A family Advent tradition

My old friend Patsy Urbanovsky sent this description of their family advent tradition. I secured her permission to publish it here. Thanks, Patsy!

+JMJ+
This is an Advent tradition that we have and really like. We set up a table (folding table, coffee table, etc) in the living room, and place on it overturned bowls, boxes, etc of various sizes. Next we arrange fabric over the containers and the table (use table cloths, large fabric scraps, etc. They don't need to all match).

We then place on it the empty creche, then we allow creative freedom using animals that go with our nativity set, any just about any
other little animals we have (it seems scale isn't important here).
Sometimes a little mirror is used as a pond, or a river is cut from
blue construction papers, or little stones gathered outdoors to place here and there. Twigs from outdoors work well as trees.

We also have a Jesse Tree during Advent, which is just a large branch cut from a tree. We place this behind the creche, and adding a new ornament to the tree each day really makes the symbolism come alive as the empty creche sits below it. (Actually the creche isn't empty, it has animals in it.) We also have the empty manger in the creche, where pieces of straw are added each time a good deed or sacrifice is done.

We also add purple lights to the whole thing and adds nice drama. Even I like it as a meditation - life in this countryside carrries on, unsuspecting of what will happen soon.

This is a play table - not a show table. The animals get moved around, added to, played with.

I guarantee your kids will love this.
God Bless,
Patsy