This Advent calendar tree is an exciting, faith-filled way to help your family focus on Jesus during the holiday season.
Childhood Memories
As a child, I remember getting a chocolate advent calendar and loved waking up each morning to eat my piece of candy. It was such a special tradition for me.
However, as a health-conscious parent whose children have special diets and food allergies, a chocolate advent calendar wasn’t an option. I also wanted to find something more meaningful that was age-appropriate and helped instill Godly morals and values.
Why We Celebrate Advent
It’s easy to lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas with all of the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Children can have an especially difficult time when they receive so many presents from well-meaning family and friends. I knew that I wanted something more for our family. I wanted them to know and understand the real reason why we celebrate and receive all of those fun gifts.
Because He sent us the Most Amazing Gift of all!
Our Advent calendar tree has been the perfect way to help teach our children that.
Each day, the advent tree helps us take a moment to remember why Jesus came to us at Christmas. As a family, we discuss the importance of the Lord’s presence in our lives today and what we can do to teach others about His love for us. We also read from our daily devotion book. We really like this one and this one.
Advent is not just a countdown to Christmas, it’s a celebration of Christ’s coming and that is the greatest celebration of all.
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Advent Christmas Tree
This Advent calendar tree is fairly simple to make and will create lasting memories for years to come.
What You Will Need
Extras:
*If you have a Cricut machine, you can absolutely make your numbers and designs with this. Had I owned one, this is what I would have used to make the numbers and designs for the canvas bags.
How to Make Your Christmas Advent Tree
Decorate each of your canvas bags with the numbers 1-24/25*. You can also add stickers, glitter, or whatever else you choose. I used fabric glue to draw the letter and then sprinkled glitter on it. I also glued on various stickers.
*The number of bags you make is up to you. We have always done 1-24 for our advent calendar and we celebrate Christ’s birth on day 25. You can certainly create 25 bags if that’s what you’d like to do.
Using card stock, paper, and a marker, write down various age-appropriate family activities, acts of service, ways to spread kindness, and items to donate. You can also add a Bible verse or daily devotion if you’d like. We prefer to do our devotions separately.
Once your bags are dry, you can start adding the contents.
Each bag will have an advent card and ornament. For my tree, I use each of the nativity ornaments and then add filler ornaments as needed.
After your bags have been assembled, cinch them closed and add them to the tree. You can also add lights, ribbon, garland, and a tree skirt or fake snow if you’d like. We even have a small nativity that we put underneath our tree.
How It Works
Starting on December 1st, our children get to choose the corresponding day’s canvas bag from the tree. We open it up as a family and read what the card says for that day. I try to plan ahead to make sure that we can accomplish that day’s task but it doesn’t always work out.
Some years there isn’t enough snow to build a snowman or go sledding so we add our cards to a basket and save them for another day when we can complete them.
Learning About God’s Love & Family Time
What I love most about our Advent calendar tree is that it helps us slow down and remember the real reason for the season. It helps us instill Godly morals and values and brings us closer to the Lord as a family.
I also love that we can add new, age-appropriate ideas each year. With infants and young children, we do a lot of crafts, indoor activities, and donating goods. As our children grow and are able to do more, we can add more adventurous items. A few ideas that I am excited to add as they get older are volunteering, ice skating, snow tubing, and caroling.
If you’re struggling to come up with ideas, you can grab your FREE Advent Printable here. Simply cut them out and add them to your canvas bags. If you already have an advent tradition in your family, this printable also makes an entertaining Bingo Board.
In the past, these are some of the ideas we have used.
Bake Cookies
Deliver Cookies to Neighbors, Family, Friends, & First Responders
Donate: Food to the food pantry, clothing or personal items to a homeless shelter, coats for kids, toys to children in need, books to a little library
Christmas Craft like this one or this one
Christmas Activity
Family Movie: Each family member gets to choose their favorite holiday movie
Family Story: Each family member gets to choose their favorite holiday book. We love this one and this one.
Make Cards and send them to family and friends
Look at Christmas Lights
Go on a Sleigh Ride
Build a Snowman
Make & Drink Homemade Hot Cocoa or Cider
Random Act of Kindness
Say Thank You to Someone
Go Sledding
Build Forts: Inside or Outside
Have a Christmas Photo Shoot
Sing & Dance to Christmas Music
Cut Down Christmas Tree
Decorate the Tree Together
Read the Nativity Story like this one
Enjoy The Memories
It didn’t take long for our Advent calendar tree to become our favorite holiday tradition. The memories that we have shared over the past few years are priceless and ones that we will all cherish for years to come. As a child, I had fond memories of a chocolate advent calendar and this Advent Christmas Tree is so much more! I can only imagine the love and memories that our girls will have because of it.
One other family tradition that we love to do during the Advent Season is letting our children play with their own nativity set. We absolutely LOVE this one. It has helped spark some beautiful discussions as we read the Nativity Story.
Do you have any Advent traditions that you celebrate with your family? If so, send me an email; I’d love to hear from you! And don’t forget to share your photos with me by tagging me on Facebook or Instagram. I can’t wait to see your Advent calendar Christmas trees!
Love & Blessings,
Meg
