For our family the best way to understand the real meaning of Christmas has been to bring advent into our home. Advent is the four weeks leading up until Christmas with a special focus on the four Sundays. The word “Advent" comes from the Latin word advenir which means to arrive. It is a time of preparation and anticipation. Advent begins this year on December 2. Getting the children involved in various activities during this time will bring Christmas alive for them and help them internalise the true meaning. It is lots of fun and it brings them so much joy as they check their advent calendar each day and add to their special table in the weeks and days leading up until Christmas. It has become a truly magical time for our family. Here are some ideas for you to use:

Make a Christmas Tableau

Build a manger scene on your seasonal table or on a cupboard top somewhere in your home. Place a special advent candle on the table and add an extra one each week. There are four Sundays in advent. Each Sunday lead the children to the table to light the candles, say a verse, and add some treasures.

On the first Sunday of Advent we give thanks to the mineral world. Place some shells, stones, or crystals on the table.

The first light of advent
It is the light of the stones
Stones that live in crystals
Seashells and bones.

On the second Sunday of advent we give thanks for the plants. Place flowers, bark, and other wonders from the garden on the table and say the following verse as you light two candles:

The second light of advent
It is the light of plants
Plants reach up to the sun
And in the breezes dance 

We celebrate the animal kingdom on the third Sunday as we light three candles. Animals associated with Christmas are added to the scene and we say the verse

The third light of advent
It is the light of beasts
The light of hope that we may see
In greatest and least

On the forth Sunday we celebrate the humans by placing Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds in our scene with all four candles burning.

The fourth light of advent
It is the light of man
The light of love, the light of thought
To give and understand

You may want to place Mary and Joseph approaching the manger and move them slightly closer each day in the lead up to Christmas morning. On Christmas Eve, when all the children are fast asleep place baby Jesus in the manger for the children to discover in the morning. 

We light a candle shining clear
Eternal light may enter here,
That shineth in the holy night
To make us children of the light.

This type of activity takes the focus off the commercial side of Christmas which seems so over-bearing these days. It brings the focus back into the home and the  gentle message of Christmas. If you combine this with lots of beautiful Christmas stories, making simple cards and gifts to exchange, baking some wonderful Christmas treats, and decorating the tree together as a family you are in for a lovely time. Some other nice things to do are to make an advent calendar and an advent wreath.