Our Favorite Family Advent Books & Resources

Advent is just around the corner and it’s one of the most special times for us as a family. Sure, the festive lights and Christmas goodies are fun, but the real meaning of Christmas is so special. It’s so easy to get busy with holiday parties, Christmas shopping, school programs, and baking that the real meaning of Christmas can get buried and forgotten about. There are so many Advent books to choose from, but which ones are really great and which ones will the entire family get something out of? Family Advent is a special part of our December.

I can’t say enough good things about each of these books and resources I’ve listed. It’s still early enough for you to grab one for you, your kids, or the entire family to walk through together this Christmas season.

The Greatest Gift: Unwrapping the Full Love Story of Christmas: Ann Voskamp has such a way with words! I have all of her books and love each of them. When The Greatest Gift came out, I had to get a copy of it. I’m reading through it again for a second time and love it. This is a perfect Advent book for moms. Beginning with Jesse, the father of David, The Greatest Gift retraces the epic pageantry of mankind, from Adam to the Messiah, with each day’s profound reading pointing to the coming promise of Christ, so that come Christmas morning you find that the season hasn’t blurred past you but your heart’s fully unwrapped the greatest gift you’ve always yearned for.

Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas: Speaking of Ann Voskamp, she also has a great family Advent book, Unwrapping the Greatest Gift. It’s perfect to read through together in the mornings at breakfast or in the evenings together as a family over dinner. Each day, families can read the provided Scripture passage, engage with a specially written devotion to help children of all ages understand the Advent theme for the day, and participate in suggested activities to apply the theme. This special edition is beautifully illustrated. It can serve as a precious guide to help recapture the sacredness of the Advent season and to help the entire family understand and celebrate the epic pageantry of humankind from Adam to the Messiah. This is a personal favorite for my family.

A Weary World Rejoices Family Advent Study (from @thehomemakingmomma on Instagram)

This Advent study will not only draw you closer to the Lord as you rest in His Word and all He has done for us, but it also draws you and your family closer together this season. Dwelling in the scriptures together and rejoicing in the first advent of our Savior! Click HERE to download this amazing family Advent study.

The Jesus Storybook Bible: A Christmas Collection: Stories, Songs, & Reflections for The Advent Season:

This picture book not only highlights the significance of the Nativity and reaffirms the spiritual meaning of God’s most precious gift, it does what few other Christmas or Advent books do. It shows that even the Old Testament stories pointed to a Rescuer, and it is a complete celebration of the holiday season, which doesn’t end on Christmas morning with Jesus’s birth.

The Jesus Storybook Bible A Christmas Collection is a great Advent or Christmas gift for the family. This premium interactive picture book helps children young and old understand and celebrate the true meaning of Christmas by showing readers that at the center of every story in Scripture is a baby, the child that everything will depend on.

Truth in the Tinsel: This is a great Advent curriculum/e-book for younger through elementary age kids. I love that there is very little prep on my part and the supplies are those you either already have in your house or you can run to Walmart or Target to pick up easily. It comes with a handful of printables to help reinforce the real meaning of Christmas and your kids will look forward to a new story, craft, and activity each day of Advent. Truth in the Tinsel is something we have done for several years and each year, we get something new from the curriculum.

Waiting Here for You: An Advent Journey of Hope: Another great option for you as a mom during your early morning quiet times. Waiting Here For You takes us through the advent of the season of waiting. In it, we see the story of the coming of Jesus. It teaches us that waiting is the means God often uses to carry his plans in our lives. And it brings us back to the truth that our waiting is never wasted when we are waiting on God.

Unwrapping the Names of Jesus:

Most Christians agree that Christmas is all about Jesus, yet most of us spend little time preparing our hearts to celebrate Him. Why is this? Partly because we don’t know how.

In Unwrapping the Names of Jesus, Asheritah Ciuciu leads readers through the four weeks of Advent (Hope, Preparation, Joy, and Love). Each week:

Begins with an interactive family devotional that equips readers to celebrate Advent together
Offers five daily reflections that focus on that week’s name of Jesus
Includes suggestions for fun-filled family activities or service projects

This devotional can be used by readers in their own personal worship times or as a tool to engage in family worship during the busy holiday season. Either way, participants will gain a greater sense of awe and wonder at who Jesus is.

By focusing on the person and character of Jesus throughout the Advent season, readers will prepare their hearts so that when they admire the live nativity, sit in the candlelight service, or wake up on Christian morning, they can join the faithful who sing from the bottom of their hearts, “O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!”