Advent with Little Ones: A Simple Plan for Catholic Families
Oct 23, 2026Advent begins on November 29th this year - the same weekend as Thanksgiving! ๐ฆ Based on how fast the last couple months have flown, it sure feels like Advent may as well be tomorrow. With that in mind I thought it would be helpful in my own home to think ahead about some ways I can help our family really calm down for Advent and enter into the season with a sense of peace instead of the chaos it often feels like. Between the normal hustle and bustle of an impending holiday season, the extra shopping, decorating, and wrapping can often take away the serenity of the season. Hopefully this approach can restore the vision we all tend to have for a calm Advent season.
In my opinion, part of what makes Advent so special is sharing the joy of the season with your kids. For older kids it is understood as the start of the Church year and four weeks of getting our hearts ready for Jesus’s birth. But when my kids were younger it was more simply put as, “We’re getting our hearts ready while we wait for Baby Jesus’ birthday!” You see kids already know what it means to wait for something - cookies in the oven, dinner is almost done, waiting for their birthday, and the worst question of all, “Are we there yet?!” But when the concept of waiting can be flipped around to something exciting, instead of a reminder of our impatience, that’s when the season becomes more meaningful. So while the world goes into Christmas mode right after Thanksgiving, we can try and keep Advent as a gentle, peaceful time.
The “Pick Three” Approach
So how do we actually keep Advent gentle when the calendar is filling up faster than the Advent calendar can be opened? For our family, the answer has been doing less, but doing it consistently.
Instead of trying to do every beautiful tradition you’ve seen on Pinterest (I see you, 25-day handmade Jesse Tree), pick just three simple practices and repeat them all season long: one thing you can see, one thing you do, and one thing you pray. Little ones thrive on rhythm, and by the third week they’ll be the ones reminding you that it’s time to light the candle.
Here’s a quick guide to get you started, with toddler-friendly ideas for each:
In addition to these ideas to get you started, I thought you might like a look into my personal favorites for each section and some links to what we use in our home:
One thing you see:
-
Wooden Advent Wreath: Kids Wooden Advent Wreath
-
Kid-Friendly Nativity Set (we have this one, but there are plenty out there):Fisher-Price Little People Nativity Set with Music & Lights | 18-piece Christmas Playset, includes figures & accessories, Pretend Play, for Toddlers Ages 1+ yearsโ
One thing you do:
-
The Giving Manger (this is my FAVORITE Advent Tradition and my kids LOVE it too): The Giving Manger: A Christmas Family Tradition (Hardcover)
-
Jesse Tree: The Jesse Tree- Magnetic Tree and Book Bundle
One thing you pray:
-
O Antiphons Coloring Pages: DIGITAL DOWNLOAD O Antiphons Christmas Coloring Pages; Both English and Latin Included
The Advent & Christmas Playschool Kit has something in it that fits each of these 3 categories, so I’ll just leave that link here and you can peruse it to fit your needs ๐ Advent & Christmas Playschool Kit
So if you’re at all like me then you might thrive off a PLAN. I love a plan because it helps keep the insanity at bay and gives me something to look forward to. It also helps me remember what’s going on day by day, which is no small thing in a month when I’m already juggling a growing to-do list.
That’s why I like to map out Advent one Sunday at a time. Each week we light one more candle, focus on one theme, and try one simple idea, and that’s it. The Pick Three practices above carry you through the daily rhythm, and this plan gives each week a little something extra to look forward to, without adding another 25 things to the calendar. Bonus: the kids catch on fast, and by week two someone will be racing to remind you whose turn it is to light the candle.
Here’s what that can look like this year:
As I’m sure you’re already aware, Advent is loaded with goodness. Feast days, eager anticipation, traditions...the list goes on until Christmas where the goodness keeps on flowing! I love it so much! If you want to throw yourself into the somber joy this season brings, here are some noteworthy feast days and simple ideas to celebrate them:
-
St. Nicholas, Dec 6. In 2026 this falls on the Second Sunday of Advent, which takes precedence in the liturgy, but families can still keep the shoes-and-treats tradition at home ๐
-
Immaculate Conception, Tuesday, Dec 8. This is a holy day of obligation. Plan Mass into the day and wear something blue ๐
-
St. Juan Diego, Dec 9. Pair it with the Guadalupe story below
-
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Saturday, Dec 12. Roses, either real or paper, and the tilma story ๐น
-
St. Lucy, Dec 13. This lands on Gaudete Sunday this year - Make a wreath pastry with candles ๐ฏ๏ธ
-
O Antiphons, Dec 17–23. ๐ See the Advent & Christmas Playschool Kit
With how many things go on during Advent, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and start to think that there is NO way you could possibly celebrate all the feasts, keep up with traditions, AND maintain the calm you were so hoping for. And, at least in our family, that happens some years! Things just come up that you weren’t planning on: school concerts, family illness, you name it. But when we have a year like that I often find myself thinking about what Mary and Joseph endured on their journey to the birth of their Son. Their plans fell apart too: a census they didn’t ask for, a long trip at the worst possible time, and no room at the inn. Also let’s just think about it - I’m sure it was anything but calm for Mary to ride 90 miles on the back of a donkey while 9 months pregnant! And yet, in the middle of all that chaos, they still made room for Jesus. That’s really all Advent asks of us, too.
So if this turns out to be one of THOSE years, give yourself permission to scale back to the bare minimum: light the wreath and say one prayer together. That still counts. Your little ones won’t remember whether you hit every feast day, but they will remember the glow of the candles and the feeling of waiting for something wonderful together.
This Advent, may we all focus less on preparing perfect homes and more on preparing open hearts. The wreath may get knocked over (probably more than once), and that’s okay. Baby Jesus is coming either way, and He’s not looking for perfect. He’s looking for a place to stay.
