Title – Advent Calendar

By – Celeste McKenzie

Subject – Art, Religion, Christmas

Grade Level – Grades 3-8

This plan can be used as a religion lesson as well as an art lesson. For private, Parochial and Christian schools.

Materials: 1 sheet of green construction paper

1 backing sheet (same size) of any color

scissors, glue, markers or stickers/stamps

Objective: Count down the days of Advent until Christmas

Procedure: Draw a Christmas tree on the green paper. Cut out. Cut small “doors” across the entire tree, going up from the bottom to the top, to number 25. With marker, number them from 1 to 25. (Although Advent actually begins in late November it is customary to have the Advent Calendar begin with Dec. 1st.)The simplest and most effective “door” is a 3-sided one, cutting across the bottom and both sides, that can be bent up across the top as each is opened. Doors should be of appropriate size for the size of the tree. Remember you need 25 of them.

Place the tree on top of the backing sheet. Cut backing sheet to the same shape as the tree. Carefully mark where each of the openings will be on the backing sheet. Children should use their imaginations “hiding” presents beneath each door. Some suggestions: chart seals, small stickers, or a small picture that they can draw.(a candle, a snowman, a wreath, a dove, a shepherd, – anything that they feel is appropriate for the season).

Children should keep secret their treasures, because the fun of opening the doors is in not knowing what will be revealed. Students will exchange their completed trees with classmates so that no one has his/her own. Each morning they can open the day’s door; they especially love Fridays because they can open three doors for the weekend!

Generally, children will make the door on Christmas day a little larger, so that they can draw a small manger with the baby Jesus inside.

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Celeste

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