Spirit of Advent,
Evergreens and the Advent Wreath, Celebrating Advent, An Advent
Reflection, etc.
sfaparish.com -
http://www.sfaparish.com/advent_activities.htm
Advent activities.
uua.org -
http://www.uua.org/clf/betweensundays
/middlechildhood/Advent2.html
Advent activities.
Coloring
dltk-bible.com - http://www.dltk-bible.com/advent/index.htm
Advent Coloring Book- Print out these 24 coloring pages with
quotations from Luke (first 15 pages) and Matthew (last 9 pages) to
reinforce the Christmas story. Color and read one page per day from
December 1st thru the 24th. Put them all together to make a booklet
you can read as a family on Christmas day!
coloringbookfun.com -
http://coloringbookfun.com/
christian/imagepages/image2.html
Printable Advent Calendar.
sermons4kids.com -
http://www.sermons4kids.com/candle-of-hope-colorpg.htm
Candle of hope.
http://sermons4kids.com/candle-of-peace-colorpg.htm
Candle of peace.
http://sermons4kids.com/candle-of-joy-colorpg.htm
Candle of joy.
http://sermons4kids.com/candle-of-love-colorpg.htm
Candle of love.
Crafts
first-school.ws -
http://www.first-school.ws/activities/bible/advent1.htm
Advent Wreath Craft- Free Advent Wreath craft with templates.
Advent Chains
http://www.freemethodistchurch.org/Sections/Prayer/Stories/11-26-03_AdventChain.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6580/vbs.html#advent
http://www.catholicmom.com/Faith/
advent_chain_activity_from_catholicmom_com.htm
http://catholicparenting.com/Html/Crafts/
CraftsAdventAdventChain.shtml
http://www.rca.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=1630&srcid=1600
http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/advent_paper_chain.htm
Advent Wreaths
http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/adventcalendars/a/bladventhpwr.htm
http://www.geocities.com/pastorali/Avvent/
Advent_Wreath_Reminders.html
http://www.rca.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=1601&srcid=1600
http://www.christiancrafters.com/no_flame_advent_wreath.html
Games
*Topics for all games could also be people from the Bible (Jesus’
relatives-Jesse Tree)
Bible Win, Loose, or Draw -
http://www.christiancrafters.com/game_drawit.html
Use Advent words to play this game. (Example: Angel, shepherds, baby,
Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Lord, afraid, magi, gifts, star, manger, warned,
candle, wreath, etc.).
Bible Tic Tac Toe -
http://www.christiancrafters.com/page10.html
Use Advent trivia questions to play this game.
Hangman- (Players try to solve the Advent mystery word). The teacher
picks an Advent word that is written on a piece of paper out of a
bowl. The teacher then starts the hangman game by writing a blank line
for each letter in the word. Teacher then picks someone to guess a
letter. (Write on the chalkboard the letters that were guessed that
were not in the mystery word). If a letter is guess correctly, it is
written in the appropriate blank(s) and that person who guessed
correctly gets another turn. They can guess another letter or guess
the mystery word. If the person is incorrect, another player gets a
turn. Whoever guessed the mystery word gets to pick an Advent word out
of the bowl and start the hangman game.
Puzzles
Advent
Crossword Puzzle
domestic-church.com -
http://www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/19981101/FRIDGE/WRD_SRCH.HTM
Advent Word Search Puzzle- Here is a simple puzzle for children using
the words of Advent.
pflaum.com - http://www.pflaum.com/pdfs11_05/vn2.pdf
Advent cross word puzzle.
http://www.pflaum.com/pdfs11_05/vs2.pdf
Feasts of Advent and Christmas
http://www.pflaum.com/pdfs11_05/vs2.pdf
Saints of Advent and Christmas
Jesse Tree
rca.org -
http://www.rca.org/NETCOMMUNITY/
Page.aspx?&pid=1602&srcid=1600
Workshop plans, suggestions for making ornaments, patterns
http://www.rca.org/NETCOMMUNITY/
Page.aspx?&pid=1628&srcid=1600
Jesse Tree family devotions- devotions to use with the Jesse Tree
ornaments.
cresourcei.org - http://www.cresourcei.org/jesse.html
The story of the Jesse Tree, making of a Jesse Tree, table of the
Scripture Readings for the story.
christiancrafters.com -
http://www.christiancrafters.com
/jesse_tree.html
Background, suggestion activities, etc.
CatholicMom.com Advent Index
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