Getting into the Christmas Spirit: Our Favorite Things •

Tis the season to pull out all of our favorite activities, books, and movies!

I don’t know about you, but my kids’ excitement gets my creative juices flowing to find new ways to use our time-tested favorites to make new memories.

From activities to books to movies, we squeeze the most out of every moment in December. Our ultimate goal being to bring our hearts to the manger as we remember that the reason for celebrating is the birth of our Savior, Jesus.

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Activities

Melk the Christmas Monkey- This little monkey visits us sporadically throughout the month of December with the express purpose of teaching us about the character of God. My favorite aspect of Melk is that he visits us based on our schedule. It does not have to be a daily activity. Because of this, my children are still experiencing new activities because there are still lessons we have not yet learned with Melk over the last couple of years. You can read more about our experiences with Melk here. (Note: The actual monkey is not part of your purchase. The monkey I purchased several years ago is no longer available, but you can find a similar monkey here.)

Little People Nativity– When Ian was two years old, I knew I had to do something that would keep my ceramic Nativity set from becoming an item of interest to him. I decided to purchase the Little People Nativity set. This was a set that grew with my children, and each year, as their knowledge and understanding of the Christmas account grew, so did their ability to recount the details to the account as they played with the characters.

Christmas Books

Our family grew a collection of Christmas books over the last 14 years, and each year our collection grows or changes as the kids grow. Glenys Nellist’s Christmas books Christmas Love Letters from God and Twas the Evening of Christmas were family favorites when the kids were smaller, and I highly recommend them for elementary aged children.

A few of our other favorites have been:

Happy Birthday, Jesus! (toddler/preschool)
My Christmas Stocking (toddler/preschool)
Bear Stays Up for Christmas (toddler/preschool)
Mortimer’s Christmas Manger (preschool/elementary)
Alabaster’s Song (preschool/elementary)
Great Illustrated Classics: Christmas Bedtime Stories (elementary)
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey (elementary)
Jacob’s Gift (elementary)
The Quiet Little Woman (elementary)
A Christmas Carol (middle school/high school)

Christmas Movies

One of our favorite things to do in the evenings is to gather on the sofa and watch a Christmas movie while eating popcorn (for the record, my husband makes the best popcorn ever!). Movies can be a great visual for our children when depicting the Nativity or a lesson in character or love, just be sure to point out to your children when the movie has taken creative license.

The Nativity Story (upper elementary/middle and high school) is a family favorite. Although it is not an animated film, we chose to show it to our children last year. It can be a bit harsh and realistic, for example, when Elizabeth and Mary each give birth, there is nothing cute and cuddly about it. But it beautifully portrays the reality of the situation. Again, as with any biblically based movie, be sure your children know what the Bible says and can discern the truth from creative license.

Our other favorite is Veggie Tales: St. Nicholas. (preschool/elementary) This animated depiction beautifully explains to children the truth behind the idea of Santa Claus. It introduces them to the real St. Nicholas by creating a story based on one of the legends surrounding his generosity.

Other family favorites are: