Catholic Advent Activities for Families
Advent can get crowded with shopping, school events and plans for Christmas. Give your family one small practice to return to: a short prayer, a Gospel passage and a concrete act of kindness. Start with the plan below and adapt it to the time you have.
A simple Advent plan for a busy family
- Choose a regular moment. Gather after dinner or before bedtime. Aim for a few attentive minutes.
- Make the Sign of the Cross. If you have an Advent wreath, light the candles appropriate to the week. Use battery-operated candles around young children.
- Read a little Scripture. Use a short passage from the coming Sunday’s Gospel. The USCCB daily readings can help you find it.
- Pray and choose one action. Ask whom your family can help this week, then finish with the Our Father.
These are suggested family practices, not a required devotional program. If you miss a day, begin again at the next opportunity.
Four weeks of Advent activities
Week 1: Make room for prayer
Set up a small prayer corner using what you already own. Let each child name one person to pray for during Advent. Put the names on paper beside your Bible, without sharing them online.
Week 2: Practice kindness at home
Invite each person to choose one helpful task: setting the table, making space for a sibling to speak or helping with bedtime. Ask at the end of the week what was easy and what was difficult. Keep the conversation honest rather than competitive.
Week 3: Share with someone outside your home
Ask your parish what a local family or ministry needs. Choose an item or act of service together. Children can help make a card, sort donated goods or select an item from a specific request list.
Week 4: Listen to the Christmas story
Read Luke 2:1–20 in manageable portions. Let children tell you what they noticed. Plan when your family will attend Christmas Mass and check your parish’s schedule directly.
Advent wreath prayer for families
An original devotional prayer from Christus Lumen.
Lord Jesus, help us make room for you.
When we are hurried, teach us to pause.
When we are impatient, teach us to listen.
Open our eyes to someone who needs our care.
Prepare our hearts to welcome you this Christmas.
Amen.
For the Church’s Advent wreath blessing used at home, follow the USCCB’s Blessing of an Advent Wreath. A parent or another family member may lead that home blessing. The prayer above is an original devotion and is not the official blessing text.
Advent with young children and teenagers
With young children
Give them something simple to do: bring the Bible, place a figure in the Nativity scene or choose an intention. Explain one idea at a time. A short bedtime prayer can keep the routine manageable.
With teenagers
Invite them to help choose a service project or lead a reading. Allow quiet participation. Our guide to praying with your teenager offers ways to begin without putting them on the spot.
When does Advent begin in 2026?
In the Roman Catholic calendar, the First Sunday of Advent in 2026 is November 29. The other Advent Sundays fall on December 6, December 13 and December 20. See the USCCB 2026 liturgical calendar. This guide’s four-week plan can be reused each year with that year’s dates.
Do we need an Advent wreath or special supplies?
No. You can begin with a Bible and a shared prayer. A wreath, calendar or Nativity scene can help mark the season, but choose a practice your family can realistically keep.
Keep prayer going after Christmas
Continue with one decade of the Rosary with your children or a familiar prayer from our Prayer Library. For Spanish family prayers, visit Oraciones católicas en familia.
Christus Lumen is an independent Catholic project founded by Juan Jovel.