It's All About Jesus Christmas 2023
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I grew up with the magic of Santa; my mom’s love language was gift-giving. It was a magical time and includes some of my favorite childhood memories. That being said, I didn’t want my children growing up thinking we “celebrate” Christmas because of Santa and wish lists.
I want them to know that Christmas points to the GREATEST gift to all mankind and it is THAT, that I want to celebrate. As they grow older and have their own families, I want them to remember all the ways we honored Jesus in our Christmas festivities.
My children are 8-20. We have young adults AND elementary school children. I have grown and changed through the years. Some things are tradition, others are morphing and changing, and still others are discovering new ways to keep the focus the focus.
I don’t know about you, but I LOVE hearing others share their favorite ways of keeping Jesus, not just in the season, but the REASON for the season. As I share some of my favorite things, I hope you in turn will share yours.
I have either used all of these OR indicated otherwise. Each link is purposeful and intentional in pointing your kids to Jesus.
Advent Storybook: 24 Stories to Share Before Christmas, by Antonie Schneider – This is a delightful storybook with each story pointing to truths about God. “The Star with the Tail” ends with “Remember that God is with you night and day to show you the way.” I loved these sweet stories. Don’t be mistaken, these are not the same as if reading the Bible stories. And yet, just like our Lord shared truths in the midst of story, these stories do the same. I wish there was a verse for each day, that would hone the message being communicated. Despite that, if you have young readers, it could make a sweet “devotional” in addition to a more focused Christmas devotional later in the day.
Jesus Storybook Bible – This is my favorite Bible for younger children. And a GREAT resource to connect the whole Bible to the story of Jesus. This Bible works very well with the Jesse Tree – telling the story of Jesus, from creation forward. I have found beautiful ornaments on Etsy in the past – you can use ones your kids can color or print (or order) them out with the color. [If the stress of making sure your kids color each ornament, don’t pick that one, or pick the stack for the week and have each kid pick a few to color. I did these multiple times over the years and found I preferred the ornaments that didn’t need to be colored. ]
Arnold Ytreeide Advent Stories – We have LOVED every story in this series with my older two, and we are coming around again with the last two. Each one is a fictional character living at the time of Jesus’ birth. High adventure with thieves, kidnappers, and robbers (your adventurous boys will love these and all your children who love being read to; my daughter loves these just as much as my sons do/did.). Each character is on a quest to get home safely and on their journey, each one finds a way to the Savior. These are for the more mature listener, as younger children could become fearful in the intensity of the story. (My daughter was ready to handle these at six, but not before.) Each night of reading takes 15-20 minutes, so my recommendation is to start a week before Advent begins so you don’t fall behind (really, I hate to fail in this, so I try to set myself up for success). Discussion questions and scripture are included at the end of each chapter. Each story connects to the next, so your kids will be excited next year to hear about another character on a similar journey. It is an excellent way to gather as a family each evening and share the reading with your spouse or even older kids in the house. My teenage boys would beg for another chapter each night (they are NEVER too old to be read to)!
· Jotham’s Journey – Jotham is a young boy who gets separated from his family (they assume he was killed by a wild animal), and travels all across Israel to find his way “home”.
· Bartholomew’s Passage – Bartholomew is a young boy sold into slavery after his village is destroyed and his family gets separated. Along the way, he befriends another young boy named Jotham.
· Ishatar’s Odyssey – Ishtar is the son of a wiseman. His path eventually crosses with Jotham, Bartholomew and Tabitha.
· Tabitha’s Travels – Tabitha is the daughter of a shepherd. This is the fourth in the series, which we have not yet used.
The Shepherd’s Treasure – This is a fun treasure hunt for Jesus – and it can take the place and “magic” of the Elf on the Shelf. My kids LOVED looking for “Jerry” (the name they gave to their shepherd) each year. And just when I thought I could get out of it last year, they started talking about looking for Jerry in preparation for Christmas. Last year, we bought the 2nd edition of the advent cards, because this mama doesn’t have time to find “that” creativity” (pic on the left is from a suggested idea in their list) and I wanted it to still be fresh and exciting for my littles. It comes complete with a list of suggested “activities” for each day (both the original set and the 2nd edition). For my “3rd edition”, I used Random Acts of Kindness Tradition that shows up with Jerry some mornings (I love the countless ideas listed, so that you can just pick and choose what works best for your family and budget). Honestly, it was a surprise if Jerry made a guest appearance each day – but trust me, they looked EVERY day. Another excellent idea I found (that you could use with any “Christmas animal” or character of Elf) is Christmas Elf Printables for Christian Families. She includes 10 cards (completely manageable, right?) to use during the Advent season, along with Random Acts of Kindness.
Shepherd on the Search – I did not use this one, but it looks similar to the Shepherd’s Treasure.
Really, if you want to get your children in on the wonder of the signs pointing to Jesus, any Shepherd toy, Lamb or Angel could be used to help tell the story and find ways for kids to engage with the season (serving others, writing a note, making a gift…)
The Christmas Promise – I love the books in this series (Tales That Tell the Truth) and this one does not disappoint. The fresh way of telling a familiar story, along with the engaging illustrations, helps children connect with the story about the King sent to rescue us!
Little People Christmas Story set – A Great Nativity set the kids can handle and play with (and one I will keep for grandkids)! We have this that the kids still love to pull out and play with. We also have a beautiful Fontanini set we bought in Italy once upon a time, prior to children, and have since added to it over the years. It is made of resin, making it a completely acceptable (and beautiful) set for my children to interact with. I do keep baby Jesus set aside until Christmas day, to make sure he doesn’t get lost.
I have loved everything from Kim Sorgius at Not Consumed. (It is her Random Acts of Kindness that are listed above.) I have even printed out her free scripture cards to give in my Christmas cards to my closest girlfriends. [Her Black Friday sale lasts all week!]
A couple of years ago, I ordered her Christmas Countdown Cards and cannot WAIT to get them up each year. They are every bit lovely and one of my favorite things to put up (another “Jesse Tree” type of Jesus through the Bible).
Here are some awesome Advent Studies we have loved throughout the years:
* A Gentle + Classical Christmas – Everything I have ever purchased from Gentle + Classical is BEAUTIFUL! I LOVED using this with my kids; it is so hands-on. Her book lists and handicrafts are always spectacular! I cannot say enough about her! I have purchased many of her resources over the years and they are ones I go back to again and again. Use this link to get $5 off any order of $20 or more (new customers only).
* Christmas Around the Campfire – Campfire Curriculum makes some AWESOME homeschool unit studies, and this one does NOT disappoint! Written in living book style, they also include activities, games, and hands-on learning, making for a great family resource! They also have a caroling unit, which we have not yet tried, but heard great reviews about!
* Uncovering Mercies at the Manger – This is another Not Consumed study. They have the studies for different levels, so you can easily do as a whole family! If you scroll down on the above-linked page, you can see a sample of the study, which shows all the different levels.
