Santa Who? 6 Ideas to Engage Your Kids with a Jesus-Centered Christmas

What if you could give your kids the best Christmas ever…without Santa Clause?

When I was a kid, I looked forward to Christmas All. Year. Long. It was (and still is) my favorite time of the year. I love everything about it…the music, the food, the shopping, the presents, the family time, and everything that went along with it.

But there’s one thing that made my childhood Christmases a little different from most of my friends’ experiences: I didn’t believe in Santa. Okay, now STAY WITH ME FOR A SECOND. My family was not anti-Santa. They didn’t teach me h{“type”:”block”,”srcClientIds”:[“26655312-81b7-4de1-b500-a3d77de7168a”],”srcRootClientId”:””}e was evil or prevent me from watching Santa movies or fraternizing with kids who did.

On the contrary, my family enjoyed a healthy dose of “Santa” like everyone else, but they also told us that he isn’t real. He’s a fun thing we pretend, just like Cinderella or Spiderman. Do you think kids enjoy superheroes and princesses any less knowing that they’re not real? Of course not!

I loved watching the classic Christmas movies about Santa and Rudolph. There was always a present under the tree on Christmas morning at my house “from Santa” that was usually a fun game for our whole family. We never had a problem with Santa. He just wasn’t the focus of Christmas for us.

In the midst of the glorious holiday season, my family chose to focus on the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus himself.

Good news! You don’t have to ditch Santa in order to have a super FUN Jesus-centered Christmas.

But the truth is, whether or not you choose to include Santa in your celebration, you can give your kids a Christmas that is just as fun, just as exciting, and yet have it be focused on Jesus. Here are 6 ideas to help:

1. Invite Your Kids into the Christmas Story.

We do such a great job of making the “story” of Santa fun and exciting in our culture. We take pictures with him at the mall. We watch countless movies that feature him and his helpers. We read books and tell the magical story of this kind man who gives good gifts to children all over the world.

We let kids participate in the story of Santa by leaving out empty stockings, and putting out cookies & milk for him or carrots for the reindeer. Some super-cool Pinterest moms even leave reindeer footprints on the lawn. There’s even a month of desperately coming up with creative places to put your elf on the shelf….usually at 11pm after you’ve already gone to bed and then suddenly remember you forgot to do it.

All this stuff is SO fun, because it speaks to kids in their language…fun, imagination & play. The problem is, then we oftentimes make the REAL story of Christmas rather…boring.

And yet there is nothing boring about it! Jesus is the ULTIMATE kind man and GOD who gives good gifts to his children all over the world. And there’s nothing more exciting than inviting him into your life and living the lifelong adventure that is Emanuel…God with us.

So instead of reducing Jesus to a special church service this Christmas, invite your kids to participate in and enjoy the story of Christmas in their own language of play all season long. Here are some ideas we’ve used:

• On Christmas Eve, leave out an empty “manger.” Then have a baby doll wrapped in a blanket in there for your kids to discover on Christmas morning.
• Read the Christmas story together and let your kids act out the parts. (Luke 2:1-20 is a great place to read – consider using a version like the NIV that has language your kids will understand.) Let them create their own costumes!
• Get a nativity set that your kids can play with. We use and love this one. Let them “play” the story of Christmas over and over. Or create your own with this free printable 3D Nativity Scene HERE!
• Have a family movie night, pop some popcorn, make hot cocoa and watch a Christmas movie about the story of Jesus. I love The Star that came out in 2017. Or if your kids are older, try The Nativity Story from 2006. Open dialogue with your kids during or after the movie. Or watch something like A Charlie Brown Christmas, It’s A Wonderful Life, or any Christmas movie with good values and talk about the the real meaning of Christmas together.
• Visit a live nativity together. Search online to find one in your area. The kids will love seeing the live animals and imagining what it was like to be in the stable the night Jesus was born.
• Read books about the story of Christmas that will help them envision what you’ve been talking about. If you don’t have any, the library has a ton!
• Celebrate advent as a family. Advent literally means “coming” and it’s a special time of year (the 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas) that we get ready for the coming of Christ. As a kid, my family always had an advent wreath and we would light one candle each week (adding to the previous week) until all 4 were lit the week of Christmas. I loved the growing anticipation of Christmas. Another great way to do this is to purchase an advent calendar. You can get ones with chocolates or toys in it and help your kids build their excitement of the coming of Christ as they count down the days!
• Do a Jesse Tree with your kids. One of my favorite things we did during the Christmas season as a kid was to decorate a Jesse Tree! This is also part of celebrating advent. For each day of the 25 days leading up to Christmas, you add one ornament to a small tree. Each ornament represents a different Bible story that has significance for us as Christians. This is a really fun way to teach your kids about the powerful history of God working among his people, all leading up to the coming of Christ that made it possible for us to be adopted into God’s family, fully loved and accepted for eternity. Here’s one you can make that’s just like the one I had as a kid!

2. Make Giving as Exciting as Getting.

Look for ways to give to others as a FAMILY this Christmas season – and talk about it with your kids. One of the best ways to focus on Jesus and facilitate gratitude in your kids (and in us as parents too), is giving to others, especially those who aren’t able to return the favor. Check out this post for some great ideas: 12 Simple Ways Your Family Can Give Back.

Another fun way to do this as a family is watching each other open gifts. I know every family is different in their methods of opening presents. Some families like to say “Go!” and everybody opens their presents at the same time. Others wait patiently as each person opens one present and everyone else watches.

My family was the wait and watch style, but my husband’s was the “Go!” style. You don’t have to change up what you do, but remember that part of the fun of giving is being able to watch the person receiving your gift experience the joy you intended when you picked it out. So whether you do one at a time, or choose a few strategic gifts or one round of gifts to do this way, make sure your kids are able to see the joy on the face of the receiver in some way as well. 

3. Give Something to Jesus for Christmas.

Since Christmas truly is all about Jesus, why not give something to him as a family? We do this in many ways, but it really helps kids to put it into something tangible. Here are some things you can do to give to Jesus this Christmas:

• Presents: In the days or weeks leading up to Christmas, start asking your kids what they think Jesus would like for Christmas. Or what they would like to give to him. Help them give a gift to him in some way. If they’re little, they could draw a picture or make something for him. They can even wrap it up and put it under the tree! For older kids, they can “give” their gift leading up to Christmas (What you do unto the least of these, you do to me.) They can choose to give a gift like volunteering at a homeless shelter, or making cookies for a neighbor in the name of Jesus. And it will be a gift for him. Then they can choose something to represent what they gave and wrap it up on Christmas morning to “give” to him. Then carve out a special time where you take turns opening your gift to Jesus as a family and talk about how he would respond.
• Worship: Another great idea is to give him your worship. Whether before or after presents, on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, take some time to gather as a family and have a time of worship. One of my favorite parts of our extended family Christmas was when we would gather around the piano and sing old Christmas hymns together. We had many a holy moment as we focused on Him. So turn on some worship music or gather around the piano like my family always did and give God the gift of praise!
• Gratitude: If singing isn’t your thing, use gratitude as your gift to him. Take turns having each person share 3 things they’re thankful to God for. That is a beautiful gift. 
• Prayer: You can also give God the gift of prayer! Psalm 141:2a says, “May my prayer be set before you like incense.” Our prayers are a gift to God. Take some time as a family surrounding Christmas to pray together. When our extended family gets together for Christmas, we always have a time where we take turns sharing a prayer request and then we pray for and bless each person. It has become one of our favorite family traditions.

4. Be Intentional with Your Gifts to Your Kids.

I’ve noticed that getting more gifts doesn’t necessarily make my kids more thankful. In fact, it often has the opposite effect. The more we let our kids focus on stuff, sometimes the less thankful they become. But intentionality in gift-giving matters.

Instead of getting an exorbitant amount of gifts for your kids this Christmas, try to figure out what ONE or maybe two gifts your child desires most. If these are within reason for your budget and family dynamics, get it. If you know your child wants something that is too expensive, too hard to get, or won’t really be good for them overall, tell them BEFORE CHRISTMAS and help them redirect so that they’re not disappointed on Christmas morning.

Instead of just saying, “No, you’re not getting that,” help your kids understand why not. If it’s something that’s too expensive, talk about the amount of money it is and potential ways for them to earn & save for that item. If it’s something that’s not good for them, talk about your values and why you feel like that gift might not be as good as it seems.

There are lots of different strategies for this, but our family likes the “something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read rule” as a general guideline. We make the something they want AWESOM{“type”:”block”,”srcClientIds”:[“26655312-81b7-4de1-b500-a3d77de7168a”],”srcRootClientId”:””}E…the one gift we think they want most or will truly enjoy. We try to make the other 3 very intentional as well. 

This helps your kids naturally focus less on just the “stuff” and more on the true meaning of Christmas.

5. Shape your Language so that Jesus is the Savior and not the Bad Guy.

I know we don’t do it on purpose, but sometimes in the midst of the onslaught of consumerism in our culture and the constant temptation to buy more and more, it can be easy to focus on that in a negative sense with our kids.

“No, you can’t have all of those toys for Christmas. It’s supposed to be about JESUS, remember??!!” or “Jesus doesn’t want you to be selfish. He wants you to be thankful with whatever you get.”

Chastising our kids for wanting stuff instead of being thankful for what God has given us makes Jesus out to be more like the grinch than our Savior.

God is not looking down on our kids, shaking his head and saying. “Man, what selfish, greedy little children. Don’t they know I’M the reason for the season?”

His heart is for children. Matthew 19:14: “Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Jesus LOVES our kids. He understands them. He delights in them. He has grace for them. He is pursuing them.

Let’s be intentional to help our kids know God’s heart for them this Christmas, instead of using him as an excuse. Consider using responses like these to help redirect your kids when they have a case of the gimmies:

• “There are SO many amazing gifts & toys out there, aren’t there? Do you know what the best gift of all is? Jesus!! I’m so thankful that, no matter how many toys or things we have, he is always with us and loves us so much.”
• “I love how excited you are about Christmas! I love Christmas too. Did you know that God loves to give good gifts to his children? What are some of your favorite gifts you have received?”
• “Getting gifts is so much fun. Do you know what else is fun? Giving gifts!! Did you know that one of God’s favorite things to do is give? And he LOVES when we give to others. The Bible even says that when we do kind things and give to others, it’s like we are doing it to Him! Let’s make a list of the gifts you would like to receive. Then let’s make another list of some gifts you’d like to give to others too!”

6. Connect with the Man Behind the Story.

What sets the Christmas story apart from Santa in the most powerful way, is that it’s TRUE! (Okay, I know Saint Nicholas was a real man, but you know what I mean.) Invite your kids to truly know and experience the truth and love of Jesus, not just at Christmas, but all year long.

Weave the story of his love for them through all your festivities and traditions. In the midst of all your holiday preparations, make time to connect w{“type”:”block”,”srcClientIds”:[“26655312-81b7-4de1-b500-a3d77de7168a”],”srcRootClientId”:””}ith God. He loves you so much and wants to experience the joy of the season with you and your children.

Like this post? You may also enjoy…

• 20 Christmas Traditions Your Family Will Love
• 33 Best Experience Gifts for Kids & Families
• 5 Ways to Connect With Your Kids in 5 Minutes or Less
• The Heart of Positive Discipline

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