One of my favorite things to do at Christmas time is sit in a dark room with only the tree lit. I enjoy staring at the tree. When I look at ornaments on the tree, I see reminders of all the stages we have been through in life. We have family ornaments made by a great grandmother, a picture ornament of a grandfather my children never met, and ornaments made by little children that are now teenagers. The ornaments on the tree tell our story. I am reminded of how our story changes with each and every stage and age my children go through. One of my favorite scriptures; Luke 2:19 Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, Christ’s birth, the story remains the same. How our hearts receive the story every year is different. This is true especially as our children grow and we get to share more of the story with them. No matter how small your children are, there are ways to share the story with them.
Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers learn best through their senses and here are some examples:
Babies
- Let your baby touch the prickly needles of the tree
- Light up the tree for them to gaze at it and be mesmerized by the glow
- Play Christmas carols such as “Joy to the World” or “Go Tell It on the Mountain” for them to hear
Toddlers
- Let your toddler place an ornament or two on the tree
- Give your toddler nativity of stuffed animals or Little People to play with this season
Preschoolers
- Read the story of the first Christmas for them to hear your voice telling the story
- Play along with their imagination of what it could have been like
- Give them a rolling pin and cookie cutters to join in cookie-making process for Jesus and sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus
At every age and every stage, Christmas is to be experienced and received. How will you be creative this Christmas and help even the smallest learn the story and build upon your own story? Enjoy this moment, this year because next year it will be new again.
Blessings
Jenny White
Director of Early Childhood Ministry