Prayers
for Advent
Grades 1–3
Throughout the season of Advent an Advent wreath is displayed in the church, where the candles are lit and the prayers said weekly. But it is also a very simple task to set up your own Advent wreath in the home. Lighting the Advent candles each night and saying the prayers as a family offers a fine opportunity to come together in prayer as you prepare your home to welcome the savior.
Through this activity the whole family can learn the significance of the Advent wreath and the meaning of the colors and number of the candles. Then, when the family Advent wreath has been set up, parents and children together will be ready to offer the Advent prayers at home.
To get started, go to the “Advent Wreath Prayers and Customs” page. Read the brief history and description of the Advent wreath at the top of the page, then scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on “Advent Prayers for Very Young Children”. Print out the prayer page so that you can pray together with your children as you light the candles on your family Advent wreath.
Additional Activities
“The Story
of Saint Nicholas”
Parents whose children are caught up in the excitement of “waiting
for Santa” might want to look to the sidebar of the “Prayers
for Young Children” page, under the heading Special Seasons,”
for “The
Story of Saint Nicholas”, a brief retelling of the life of
the saint in rhyme for very young children. A click on the title on the
sidebar will take you to the story page. You can print out the story to
read aloud to your child.
Prayers of the
Church
Here, again on the sidebar of the “Prayers for Young Children”
page, you will find links to the texts of some of the basic prayers of
the Church—the Our Father, the Sign of the Cross, the Hail Mary,
and the Apostles’ Creed—along with brief commentaries on the
prayers in words a small child can understand. You might want to encourage
your child to print out these prayer pages and use them to make a prayer
booklet. Your child might also wish to make a second booklet to give as
a Christmas gift.
Everyday Prayers
From time to time you might want to encourage your child to select and
pray one of these prayers especially written for young children. You might
also encourage your child to print out a favorite prayer, cut it out,
paste it on construction paper, add drawings, and decorate it with ribbon
or glitter to make an original Christmas gift for a brother, sister, or
grandparent.
Created by Dorothy
Werner, retired Director of Religious Education, Archdiocese of Washington,
DC.
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