Advent Blocks- a way to focus on Jesus, Emmanuel, God with Us at Christmas! Review

 Adventblocks.com   Follow their facebook page, as they have example pictures, special codes for discounts, where they can be purchased, etc.  Below is their picture of the full color set of blocks as you will reveal each day in December.  

The blocks arrive in a neat package- a protective box, plus the keepsake box. 

The book is included in the kit.  You choose whether you want all white blocks or colored blocks.  The numbers are white on both sets.  

What I like about this advent book and blocks:

• tangible, durable, visual tool to represent the waiting from December 1 to 25.  
• the images  in color, child friendly, and warm that you will see as you turn each block with the daily reading.  
• I LOVE the daily rhyme established in the readings.  The repetition aspect is educational, developmentally appropriate for littles, and catchy with good theology repeated. setting a great foundation for biblical literacy.  
• The rhyme changes a little each day but it starts as:  
• God couldn't remain; sin drove Him away
• So _________ (name of person/people) began to hope and pray
• "God, will you come back and stay?"  
• at Day 17, it changes a bit:
• "God couldn't remain; sin drove Him away
• But now He has heard, what we hoped and prayed,
• God is coming to earth....to stay!"
• This aspect I think could make this family read aloud a lot of fun for tweens, teens, and even adults at home.  It opens the gospel conversation, sin impacting the relationship between man and God.  The repetition of sin in the lives of people across history, and then this new little baby that arrives to stay.  
• Tone of the daily explanations, it is biblical information, told in a 2020 manner, with questions for the listeners to respond to, and statements that compare or contrast something that could easily be misunderstood.  There is a touch of sarcasm in the author's tone, and I read through the book skimming more than reading fully, so maybe some won't like the style. 
• I love the underlying theme of the set: "Emmaunel, God with us!"  as the revealed message December 24.  
• I love the blocks- child friendly, won't break, can be taken off the shelf and played with by anyone.  We build with blocks in our children's church, in so many bible lessons, should I have a set for church?  To use all year round?  
  

What I wonder:

• Will families all have a place to put the blocks out, I had a plan, and discovered my entryway table is a little too short for a straight line, so I had to adjust a little.  (see picture below) 
• What has changed that when we talk about God with pronouns, authors no longer capitalize His pronouns and modifiers.  I've always been taught that God is God and to recognize His attributes and use a capital letter to distinguish it is God.  
• Where are the biblical references to the events from the Bible mentioned each day.  
• How were the events chosen for the readings? It is not the Jesse Tree format, will people expect that?  Is this a different liturgical plan? I personally liked the choices of events and the examples of God being with people in the old testament even when they failed Him with sin.  
• Is it too childish for tweens, teens, college kid?  what angles can I use to sell this to my almost 11 year old, 15, and 19 year old kids.  If we record it for littles at church will they enjoy it?  Will they learn and will we have conversations about the repeated phrase, and even the author's choices of events leading to God coming to stay?  
• Will you ever forget what it means when you hear: "Emmanuel, God is with us" again after reading this book and turning the blocks?  
• How can I adapt this for my ministry with children at church and in the community?  
• Would some families prefer this to be a calendar with cards to fill in or turn over? or ornaments?  Ornaments wouldn't work for the day 24 surprise.  Or even an app version?  

I purchased this block set all on my own, the day that the sets sold out.  As I found it the night before, I did email the company and ask for a pdf of the book to review on my blog, but since they were sold out. I am not completing my review until my kit arrived.  I'm just reviewing it because I am an advent junkie with this opportunity to capture our children's heart's, minds, and souls from little on with the true meaning of Christmas, being God being with us.