Advent Devotional for Kids (Free Printable, 24 Days — One Short Reading per Evening)
⏱ 15 min read
December is exhausting. The school plays, the gift shopping, the calendar that fills up faster than you can write things in it. By the second week, most parents who meant to do a daily Advent devotional with their kids have already missed three days and started feeling guilty about it.
This isn’t a devotional for parents who have it together. It’s an Advent devotional for kids whose parents don’t, and whose kids need a small daily moment of stillness more than they need a perfectly executed program. Each day is five to seven minutes. A verse, a tiny reflection in plain words, and one simple activity. Read it at bedtime when the house has finally calmed. Skip a day if the day skips you. The point is the slow walk to Christmas, not the perfect record.
The 24 days walk from the promise of a Saviour, through the prophets, through Mary and Joseph and the angel, all the way to the manger on December 24th. By Christmas morning, your children will have heard the whole story — slowly, in small pieces, in the dark of December evenings, with a candle if you want one and without if you don’t.
Printable version: Download the Advent Devotional for Kids as a PDF (15 pages, free, no sign-up needed). Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible.
How to use this Advent devotional for kids
Read one day per evening, December 1 through 24. Each day has three parts: a Bible verse, two or three sentences of reflection in plain language, and one short activity. Total time: five to seven minutes. Best done at bedtime, with one small light on.
If a day gets missed, just read the next day on the next evening. Don’t double up. The slow walk works because it stays slow. (If you’d like the grown-up context for why Advent is kept this way at all, our beginner’s guide to Advent meaning in Christianity is the parent-side companion to this kids’ walk.)
Day 1 — A Promise in the Dark
Verse: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. The light has shined on those who lived in the land of the shadow of death.” — Isaiah 9:2
A long time ago, before Jesus was born, the world felt dark. People were waiting and hoping. They didn’t know exactly when help would come, but God had promised it would. Advent is the time we remember the waiting — and remember that God always keeps His promises, even when they take a long time.
Activity: Turn off all the lights in the room. Sit in the dark for a few seconds. Then light one small candle or turn on one small lamp. Notice how much one small light can do. That’s what Jesus is — one light, in a dark world.
Day 2 — A Family Tree
Verse: “A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.” — Isaiah 11:1
Jesus was born into a long family line. His great-great-great (lots of greats) grandfather was a man named Jesse, who was the father of King David. God had been planning Jesus’s family for hundreds of years before He was born. Nothing about His coming was an accident.
Activity: Name three people in your own family — your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents. God planned them too. He plans every family.
Day 3 — The Long Wait
Verse: “Wait for the LORD. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the LORD.” — Psalm 27:14
Waiting is hard. Waiting for Christmas morning is hard. Waiting for a birthday is hard. The people who waited for Jesus waited for hundreds of years. They had to be strong and patient and keep believing. Advent helps us practise the kind of waiting that the people of the Bible knew.
Activity: Think of one thing you are waiting for right now. Whisper it to God. Then take three slow breaths together as a family.
Day 4 — The Prophet Who Saw Ahead
Verse: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin will conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” — Isaiah 7:14
A prophet is someone God told things to so they could tell other people. The prophet Isaiah lived hundreds of years before Jesus was born, and God told him that a special baby would come one day, and His name would mean “God with us.” Isaiah didn’t get to see it happen. But he believed it would.
Activity: Say the word “Immanuel” out loud together. It means God with us. God is with us tonight, in this room, right now.
Day 5 — A Small Town Called Bethlehem
Verse: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me who is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.” — Micah 5:2
God chose a tiny town to be the birthplace of His Son. Not the big famous city. The small one. God often uses small things — small people, small towns, small moments — to do enormous good. That’s something to remember when you feel small.
Activity: Point to the smallest thing in the room. Even small things matter to God.
Day 6 — The Angel Visits Mary
Verse: “Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!”” — Luke 1:28
One day an angel named Gabriel appeared to a young woman named Mary. She was not famous. She was not rich. She was just a girl who loved God. The angel told her she would be the mother of Jesus. Mary was probably scared — angels are big and bright — but she said yes to what God was asking.
Activity: Practice saying yes to one small thing your parent asks tonight, the way Mary said yes to God.
Day 7 — Mary Says Yes
Verse: “Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.” — Luke 1:38
When Mary said yes to God, she didn’t know how everything would work out. She didn’t know what people would say. She didn’t know how she would explain it. She just trusted God and said yes. That’s what faith looks like — saying yes before you have all the answers.
Activity: Hold your hands open in front of you like Mary might have done. Say quietly: “Here I am, God.” That’s all.
Day 8 — Joseph Has a Dream
Verse: “But when he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take to yourself Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.” — Matthew 1:20
Joseph was the man who was going to marry Mary. When he found out she was going to have a baby, he was confused and worried. So God sent an angel to him in a dream and explained everything. Joseph trusted God too. Both Mary and Joseph said yes — and that’s how Jesus came to have an earthly family.
Activity: Before bed tonight, ask God to give you peaceful dreams, like Joseph had.
Day 9 — Mary Visits Elizabeth
Verse: “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”” — Luke 1:45
Mary had a cousin named Elizabeth, who was also going to have a special baby — John the Baptist. Mary went to visit her, and as soon as Elizabeth saw Mary, the baby inside Elizabeth jumped for joy! Two cousins, two miracles, both happening at the same time. God was doing big things in quiet places.
Activity: Think of one person in your family who is hard to visit but you love. Pray a short prayer for them.
Day 10 — Mary’s Song
Verse: “Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord. My spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior,” — Luke 1:46-47
When Mary saw Elizabeth, she sang a song to God. Her song said thank You, and God is great, and God lifts up the people who feel small. We still sing Mary’s song today in churches. It’s called the Magnificat. Mary teaches us that praise can come even from people who don’t have much.
Activity: Sing one Christmas carol together, even just one verse. Loud or quiet — both count.
Day 11 — Light a Candle
Verse: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it.” — John 1:5
Halfway through Advent, the darkness of December is at its longest. December has the shortest days of the year. But the light that came at Christmas is stronger than any darkness. Even in the darkest week, Jesus is the light. That’s why we light candles in Advent — to remember.
Activity: Light one candle (with a grown-up’s help). Watch the flame for a whole minute without talking.
Day 12 — A Tax Trip to Bethlehem
Verse: “All went to enroll themselves, everyone to his own city.” — Luke 2:3
When Mary was almost ready to have her baby, the king made a rule that everyone had to travel to their hometown to be counted. Joseph’s family was from Bethlehem — the small town the prophet had said the Saviour would come from! Even a king’s tax law became part of God’s plan. God works through the ordinary things.
Activity: Look at the calendar. What ordinary thing is happening tomorrow? God can use even that.
Day 13 — The Long Walk
Verse: “Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to David’s city, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,” — Luke 2:4
Mary and Joseph had to walk about 80 miles to get to Bethlehem. That’s a very long walk, especially for a woman about to have a baby. They probably had a donkey. They probably stopped to rest a lot. Sometimes following God means a long walk. The walk itself was part of the story.
Activity: Walk slowly around your living room one time. Imagine Mary and Joseph walking even further than that, for many days.
Day 14 — No Room at the Inn
Verse: “She gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a feeding trough, because there was no room for them in the inn.” — Luke 2:7
When Mary and Joseph finally arrived in Bethlehem, the town was full. Every house and every inn was packed because of the tax. There was no room for them anywhere. So Jesus — the King of Heaven — was born in a place where animals slept, and laid in a feeding trough. God did not arrive in a palace. He arrived in the smallest, humblest place.
Activity: Find the smallest, quietest corner of your house. Sit in it for a moment together. That’s the kind of place Jesus was born in.
Day 15 — The Animals
Verse: “The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master’s crib; but Israel doesn’t know. My people don’t consider.”” — Isaiah 1:3
The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly which animals were there the night Jesus was born, but a manger is a feeding trough — so there were probably animals nearby. Sheep, donkeys, maybe an ox. The first guests at Jesus’s birth were animals. God’s love is for the whole creation, not just for people.
Activity: Think of one animal you love. Thank God for making it.
Day 16 — Shepherds on the Hillside
Verse: “There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock.” — Luke 2:8
Outside Bethlehem, some shepherds were watching their sheep. Shepherds were poor and ordinary. People didn’t usually pay attention to them. But God did. The very first people God told about Jesus’s birth were these regular men working a night shift in a field. God notices the ordinary people.
Activity: Think of one ordinary worker — a postman, a shop assistant, a cleaner. Pray for them quickly.
Day 17 — A Big Surprise
Verse: “Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” — Luke 2:9
Suddenly, in the middle of a quiet night, an angel appeared to the shepherds. They were scared! The night sky was filled with light. The angel had to say “Don’t be afraid” before he could even share his message. When God shows up, it’s often surprising — and it often starts with “Don’t be afraid.”
Activity: What is something you’ve been a little afraid of? Whisper it to God. He likes to start with don’t be afraid.
Day 18 — Good News for Everyone
Verse: “The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.” — Luke 2:10
The angel told the shepherds the most important news in the world — Jesus had been born. But the angel said the news wasn’t just for the shepherds, or just for the people of Israel. The good news was for all the people. Jesus came for everyone, everywhere, of every kind. No one is left out.
Activity: Name three people from different places — a family member, a neighbour, someone far away. Jesus came for all of them.
Day 19 — A Choir of Angels
Verse: “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men.” — Luke 2:14
After the first angel finished speaking, suddenly the whole sky was filled with angels — a huge choir, singing to God. The shepherds must have stood there with their mouths open. Imagine the sound. The sky full of angels, singing about a baby just born in a stable nearby.
Activity: Sing one line of a Christmas carol as loudly as you can together. Imagine the angels were louder.
Day 20 — The Shepherds Go and See
Verse: “When the angels went away from them into the sky, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”” — Luke 2:15
After the angels left, the shepherds didn’t just go back to watching their sheep. They went — right away, in the middle of the night — to find the baby. When God tells us something, the right response is to go and see. Not later. Now.
Activity: Take one quick step right where you are. Say “Yes, Lord.” That’s the shepherd’s step.
Day 21 — The First Visitors
Verse: “They came with haste and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in the feeding trough.” — Luke 2:16
The shepherds found everything exactly as the angel had said. There was Mary. There was Joseph. There was the baby Jesus, lying in a feeding trough. The shepherds were the first visitors to ever see Jesus. Poor, ordinary, working men — the first to meet the King of the world.
Activity: If you could give the baby Jesus one small gift, what would it be? You don’t have to say it out loud. Just think it.
Day 22 — Mary Treasures It
Verse: “But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.” — Luke 2:19
After the shepherds came and went, Mary sat quietly and thought about everything that had happened. The angel. The journey. The stable. The baby. The shepherds. She treasured it — like keeping something precious safe in a special place. Sometimes the right thing to do is just be quiet and remember.
Activity: Close your eyes for ten seconds. Think about one moment from today that you want to treasure. Don’t talk about it. Just keep it.
Day 23 — Almost Here
Verse: “For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” — Isaiah 9:6
Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. After all the waiting — all 23 days, and all the hundreds of years before that — the moment is almost here. The child is about to be given. The wait is almost over. Notice how it feels to be one day away from something you’ve been walking toward.
Activity: Look at the Advent calendar (or this printable) and count how many days you’ve already done. Twenty-three. You waited well.
Day 24 — Christmas Eve
Verse: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” — John 3:16
This is the night. The whole reason for Advent. The whole reason for Christmas. The whole reason God set up the long story of the Bible. He gave His Son to a world that needed Him. Tomorrow morning, when you wake up and run downstairs and the day is full of gifts and family and noise, remember the real gift underneath all of it.
Activity: Together, blow out the candle one last time. Whisper “Welcome, Jesus.” Then go to bed and wait for the morning.
What to do tomorrow morning
When Christmas morning arrives, the 24 days of this Advent devotional for kids have done their work. The presents will get opened. The breakfast will get eaten. The day will be full and loud and lovely — and underneath it, your children will carry the whole story they’ve been walking toward in the dark of December evenings. (When spring rolls around and you want the same slow shape for Lent, our Lent devotional for kids is the 40-day companion to this one. If you’d like to be praying for your children all year — not only in seasonal pockets — our 30-day guide to praying for your children walks the daily practice.)
If you want, light the candle one more time on Christmas morning before the noise starts. Read John 1:1-14 — the long Christmas verse. Then let the day be the day. The slow walk has prepared you for it.
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A keepsake Advent journal for the family
Once you’ve walked one Advent with the printable, the next December often calls for something a little more lasting — a journal you keep year after year, with space for your kids to write or draw what they noticed on each evening. The kind of book you’ll still have in a drawer when your kids are grown, with their handwriting in it from the December they were seven.
That’s the Stilling Waves Devotional Journal for Teen Girls. All 24 days, illustrated, with space for one drawing and one sentence per evening. Built for tired parents and curious kids who want Christmas to be more than the morning. The slow walk, made keepable — the keepsake version of the Advent devotional for kids in this article.
Devotional Journal for Teen Girls
The Stilling Waves Devotional Journal for Teen Girls walks the 24 days of Advent at the pace of a small child, with one short reading per evening and space for what only your kids can draw. Built for the family that wants Christmas to arrive after a real wait.
