This year, I got a jump start on Advent planning and spent an evening last week with a friend, sharing our calendar and we both made one for this year. It's an easy project and was so much fun to work on with someone else. I don't have it hanging up yet, but the kids are already talking about it and just counting down the days until it goes up.
This isn't a count down the days one, not really, in the sense of opening a window, etc. We have a magnetic on one the fridge the kids add to daily. This is to hang on the wall and is like our "command center" for Advent. It lists everything...baking, who adds to the calendar or Jesse Tree, gatherings, Mass, saints we recognize, etc during Advent.
It's a real teaching tool in many ways for the kids and way to keep me on track daily. The kids have come to really look forward to this every year. It started as a one time thing years ago and is now their favorite. I tend to take an entire day or chunks of several days, spread out on the table or floor and piece it together. It has grown so much over the years that I finally created a file of pictures and wording so it was easier to make.
This year I created a file that has everything you need to make your own. PLEASE share what you do for Advent and if you choose to make one of these, I want to see it.
What you need...
Poster Board
Markers
Scissors
Glue Stick
Yard Stick (much easier than a ruler)
Link to the file containing all pictures, wording and other instructions.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/a53fejso7lna3as/advent%20calendar%20pictures.docx?dl=0
I made the heading 3" from top to bottom; the space for the Days of the Week wording is 1/2" and this year the days of the week are all 3" wide by 5" tall. So 7 columns that are 3" wide and then 5 rows, each 5" long. I hope that makes sense.
On my calendar I include feast days of saints, any Holy Days of Obligation, baking we are doing, any gatherings with friends or special meals we will have, tree decorating and then I also include the O' Antiphons and since we celebrate out through Epiphany I include the 12 Days of Christmas and the meaning for each day (the song was a way of teaching children the important points of the Faith during the English persecution of Catholics).
A few sample days that show the O'Antiphons, a few feast days, some baking (Thumbprints and Sugar Cookies), etc. And if you are wondering the red "C" and green "T" in the corners are my way of knowing who is going to add to the Jesse Tree and magnetic Advent Calendar each day.
The entire thing. There is room to add to it too. The "scheduling" of things like baking gives me a plan to work off of. Not everything gets done every year and we miss days of the Jesse Tree, etc but it gives us jumping off point.
Stay tuned for more Advent planning and activities. Don't forget to check out the file link above for the pictures and wording I use for my calendar.
