15 Ways to Make Christmas Meaningful (Part 1)
Are you looking for some meaningful activities to do with your kids this Christmas? Here are some suggestions.
- Read a different Christmas storybook each day. You can find books in your church library, your public library or you can start a personal collection. (Some books fictionalize Luke 2 – challenge your child to point out what is made up and what the Bible actually says. For instance, the wise men came to Joseph and Mary’s house – not the manger.)
- Reach kids with the gospel through Awana. Give to The Greatest Gift at awana.org/thegreatestgift
- Collect gift cards during the year (some stores give them out when you buy certain products) and with your children, hand them out to homeless people at Christmas.
- Limit the “getting” and emphasize the “giving.” (The average amount of money a parent spends on a child is $271 and one in 10 parents spend more than $500. Today)
- Choose a passage of Scripture to memorize together. This could be verses from Matthew 1-2, Luke 1- 2 or you could memorize Isaiah 9:6. Explain to your child that Isaiah lived more than 600 years before Christ was born.
- Do a family service project. You could ask the kids for suggestions – you might be surprised at how creative they are in planning the perfect project.
- Make cookies for people who have to work on Christmas: police, firefighters, nurses, doctors, etc. (And this year, church staff – since Christmas is on a Sunday.)
- Teach your kids one of the classic carols. Sometimes kids don’t have the opportunity to sing some of the old favorites. Talk about the words and what they mean.
- Plan activities that focus on family togetherness, not more screen time.
- Open Christmas cards around the dinner table, read any Christmas letters together and pray for the people who sent them.
- Make and deliver a meal to a busy single parent who is struggling to keep up with responsibilities.
- Or, offer to babysit for a busy single parent to give him/her opportunity for some Christmas shopping.
- Take your kids grocery shopping and allow them to choose food for a food bank (even better if they use their own money).
- Study the Old Testament verses that foretell Christ’s birth: Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6a-7; Micah 5:2.
- Choose to have a thankful, generous attitude yourself. Kids are watching us.
