Objective: The children will be able to
- identify who God promised to send to be our Savior
- retell the story of Mary and the Angel
- identify who Jesus’ mother was
- explain that Advent as a time before Christmas
- identify how many violet, rose, and white candles are on the Advent Wreath
- identify what color the last candle is lit on the Advent Wreath and on what day
Prayer and questions from last week’s lesson.
dltk-bible.com- Christmas Word Wall Word Templates (scroll down to bottom for this). Word wall templates are large flash card printables that you can hang on the wall to aid children when they are learning or using new vocabulary words. Use the cards you want that are posted.
christianpreschoolprintables.com- Christmas Word Wall (scroll down to this). 4 types to choose from.
Read your story “Mary and the Angel” or stmaryscopticorthodox.ca- Virgin Mary and the Angel (under Story Time)
Then ask some of the questions from below:
1. Where did Mary live? (In Bethlehem, In Nazareth)
2. Who was Mary engaged to be married to? (Joseph, Moses)
3. What did Joseph do for a living? (He was a shepherd, He was a carpenter.)
4. When an angel appeared to Mary, how did she feel? (She was frightened,
She was happy.)
5. Who told Mary that she was going to have a baby and he was going to be the Son of God? (The angel Gabriel, The angel Michael.)
6. What did Mary say when she was asked to have the Son of God? (Yes, No)
7. What was Mary told to name this child? (Jesus, Moses)
8. When Joseph found out that Mary was with child, what did he do? (Nothing,
Called off the wedding.)
9. What changed Joseph’s mind? (His family, During a dream an angel told him that he should marry her and that her son was the Son of God.)
10. What did the angel say that Jesus would do? (Become a fisherman,
He would save people from God’s punishment for the bad things they had done.)
Write the word Advent on the board. Say to the children:
Do you know this word? Advent is the special time before Christmas. It is the season of the Church year during which we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ coming as our savior. Christmas is the day that Jesus was born and it is the day we celebrate His birth. Advent is the four weeks (hold up 4 fingers) before Christmas. Each Sunday during Advent we light a candle and we say a prayer.
Songs and/or Finger Plays:
Introduce songs and/or finger plays: What is the special time before Christmas called?
childrenofgod.esd.net- Advent Song
Sung to: "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
Advent is a time to wait
Not quite time to celebrate
Light the candles one by one
Till the advent time is done
Christmas day will soon be here
Time for joy and time for cheer.
Introduce activities: What is the special time before Christmas called?
brighthub.com- Winter Holidays Around the World: A Multicultural Kindergarten Holiday Unit: Advent
newchurchvineyard.org- The Angel Appeared To Mary lesson with crafts
missionarlington.org- An Angel Visits Mary lesson with ideas for story
newchurchvineyard.org- The Angel Appears to Mary lesson with craft
clclutheran.org- Announcing Jesus’ Birth lesson
missionarlington.org- A Virgin Will Have A Baby: Promises Kept (scroll down to Preschool lesson on page 4 & 5)
Introduce craft: What is an Advent wreath? (It reminds us that we are waiting and preparing for the coming of the Savior, Jesus.)
Discuss on the board (show students what color each candle is) and review how an Advent Wreath is lit and in what order. Students make Advent Wreath.
Advent Wreath (coloring sheet)
catholicmom.com- Advent Wreath Craft
No burn, construction paper wreath that is made with your child's handprints. (You can also add a white construction paper candle in the middle of the wreath. Do not cut out a hole in the center of the paper plate so you can glue the white construction paper candle in the middle.)
familycrafts.about.com- Advent Hand Print Wreath Craft
christiancrafters.com- No Flame Advent Wreath
catholicicing.com- Advent Wreath Craft for Catholic Kids
catholicinspired.com- Easy Advent Wreath
crayola.com- Advent Wreath Placemat Craft
Introduce craft: Advent as a time before Christmas. How can we count down the days until Christmas?
Advent Calendar- A take home Advent calendar that you make. (Big Book of Ideas for Children’s Faith Formation, by McNamara, McKeever, and Robinson, page 7 & 8).
Printable Nativity Advent Chain by catholicicing.blogspot.com- Easy project to do with little ones. Just print it out and make the chain. Every day, it comes with a reading from the Nativity Story, and then you glue a character to the chain.
hubbardscupboard.org- Advent Chain with Verses & Activities
Make a 25 loop Patterned Chain with verses and activities listed for each day, detaching one chain each day leading up to Christmas day. Read and meditate on the verse throughout the day. Read the Scripture passages or story book mentioned and do the activity!
2012 Printable Advent Chain- Print out pattern on colored paper. Have students cut into strips. Build your paper chain stapling the strips with a stapler in the correct order. Each day you tear off a piece of the chain that corresponds to the date and do the activity. Before you know it, it will be Christmas day!Print out pattern on colored paper. Have students cut into strips. Build your paper chain stapling the strips with a stapler in the correct order. Each day you tear off a piece of the chain that corresponds to the date and do the activity. Before you know it, it will be Christmas day.
Introduce game: Mary had some good news to tell. What was her good news?
daniellesplace.com- Mary Tells Her Good News
Introduce game: What do you know about Advent? Let’s find out.
Advent Adventure- Take the children on an Advent adventure. (Big Book of Ideas for Children’s Faith Formation, by McNamara, McKeever, and Robinson, page 6).
This game is free, however it is only to be used for classroom and personal use. It may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of any materials, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted.
Advent Wreath (file folder game)- The object of the game is to color all of the Advent wreath correctly.
To Play: Place 2 small baskets or boxes on the table to put cards in. Put the cards in one basket (the other basket will be for discards). Give each player a copy of the “Advent Wreath Coloring Sheet”. Place your markers on START. Roll the die and move that many spaces. Follow the directions on the space you land on. If the player lands on a “?”, they draw a card and they can color one of their candles on their Advent Wreath Coloring Sheet the correct color. If they do not need that color on their wreath, they do nothing. If a player lands on a space with the leaves, they may color some of the greenery on their wreath. When a player has completely colored their Advent Wreath Coloring Sheet correctly, he/she is the winner. Play continues until all players have colored their sheets.
Introduce snack: Stir Up Sunday
Rich Fruit Cake
Dried Fruit Bread
Dutch Treat- This Advent cookie from the Netherlands is full of the rich flavor of Dutch chocolate.
annes-recipes.com- Advent Cookies
Edible Advent Wreath by catholicicing.blogspot.com
Prayers while students are doing coloring and/or puzzles.
ministry-to-chilren.com- Printable Advent Coloring Pages for Kids
coloringbookfun.com- Advent Calendar
Students can count down the days until Christmas by coloring the calendar.
Advent Wreath (coloring sheet)
sermons4kids.com- Candle of Hope (coloring)
sermons4kids.com- Candle of Peace (coloring)
sermons4kids.com- Candle of Joy (coloring)
sermons4kids.com- Candle of Love (coloring)
sermons4kids.com- An Angel Visits Mary (coloring)
suite101.com- An Angel Visits Mary (coloring)
(Scroll down to bottom for this.)
christiananswers.net- Mary and the Angel Gabriel (coloring)
The activity below is free; however it can only to be used for classroom and personal use. It may not be published on any websites or other electronic media, or distributed in newsletters, bulletins, or any other form or sold for profit. Reproduction or retransmission of this, in whole or in part, in any manner, is not permitted. *All graphics/images/clipart etc. used on this activity are not my own and are from various internet sources.
An Angel With Good News (mini book)- New Testament Take-Home Bible Stories: Easy-to-Make, Reproducible Mini-Books That Children Can Make & Keep!, Preschool - Grade 2 by Thomas C. Ewald, page 7. (Click on Sample and go to page 7.)
Advent (handwriting sheet)
sermons4kids.com- Christmas Candle (dot-to-dot)
suite101.com- Mary was Visited by the Angel (dot-to-dot)
An Angel Tells Good News (dot to dot)- Big Puzzles for Little Hands: Jesus’ Life and Lessons by Carla Williams, page 9.
Mary’s Good Answer (find the hidden picture)- Hidden Pictures Explore Hidden Treasures in God’s World PK-K by Linda Standke, page 17.
Mary’s Good Answer (hidden pictures) page 78, A Visit From an Angel (color by number) page 79- Bible Story Puzzle ‘n’ Learn! PK-K