The Advent Story for Children – A Pause in Advent

The Christmas season is such a special time of year, and sometimes it’s easy for kids to get caught up in gifts and goodies. That’s why we love to pause during the Advent season and share the true meaning of Christmas with our children — the story of Jesus’ birth.

This simple Advent reading plan helps families tell the Christmas story day by day through December. With short Bible verses, child-friendly retellings, and little activities, it’s a way to bring the whole story of the first Christmas into your family time.

Last year, the wonder Coffee Lady told me about a book called The Light in the Lantern, which is filled with short stories for advent.  The stories are intended for reading aloud for children of school age and are perfect for sparking conversation about Advent.  The are pretty short, but perfect for night time reading.

Then last week I had an email from Melitsa from Raising Playful Tots, who I respect a lot and she had a link to The Truth is in the Tinsel as her signature. So I decided to down load a copy of the book, which is wonderful.  it is for Preschool age children, but perfect for Mini too.  It gives you a reading prompt and an activity to make an ornament for each day to go with the prompt.  The whole activity will take less than 30 minutes and is a wonderful way to discuss the Christmas Story at a very basic level.  This is something we have really enjoyed doing each day and it has really made us take a pause as a family for the everyday rush that this time of year can be.

The Story of Jesus’ Birth – Told Simply for Kids

• Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem.
• There was no room at the inn, so baby Jesus came and was laid in a manger.
• Angels told the shepherds the good news.
• The wise men followed a star and brought gifts to honour the baby King.

How to Use This in Advent

1. Advent Calendar Readings – Create a countdown to Christmas Day with a verse or story snippet for each day of December. You could write the verses on cards, tuck them in pockets of an Advent calendar, or read them around the table.
2. Bible Verses for Children – Choose one short passage each day (Luke 2, Matthew 1–2). Even young kids can listen, repeat a key phrase, or act out part of the story.
3. Add Meaningful Traditions – Sing a short Christmas carol like *Away in a Manger*, place figures in a Nativity set (Playmobil or wooden) as the story unfolds, or encourage kids to draw or make little gifts for Baby Jesus as part of the countdown.

Free Advent Story Resource

We’ve created a simple PDF of Advent readings you can print and use at home. Perfect for grandchildren, preschoolers, or family devotions throughout December.

Why Families Love This Tradition

• Keeps the focus on the real reason for the season.
• Turns Advent into intentional family time.
• Works for kids of all ages – from toddlers to older children.
• A beautiful way to say Merry Christmas with meaning.