Christmas is the holiday that most kids look forward to all year long. With all of the fun and joy the season brings, along with those great gifts from Santa, it is easy to understand why little ones eagerly anticipate the 25th day of December.
But Christmas has a far deeper meaning than simply get-togethers, food and gifts. Christmas is about Jesus and his birth. It is a time in which we should honor and cherish this birth and give thanks for all that has been done for us.
If you want to teach your children the true meaning of Christmas there are many things that you can do. Take a look at 8 great ideas.
1. Visit a Nursing Home
Many individuals in nursing homes have no family. Christmas can be an especially difficult time of the year. Pay those shut-ins a visit and spread your holiday cheer.
Your children can sing chorales, talk, and present patients with cards or homemade cookies, or simply stop by and say hello.
2. Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen
Your children can get involved with this task, and it will certainly open their eyes to a new way of life. Volunteering at a soup kitchen is a very rewarding experience that makes you appreciate what you have.
During Christmas, homeless individuals who depend upon the soup kitchens for a nourishing meal also face a serious of emotions without a family to share the season with. Your generosity can certainly help them feel cared for and important.
3. ‘Adopt’ a Child
There are many children who will not have a Christmas. They come from impoverished families who are barely making ends meet. Sometimes it is homeless children and those who have been separated from their parents.
There are many different children who need your help to have any presents under the tree. You can adopt a child for Christmas and see that they have a nice holiday season.
4. Read Christmas Stories Together
Many beautiful Christmas stories are out there. Reading these stories together as a family can certainly help you appreciate one another and add a bit of joy into the heart of your child.
Since Christmas is the birth day of Jesus, why not celebrate by reading bible stories or similar?
5. Go to Church
Any time of the year is a good time to attend church, but the Christmas season is a time when churches really make an effect on the audience.
Taking your kids to church during the Christmas season can help them learn what Christmas is all about, as well as help them explore their religion.
In addition, many churches put on special holiday performances that your child might be able to participate in, which is certainly exciting and Christ-centered.
6. Homemade Christmas Cards
Your kids will love to sit down with you and create the Christmas cards that you will send out for the year.
This is a great opportunity to spend quality time together as a family while putting a personalized touch on a Christmas tradition. You can share stories of Jesus and his birthday as you create your art work.
7. Help an Elderly Neighbor
If you have a neighbor who is up in age, why not help them with activities such as house work, yard work, running errands, or something sweet like a fresh baked loaf of bread or cupcakes?
Again, this can help your child learn the importance of giving unto others. There is no better time of the year to volunteer your services than at Christmas time.
8. Send a Military Package/ Letter
Many men and women who are in the military are without families back home. You can brighten their day with a military care package or a letter to a soldier. You can even consider a pen pal with a military member if you would like.
Together with your children you can pick and choose items for the box or what to say in the letter. During the holiday season this special package will have even more meaning.
There are many ways that you can help instil the true meaning of Christmas to your kids, including with the 8 methods listed above. Whether you do one or do them all, make sure that you pick an activity that helps you teach your child this very important Christmas lesson.
