During Advent this year, I had the joy of putting together an Advent Adventure series for the children on Wednesday evenings. Our plan was to make a Nativity themed program that was exciting, educational, meaningful and personal for preschoolers to 5th graders alike, worshiping together, and learning through a variety of play experiences. I wanted to create a unique time and place on Wednesday nights to wonder, imagine, and make long lasting connections with the Bible passages. I looked for activities that would allow the children to both engage with and immerse themselves in the story of the Nativity. My hope was that each student would walk away from our Wednesday night adventures with a new piece of the story imprinted on their hearts. 

Each week, we focused on new characters in the story. The children listened to the Bible stories with curiosity and wonder. They dug into the passages to find out more information, and to complete puzzles and scavenger hunts. They brought exuberance, creativity and wonderful senses of humor to each activity we put in front of them. We talked about the Glory of the Lord that shined so brightly and the strong reactions and feelings the Shepherd might have felt when they saw it. We acted out our own reactions to this event and others described in the Nativity story (in Luke, Matthew, and parts of Isaiah).  

We also thought about what it would have been like to be considered part of the lowliest of lowlies as a Shepherd, living with your sheep and protecting the herd at all costs. Then to be given a wondrous message from angels, to be chosen to go see a miracle, and share the good news for all to hear. 

We stepped into Mary and Joseph’s lives and wondered what it may have been like for both to live in the unknown, to be young and possibly be scared, but to wait and trust God to guide their steps. We wondered why baby Jesus was born in the stable. So many exciting things to wonder about together. 

At the end of most nights, we tied our learning together by painting wooden figures specific to the part of the story that we learned about that night. The children talked about the characters they were creating and laughed about the night’s events. It was a special time for processing all they had learned and for building relationships with their peers. As a teacher, it was a great time to listen and delight in the time spent learning together.

Each year during Advent, when the children take out their handmade nativity sets, I hope each piece brings them back to a place of wonder and excitement for the birth of their Savior.