24 Ways to Help Children Focus on Christ at Christmas

 

Amongst the glitter and excitement of Christmas, are you looking for a way to help your child focus on the real reason for the season? Perhaps one of these 24 ways will help.
~ Dorie

 

 

1. Light an Advent Wreath.
2. Hang ornaments on a Jesse Tree. (Read a post from the archives about our Jesse Tree here.)
3. One Wintry Night is a fabulous alternative to the Jesse Tree. Use the book as a devotional, reading one short chapter a day and progress from creation to the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
4. Give gifts to Jesus. (A recent post from the archives can be read here.)
5. Scatter manger scenes about your home. Invite your children to view or play with them. 
6. Read books conveying the Christmas message like Jacob's Gift and Jesus, Me, and My Christmas Tree. 
7. Adorenaments display 12 different names of Jesus. Hang them all at once or use one each day as a devotional.
8. Watch Christmas movies like Punchinello and the Most Marvelous Gift or The Prince of Peace
9. The Legend of the Candy Cane: read the book or watch the movie, discuss the symbolism, and make candy cane ornaments or eat a few of these peppermint treats
10. Parable of Pine Tree: read the book, ask the children about the generosity and how it relates to Christmas. Then make pine cone ornaments or bird feeders.
11. Shaped cinnamon ornaments or sugar cookies can tell the story of Christmas (a post from the archives can be read here.)
12. Watch a live nativity play.
13. Listen to a choir concert or Cantata
14. View dazzling light displays and speak to your children about how Jesus is the Light of the world.
15. Teach your child the 12 Days of Christmas and discuss the possible symbolism. One resource is found here.
16. Make "gold" (or orange bread) and relate this block of gold one of the gifts the Wise Men brought Jesus. 
17. Learn or sing along with Christmas carols. A good resource is Christmas Carols for a Kid's Heart, by Bobbie Wolgemuth and Joni Eareckson Tada.
18. Use Advent calendars to read a bit of the Word each day. (One resource is found here, or use one of these ideas to make your own.)
19. Pray for the people who receive your Christmas cards. As you receive cards, keep them in a basket and pull a few out each day, pray with your children for the individuals who sent you the card.
20. Hang ornaments which tell the stories leading up to Christ's birth on earth.
21. Give your children three gifts on Christmas morning. Tell them about the three gifts Jesus received from the Wise Men. {This one has worked well for our family for more than a decade!}
22. Memorize Christmas poetry like The Gift, with your children, or better yet, memorize selections from Luke 2.
23. Help your children act out the Christmas story. Blankets work well as costumes.
24. Attend a Christmas Eve service together.