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Telling the Christmas Story to children is an integral part of celebrating Christmas each year for many families.
We’ve probably all watched that famous scene from “Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown” as Linus transforms his blanket into a shepherd’s costume and recites The Nativity Story from Luke Chapter 2.
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:8-14 KJ)
And yet, our young grandkids might wonder what it means to be ‘sore afraid’ and what do ‘swaddling clothes’ look like?
How can we best tell this amazing story in a way that will engage our young grandchildren?
The good news, and this will also bring you great joy, is that there are so many elements that kids are familiar with and love in this extraordinary story.
There are animals, parents, stars, presents, birthdays, and long trips to talk about!
Use those things as jumping-off points to tell, and talk about the birth of baby Jesus.
We’ve got some great ideas for telling the Christmas story to kids in your life, and if you’d like some prompts for telling the story, make sure to check out the stick puppet digital download (also linked at the bottom of the post)!
1. Purchase a Child’s Nativity Set
The Fisher Price Nativity has been in our family for five years now, and continues to be a very important part of Christmas for my grandkids.
They love playing with the little people, making the star light up, and telling the story of the birth of baby Jesus themselves.
Don’t worry if Elsa and Auna also make their way to the manger. Jesus came for everyone!
2. Bake a Cake
We talk about Christmas as a time when we celebrate Jesus’ birthday!
That can be complete with baking a cake together or sending the grandkids a care package with everything they need to bake a cake and have a little birthday party for Jesus as a family.
3. Color Together
We love this Christmas story coloring book!
My grandkids love to color, and it is something we return to time and time again as we facetime.
It’s the perfect opportunity to talk about the Christmas Story, and enjoy time together during this special season.
Each picture will give a little different perspective as you talk together about this wonderful story.
4. Find a Living Nativity
If you live near your grandkids, this would be a wonderful tradition.
One year our family accidentally followed a star (a searchlight) and found ourselves at a church hosting a living nativity.
That experience was amazing! And the animals – your grandkids will love the animals!
Whether you are together or connecting virtually, the conversation that will come from talking about what it would be like to spend the night with a bunch of farm animals will most likely be priceless!
5. Tell the Christmas Story Throughout the Advent Season
Morgan (my oldest granddaughter, age 6) and I have participated in advent and found it to be a very special time together as we colored, lit candles, enjoyed a little snack, and talked about the events that led up to the birth of Baby Jesus.
A couple of years ago we wrote an entire advent series including free downloadable color pages and scripts for each week.
Advent Week 1 – Hope
Advent Week 2 – Love
Advent Week 3 – Joy
Advent Week 4 – Peace
6. It’s a Starry Night!
If you live close by, and are having a sleepover during the Christmas season, venture outside at night and look at the stars.
Talk about what it might have been like to be taking care of sheep in a field when all of a sudden a huge and beautiful star appeared to help let everyone know that Jesus had been born.
7. Christmas Story Stick Puppets & Story Cards
We’ve had a lot of success making stick puppets during our connection time. This same style of puppets was a HUGE hit for Easter earlier this year.
Check out the adorable little Christmas figures in the shop.
They come complete with prompts to tell the story using words that are perfect for your young grandkids!
We hope that as you focus on sharing this story with your grandkids, the miracle of this season is present for you also!
Merry Christmas!
