Advent Activities for Catholic Families, Week by Week

The best Advent activities for families are small, repeatable and tied to the Church’s calendar: an Advent wreath at dinner, a few feast days celebrated at home, and one daily tradition like a Jesse Tree. Planning week by week keeps it doable, so you reach Christmas Eve rested instead of worn out. Here’s a simple plan for each week of Advent, with options for little kids and teens.

Before Advent begins: set up and keep it simple

Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, anywhere from November 27 to December 3 (in 2026 it’s November 29). It’s a season of joyful waiting and preparation, so many Catholic families hold off on full Christmas celebrations until December 25 and then keep celebrating through the Christmas season.

The weekend before, gather what you need:

• An Advent wreath with three violet candles and one rose candle
• A daily tradition (a Jesse Tree, an Advent calendar or a reading plan)
• A family calendar with the feast days below marked
• An empty manger for your Nativity scene, if you want to try the straw idea in Week 1

Choose one daily tradition, not three. You can always add more next year.

Week 1: Hope and getting started

The First Sunday of Advent is the start of a new liturgical year. The priest wears violet, and the first violet candle on your wreath is lit.

Activities for Week 1:

• Bless your Advent wreath. Many parishes bless wreaths at Mass on the first weekend, and there are family blessing prayers you can use at home. Light the candle each night at dinner.
• Start your daily tradition. A Jesse Tree is a lovely choice because it walks through salvation history one story at a time.
• Straw for the manger. Put an empty manger out. Each time someone does a kind act or offers a small sacrifice, they add a piece of straw so the bed is soft for Baby Jesus on Christmas.
• Write the family’s Advent promise. One small thing everyone will do or give up for the season.

Week 2: Peace and the first feast days

The second week often brings two beloved feasts.

St. Nicholas (December 6). Children set out shoes the night before and find small treats or a gold chocolate coin in the morning. Read about the real Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop known for secret generosity, and talk about how to give quietly.

The Immaculate Conception (December 8). This celebrates Mary being preserved from original sin from the moment of her conception (not the conception of Jesus, a common mix-up). It’s a holy day of obligation in the United States and the patronal feast of the country, so check your parish Mass schedule.

Other ideas for Week 2:

• Light two violet candles.
• Make a Christmas card list and write cards to people who might be lonely.
• Pick a family service project, like donating coats or food.

Week 3: Joy on Gaudete Sunday

The Third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday, from the Latin for “rejoice.” Light the rose candle along with two violet ones. Priests may wear rose vestments, though some parishes use violet. Our guide to liturgical colors explains why. The two feasts below can land in Week 2 or Week 3 depending on the year; in 2026, Guadalupe is the day before Gaudete Sunday and St. Lucy falls on Gaudete Sunday itself.

Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12). Tell the story of Mary’s appearance to St. Juan Diego in 1531 and the image on his tilma. Many Hispanic parishes hold early-morning songs (las mañanitas) and celebrations, so check what your parish offers. Make roses from tissue paper, or enjoy Mexican hot chocolate together.

St. Lucy (December 13). A popular family custom, especially in Scandinavian homes, is for an older daughter to serve sweet rolls in the morning wearing a white dress and a wreath of candles on her head (battery candles are the safer choice).

Other ideas for Week 3:

• Go to Confession. Many parishes hold Advent penance services; check your bulletin for times.
• Bake and share. Take cookies to a neighbor or your parish office.

Week 4: Love and the final days

Light all four candles. The last days before Christmas have their own rich traditions.

The O Antiphons (December 17 to 23). These ancient antiphons address Christ by seven titles, like O Wisdom and O Key of David, and they’re the source of the hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Sing one verse each night after dinner.

Las Posadas (December 16 to 24). This Mexican and Latin American tradition reenacts Mary and Joseph’s search for shelter, with a procession, songs and a party. Some parishes host one. At home, kids can carry figures of Mary and Joseph to a different room each night until they reach the Nativity scene.

Other ideas for Week 4:

• Read the Christmas story in Luke 2 together on the 23rd or 24th.
• Plan which Christmas Mass you’ll attend. Times and crowd levels vary a lot, so check early.
• Bless your Nativity scene and place Baby Jesus in the manger on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning.

Advent activities for families by age

Age	What works	Keep it short
Toddlers (2 to 4)	Lighting (with help), hanging a Jesse Tree ornament, adding straw	2 to 3 minutes
Kids (5 to 9)	Reading short passages, St. Nicholas shoes, crafts for feast days	5 minutes
Tweens (10 to 12)	Leading prayers, reading aloud, planning a service project	5 to 10 minutes
Teens	Service hours, Confession, singing the O Antiphons, choosing a charity	Let them own one piece

Make it last without burning out

The Advent season is short, and December is busy. A few habits help:

• Anchor to dinner. Wreath, reading and prayer at the table, then dessert.
• Have a missed-day plan. Double up the next night and move on.
• Let kids lead. Assign a candle lighter, a reader and a prayer leader each week.

If you want the daily piece handled for you, our Jesse Tree Advent Kit has 24 illustrated ornaments, a short written devotion for each evening, four weekly wreath prayers, St. Nicholas and Our Lady of Guadalupe pages, and a catch-up plan. Browse the Printables Library for other faith resources, and stack a few to save.

FAQ

What are good Advent activities for families with young kids?

An Advent wreath at dinner, a Jesse Tree, St. Nicholas shoes and adding straw to an empty manger for good deeds. Keep each one to a few minutes.

What do the Advent wreath candles mean?

The four candles mark the four Sundays of Advent. The violet ones reflect prayer and preparation, and the rose candle, lit on the Third Sunday, marks joy that Christmas is near.

Should Catholics decorate for Christmas during Advent?

Families handle this differently. Many decorate gradually, adding lights or the tree as Christmas gets closer, and keep the Christmas season going until the Baptism of the Lord in January.

Is Advent a time of fasting?

Advent is a season of preparation and penance, but it doesn’t have the required fasting of Lent. Many families choose a small sacrifice for the season.