25 Ways to Keep Christ in Christmas & Teach Your Children to Do the Same

Do you want your family to enjoy the true meaning of Christmas but need some ideas on how you can focus on Christ this Christmas?

Family holiday traditions are an important part of our lives but during this most wonderful time of the year, it’s so easy to get caught up in the busyness of it all that we forget to leave precious imprints of this special time together on their hearts.

Below are 25 creative and fun ways to keep Christ in Christmas while you create treasured traditions with your family. You may not be able to do all of them but you may see a few things you and your children can do to start some new Christmas traditions.

1. Place a large manger scene in your living room instead of a tree. Place your gifts in front of the manger.

2. Ornaments with the various names and titles of Jesus on them. (You can create your own & make it a family time craft event.)

3. Throughout the month of December, read the Bible with your family at dinnertime and focus on passages that teach who Jesus is and what He has done for us.

4. Teach your children of Jesus’ sacrificial love by taking them shopping for those who are unable to give anything in return.

5. Determine to give a tangible gift to Jesus. Put it in a box, wrap it and put it under the tree. On Christmas day, explain why you are giving that particular gift to Jesus.

6. Give the gift of time to a particular ministry to show the love of Jesus. (A homeless shelter, a children’s home, a hospital, ect…)

7. Hold a birthday party for Jesus. (To avoid possible confusion later, you may want to be sure to tell your children it’s not the actual “day” of His birth, but a time we celebrate Him.)

8. Invite a widow or someone who is alone to spend Christmas with your family.

9. Create a family Christmas play. Practice throughout November & December. Put out flyers in your neighborhood and do the
play in your front lawn on Christmas eve.

10. Play “Jesus” Christmas music all month long.

11. Organize a group to go caroling during Christmas.

12. Do random acts of giving in Jesus name. (Pay for the person’s meal behind you, rake the neighbor’s lawn, ect…)

13. Take food to a family in need.

14. Buy some gifts and take to the hospital to give to those who are in long term or critical care.

15. Put a play on or sing Christmas carols at a local nursing home.

16. Help your children earn money to buy gifts for Operation Christmas Child or a local children’s home.

17. Help your children earn money to give to a missionary.

18. Help your children earn money to buy gifts for a missionary child on the field.

19. Organize a coat round-up for a homeless shelter near you.

20. Make or purchase gifts to give to your neighbors. Especially the ones you are trying to reach for Christ.

21. Bake goodies for your neighbors, family and friends.

22. Make your indoor and outdoor decorations reflect that Jesus really is the reason for the season.

23. Help your church collect gifts for a family in need.

24. Send Christmas gifts and cards to the families of prisoners.

25. Share Jesus with as many people as you can between now and Christmas.

Christmas is such a wonderful time of year. It’s the time the world is reminded that God loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son so we could spend eternity with Him. It’s the time we reflect on the earthly life of Christ…from the cradle to the cross. It’s the time we celebrate Jesus and all that He is and all He has done.

What are some of your traditions? How do you keep Jesus the focus of your family’s Christmas? We’d love to hear from you.