Advent 2011: Give and Be Blessed

With wish lists to write and grandparents asking whether we know what we want, it can be confusing for little people.  Sometimes, it may be difficult to remember that this is not the season of getting, but the season of giving.  Sometimes it is difficult to help little ones understand the joy that giving brings when they are always focused on what they are getting.  However, just as a bird a flies because it mother does, we give because God first gave to us.  With Jesus’ example, we see the value that our Father places on giving so that others may receive.  For, it is in the giving that we are blessed.

Christmas Adventus Day 7: In Advent bag #7 on our Advent calendar, place a gift card (maybe $10) for a toy store.  If you are shopping with more than one child, you may want to give each of them a $5 card to make this experience more personal. 

When your Advent time begins, have the children remove the cards from the bag.  Tell the children that you are going to take them shopping and that they will decide how to spend this money. If you are shopping with older children, you can take them shopping and help them wrap their gifts before explaining that they are going to donate these toys to children who do not have any.  However, if you have little ones in the group, it can be difficult for them to shop without the understanding that what they buy is for someone else. So, if you have little ones shopping in your group, I would begin by explaining to them that there are children who do not have any toys, even at Christmas.  Tell your angel(s) that they are going to use their money to buy toy(s) for those children.  Then, go to the store and help them shop.  Use this opportunity to help your little ones learn the value of a dollar as they choose what they can afford to buy and what they cannot.  Once the gifts are purchased, let the children place them in the donation bin themselves.

For more on our Day 7 activities, click Christmas Adventus 2011 .



For our other Advent activities, see "Christmas Adventus 2011: Celebrating Allergy-Free".