One of my favorite finds this Advent season has been Mary on the Mantel. If you’ve never heard of Mary on the Mantel, think of it as a Catholic alternative to the popular Elf on the Shelf, from Be a Heart this is a fun and sweet activity for children to enjoy during Advent. It’s definitely something that will help your whole family, especially the littles, to really focus on the true meaning of Advent — waiting for the birth of Jesus. You can also get the book and make it your own.
Inside the Full set box of Mary on the Mantel, you’ll find: a Mary doll, a baby bump to place under Mary’s dress, a baby Jesus with a swaddling cloth, a box of activity cards, a book that explains how to do this activity with your children, and a map of the Holy Land.
Every day, you’ll have your child pull a card from the card pack. Each card contains a good deed or an act of kindness for your child to perform. Examples include: help a sibling clean, give parents extra hugs, bake cookies for a neighbor, donate baby clothes to a crisis pregnancy center, or make a gratitude list. Blank cards are also included for you to add your own ideas.
Your child will place the card in Mary’s satchel after completing their act of kindness. By adding more cards to her satchel, your children are helping Mary to prepare for the birth of Jesus through kindness!
One of the things I really love about Mary on the Mantel us that you can buy different outfits for her. We bought an outfit for Our Lady of Guadalupe’s feast day! It comes with the dress, her tilma, a moon to place under her feet, and a sun to put behind her head. They also sell Our Lady of Fatima Outfits, Or you could buy all the outfits! I can’t wait to have this be a part of our feast day activities.
If you’re interested in trying Mary on Mantel this year, you can purchase her here. I hope you have a beautiful and joyous Advent!
