If we’re not careful, Christmas can quickly turn into a time of worrying about what we’re getting and neglecting the important things. Spending time with loved ones, sharing gratitude, giving thoughtful gifts, and sharing with those less fortunate—these are some of the things I want my family to focus on during the holidays. As my kids grow up, I try to find creative ways to teach them about Christmas.
I’ve shared that we try to keep Christmas simple by buying a gift for each family member. We are happy to celebrate Advent, a time of waiting and preparing for Christmas. Another tradition we do every year is celebrate St. Nicholas Day on December 6th. On this day, we celebrate the real people who help those in our community have a better holiday season.
When my kids grow up, I want them to remember all the fun we had together during the holidays, not the gifts they received (or didn’t receive). I also want to instill in them a sense of helping others. Since we already have so much, it’s important to me to spread the joy of Christmas to others.
Teaching my children about Christmas joy is a combination of family traditions and doing things to spread holiday cheer to others. Here are some of the ways I like to teach children about Christmas cheer.
random acts of kindness
One of my favorite ways to help kids learn about the joy of Christmas is to have them perform random acts of kindness for family, friends, or strangers. Instead of an Elf on the Shelf, we have a Christmas Angel. Every day during Advent she comes to see my kids and make suggestions for things my kids can do for others that day. This is a great way to encourage them and provide them with ideas for spreading love to others.
If you don’t have a Christmas angel, you can still do something nice for someone else. There are lots of printable charts on Pinterest that can give you great ideas for spreading joy. You can print a copy and stick it on your refrigerator to give your family some ideas. Or, make a list of special things you want to do yourself. This is a great way to get your kids involved!
Here are some things we’ve enjoyed doing in the past:
- Make gifts for postal workers and delivery drivers
- Make “I love you” cards for grandparents
- Donate our savings to different charities
- Hand a cup of coffee to the person who rings the doorbell at the grocery store
- Cooking for a family with a new baby
- Paying for groceries for an old lady who checked out in front of us and she only brought a few items
- Leave coupons and dollar bills in the (health) aisle of the grocery store
- Offer homemade lotion or tea to elderly or hospitalized people
- Pay parking meters for people parking on the street
- Create cookies and send to first responders
These ideas are our little ways to spread holiday cheer, but each is a simple and fun way to teach your kids to be considerate of others.
secret santa
Another way we spread Christmas joy is by being Secret Santa for families in need in our community. We contact local churches or domestic violence shelters to see who needs help this season, get wish lists for their families, and go on shopping trips to buy them gifts. We then provide gifts and some food for a few meals, as well as some gift cards.
This is a great way for my kids to learn the joy of giving to others, even if we can’t see the look on their face when they open a gift. Check with nonprofits in your community to see if there are families in need of support.
Volunteer service
If your children are older, a great way to teach (and spread) Christmas joy is to volunteer. There are several organizations in our community that sponsor toy or jacket drives. You can sign up before the event to help organize donations, or be on hand the day of the event to help families make choices.
Another fun thing to do is volunteer at a local food bank, sorting donated food and organizing it for families. Some churches have food banks and need volunteers. Or, if you can, take your kids on a canned food scavenger hunt to collect canned goods from neighbors and donate them to a food bank.
Make gifts for others
Another way to learn to be happy at Christmas is by making gifts for our loved ones. We usually pick out some fun things to make for the grandparents, neighbors, and each other. It was great to be creative and skillful together and we put a lot of love into making the gifts. This is a great way for my kids to learn about the joy of Christmas because it teaches them the value of thinking about others, deciding what they might like, and investing time and energy into creating something special.
We love wrapping gifts in eco-friendly wrapping paper. You can make your own using simple items you have around the house: old newspapers, butcher paper, or packing materials. Your kids can also paint or draw special pictures on homemade wrapping paper. It’s almost like a bonus gift!
Family Christmas Activities
We tend to have some down time around the holidays, so I love spending that time doing fun Christmas activities with my kids. Sometimes we make crafts (that we can share with others) and sometimes we go on outings like driving around and looking at Christmas lights while sipping hot cocoa.
We also made Christmas decorations – from salt dough ornaments to natural wreaths. Getting together to make something that brightens up our home is a great way to spread some Christmas cheer. It’s great to see your final product hanging on a tree or fireplace!
Celebrate with Christmas traditions
Our family has many Christmas traditions! One of my favorite things is that we spend most of Christmas in our pajamas. We will open gifts and spend the day together. Even when we were in our pajamas, we were often hanging out or playing with other neighborhood kids. We might play games together, bake cookies, or watch our favorite movie.
Another tradition of ours is that we set aside some time during the holidays to go through our belongings and find items that can be donated to others. Not just something we want to get rid of, but something we can share with others. We find a way to give them to someone who needs them or donate them to a local organization.
Thinking about traditions you can start with your children to bring joy to Christmas can help you plan the special time together. What are some great things to do during the holidays in your city? Do you remember the time you spent with your family during the holidays? Is there anything you want to continue?
Teaching our children to enjoy the joy of Christmas is important to help them realize that Christmas is about more than just getting presents. Raising them to care about others and create traditions with them can help them realize that there is more to life than material things.
How do you teach your children about Christmas? What are some ways you can give back? What is your favorite tradition?
