Advent

I'm excited to say that I've finished making our Advent calendar - in time for Advent! I had an idea of what I wanted, and everything I found that was close was really expensive. So... I decided to make my own! (And after hours of work - not really hard, but tedious, I now know why they are so pricey!) 

While browsing Advent calendars online, I happened to run across some Advent material specifically designed for little people that seems really accessible. It's called Truth in the Tinsel, and it breaks down the Christmas story into main people/objects, gives a few verses for each day, and an ornament or craft to make that helps illustrate the point. (We really enjoyed doing the Jesse Tree last year, but found it was a little advanced for toddlers and the reading took too long for short attention spans! We plan on waiting a few more years before we try it again.)

I added a card for each day that details the lesson, verses, and craft.

Also, Matt and I came up with our own list of 'fun' things we hope to do this Christmas season. I've tucked these into random (or not so) pockets too!

Our first day was reading Isaiah 9:2-7 and learning how Jesus came to be a light in a dark world. 

We made this candle ornament with tissue paper as we talked. Lisa had fun helping with the cutting and gluing. When we were done, she got to shine a light through it and see how it 'glowed'. 

It took her just a little while to focus because flashlights are ridiculously fun...

  And after blinding herself...

She saw how the candle 'lit up'!

 

We're both pretty excited to do more days! We've only just begun, but so far I would highly recommend this 'hands on' approach to Advent for anyone with little people!