Advent in the Home

Activities for Families
Author(s): 
Ellen C. Becker
Mary T. Barnes
Number of pages: 
120 pages
Copyright: 
2009
Publisher: 
Our Sunday Visitor
Binding: 
Softcover
Subject(s): 
Grade / Age level: 
Review: 
My first impression when I opened Advent in the Home was, “Wow, it’s all here.” Normally in October I start filling my calendar with meaningful Advent activities; jotting down ideas on scraps of paper which I promptly lose and printing out coloring sheets until I run out of ink. This seems to be fairly common in homeschooling families. Aspiring to create a more spiritual tone to what has become an oppressively secular time of year can be quite overwhelming. There are just so many ideas spread out in books, periodicals, and on the Iinternet. Gathering them all and putting them to use in the home can actually create frustration and distract well-meaning parents from focusing on Christ. Advent in the Home attempts to lessen the workload of the educator by gathering all these ideas into one book. The book includes coloring pages for the preschoolers, prayers to accompany the lighting of the Advent candles, feast day activities and recipes, a lovely rosary booklet, a paper advent wreath centered around “Doing God’s Work”, an Advent blessings booklet, a scripture based paper chain, all the ornaments for the Jesse Tree, a template for an O Antiphon house, the Liturgy of the Hours, a Nativity matching game, and much more. The illustrations are simple, clean, and charming. There is not a single filler activity in the book; all focus on Christ and all are very doable even during a busy time of year.
Perspective: 
Catholic
Reviewed by: 
First reviewed: 
10-19-2009