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Discovering Christmas: A 25-Day Advent Devotional with Activities for Kids
Celebrate this Advent season with Discovering A 25-Day Advent Devotional with Activities for Kids! Using four key themes of hope, joy, peace, and love, this interactive retelling of the first Christmas story invites families to focus on the most special reason we celebrate Christmas--the birth of our Savior.
Each day includes a devotion, scripture, conversation prompts, a guided prayer, and a simple, mess-free activity. Discovering Christmas is perfect for
families looking to celebrate the Advent season together,teaching preschoolers about Jesus' birth,helping kids create memories and establish a family holiday tradition, andkeeping little minds busy during Christmas break and quiet time.
Each day includes a devotion, scripture, conversation prompts, a guided prayer, and a simple, mess-free activity. Discovering Christmas is perfect for
families looking to celebrate the Advent season together,teaching preschoolers about Jesus' birth,helping kids create memories and establish a family holiday tradition, andkeeping little minds busy during Christmas break and quiet time.
98 pages, Hardcover
Published September 10, 2024
2 people are currently reading
3148 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 7, 2024
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
Discovering Christmas is a family-friendly book perfect for any family especially if there's mixed ages of the children as there's something for everyone.
Each day includes a devotion, scripture, conversation prompts, a guided prayer, and a simple, mess-free activity that relates to the story and devotion for that day. I loved that this book contains 25 days as this makes it like an activity advent calendar to teach the true meanings of Christmas and enjoy family time each day. The illustrations are detailed and beautiful with lots to discover.
Discovering Christmas is a family-friendly book perfect for any family especially if there's mixed ages of the children as there's something for everyone.
Each day includes a devotion, scripture, conversation prompts, a guided prayer, and a simple, mess-free activity that relates to the story and devotion for that day. I loved that this book contains 25 days as this makes it like an activity advent calendar to teach the true meanings of Christmas and enjoy family time each day. The illustrations are detailed and beautiful with lots to discover.
August 2, 2024
I received a free copy of, Discovering Christmas, by Amanda Jass, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is a great advent book for the whole family. This book has activities, devotions, the Christmas story, prayer, and conversation starters. I really liked the illustrations in this book.
September 27, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed Discovering Christmas: A 25-Day Advent Devotional with Activities for Kids by Amanda Jass! Discovering Christmas is a highly interactive Advent Devotional for families. Each devotion is packed with questions and activities that will make make the meaning of Christmas have a lasting impact. I think Discovering Christmas: A 25-Day Advent Devotional with Activities for Kids would be perfect for Churches and Families to do together (or even for Churches or Christian Education places/schools to hand out to their families). I highly recommend Discovering Christmas: A 25-Day Advent Devotional with Activities for Kids by Amanda Jass. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.
August 31, 2024
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
The 25-day Advent devotional, Discovering Christmas, by Amanda Jass, is quite an organized, creative, and beautifully-illustrated book! The author brilliantly assembled a multifaceted plan for a family with kids ages 4-8 to make Christmas very special. She divided the biblical Christmas story into 25 topics. Each day includes (1) an interactive devotional about the topic, (2) a scripture passage in various readable versions, (3) several discussion questions, (4) a “mess-free” activity related to the topic, for the family to do, and (5) a short prayer. The suggestion to use candles is part of days 1, 7, 13, 19, and 25. Some of the mess-free activities have no preparation and take only a few minutes; others require some work ahead of time and may take up to a couple hours. Many of the activities can be done at bedtime, but others must be planned for another time, like baking cookies, watching a movie, stargazing, or buying/making a gift. Most* of the devotionals do a good job of explaining spiritual concepts; the author usually uses comparisons and contrasts to earthly ideas. (*The devotionals had some potentially misleading thoughts on days 1 and 6, but adults can read ahead of time and easily revise as needed for clarity.) Overall, this book is a treasure chest filled with gems that will make December a Christ-centered, family-centered month. Note: Jass has a website that offers more of her creations that would be worth checking out!
The 25-day Advent devotional, Discovering Christmas, by Amanda Jass, is quite an organized, creative, and beautifully-illustrated book! The author brilliantly assembled a multifaceted plan for a family with kids ages 4-8 to make Christmas very special. She divided the biblical Christmas story into 25 topics. Each day includes (1) an interactive devotional about the topic, (2) a scripture passage in various readable versions, (3) several discussion questions, (4) a “mess-free” activity related to the topic, for the family to do, and (5) a short prayer. The suggestion to use candles is part of days 1, 7, 13, 19, and 25. Some of the mess-free activities have no preparation and take only a few minutes; others require some work ahead of time and may take up to a couple hours. Many of the activities can be done at bedtime, but others must be planned for another time, like baking cookies, watching a movie, stargazing, or buying/making a gift. Most* of the devotionals do a good job of explaining spiritual concepts; the author usually uses comparisons and contrasts to earthly ideas. (*The devotionals had some potentially misleading thoughts on days 1 and 6, but adults can read ahead of time and easily revise as needed for clarity.) Overall, this book is a treasure chest filled with gems that will make December a Christ-centered, family-centered month. Note: Jass has a website that offers more of her creations that would be worth checking out!
September 2, 2024
As a long-time follower of creative Amanda Jass, a fellow mama, I was delighted when she released this beautiful new advent book! Discovering Christmas is a sweet, gentle way to celebrate the advent countdown with young children. The darling illustrations and soft colors are adorable! While geared towards early elementary ages, I believe both toddlers and perhaps middle schoolers may enjoy listening to this book read aloud.
The devotions are short, relatable, rich in encouragement, faith and the powerful story of Jesus and His saving grace. They can easily be read once a day, together as a family, and include questions to ponder and spark conversations plus a short prayer and Scripture reference. Also featured is a simple, yet exciting activity for kids to complete that will further instill the truth of the day. We found the ideas to be fun, easily completed and entertaining!
We can’t wait to use this little book as our daily devotional this Christmas season and think it would be a great resource for a homeschool morning basket, family time, a private school or given as a gift to kick off advent season!
* I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
The devotions are short, relatable, rich in encouragement, faith and the powerful story of Jesus and His saving grace. They can easily be read once a day, together as a family, and include questions to ponder and spark conversations plus a short prayer and Scripture reference. Also featured is a simple, yet exciting activity for kids to complete that will further instill the truth of the day. We found the ideas to be fun, easily completed and entertaining!
We can’t wait to use this little book as our daily devotional this Christmas season and think it would be a great resource for a homeschool morning basket, family time, a private school or given as a gift to kick off advent season!
* I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.
September 18, 2024
Are you looking for a new book to use as a family of mixed ages to celebrate Advent? Discovering Christmas by Amanda Jass is a 25-day Advent Devotional with a mix of readings and activities to do with children as a family.
Discovering Christmas is 7.25 inches square and is 98 pages long. This book is illustrated with beautiful full-color illustrations that have a lot of fun detail. I think it would be a fun book to use as a family for Advent. There are readings that go through the Biblical Christmas story, as you would expect. Then there are activities to go along with the readings such as making cocoa, going caroling, and other traditionally Christmas activities. Nothing is overly original BUT there are some good conversation starters as well as the fact that each day's activities are set and ready for you to use. I also think these simple traditional activities are ones that kids actually do enjoy so they work. Most families likely have what they need already to do the activities in this book. Also, Discovering Christmas makes the way of salvation and the meaning of Christmas clear for Christian families.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.
Discovering Christmas is 7.25 inches square and is 98 pages long. This book is illustrated with beautiful full-color illustrations that have a lot of fun detail. I think it would be a fun book to use as a family for Advent. There are readings that go through the Biblical Christmas story, as you would expect. Then there are activities to go along with the readings such as making cocoa, going caroling, and other traditionally Christmas activities. Nothing is overly original BUT there are some good conversation starters as well as the fact that each day's activities are set and ready for you to use. I also think these simple traditional activities are ones that kids actually do enjoy so they work. Most families likely have what they need already to do the activities in this book. Also, Discovering Christmas makes the way of salvation and the meaning of Christmas clear for Christian families.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.
May 30, 2024
A good advent devotional for families. Tells the christmas story in an age appropriate way for children from 4-8 and offers plenty of questions and activities to provide for an engaging Christmas season. The Christmas story is well told and covers all the important information in an age appropriate way. Each day is a good length of time and should keep kids engaged. I think most of the activities are great, though there were a few days that I thought they didn't quite match the day or were a little off topic. The illustrations were really good, lots of colours and details so should allow kids of all ages to enjoy. I especially liked that the illustrations showed kids from a variety of ethnicities, genders and even some kids with disabilities. This should allow all kids to see themselves in the book.
Overall a fun and engaging family devotional to help teach kids about the Christmas story and why it is important.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
Overall a fun and engaging family devotional to help teach kids about the Christmas story and why it is important.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
September 10, 2024
5 Stars.
🎄 The vibes:
- Christmas advent book with daily family activities for kids 4-8 years old.
- 25 days; Read About It (verse); Talk About It (talking prompts/questions); Go About It (activity); Pray About It.
🎄 My thoughts:
Each day has a short reading, a scripture, some age appropriate questions, an activity related to the lesson, and a short prayer at the end. All of it is very do-able. The activities are easy and quick to assemble (ie. Hot chocolate; flashlight dance; waiting game; sharing joy with others, etc…).
The pictures/art in the book are beautiful. There’s diversity and all types of people represented which I love to see. God made us all unique and we all look different on the outside - the illustrations in this book reflect those differences.
I think this is a great advent option if you have little kids! My kids will be 6 and 2 this winter, and I think this is a perfect age for this type of book.
Release date: September 10, 2024.
Thank you so much to Amanda Joss, Tommy Nelson Publishing, and NetGalley for the gifted copy.
🎄 The vibes:
- Christmas advent book with daily family activities for kids 4-8 years old.
- 25 days; Read About It (verse); Talk About It (talking prompts/questions); Go About It (activity); Pray About It.
🎄 My thoughts:
Each day has a short reading, a scripture, some age appropriate questions, an activity related to the lesson, and a short prayer at the end. All of it is very do-able. The activities are easy and quick to assemble (ie. Hot chocolate; flashlight dance; waiting game; sharing joy with others, etc…).
The pictures/art in the book are beautiful. There’s diversity and all types of people represented which I love to see. God made us all unique and we all look different on the outside - the illustrations in this book reflect those differences.
I think this is a great advent option if you have little kids! My kids will be 6 and 2 this winter, and I think this is a perfect age for this type of book.
Release date: September 10, 2024.
Thank you so much to Amanda Joss, Tommy Nelson Publishing, and NetGalley for the gifted copy.
October 27, 2024
“Discovering Christmas” by Amanda Jess is a delightful new addition to any family’s Christmas traditions! This 25-day Advent devotional offers a perfect blend of faith, family bonding, and holiday spirit. Each day begins with a short 1-2 minute reading based on a Bible verse, creating a thoughtful foundation for the day’s reflection. The “Read About It” section delves deeper into the scripture, followed by “Talk About It” questions that inspire meaningful conversations with loved ones. The “Go About It” activities are simple yet creative, making it easy for families to engage with the message in fun and memorable ways. Each day is concluded with a heartfelt prayer, beautifully tying everything together. This devotional is a wonderful Christian resource for December, making space for quality time and conversation that the whole family will cherish! Highly recommend it for a Christ-centered Advent season.
Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased opinion.
Disclaimer: I was provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased opinion.
September 20, 2024
I received a free copy of Discovering Christmas, a 25-day Advent devotional with activities for kids, in exchange for an honest review.
Written by Amanda Jass, this devotional for kids takes you step by step through the Christmas story, covering topics such as fear, hope, God’s guidance, and emotions to name just a few.
Each devotional includes a Bible passage to read, discussion questions, a prayer, and an activity to go along with the lesson. Some days include an extra challenge, or an additional activity. I really like that most of the activities are geared toward the family doing them together, not just for the children to do alone.
The illustrations were done by Marina Halak. I found them to be fun and very detailed.
I think families with young school age children would enjoy this the most. Our family is not in that category yet, but I’m looking forward to trying it out in a few years.
Written by Amanda Jass, this devotional for kids takes you step by step through the Christmas story, covering topics such as fear, hope, God’s guidance, and emotions to name just a few.
Each devotional includes a Bible passage to read, discussion questions, a prayer, and an activity to go along with the lesson. Some days include an extra challenge, or an additional activity. I really like that most of the activities are geared toward the family doing them together, not just for the children to do alone.
The illustrations were done by Marina Halak. I found them to be fun and very detailed.
I think families with young school age children would enjoy this the most. Our family is not in that category yet, but I’m looking forward to trying it out in a few years.
November 9, 2024
Discovering Christmas by Amanda Jess is a 25 day Advent Devotional. This is a beautiful book with gold embossing on the cover. Each day features a devotional, scripture passage, questions for discussion, things to do, and a prayer. (Read About It Talk About It, Go About It, & Pray About It) The gorgeous pictures enhance the book and you will want your children to gather around as you read.
I consider myself an almost expert on Advent books as I own probably over ten. I LOVE this one. It is easy to follow along, has good topics, and is so engaging. The book is designed for children ages 4-8, but I think you would be able to use in your family for children up to nine or ten. This would be lovely to use at the dinner table around advent, at bedtime, or for family worship. I highly recommend Discovering Christmas by Amanda Jass!
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
I consider myself an almost expert on Advent books as I own probably over ten. I LOVE this one. It is easy to follow along, has good topics, and is so engaging. The book is designed for children ages 4-8, but I think you would be able to use in your family for children up to nine or ten. This would be lovely to use at the dinner table around advent, at bedtime, or for family worship. I highly recommend Discovering Christmas by Amanda Jass!
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
September 18, 2024
Written for 4- to 8-year-olds, Discovering Christmas is perfect for counting down the days until Christmas Day. Not only does it retell the Nativity story, but it also explains tougher-for-kids-to-understand concepts, such as, peace, joy, and light of the world.
The text is fabulous! Each day includes a portion of the story of Jesus' birth, along with sections to Read About It (scriptures), Talk About It (conversation starters), Pray About It (prayers), and Go About It (mess-free family activities). The illustrations are just adorable and so expressive. But what I love best is the way this book is thoughtfully designed to draw families closer to each other and closer to God in a time that can be so very busy. Highly recommend!
*Thank you to Tommy Nelson for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The text is fabulous! Each day includes a portion of the story of Jesus' birth, along with sections to Read About It (scriptures), Talk About It (conversation starters), Pray About It (prayers), and Go About It (mess-free family activities). The illustrations are just adorable and so expressive. But what I love best is the way this book is thoughtfully designed to draw families closer to each other and closer to God in a time that can be so very busy. Highly recommend!
*Thank you to Tommy Nelson for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
September 14, 2024
It's not too soon to begin planning for December.
This book will make a nice addition to your holiday traditions with your children. I appreciate the variety of activities. Each day has a different activity option that goes with that day's devotional thought. They are easy to do activities that won't require a lot of time to complete. There are some fun ones like a "flashlight dance party" and go caroling as a family.
It is appropriate for elementary aged children. You could also shorten it if needed for preschoolers.
I am excited to have this book to use beginning December 1 this year.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.
This book will make a nice addition to your holiday traditions with your children. I appreciate the variety of activities. Each day has a different activity option that goes with that day's devotional thought. They are easy to do activities that won't require a lot of time to complete. There are some fun ones like a "flashlight dance party" and go caroling as a family.
It is appropriate for elementary aged children. You could also shorten it if needed for preschoolers.
I am excited to have this book to use beginning December 1 this year.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and was under no obligation to provide a positive review.
November 16, 2024
“Discovering Christmas ” is a heartwarming and beautifully written children’s Christian Christmas book. This lovely book is for children 4-8 that gives 25 devotionals and captures the essence of the holiday season.
The author does a fantastic job of the message of Christmas. The book includes Scripture references and meaningful reflections, making it an excellent resource for fun activities and questions for children during Advent.
One of the highlights for me was how the book encouraged a spirit of generosity and love, emphasizing values like kindness, humility, and faith. The illustrations are also lovely and add to the book’s charm.
I would highly recommend this book for families, church groups and would absolutely purchase again for gifting.
I purchase this book on Amazon.
The author does a fantastic job of the message of Christmas. The book includes Scripture references and meaningful reflections, making it an excellent resource for fun activities and questions for children during Advent.
One of the highlights for me was how the book encouraged a spirit of generosity and love, emphasizing values like kindness, humility, and faith. The illustrations are also lovely and add to the book’s charm.
I would highly recommend this book for families, church groups and would absolutely purchase again for gifting.
I purchase this book on Amazon.
October 12, 2024
I'm really looking forward to using this book with my kids this December. We homeschool and usually do "Christmas School" during December and this year we will be incorporating this advent!
Each day has a devotional, a passage in the Bible to read, talking points and then activities to do to bring the devotional to life. My boys are going to love this! The book is written for the child to read and do the activities themselves but we will do them together. They are easy activities using things you have around the house.
This book is really going to get us in the Christmas spirit and help us fill our advent with love and joy and Jesus!
Each day has a devotional, a passage in the Bible to read, talking points and then activities to do to bring the devotional to life. My boys are going to love this! The book is written for the child to read and do the activities themselves but we will do them together. They are easy activities using things you have around the house.
This book is really going to get us in the Christmas spirit and help us fill our advent with love and joy and Jesus!
December 8, 2025
I thought that this was a lovely book that celebrates all the wonderful parts of the festive season.
The book is packed with activities, there is the relevant scripture and some beautiful illustrations which really add to the book.
The book is well laid out, it is easy to follow and the colours in the book make it a great and attractive book to pick up - the cover is certainly one that grabs your attention. I liked the focus on families, love, hope, joy and peace - something we need a lot more of at the moment in 2025.
It is 5 stars from me for this one - a great way to learn more about the story of Christmas - very highly recommended!
The book is packed with activities, there is the relevant scripture and some beautiful illustrations which really add to the book.
The book is well laid out, it is easy to follow and the colours in the book make it a great and attractive book to pick up - the cover is certainly one that grabs your attention. I liked the focus on families, love, hope, joy and peace - something we need a lot more of at the moment in 2025.
It is 5 stars from me for this one - a great way to learn more about the story of Christmas - very highly recommended!
August 31, 2024
This 25-day advent devotional for kids is pretty cute! What I like about it is that each reading portion is manageable with toddlers. They aren't too long, but you have the option to pull out your Bible to read longer portions for older children. I think the "Talk About It" section has great questions that is perfect for children. The activity ideas are great! Of course, most people may not do everything or do an activity each day, but it helps think of fun and creative ideas to do with your children during the Christmas season.
I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review.
I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review.
September 15, 2024
Such a fun, meaningful, engaging devotional with the sweetest illustrations! Our family’s so excited to add this to our Christmas traditions! This twenty-five day interactive retelling of the Christmas story with scripture, prayers and simple activities to help families connect throughout the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season is just what we’ve been looking for ❤️ We hope you’ll love at it as much as our family does!
October 7, 2024
I received an advanced copy of this amazing book. I read through it and can not wait for Christmas to share this with my family!
It starts with a bible verse and then a small lesson. Then you "read about it", "talk about it" through questions designed to have your family think about what was just read, "Go about it" which is an activity designed for all ages, and lastly "pray about it".
All in all an amazing advent book to bring your family closer to God and each other!
It starts with a bible verse and then a small lesson. Then you "read about it", "talk about it" through questions designed to have your family think about what was just read, "Go about it" which is an activity designed for all ages, and lastly "pray about it".
All in all an amazing advent book to bring your family closer to God and each other!
October 9, 2024
This is a beautifully written and illustrated interactive advent devotional to add to you families holiday traditions! I like how each day has a different activity to do with your kiddos that goes along with the Bible verse. I love how it explains Christmas and Christ to children.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 27, 2025
We really enjoyed this advent devotional for kids. It helped our kids stay focused on what Christmas is really about. Some of the daily readings were a little over my 5 year old’s head, but most of them my 3 and 5 year old could get something out of and understand. The activities were also fun and easy to prep.
September 24, 2024
I highly recommend this delightful new Advent kids/family devo from Amanda Jass. With wonderful illustrations and a kid-friendly format ("Read About It, Talk About It, Go About It, Pray About It"), this book would be a great resource for families with pre-K and ES-age kids. Pick up a copy!
September 1, 2024
Interesting book for children to understand the Christmas and the meaning of it.
Thanks a lot to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!
Thanks a lot to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!
October 9, 2024
Wonderful! Can’t wait for Advent!!!
November 13, 2024
A great book to teach children about advent for the Christmas holidays.
November 16, 2024
LOVE this book! The magic and warmth of “Discovering Christmas” will bring joy to all this holiday season.
November 16, 2024
What an incredible way to share the advent season with the kiddos! I love how the author was able to bring forth into this book. It is a must for every kid!!!
December 15, 2024
I really am enjoying reading this book with my son and saying the prayers with him at bedtime. My son really enjoys learning more about Jesus and why Christmas is important and what it's really about.
May 8, 2025
Won a finished hardback copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway!
3.75 stars rounding up to 4!
The illustrations in this book are so lovely, as they show lots of diversity and help accentuate the festive, meaningful content, adding joy at every turn. The language is super accessible—it’s plain-spoken but certainly not boring, and it provides lots of relatable examples and scenarios and vivid, rich imagery. I appreciated the interactive elements as well, notably as kids are invited to do an activity (e.g., make hot chocolate, go stargazing) in addition to praying, having conversations and reading different verses, which means different kids with different interests/needs can participate. I’m not personally religious and thought this was a very well done book. Brava, Amanda and Marina!
3.75 stars rounding up to 4!
The illustrations in this book are so lovely, as they show lots of diversity and help accentuate the festive, meaningful content, adding joy at every turn. The language is super accessible—it’s plain-spoken but certainly not boring, and it provides lots of relatable examples and scenarios and vivid, rich imagery. I appreciated the interactive elements as well, notably as kids are invited to do an activity (e.g., make hot chocolate, go stargazing) in addition to praying, having conversations and reading different verses, which means different kids with different interests/needs can participate. I’m not personally religious and thought this was a very well done book. Brava, Amanda and Marina!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews