Teach your family how to prepare their heart for Christmas with these advent devotionals for families. From fun activities, Jesse tree ornaments, crafts and more, there’s a ton of variety on this list!

family sitting in front of christmas tree looking at book

How does your family celebrate the Advent season?

I know it’s a busy time of year but I want to encourage you to bring your family together and take a few minutes to slow down.

These advent devotionals for families are an easy way for you to teach your kids how to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. Together you’ll learn how to prepare your hearts for the coming of Christ and His birth!

Looking for a devotional for yourself? Check out these advent devotionals for adults.

The Best Advent Devotional Books for Busy Families

25 Days of the Christmas Story: An Advent Family Experience by Dr. Josh and Charity Straub

This is an advent devotional for families of all shapes, sizes, and schedules. Each of the 25 days highlights a different person, place, or object from the Christmas story—from the prophet Isaiah to Baby Jesus, from the Christmas star to the gift of frankincense. All devotions include an easy-to-read story, character trait, activity, and more—each designed to reinforce the main theme of the day.
 
Your family can choose simply to read each day’s story or to go deeper and engage with each day’s features. Either way, parents and children are sure to learn and celebrate the season of Advent together while having fun in the process!
 
The book includes pages in the back where parents and kids can record memories of each day’s activities and write journal entries to look back on year after year.


Unwrapping The Names of Jesus: An Advent Devotional by Asheritah Ciuciu

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.

Readers are led 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 

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!”


The Advent Jesse Tree: Devotions for Children and Adults to Prepare for the Coming of the Christ Child at Christmas by Dean Lambert Smith

Bring Christ back to Christmas by giving your children a devotional experience that adorns your tree with Christian symbols. 

The Advent Jesse Tree offers 25 devotions with each devotion tracing the heritage of Jesus through the stories and prophecies of the Old Testament.

These daily Advent devotions for families are written in two versions (one for children and one for adults) including a scripture, a story and commentary, questions to ask, a prayer, and a song.

Each devotional is paired with a representative symbol that traces the heritage of Jesus. ( A lamb, a dove, a rainbow, a heart, a star, etc.) Children and their parents can utilize the symbolic line art printed with each daily devotion to craft meaningful ornaments.

On Christmas day your tree will be filled with reminders of 25 Bible stories that led up to Christ’s birth.


The Way to the Manger: A Family Advent Devotional by Jeff and Abbey Land

Christmas is a chaotic time of year. With so much focus on material gifts and the anticipation of a certain jolly visitor, parents may easily feel their children are missing the true meaning of Christmas as they count down the days until December 25.

The Way to the Manger engages families with the biblical truth of Christmas through twenty-five Advent devotions that redirect children and families to their need for a Savior and the amazing gift of Jesus Christ.

Sure to become a keepsake that is revisited year after year, this book also provides talking points and activities for families to enjoy together, bringing the focus of Christmas back to Jesus and family time.


The Light Before Christmas: A Family Advent Devotional by Marty Machowski

This four-week Advent family devotional combines devotions on the theme of light and darkness with the story of eleven-year-old Mia and her grandmother as they prepare for Christmas.

Grandma loves to share her faith, especially at Christmas time, and although she is blind, she can see the light of Jesus shining bright and helps Mia—and children of all ages—to do the same. Every year, Mia loves to spend the month of December with Grandma getting ready for Christmas.

Through a Bible study of light and darkness, readers will discover how the theme of light weaves its way through the Christmas story and God’s plan of salvation.

The Light Before Christmas contains thirteen devotionals—three for each of the four weeks of Advent and one more for Christmas. Each devotional includes a Scripture for the day, an object lesson, a focus Scripture, a question to discuss as a family, a song to sing together, and a prayer.


Journey to the Manger Advent Calendar by Focus on the Family

Take your family on a fun-filled journey to the manger this Christmas season!

Learn more about Bible characters related to the Nativity and help teach your children about the true meaning of Christmas. Dive into each day of Advent with devotions and activities that will engage the entire family.

Packed full of fun activities, Journey to the Manger Advent Calendar includes an Advent poster, Bible character stickers, readings, kids’ puzzles, and more!


The Advent Storybook: 25 Bible Stories Showing Why Jesus Came by Laura Richie

Beginning with Creation, The Advent Storybook invites your family on a beautiful, chronological journey through ancient stories, tracing God’s faithful promise to send a Rescuer—Jesus. 

Each of the 25 Bible stories begins with a key verse and ends with a thoughtful question, helping you and your children think and talk about the reason we celebrate Jesus’ birth.
 
This year, begin a new Christmas tradition. Create memories your family will cherish. Sit down together and remember how much we need a Rescuer—and how amazing it is that He came!


A Better Than Anything Christmas: Explore How Jesus Makes Christmas Better by Barbara Reach

These daily devotions in the Gospels give a thorough investigation of why Jesus came. In the lead-up to Christmas, families will explore 25 reasons why Jesus came. They will see that what Jesus gives us is better than anything else we could wish for.

Each day there is a passage to read together, questions to think about, an explanation and a prayer. There are also age-appropriate application questions, some for younger children and some for older children, as well as journaling space so that each family member can write or draw their own response to what God has shown them. 

So why not set aside a little time each day in the run up to Christmas to look at God’s word together with this inspiring and innovative resource?


The Adventure of Christmas: A Journey Through Advent for the Whole Family by Ed Drew

These simple 10-minute family devotions for Advent, with graphic-novel-style illustrations, explore the Gospel accounts of the first Christmas in an engaging way, and will help families keep Christ at the heart of their celebrations. 

With all the Bible passages and questions already laid out, you can lead these devotions without needing any extra time to prepare, making family devotional time an achievable joy, not an unrealistic burden. There are different sets of questions for 3-4s, 5-7s, 7-12s, teens and even parents, so the whole family can enjoy looking at the Bible together. 


Unwrapping the Greatest Gift: A Family Celebration of Christmas by Ann Voskamp

With vivid, full-color illustrations, downloadable ornaments, and moving scenes from the Bible, this book is a gift your whole family can experience each day leading up to Christmas.

Person by person, story by story, retrace the lineage of Jesus. Fall in love with Him all over again as you experience God’s plan of salvation for us―from the Garden of Eden to the manger and beyond.

Each day, families can read the provided Scripture passage (in connection with the original book), 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.


‘Twas the Season of Advent: Devotions and Stories for the Christmas Season by Glennys Nellist

This 25-day devotional that will inspire your family as you eagerly await the arrival of Christ’s birth! Written in both prose and poetry, this beautiful picture book will engage children and adults alike!

‘Twas the Season of Advent:

  • Is a wonderful holiday read aloud for children ages4-8
  • Brings Advent to life through 25 devotions featuring stories from the Old and New Testaments
  • Features beautiful artwork by celebrated illustrator Elena Selivanova
  • Serves as the perfect gift for the family as you prepare for the Christmas season
  • Presents portions written in the familiar rhyme scheme of Clement C. Moore’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

Join Glenys and families around the world as you and your family wait, prepare for, and look forward to the arrival of God’s son, Jesus.


Family Advent Devotional – Bible Study Book by Matt & Lauren Chandler

Family Advent Devotional includes access to four videos that introduce each week’s theme, daily Scripture readings, and prompts for conversation and prayer.

Human beings are captivated by stories because we are created to live in a story—the Christian story. But given our bent toward sin, we often find ourselves caught up in the false stories of our culture. Entering into the Christian season of Advent helps to reorient our hearts and minds away from the false stories of the world. This Advent, reflect on and celebrate the story of Jesus’s birth as a family through this video-enhanced 25-day devotional.

The book is divided into four weeks that each focus on a major theme of Advent: hope, peace, love, and joy.


Advent Devotions & Christmas Crafts for Families: 24 Scripture Reflections & Simple Projects to Anticipate Christ’s Birth by Victoria Duerstock

The flurry of shopping, gift giving, recitals, and parties adds a certain amount of tension to a season meant to be infused instead with awe and wonder. Trying to prepare our hearts and our families to celebrate His birth becomes secondary while we try to survive the busyness!

Victoria Duerstock wants to support families in their desire to make Christ the focus of all their celebrations this Christmas. Each day of this family devotional includes not only a Scripture and short short reflection for the twenty-four days leading up to Christmas, but also inviting full-color images and simple Christmas crafts that can be done as you focus on the rich meaning of this season. Find easy-to-follow instructions for: 

  • Stained Glass Ornaments
  • Cinnamon Oatmeal Soap
  • Mason Jar Luminaries
  • Homemade Marshmallows
  • Scrap Ribbon Tree Ornaments
  • And many more!

Each devotional through the four weeks of Advent is focused on the themes of Hope, Preparation, Joy, and Love and is meant to be read with the entire family, or by the older child who needs something just for them in this special season.


A Family Advent: Keeping the Savior in the Season by Thomas Nelson Gift Books

Celebrating the season of Advent keeps us focused on the most important reasons we celebrate Christmas. A Family Advent presents guided heartfelt and thought-provoking devotionals with fun facts, journeys back in time, activities, and much more.

This book is a perfect way to get the whole family together for a few minutes every day to discover fun yet meaningful ways for keeping Jesus the center of the season.

  • Do you know what each verse of The Twelve Days of Christmas really means?
  • Do you know how many different kinds of angels there are or which nativity character is most like you?
  • Do you know how wonderful God’s gifts of Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy are?

It’s time to find out. Begin your journey by lighting the first candle!


Advent Devotions for Busy Families by Laurie Ostby Kehler

Instead of a frenzied blur of activities and crisis shopping, your children can learn the true meaning of Christmas. Advent Devotions for Busy Families is a simple guide for bringing families together to celebrate and learn about the Reason for the Season.

  • 25 devotions for every day in Advent
  • Free ornaments for each day to copy and color
  • Free activities to engage the whole family
  • Scripture readings for each story
  • Fascinating facts about Christmas trees, poinsettias and other symbols of the season.

Candy canes, decorating a tree and Christmas cookies are all opportunities to teach children how they relate to the birth of our Savior.


Prepare Him Room: Celebrating the Birth of Jesus Family Devotional by Marty Machowski

This four-week devotional guides your Christian family on an unforgettable advent journey, exploring some of the most wonderful prophecies in the Bible and how God fulfills them in Jesus Christ. From Bible devotions which tell the Christmas story through the eyes of the prophets to an original Christmas short story called Bartimaeus, Prepare Him Room helps you build family Christmas traditions around Jesus.

Lead your children through a study of Old Testament promises, Jesus’ birth narratives, and New Testament explanations of Jesus Christ’s person and work in the 4 weeks leading up to Christmas.

The memorable and meaningful activities, songs, and stories will become the fabric of your family’s Christmas memories. So gather them to watch the amazing gospel story unfold every December for generations to come!


Now that you’ve picked out one of these advent devotionals for families, you might also want to check out: