One of my most vivid memories of the holiday season growing up was running downstairs every morning to check the Advent calendar hung on the wall. My mom started this tradition with us early. Each morning, we’d open a new flap of the cardboard calendar and read the verse or part of the Christmas story for that day. It was a rhythm that began every year on December 1 and ended on Christmas Day.

As Lane and I started to grow our family, I was excited at the prospect of creating our own unique Advent traditions. I knew I wanted to bring the joy and magic of Advent into our home. That’s one of the most empowering and exciting parts of building a family together—deciding which traditions will be uniquely yours and how your family will celebrate the holiday season.

As you can tell from my Advent series, I love this season and everything it means.

“Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming.” During this season, we engage in Advent to plant great expectations in our hearts for the birth of a baby in a manger, the Christ who we believe changed all of history.

This year marks our third year celebrating Advent with our little girl. She was still under two when we first began, and even though she didn’t fully “get it,” I loved watching her excitement and joy as she checked the Advent calendar every morning.

If you’re wondering if your little one is too young to celebrate Advent, just remember that a child’s brain is spongiest between ages 1 and 5. They soak up everything around them and store it in their noggins.

I bought our original Advent calendar at Crate & Barrel, but they no longer sell it. It was a little more than I would typically spend on an Advent calendar, but the goal is that we will use it for years to come. Our calendar has 25 pockets, and we can fill them with parts of the Christmas Story and little trinkets all season long.

If you have little ones, there are ways for you to incorporate the beauty of the Christmas Story into a fun Advent tradition!

Start With An Advent Calendar Or Make Your Own!

There are plenty of options in the stores for Advent calendars. Nowadays, everyone produces Advent calendars—Disney, Sesame Street, Jo Jo Siwa. But, many times, these Advent calendars are less about the story of Jesus and more about the calendar’s theme, be it Barbie or Disney Princesses.

Start by asking yourself: What is the one thing I want to ensure the kids know about this season as they grow up?

We want Novalee to know the reason for Christmas. We want her to love Jesus and celebrate his birth. We want her to love others and be giving and charitable. We want her to know that to love Jesus is always to love everyone in your orbit.

Because of these reasons, I created our Advent calendar to be fun, others-centered, and also a chance to piece together the Christmas Story throughout the season. The joy of sharing this timeless story with our little one is truly inspiring and brings us closer as a family.

Whatever your reason, the Advent calendar hanging in your home can reflect that.

Our Advent Calendar Guide

Our Advent calendar has small pockets, so we fill each with a trinket or fun experience for that day. Some of the trinkets we love adding to the calendar:

• Small toys
• Coloring books
• Art supplies
• Baking supplies
• Ornaments
• Stickers
• Festive candy
• Tonies
• Christmas pajamas

I get most of the smaller items from the $1 section at Target or Dollar Tree. We don’t choose to put anything more significant than a stocking stuffer into the Advent pockets. The trinkets are meant to be fun, but not another mini Christmas.

Telling the Christmas Story

I bought a wooden nativity years ago, and we set it up each season. Throughout the Advent season, the empty stable will become jam-packed.

One pocket of the Advent calendar holds the farm animals.

One pocket of the Advent calendar holds Mary + Joseph.

One pocket of the Advent holds the Wisemen + shepherds.

One pocket of the Advent (Christmas Day) holds Baby Jesus.

As she pulls characters from the pocket for that day, we bring the characters into the stable and tell her that piece of the Christmas story.

On Day 23, I always put cupcake wrappers in the pocket. Novi loves to bake with us, so we’ll bake some cupcakes together to celebrate baby Jesus.

I always place a single birthday candle in Day 24’s pocket. We light the candle and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus.

This tradition is another sweet ode to my childhood. I vividly remember us singing to baby Jesus on Christmas Eve and blowing out the candles before devouring a chocolate cake.

The Season of Giving

My mom raised me to know the holiday season was a season for giving, not getting. At a young age, I started going to food banks, dancing in charity events, and collecting toys for kids who wouldn’t have as extravagant Christmas that year. If I want Novi to know anything, we are blessed to bless others with our time, finances, and gifts.

In the Advent calendar, I create plenty of moments for Novi to give to others. We bake cookies for neighbors, create artwork for others, and bless those experiencing homelessness in our neighborhood. Last year, we brought goodies to our local baristas. The joy of giving back and seeing the satisfaction it brings is truly fulfilling and instills a sense of generosity in our little one.

I’ve also filled some pockets of the calendar with gifts for others. Novi gets a chance to give a cool little present to Daddy and her dog Tuesday during the Advent experience. Through this intentional gifting, she can learn the joy of giving.

Experiences > Everything

So quickly, the season can become about things beneath the tree so we fill our Advent calendar with plenty of chances to make memories and celebrate the season together. From going on a “fancy” dinner date to a Christmas movie night, experiences are always the best part of the Advent calendar.

Some experience ideas we’ve used throughout the years:

• Christmas shopping for others
• Starbucks date
• Going to see the lights
• Movie theatre date
• Aquarium trip

Remember: you’re the magic maker in this season. Make it simple, doable, and fun. Don’t do it if it’s not fun and the tradition feels like too much. The purpose of this season is joy and expectation, not overwhelm.

I hope these tricks and tips help you create a unique Advent experience with your kids. I can’t wait to see how they turn out!

I know so many of us crave joy and peace this time of year. Amid uncertain circumstances, we can create pockets of that joy and peace to share with others. I’m praying this Advent experience will flood our lives and yours with joy, togetherness, and many memories for years to come!