A Christmas Count Down - 7 days to enrich the season

I remember last Christmas sensing that my kids were old enough to start considering the realities behind the Christmas season even if at an elementary level. I wanted a thread of peace woven throughout all the Christmas crazies. However, I was late to the game. By the time I had thought of building some intentionality into the season, we were already knee deep in Christmas shopping, church functions, party planning, gift exchanges, and cookie decorating. Trying to fit in one more thing felt impossible. Around that time, I saw an Instagram post from Sally Clarkson where she wrapped up Christmas books and allowed her children to open one daily as they counted down to Christmas. What a wonderful and simple idea! 

With that idea in the back of my mind, I stumbled upon a three-week-long, seasonal curriculum by Treehouse School House that included a book a day along with some crafts, picture studies, poems, music, and daily scripture. Plus, it was adaptable for younger ages. Boom. Done. Purchased…. but that was in November. 

For some of you it might feel overwhelming or too late in the season to purchase a three-week curriculum and prepare the materials, or you may feel as if you don’t have the capacity for one more thing. I get it. Therefore, I have compiled some of my favorite Christ-centered Christmas stories for kids and aligned each story with a theme and scripture you can pull out one week before Christmas. All you will need to do is order the books and save the downloadable file with the theme and scriptures on your phone. There are also some simple discussion questions listed to guide discussion after your reading. You can wrap the books if you choose or just pull one out from a hidden spot in your closet and reveal a grand surprise from behind your back. Wrapped or not, a new book is always exciting! A good rhythm would be to start the week before Christmas.  Read a new story each night before bed and spend one to two minutes talking about the theme we can pull from each book. 

I’ve learned in life that a little is better than nothing at all, and I think you would be amazed by the peace, meaning, and richness that can be had in the midst of the craziness of the season by setting aside fifteen minutes an evening the week before Christmas to reflect on the holiday. Below you will find the list of recommended books and the link to the complete PDF which list the book titles along with the corresponding theme and scripture for easy access on your phone.

One other note. I understand that books can add up quickly. Buy them used. Look on eBay if you need to. Check the library. Don’t shy away from the e-book version or YouTube read aloud if it’s what you can manage. Also consider this, how much effort and money are you putting into your kids’ Christmas gifts this year? Can you afford to direct a little more time and money to the building and discipleship of your kids’ hearts? Is your home balanced in this area? This could be an easy and simple way to start righting the scales so to speak.

Finally, I hope this easy-to-implement idea will help reap a little more peace, contentment, and richness in this consumer-driven season that is so easy to get caught up in. Blessings!

Below you will find descriptions of the six books you need to countdown to Christmas as well as links to all the books on Amazon and the link to receive the downloadable 7 day plan to the Christmas Countdown.

Jesus is Our Emmanuel (God With Us) – Mortimer’s Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson – Matthew 1: 22-23

Written By Karma Wilson, this is an endearing book with the sweetest illustrations. It is also a great read for any age and is simple enough for little kids. The story focuses on a change of heart that happens to Mortimer as he begins to make room in his life for Jesus. This book is a great touch point to begin discussions about making room in our hearts for Christ and how Jesus is always with us. 

Jesus is Our Joy – Christmas Love Letters from God by Glenys Nellist – John 15:11

This is a precious book that records portions of the Christmas story in captivating language for little kids. It is also interactive with flaps to lift on every page with “Love Letters” from God. This book can be spread over several days making it perfect to break into chunks. Use one day to discuss Jesus is our Joy and the next day to discuss Jesus is our Shepherd.

Jesus is Our Shepherd – Christmas Love Letters from God By Claudia McAdam – Isaiah 40:11 and Psalms 23 See above. You can use the same book “Christmas Love Letters” to span a couple days.

Jesus is Our Gift – The Candymaker’s Gift – Romans 6:23

This was an all-time childhood favorite growing up. It is currently out of print so if you have trouble finding it, you can opt for the book “The Legend of the Candy Cane”. The books have similar themes in which you can discuss the gift God gave to us in Jesus. Both these books are so rich and are bound to prompt discussion and conversation around Gospel-centered topics. This would also be a good day to pull out some candy canes to up the excitement!

Jesus is Our Light – The Christmas Light by Claudia McAdam – John 8:12

This is a beautiful retelling of the nativity story told through the perspective of a young girl, the daughter of the innkeeper. Through this story we are reminded of the light of Christ, who can not only change our hearts where darkness lies but also bring light to the whole world.

Jesus is Our King – The Christmas Promise – Zechariah 9:9

This book is fun, lively, and upbeat. The illustrations are bursting with color and all my kids even the young ones have enjoyed it. It follows the Christmas story with easy to understand language and provides an emphasis on the fulfillment on God’s promise to bring us a King. The story unfolds in a way that emphasizes the true meaning of the type of King God would send us… a King who rescues!

Jesus is Our Hope – The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado – 2 Thessalonians 2:16 - 17

Full stop – there has never been a more beautiful and endearing Christmas story. If you haven’t read it, you must. It is an oldy, but it is a book that must lie on every home’s bookshelf. Not only are the illustrations stunning, but there is room to each see ourselves in Lucado’s depiction of the crippled lamb. As we see ourselves through the lens of the crippled lamb, we are met with the compassionate figure of Jesus who brings hope to each of our weaknesses, infirmities, and has a glorious plan for our life. There is hope!

Printable and Digital 7 Day Plan

Amazon Booklist