Teaching Children the True Meaning of Christmas
In all the busyness of the Christmas season, it’s easy to let its true meaning slip through the cracks of the rough manger bed. Is it really that important our kids hear the age-old story about Jesus’ birth? Isn’t it a little outdated and boring?
The answer is a resounding, “No!” That dusty old story, handed down through the centuries, loved by millions, is more than just a story to be told to your child. It’s an anchor for his soul. It puts meaning into all the chaos. It whispers in your child’s ear that Jesus was born as a baby just like he was. It makes Jesus someone your child can relate to. Your son or daughter can imagine Him as a baby, then as a child growing up. Telling the biblical Christmas story allows the Christ-child to be his Jesus, not just his parents’ or Sunday school teacher’s.
So how do you get this all-important story across to a child? Here are some ideas for teaching the true meaning of Christmas:
- Buy a kid-friendly nativity scene. It can be made of plastic, fabric, or anything else that won’t break. Encourage your child to hold the baby and move the characters around. There is no “right” place for each one to be. Help him to understand this isn’t just another toy. It’s special and should be treated with love and respect, just as the Bible is more special than any other book.
- “Tell” the Christmas story with the nativity scene. Put only Joseph and Mary in the stable at first. On Christmas Eve, let your kids put the baby in the manger. Then let them arrange the angel and the shepherds. Wait to put the wise men in the scene until after Christmas since they didn’t likely arrive until later, perhaps even as much as three or four years later! Or let your children act out the story with the nativity characters as you read it from an easy-to-understand Bible version or a children’s storybook.
- Provide simple costumes and props (bathrobes, scarves, towels, baby doll, stuffed animals) and have your children put on a play of the first Christmas.
- Have your children create their own storybooks telling the Christmas story using their own words and illustrations.
- Make a birthday cake for Jesus and decorate the house for a birthday party.
- Talk to your children about what gifts they can give Jesus for His birthday, then place them under the Christmas tree. What would make Jesus happy?
- Go outside at night and look at the stars. Talk about how the wise men followed a special star to find Jesus after He was born.
- Hold a shepherd’s dinner. Learn how in my post, “How to Host a Christmas Shepherd’s Dinner.“
Keep looking for teachable moments and ways to point your children to Jesus at this hectic time of year. Your kids will get the important message of Jesus’ birth if the message is important to you!
Christmas blessings!
I recently purchased a new nativity set – deliberately as a ‘play-thing’. To be able to use it to tell ‘Godly Play’ style stories and also to allow my kids the possibility of ‘playing’ with the gospel story.
The story of Christ’s birth should always be accessible to children, thanks for your suggestions.
That’s awesome, Penny. What greater joy is there than to see your child interact with Bible stories on their own level? As adults we talk about “applying the Bible to our lives.” For kids, their lives are mostly about play, so they need ways to incorporate the Bible and its teaching into their play. You’re a wise mama to provide avenues for them to do this! 🙂
On Christmas Eve our family had a story-time where I told a quick story of Christmas and then allowed each person time to respond in their own way (similar to the Godly Play technique). My three year old chose to ‘retell’ the story using the nativity pieces I’d used. It was precious to hear his interpretation of it and learn what meant the most to his ears that night.
So cool! What a special memory!