Last week I shared a few ideas for mini Christmas traditions, easy-to-do family memories you can make that…
don’t take a lot of planning
but are still fun and intentional.
There’s one Christmas tradition though that’s likely to be a permanent fixture on your yearly family agenda–the telling or reading of the Christmas story. Take that true story out of the equation and Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas.
The problem is reading it in a way that works for very wiggly kids or for a family with kids from a variety of ages. How do you keep it interesting for everyone? The goal is to stir imaginations in a way that’s meaningful, true, and fun.
The Challenge
My challenge was to come up with an creative Christmas story idea that…
shares the story of Jesus’s birth,
helps kids remember what God did,
interests kids of different ages,
was meaningful yet fun
–and an idea that I didn’t have to hit the craft store for. Who has time for that?
The Creative Christmas Story Idea
What you’ll need – Christmas ornaments and a few small prizes (optional)
Here’s how it works.
#1 – Look through your Christmas ornaments (decorations work too) and find ones associated with the Christmas story. An angel, star, mini gift box, candy cane are some of the symbols that can easily be used to tell the Christmas story.
Use what you have and don’t feel like you have to find objects to tell the whole story. Just highlight the parts “featured” through the ornaments you have.
In my collection of ornaments I found…
One ANGEL
TWO candy canes
THREE mini gift boxes
Mini take-home boxes work well too.
#2 – Label the ornaments and hide them around the house. Or just wrap them up in tissue paper.
#3 Give kids a list of ornaments you’ve hidden, and them let them have at it!
As soon as you inject competition and prizes into the equation you’ll have their attention.
#4 – Gather together and use the ornaments to tell the Christmas story.
Below is the text I paired with my angel, candy canes and gift boxes from above.
Need a refresher for yourself on the Christmas story? Luke 2:1-20 and Matthew 2:1-12
ONE angel – Angels were awfully busy during the Christmas story–especially the angel Gabriel. Gabriel visited the priest Zechariah and said, “You and your wife will have a son and his name will be John.” John the Baptist would be the prophet who came to prepare the way for Jesus.
Next Gabriel visited a girl named Mary. “You’ve found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High” (Luke 1:29-32).
TWO Candy Canes – Nine months later, “He gave up his divine privileges…and was born as a human being.” (Philippians 2:7). Because there were no beds, Mary wrapped Jesus up and laid him in a manger, a feeding trough for animals.
The first people to hear the good news weren’t kings or presidents but humble shepherds (shepherds staff). When they saw Jesus, they were so pumped they could hardly stand it. They told everyone what they’d seen. Jesus, which means “Savior,” would save people from their sins.
THREE mini gift boxes – When Jesus was born, a special star appeared. For many months, wise men from far away followed the star until they found Jesus’s home. They brought three gifts—gold, highly valuable and fit for a king; frankincense used in incense; myrrh used in anointing oil and burial. They bowed down and worshipped Jesus.
Talk about how Jesus saves us from our sins. Then explain that we worship Jesus by giving him all we are and have.
#5 – Let the winners who found the ornaments choose from a collection of small gifts.
Have everyone choose prizes after you tell the Christmas story. Too many distractions otherwise.
These prizes, mostly under $2, were for older kids.
If you have creative ways of telling the Christmas story in your family, please share!!
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