A Meaningful Christmas Countdown: How to Use Advent Story Cards

Lead your kids through a meaningful Christmas countdown with these adorable Advent Story Cards. Share big Bible moments that tell God’s story of why and how Jesus came to rescue us.

When my kids were young and Christmas countdowns first became a thing on Pinterest, I tried and tried to recreate the beautiful calendars I discovered. Frustrated with my Pinterest fails (too numerous to count), I redirected my energy into creating a meaningful experience that would take us on a journey while we counted down the December days.

I decided to invite my children into God’s Story, to help them understand how and why Jesus came to us on Christmas. What better place to begin than the beginning, right? So we started with Creation, the once upon the time of our lives. And ever since that day four or so years ago, we read through each big Bible story in December, from Genesis to Jesus’ birth, to remind ourselves of God’s Story and grow in understanding that it’s our story, too.

This year I had the privilege of partnering with Color + Kindness to take the Bible reading we’ve been following for years and create these adorable Advent Story Cards so YOUR family can join the journey!

You can find our Advent Story Cards in the shop in two formats. A print at home file or a limited edition box set that will ship right to your door, just in time to join us on December 1 (box set currently out of stock).

Black Friday Deal: Get $5 off the sale price of $8 on our digital Advent Story Cards. Use code ADVENTURE to participate in this meaningful Christmas countdown for just $3!! (coupon good through December 7th)

This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. When you click on a link and make a purchase, a small commission may be paid to Gather & Grow which helps keep this ministry going. So thank you! Read my full disclosure here.

Keep reading for information on our brand new family devotion Podcast launching just in time for Advent!

How To Use Advent Story Cards

1. Hang your Advent Story Cards on your mantle or staircase as a traditional and meaningful Christmas countdown. You can also simply leave them on the kitchen table or in the car so you can complete each reading on the go!
2. Choose a time of day and location to complete your Advent reading and conversation. Having a plan will help you follow through when life gets busy!
3. Gather together December 1 through 25 and spend 5-10 minutes sharing the Bible story then discussing how it relates to YOUR story. Read the story in full text (reference on the card) or in a storybook Bible. You can find Bible recommendations (and page numbers for each story) HERE.
4. Follow hashtag #gatherforadvent on social media where I’ll post the daily reading and a conversation question so you can continue your journey – anytime, anywhere!
5. Listen to BLOOMTOWN, our brand new Podcast with a corresponding, 5 minute audio devotion you can listen to on the go!

Advent Story Cards and the Bloomtown Podcast follow our #5andthrive Family Bible Study method.

• Prepare your heart
• Learn by reading the Bible story
• Ask questions to engage in conversation
• Name the truth God wants you to know
• Take action by memorizing a Bible verse that applies the story to your life

There is freedom for your family to figure out how best to use these simple tools! There is no right or wrong way to join this journey. A few other ideas to spark your creativity:

Hang Advent Story Cards using clothespins and twine or string.

Keep a storybook Bible (for little ones) AND a kid-friendly full text Bible (for older kids) handy so all of your children can engage in this Advent tradition.

Detach the reading (top of the card) from the memory verse (bottom). Hide the day/Bible reading in a traditional Advent countdown calendar (with little doors). Then challenge kids to match the story with its corresponding memory verse card.

While all of our family faith tools are geared towards kids age preschool through elementary school, encourage older children (age 10+) to engage by leading their younger siblings through each faith-building moment.

I hope you’ll plan to join us as we journey to Jesus this Christmas season. And I’d love to hear how it’s going along the way. Feel free to contact me with your stories and feedback.

Praying you and your family will grow in Jesus this Christmas season.

xoxo,