Advent Journals, Small Wonders, and a Gentle Way Into the Season

Every year I seem to be taken by surprise when Advent arrives.

The diary is suddenly full, the sky darkens before tea-time, and my best intentions for cosy readings and quiet candlelit devotions can easily slide to the bottom of the list. Perhaps you know that feeling too: you want to enjoy a meaningful Advent, but life is already quite full, and the thought of adding “one more thing” feels impossible.

Over the years, I’ve learned that the way in is not through grand plans or complicated activities. The way in is through small noticing.

A single candle lit before breakfast.
A robin on the garden fence.
A child’s scribbled star in the corner of a page.

This is where an Advent journal, and especially a Nature Advent Journal, has become such a gift to our family.

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Why Nature Belongs in Advent

Advent is the Church’s waiting time, a season of longing, watching, and quiet hope. Outdoors, the natural world is doing exactly that: resting, waiting, conserving its strength for spring.

To pair Advent with nature is to let the world around us teach us how to wait:

• Bare branches tracing prayers across a winter sky
• Frost on the grass catching the first light
• The long, early darkness reminding us to treasure each small flame

When we step outside, even briefly, we are reminded that God’s story is not confined to our four walls. Creation itself is speaking of light, life, and renewal.

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What Is an Advent Nature Journal?

When I talk about “Advent journaling,” I don’t mean a perfect scrapbook filled with elaborate artwork (unless that delights you!).

I mean a simple notebook that becomes a home for your Advent days. A place where you and your children can gather:

• Little sketches of what you notice outside
• Weather notes and first-frost dates
• Snippets of Scripture or carols
• Prayers, questions, and small gratitudes
• A pressed leaf or feather taped inside

These notebooks become genuine treasures. When I look back over past Advent journals, I see more than drawings and words; I see children growing, traditions forming, and my own heart slowly learning to pay attention.

You might have one family Advent journal, or one for each person. There is no right way to do it. The key is to keep it simple and to let it be a gentle companion, not another measuring stick.

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A Simple Daily Rhythm for Advent

For those who would like a bit of structure, here is a rhythm you can use right away. It’s the same shape I use in my Raising Little Shoots Nature Advent Calendar, but you can adapt it freely:

1. Create an Atmosphere of Reverence, Wonder, and Devotion
   Light a candle. Turn off bright overhead lights if you can. Take a deep breath together. Advent doesn’t need to be long to be holy.
2. Read a Short Scripture Passage
   A few verses is enough. Let the words sit in the air. You might read them twice.
3. A Moment of Silence and Prayerful Response
   Just thirty seconds of quiet can feel very powerful. Invite each person to offer a one-sentence prayer or gratitude if they wish.
4. An Outdoor Invitation and an Indoor Follow-Up
   Step outside, even if only to the doorstep: notice the sky, the temperature, a plant or tree. Indoors, respond with something very small – a sketch, a line of poetry, a note in the journal, or a simple craft.
5. The Advent Journal
   End by adding something to the journal: words, a picture, a tiny taped-in treasure. Over time, these little fragments build into a rich tapestry of the season.

This daily pattern need not take more than 10–20 minutes, yet it creates a steady, gentle heartbeat for Advent.

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Three Simple Ways to Begin (Even If You’re Very Tired)

If your energy is low this year, here are three tiny practices you can try, whether or not you use any curriculum at all:

1. The “Window of the Day”
   Choose one window in your home as your Advent window. Once a day, stand there together for a minute and quietly notice what you can see. In your journal, write a single sentence:
   “Grey sky, one crow, cold wind.”
   That is enough.
2. One Small Sketch
   Keep coloured pencils and the Advent journal in a basket. Each day, invite everyone to add just one small picture: a candle, a mug of cocoa, a berry, a star, a favourite ornament. Over time, the pages will fill with colour and memory.
3. Weather & Wonder Line
   At the bottom of each day’s page, draw a little line for the weather (sun, cloud, rain, frost) and one word for “wonder”; something that delighted or comforted you.
   “Rain / robin.”
   “Frost / kettle singing.”

None of this needs to be grand. Advent is made of small faithfulness.

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Where the RLS Nature Advent Calendar Comes In

I created the RLS Nature Advent Calendar precisely for parents who long for this kind of gentle, grounded Advent but don’t have the time or energy to plan it all themselves.

It’s a simple, open-and-go resource with a calm, repeatable rhythm, so you can stop worrying about “what to do” and simply be present with your children.

Each day includes:

• A prompt to create an atmosphere of reverence, wonder, and devotion
• A short Scripture reading
• A moment of silence and invitation to respond in prayer
• One outdoor activity and one indoor activity, all rooted in nature and the season
• Guidance for using your Advent Journal in a way that feels natural and sustainable

The focus is not on ticking boxes or crafting elaborate scenes, but upon layered learning , returning to the same stories and seasonal patterns year after year, each time noticing something new.

Many families tell me they come back to this curriculum every Advent, adapting it as their children grow. One year might be full of paint and glitter; another might be mostly candlelight, reading, and a few lines in a journal. The resource is there to support you through all of it.

If you’d like to take a closer look, you can download a free sample.

For a little while, you can also use the code ADVENT20 for 20% off the full Nature Advent Calendar.

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You Haven’t Missed It

Perhaps you are reading this after Advent has already begun. Please know: you have not “missed it.”

You can start an Advent journal on the 1st, the 10th, or the 20th of December. You can begin with a single candle tonight and add a page tomorrow. Grace does not run on a strict timetable.

My hope is that, whether you choose to use the Nature Advent Calendar or simply borrow a few ideas, you will find a way to step gently into this season:

• with your feet on the earth,
• your eyes open to the small gifts of the natural world,
• and your heart quietly turned towards the One who is Light in the darkness.

Wishing you and your family a slow, wonder-filled Advent.

From my home to yours,