As announced, I am trying something different this year. Instead of posting weekly devotions, I will post Advent activities for each day in December up to, and including, Christmas. Each activity illustrates a particular aspect of the Christmas story and is designed to help you and your children think about this precious story in a (perhaps) new and different way. Most activities require almost no advance preparation; a few do require some prep time, and these are clearly marked. If it works better for your family to do different activities on different days, feel free to do so. Or, if you think of your own activity that would be more meaningful to you and your family, I hope you will use yours instead of mine.
My prayer is that God will use these activities to bring you and your children closer to our Savior. May He grant you a new appreciation for the tremendous gift He gave us in sending His Son, and may the peace of that Baby born in a stable rule your hearts this Christmas, and always.
December 15—Matthew 20:28 teaches us that Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. Discuss this with your children. Set a designated time limit for each child to practice being a servant to others. You might need to give them some ideas of how to do this.
December 16—Talk with your children about how hard it is to wait for Christmas. Then, tell them that the people of Israel had been waiting hundreds of years for a Messiah. Discuss how they must have felt as they waited. After all, they were waiting for a lot more than a few material things. Discuss what it must have been like for those who knew Jesus was the Messiah to realize that He had finally come!
December 17—Spend some time talking with your children about what it must have been like to have Jesus for a brother. Point out that He was perfect. Yes, it might have been annoying that He never did anything wrong, but it would also have been wonderful that He was also perfectly loving at all times. Talk about what family life would be like if we were all perfectly loving at all times. Have your kids think of ways to show their siblings love.
December 18—(Note: lots of advance preparation needed!) Take your kids to visit the maternity ward at a hospital. If possible, have a nurse allow you to stand in the doorway of a vacant room and look at the nice place women can come to have their babies. Then, visit a barn that houses animals. Talk about the differences between the two locations. Ask your children which place would be better for having a baby in. Tell them that the place Mary gave birth to Jesus was closer to a barn than a modern hospital room. Point out that Jesus was willing to leave Heaven and come be born in a barn so He could walk among us.
December 19—(Note: small amount of advance preparation required.) Have your children draw, decorate, and cut out a large star. Suspend it from the end of a stick (or broom handle, or whatever is handy). Take them outside and tell them that when they see the star appear, they should follow it. Lead them around, holding the stick with the star on it. Lead them over to a place where you have previously hidden the figure of the baby Jesus you have made or prepared earlier (such as wrapping a doll up in a blanket). Talk about finding Jesus in an unexpected place (such as lying on the rear bumper of your vehicle). Point out that the shepherds found Him in an unexpected place, too—lying in a manger.
December 20—Teach your kids the song “Happy Birthday, Jesus”. (This is not just the traditional “Happy Birthday” song with Jesus’ name inserted; there is a completely different song by this name.) If you don’t know it, you can find it on YouTube. It’s a beautifully simple song, yet profound. Discuss why Jesus is the “real” gift (as the song says).
December 21—Have your own candlelight service. Start with one lit candle in a darkened room. Talk about how Jesus was a light shining in our dark world, which was dark because of sin. (You may want to read from John 1.) Explain to your children that as more people came to believe in Jesus, the light spread (light another candle as you tell them this). If your children are old enough, have them take a lit candle, walk over to another candle, and say something simple, such as, “The light of Jesus has come into our world.” Then have your child light the candle. Do this with several candles, until there are several providing light to the room. Point out to your children that the more light there is, the less darkness there is room for. Tell them that as we spread Jesus’ light into the world, the darkness of the world will diminish, too.