Faithful KidsPrintable Advent Bible Reading Calendar
A free Advent reading plan for families: 25 short Bible readings, one for each day from December 1 to Christmas Day — starting with the first promise in the garden and ending at the manger. Ten days of prophecy, fifteen days of the Christmas story itself, a few minutes a night.
Download the free PDF calendar →One sheet to print, check off, and read from all season
The 25 Readings
| Day | Title | Reading | The story in one line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1 | The First Promise | Genesis 3:8-15 | In the garden, on the worst day, God makes the first promise: the serpent-crusher will come. |
| Dec 2 | The Sign of Immanuel | Isaiah 7:10-14 | The virgin will conceive and bear a son, and call him Immanuel — God with us. |
| Dec 3 | A Child Is Born | Isaiah 9:2-7 | The people walking in darkness see a great light: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace. |
| Dec 4 | The Branch from Jesse | Isaiah 11:1-10 | From the stump of Jesse's family tree, a Branch will grow — and the wolf will lie down with the lamb. |
| Dec 5 | Little Bethlehem | Micah 5:2-5 | Seven hundred years early, the prophet names the town: out of tiny Bethlehem comes the Ruler. |
| Dec 6 | The Star and the Scepter | Numbers 24:15-17 | Even a reluctant prophet sees it far off: a star will come out of Jacob. |
| Dec 7 | The Righteous Branch | Jeremiah 33:14-16 | In dark days, God repeats the promise: a righteous Branch from David's line. |
| Dec 8 | Comfort, Comfort | Isaiah 40:1-5 | Prepare the way for the Lord — every valley raised, and the glory of the Lord revealed. |
| Dec 9 | The Messenger | Malachi 3:1; 4:2 | The last prophet's word before four hundred years of silence: the messenger is coming. |
| Dec 10 | The Desert Blooms | Isaiah 35:1-6 | When He comes, blind eyes open, deaf ears hear, and the desert bursts into flower. |
| Dec 11 | An Angel in the Temple | Luke 1:5-25 | The silence breaks: Gabriel tells old Zechariah his son will prepare the Lord's way. |
| Dec 12 | The Annunciation | Luke 1:26-38 | Gabriel comes to Mary in Nazareth: 'You will conceive and give birth to a son... the Son of God.' |
| Dec 13 | Mary Visits Elizabeth | Luke 1:39-45 | John leaps in the womb, and Elizabeth cries: 'Blessed is she who has believed!' |
| Dec 14 | Mary's Song | Luke 1:46-56 | The Magnificat: 'My soul glorifies the Lord... He has lifted up the humble.' |
| Dec 15 | John Is Born | Luke 1:57-66 | The forerunner arrives, and everyone asks: 'What then is this child going to be?' |
| Dec 16 | Zechariah's Song | Luke 1:67-80 | His tongue set free, Zechariah sings of the rising sun coming to us from heaven. |
| Dec 17 | The Family Tree | Matthew 1:1-17 | Abraham to David to the exile to Joseph — the whole crooked, graced line that leads to Jesus. |
| Dec 18 | Joseph's Dream | Matthew 1:18-25 | An angel tells Joseph: 'Name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.' |
| Dec 19 | The Road to Bethlehem | Luke 2:1-5 | A census moves an empire so one young family arrives in the town the prophet named. |
| Dec 20 | No Room | Luke 2:6-7 | The King of kings is born and laid in a manger, because there was no guest room. |
| Dec 21 | Angels over the Fields | Luke 2:8-14 | Glory blazes over a night shift: 'I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.' |
| Dec 22 | The Shepherds Run | Luke 2:15-20 | The shepherds hurry, find the baby, and leave glorifying God — the first to spread the word. |
| Dec 23 | The Magi and the Star | Matthew 2:1-12 | Wise men follow the star, bow low, and open their treasures: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. |
| Dec 24 | Simeon's Arms | Luke 2:21-35 | Old Simeon holds the baby and sings: 'My eyes have seen your salvation.' |
| Dec 25 | The Word Made Flesh | John 1:1-14 | Christmas Day: the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us — full of grace and truth. |
Advent Reading Questions
What is an Advent Bible reading calendar?
It is a reading plan shaped like an Advent calendar: one short Bible passage for each day from December 1 to Christmas Day. This plan follows the story in order — ten days of promises and prophecies, then the events of the first Christmas from Gabriel's announcement to the Word made flesh — so by December 25 your family has read the whole Christmas story from Scripture itself, not just the highlights.
How long does each day take?
Most readings are ten to twenty verses — about three to five minutes read aloud. The one-line summary beside each day works as a conversation starter: read the passage, then let a child put it in their own words.
What ages is this for?
The readings come straight from the Bible, so it works for any age that can listen to Scripture read aloud — roughly 5 and up. For younger children, read the passage and lean on the one-line summary; older kids can take turns reading the passages themselves.
Can I print copies for my church or class?
Yes — the plan and the PDF are free with no sign-up, and you are welcome to photocopy them for your family, Sunday school class, or church. The printed page carries our web address so families can find it again at home.
Make it a full Advent: hang an ornament a day with our printable Jesse Tree set, add the Christmas word search, Christmas coloring pages, and 80 Christmas Bible trivia questions for the party.
And for the other eleven months: Faithful Kids tells the whole Bible in 300+ short video lessons with a quiz after every story. Start your free trial · churches and Sunday schools get it free.