Keeping Christ in Christmas - for the Kids
Here are 10 ideas to keep Jesus at the center of your Christmas.
1- Make or buy a nativity set. My daughter made a clothespin nativity set at preschool. The Mary and Joseph clothespins were removable. She had such a great time playing with the figures that we left it up all year. This led to collecting miniature nativity sets from around the world. Now we begin our Christmas decorating by making nativity sets the central feature.
2- Read the Christmas story straight from the Bible. Seat your family in front of the nativity set and read the Christmas story once or twice a week. Take turns reading the various parts with dramatic emphasis.
3- For older kids, study the names of Jesus. Pick 25 of the 200 names and titles of Jesus. Study one a day for the month of December.
4- Prioritize sacred music. Play Christmas music that celebrates the person and work of Jesus Christ. Visit special Christmas musicals and find opportunities for caroling.
5- Purchase or make an advent wreath or tree. As new parents anticipate and prepare for the birth of a child, use advent products to build anticipation for the celebration of the Christ child.
6- Plan the best gift for Jesus. Before shopping or wrapping any gifts, plan what you will give Jesus as a family. Decide as a family if you will give Jesus a joint gift or individual gifts. A joint gift might be feeding the homeless or buying gifts for prisoners’ children. Individual gifts could be a changed attitude or behavior. One example is a commitment to keep a devotional time every day this year.
7- Create a “Prayer Stocking” for Jesus. Fill the stocking with prayers. This is not a Christmas wish list, but an earnest desire to see others healed, saved and delivered. If possible, review last year’s prayer requests to see God’s answers to your family’s prayers.
8- Attend Christmas Services. When you travel to see relatives at Christmas, do you find a local church to attend services? Your actions make an impact on your children and your unsaved family members.
9- Read up on Christmas customs. Get books from the library that describe how other countries and cultures celebrate Christmas. Maybe try a recipe or craft from that culture.
10- Let your kids create their own wrapping paper or Christmas cards. One year I bought a roll of newsprint at a garage sale. I cut sponges into Christmas shapes, and my kids had a great time decorating their own wrapping paper. They had double the fun as we wrapped all our gifts in their special paper.
I hope my ten ideas have sparked your own creativity. I would love to hear your ideas for keeping Jesus first and foremost in our children’s minds. Until then, have a blessed Christmas.