Good intentions – I’m full of them. But, actually following through is often a struggle! Believe it or not, we have never “officially” celebrated Advent. We usually do fun, family things throughout the month of December. But, I’ve never purposefully had an Advent celebration! I always had good intentions. But, frankly, I just ran out of time and didn’t get it done year after year!
Well, I vowed that this year would be different! Just when it looked like I was going to fall into the same old tradition of “too little…too late,” I found out about the Advent eBook Truth in the Tinsel, which TOTALLY saved the day! (Read my Truth in the Tinsel review here.)
I am so excited to get started with our Advent celebration this year! Thanks to Amanda from Impress Your Kids, author of the Truth in the Tinsel eBook, who has done virtually ALL of the work for me!
I was so inspired by this super cute, super easy-to-implement Advent eBook, that I actually came up with CHRISTmas Countdown {Advent Countdown} cards to go along with it. But don’t be fooled, these are not just numbered cards!
They actually have clues (riddles) FOR the Truth in Tinsel clues! This will add a fun spin to an already great idea! Plus, it will get my older kids a little more engaged in our activities. They are already thrilled about the idea of doing a simple craft each day!
How to use the FREE Advent Christmas Countdown cards:
1) Set up the countdown calendar. Print and laminate the Advent Countdown cards on cardstock. I have formatted them so that you can print them back to back so that the riddles actually appear on the back of each card.
Simply print pages 2 & 4 and pages 3 & 5 back to back. However, you can use the countdown cards however you would like. I do suggest that you print them onto cardstock and cut them with a 2” circle punch or larger (or cut by hand). Laminate for durability.
Once I printed, laminated, and cut my cards, I slid them into a Classroom Card Scheduler that I found in the dollar section at Target a few months ago. (When I saw them, I stocked up!) Here is a similar one, though mine measures 21”x14.5’” and has 8 pockets. I arranged the cards so that they resemble a Christmas tree and hung it with thumbtacks on the bottom of a peg board.
2) Gather and prep supplies. Once the calendar is made, gather your supplies so that you don’t have to frantically search the house for them each day. (Many of the required items can be found around your home!) I also printed, laminated, and cut the Truth in Tinsel clue cards, which are an integral part of the plan! 😉
3) Prepare to have fun! Here is what we will do each day. The kids will go over to our CHRISTmas/Advent Countdown board and read the riddle on the back of the appropriate card. The answer is the Truth in Tinsel clue. For example, Day 1’s card says “I am bright and give off light. What am I?”
Once the kids guess, candle, which is the Truth in the Tinsel clue, we will have a scavenger hunt of sorts. The kids will run around the house and find the Truth in the Tinsel clue card with the candle on it, which will be hidden near a candle. (Each day before we start, I will hide the Truth in the Tinsel clue card in a place related to the clue for the kids to find.) I’m not sure how tough I will made it for the kids to find the clue cards, but here are some ideas for Day 1:
Once they have found the clue card, we will begin the Truth in Tinsel activities! After we have completed the activities for the day, we will place the countdown/riddle card back on the tree, turned backwards, so that my little guys have another visual of how many days there are until Christmas…so they will will stop asking me! LOL!
You can download the FREE Advent CHRISTmas Countdown cards below.
Additional resources I’m using:
I will also be using The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel. I would recommend adding this book to your Christmas collection regardless of how you decide to celebrate Advent!
Not only is it filled with activities, but it provides “Teachable Moments” where you can expound on some of the Christmas traditions and answer questions like…why do we hang ornaments on a tree at Christmastime?
About those good intentions…
Can you tell I am excited to get started? I absolutely can’t wait!!! We will finally celebrate the Advent season and it will fun for the kids and easy for me! Now that, is a win-win!
Oh, I just love this time of the year!!!
More Truth in the Tinsel:
- Buy Truth in the Tinsel eBook
- Read my Truth in the Tinsel review
- Download my (free) coordinating Advent Countdown printable
- Read my Truth in the Tinsel {in action} post
- Our Truth in the Tinsel ornaments from Day 1-6
- Our Truth in the Tinsel ornaments from Day 7-12
- Our Truth in the Tinsel ornaments from Day 13-18
- Our Truth in the Tinsel ornaments from Day 19-24
Download Instructions:
Ready to download the FREE Advent Christmas Countdown files? Click the button below to get access to the printable pdf file.
This post was originally published on November 29, 2011.
You are very welcome Amanda! I hope your kids are enjoying the printables!
I am not sure if anyone else had this problem but my printer does not have the option to print double sided pages unless the pages are together. Like for example, page 1,2. I have not been able to figure out a way to print page 2 and 4 front and back. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Deanna, you could print the front page, remove it, and then insert it in the printer so that it will print on the back side. For example, print page 2. Take it out the printer, insert it where you blank paper is, such that it will now print on the back side. Then print page 4, which should appear on the backside of page 2. Hopefully that makes sense.
Found these on Pinterest this week. All printed up and ready to go. Thank you!
Awh! You are so welcome!!!
Thanks so much – you did a wonderful job – so appreciated these, my girls are loving them.
I TOTALLY know what you mean! 😉
lol…forget about my previous post- I see that it was Mary…just needed to read your clue WITHOUT the pressure of a 4 and 6 year old…sometimes it is so hard to focus 🙂
I have always wanted to do Advent activities, but never got around to it either…that is until I discovered Truth in the Tinsel! 🙂 As for today’s clue, it is about Mary. (My riddles/hints follow along with the Truth in the Tinsel clues.) Not to worry, my kids thought it was Jesus at first too. I had to over-exaggerate the “my son” part and then they got it!
Was today’s clue suppose to be about Mary or Jesus? Just wondering 🙂 I am just LOVING these advent activities. Always wanted to do them and everything out there was little more complicated than I wanted it to be 🙂
You are most welcome! Hope you enjoy it as much as we are!
After reading your review ( and several others) I purchased Truth in the Tinsel and printed off your printables! Thanks so much!
I just bought Truth in the Tinsel yesterday and then found your additions…love them! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks for understanding! 🙂
Hi! Thank you so much for the separate file for the errors, really appreciate it. Hate wasting ink. 🙂 Thank you so much for all you do! I hate making mistakes so I know how you may feel. Merry CHRISTmas!
how about the clue: “I could not speak until my son John was born”-for Zechariah
You can download just the corrected cards here: http://www.mamajenn.com/files/MamaJenn/Advent_Countdown_CORRECTION.pdf So sorry for the mistake!
You can download just the corrected cards here: http://www.mamajenn.com/files/MamaJenn/Advent_Countdown_CORRECTION.pdf So sorry for the mistake!
You can download just the corrected cards here: http://www.mamajenn.com/files/MamaJenn/Advent_Countdown_CORRECTION.pdf So sorry for the mistake!
You can download just the corrected cards here: http://www.mamajenn.com/files/MamaJenn/Advent_Countdown_CORRECTION.pdf So sorry for the mistake!
Yep! I am so sorry! I am trying to think of a new clue now. Any ideas??? Once I get it fixed, I will post a file with the correction.
Yes, another mistake…I was thinking of Zacchaeus. So sorry! That’s what I get for making these at the last minute! I am working on a riddle for Zechariah and will update the file and post the corrected card. So sorry!!!
This is great! I’ve got mine all cut out and getting ready to laminate!! My kids will love this 🙂 Thanks so much! There was one thing I wasn’t quite sure of-Day 3 clue says I climbed a tree in order to see…were you thinking Zacchaeus, instead of Zecahriah?
I am wondering about the clue for day 3 – where you thinking of Zacchaeus instead of Zachariah?
Thanks Angie! I have since made the correction. You can refresh the page and download the corrected version or you can download a single page with just the correct #22 card. Both of the downloads are available on the website. Sorry for the mistake!
Found your site today. I downloaded the Truth in the Tinsel along with your pdf and am getting it all setup to do with my daughter. Thank you – she is going to love it. One problem, your pdf has two Day 1 circles and hints and no Day 22.
I just downloaded the Truth in the Tinsel too. I am really looking forward to it.
Glad you will be able to use it Alina! I am so excited to start Truth in the Tinsel with my kiddos. I don’t know whose more excited…me or them!
Thank you! I’ve been struggling with what to do since we will be spending the month at Grandma’s with other family members that aren’t as focused on the Christ part of Christmas, but your Advent countdown and the Truth in Tinsel book seem totally doable for our circumstances! (Without taking up a lot of room in our suitcases, lol).
Thank you, love them!
Thank you so much! I’m glad you like them!!!
I just downloaded the Truth In Tinsel book and these are going to be PERFECT! Thank you so much for your hard work!!