Advent & Christmas Activities for Children

Whilst recognising that Covid-19 is still a very real threat, we would like to make this Christmas holy and memorable for our children and have lined up a few things to hopefully help with that in the parish.

ADVENT WREATH MAKING

This Sunday (Sunday, 29 November at 9:00 am Mass), Josette Koen will be taking the younger children (from 3 years up to First Holy Communion) to make advent wreaths in the usual Sunday school slot (from the welcome in Mass to the end of the homily). This fun activity will be conducted in a safe, socially distanced manner, and will hopefully get the children comfortable with coming to Mass again, as well as telling them all about advent, why we have a wreath and an advent calendar, and the importance of giving to others.

For the older children who have done First Holy Communion and need to attend Mass, please come to Josette after Mass to collect your pack to take home.

What do you need to bring? Nothing - all material will be provided. Just bring yourself and your good cheer! Please RSVP (see below) so we know how many packs to prepare.

ADVENT CHAINS

We are also going to be assembling some advent chain prayer kits to hand out to all the children after Mass this weekend (28/29 November).

These are little strips of paper with various prayers dedicated to different groups on each. You can build these chains with your children and then from December 1, tear one off and say the prayer with them each day (eg One Hail Mary for the sick).

NATIVITY TOKENS

After every Mass from the 2nd Sunday of Advent to Christmas Mass (ie four Masses) we will also be handing out little nativity tokens to the Children that can be added to your crib or tree at home. The collectibles will come with cards and if all are collected you will have your own Christmas story to tell and display. These can be coloured in at home to personalize them, and then be hung in a tree or be put in a stable (top of an egg box or make one from sucker sticks).

REVERSE ADVENT

In keeping with our theme for this Christmas of ‘May the MIRACLE OF CHRISTMAS inspire us to new ways of living & giving, new ways of sharing & caring' we would like to try a new initiative for the children this year, a Reverse Advent calendar.

While many families will be donating towards ‘Bags of Love’, this year the need is going to be so great that you may want to consider also doing a ‘Reverse Advent’ with your children.

What this involves is for every day of December leading up to Christmas, instead of children opening advent calendar doors/boxes and getting treats, they can put a food/grocery item (can of beans, chocolate, toothpaste) into a bag or box. On Christmas Eve/Day, the children can then bring these bags/boxes to Mass and we will get them to needy parishes within the archdiocese.

It will probably be easiest to buy the 24 items that you would like to put in the hamper at the start of the month, and then write out descriptions to put on an advent chain or box. Then every day the children can read out the description for the day and put that item in the box. Depending on the age of your children, their involvement can be adapted – older children can decide what things are going to go into the boxes, write this out and even help to purchase them. Younger children may like the activity of finding the specific item. For all children (and adults) it will be a good daily reminder of the needs of others as we prepare for Christmas.

BAMBINELLI SUNDAY

Please join this a new and joyful tradition in our parish for all the children - a tradition started by Pope John Paul II.

Bring your baby Jesus statue from your nativity scene to mass on the 3rd Sunday of Advent (12/13 Dec) to be blessed by Father.

CHILDREN'S MASS

The first Sunday of every month is a CHILDREN'S MASS where Father uses a special liturgy for Children and gives a homily specifically addressed to the children. Our next CHILDREN'S MASS will therefore be on Sunday, 6 DECEMBER at 9:00 am. It is the last Children's Mass of the year and also the Second Sunday of Advent.