What is the Christmas Advent Countdown?
Celebrating the Advent* season in our home is an exciting, fun, yet meaningful way we countdown the days until we can celebrate the birth of Jesus. Honestly, we are really celebrating his birth all month long. Advent is a fancy way to say “coming”. So our family loves to celebrate by doing a Christmas Advent Countdown. Beginning December 1st and ending December 25th we celebrate his first coming as a baby. We are also reminded during this season, that we (humanity) need a Savior. That Savior is, of course, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Does your family celebrate Advent? Do you do anything special to countdown the days?
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. Isaiah 7: 14
Christmas Advent Countdown (with books!)
Giving children candy and toys are a popular way to countdown Advent. But, a fun alternative is to countdown Advent with books! Have you done a book advent countdown in your home? The idea is simple – find 25 books you’d like to wrap. You can use ones you have, purchase some new ones, even check some out at the library. Then, each day you let your child open one book and read it together. I like using faith-centered Christmas books for the Christmas Advent Book Countdown – it just gets my kids more excited for Christmas!
And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased. Luke 2: 13-14
Here are 25 great Christmas book ideas for kids:
- A Very Merry Christmas Prayer by Bonnie Rickner Jensen
- When Santa Met Jesus by Jose Plaza
- Manger by Lee Bennett Hopkins
- The Miracle of St. Nicholas by Gloria Whelan
- Charlie and the Christmas Kitty by Ree Drumond
- Long Long Ago in Bethlehem: The Birth of Jesus by Carine Mackenzie
- The Legend of the Candy Cane by James Bernardin
- The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
- Humphrey’s First Christmas by Carol Heyer
- The Christmas Baby by Marion Dane Bauer
- The Story of Christmas by Patricia A. Pingry
- The Twelve Blessings of Christmas by T. J. Mills
- The First Christmas by Karen Williamson
- Hark the Herald Angels Sing by Ron Berry
- Star of Wonder by Cynthia Hinkle
- Happy Birthday, Jesus: A Sing-Along Storybook by Karen Mitzo
- The First Christmas by Carol Heyer
- Tiny Tots Christmas by Lois Rock
- M Is for Manger by Crystal Bowman
- The Legend of the Christmas Cookie: Sharing the True Meaning of Christmas by Dandi Daley Mackall
- Song of the Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones
- Goodnight, Manger by Laura Sassi
- A Very Merry Christmas Prayer by Bonnie Rickner Jensen
- The Christmas Donkey by Donna Thornton
- The Christmas Story by Patricia A. Pingry
Don’t you think your kids would love to do a Christmas Advent Book Countdown?
*When is Advent?
Many faith traditions formally celebrate Advent. Advent is a season in the Christian year that lasts for about four weeks. Generally, Advent begins four Sundays before Christmas and ends on Christmas Eve.
So fun! What a fun time of year! I love that you have a countdown!
You’re speaking my language with books for Advent! This is such a great idea. I never thought about something like that when my kids were little. I should come up with something creative for my family this year. We’ll have to run to Family Christian to get some inspiration!
Thanks, Mimi. My kids love when I read them books — it’s such a fun idea. I saw it once two years ago on Pinterest, pinned it, and forgot all about it. I love it though.
I love this idea! So neat. I have friends who just scatter their Christmas books on their coffee table year after year. That’s neat, too, because there’s new books just for the Christmas season. 🙂
That’s a fun idea too. My kids love unwrapping things. This is a fun take on the Advent Calendar, that I know they’d love. I just saw like 5 Christmas books I’d like to get this season too. There are always great Christmas books – especially at Family Christian.