Christmas Potpourri

Christmas greetings to you! Here is an assortment of ideas to make Christmas more meaningful for your family. Select the ideas that seem appropriate to your family’s needs and interests. Trying one new idea could start a family tradition for your family.

1. Kids Decorate Their Rooms
   Of course, you will need to help the younger ones. Keep it simple, but meaningful. Try a creche on top of the dresser or a string of lights or make a creative village scene.
2. Make Birthday Cards for Jesus
   You can feature the different names of Jesus based upon Isaiah 9:6. You can do this on poster board or some index cards.
3. Make a Christmas Mural or Banner
   Provide a blank piece of butcher paper or white felt and create your own version of the Christmas story, i.e., creche scene, Christmas banner, Christmas tree-base cloth, or poster.
4. Decorate Your Windows
   Paint your front window with poster paint. Free form designs look very festive when light shine through. You select the appropriate window(s) and how much window to paint.
5. Design Your Own Christmas Cards
   You could design an original one just for grandparents or special family friends. You can remake cards by cutting up old cards.
6. Frame Your Children’s Pictures
   These make excellent and memorable gifts for adult relatives. You might want to add their school picture to it.
7. Try the “Secret Pal” Drawing
   Draw names within your family on the first Sunday of Advent, and then all during the advent season do special favors for this “secret pal.” On Christmas Eve (Dec 24), reveal your secret person to one another.
8. Go “Christmasing!”
   This is where you gather gifts of baked goodies and deliver them to the neighbors and friends of your children. It is a wonderful time for the children to see other homes at Christmas.
9. Go Caroling with Others!
   It is a good time for sharing the good news of Christ coming with the familiar music of the season. You might visit those who are home alone (without family) or visit a convalescent home. Consider going with another family.
10. Include Others in Your Celebrations
    Are you aware of persons who would appreciate being included in your family celebrations? Is there someone in your church family” who needs a visit? Christmas can be a really lonely time for some. Include others with your family.
11. Giving of “Yourselves”
    Children can give “work coupons” to parents (i.e., I will clean the garage; or I will dust the living room.) and parents can give their children gifts of their time (i.e., I will give you one hour of my time; or I promise to take you to one ball game.) Coupon books really work! Coupon books last a long time.
12. Have a Special “Jesus Present” Box
    Deposit the slips of paper here with a description of a "loving deed" that was done. Then on Christmas Day you read the “loving deeds” that were done for Jesus. Thank God for His indescribable gift and for chances to share His love to others.
13. Here is a "Bold Idea!"
    What would happen if you limited your gift buying to only one gift per family member and then asked God to show you how you could use the extra money to proclaim the good news of Savior? You could adopt a needy family or a mission organization. This is just a thought.
14. Write a Letter to Jesus!
    Thank Him for all your gifts and especially the gift of Himself coming for us.
15. Let us Remember Church Leaders
    You child could be encouraged to choose or make a gift for his Sunday school teacher, pastor, or another church leader. Allow the children to wrap the gift themselves. It might be framed artwork or a picture.
16. Make Room for More!
    In preparation for Christmas, clean out the closets, drawers and toy boxes of your children. Plan together what could be given away to a child who could really use these extra clothes and toys. Deliver the “love package” together. This makes room for new presents.
17. Try A Variation of the Nativity Set!
    You could put a different figure in front of a family member’s plate at dinner. That evening ask each person to share what that character gave at Christ’s birth (i.e., Joseph gave Jesus a home, the angels gave good news announcement and a song of praise).
18. Give Your Child a “Life Notebook!”
    The “Life Notebook” is for collecting life memories. It could include pictures of your child, your family, and his friends. Try to encourage your child to add to his own notebook as a reminder of what God is doing in his life. (i.e., goals, some accomplishments, answered prayers, family travels, etc.)
19. “Quiet Places For Quiet Times”
    Use this time to remember that Christmas is about Jesus and His coming. Try to create moments for silence and solitude this season. Reflective moments could change the hassle of the season to the refreshment of the season. This could help you focus on the real meaning of the holiday with its conflicting messages.
20. Help Plan a Family Time. 
    You might let your children help to plan your special Christmas Eve or morning family worship time (i.e., a story to read, a poem to recite, a prayer, a song, a short pantomime).
21. Develop a New Family Tradition!
    What is unique and significant about your celebration of Christmas? Can you try to add something different this year? You are building lasting memories for your child by the way you keep doing this celebration.
22. “Traveling Nativity”
    Use a creche at the child’s height for storytelling, informal teaching, or as an interest center. You could use the Shepherd figures early in the Advent season, and have them make their journey throughout the living room, arriving at the manger on Christmas Day. The three kings could arrive after Christmas on their journey to Jesus, etc.
23. Have a Birthday Party for Jesus!
    Prepare a special cake for the occasion, sing happy birthday, Christmas carols and offer symbolic gifts representing gifts for Jesus. Maybe invite the neighborhood children and show the Jesus Film for Children to them.
24. Fetch Your Tree Together!
    Let your children have a voice in the selection of the tree and let them help decorate it. Be sure to include some homemade decorations. Try to make it fun so they are glad they were a part of it this year.
25. Create An Advent Wreath!
    The advent wreath is a set of five candles in a decorative wreath. Each week prior to Christ’s birthday, another candle is light to remember the events prior to His birth. The center candle is light on Christmas Day to remind us of the Savior’s birth. For more information on creating an advent wreath, see “Advent” in the www.Kidology.org  website.  

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