Christmas Stories
Christmas is coming, and I know the month and a few days until it is here will fly by all too quickly.
Making memories with my children is my daily hope, and yet that desire is even stronger at Christmastime. Because my focus is on memories and not on things, we avoid shopping over the holidays, choosing to order a few books and toys from online retailers after the children are snug in their beds, and instead, spend our days baking cookies, drinking cocoa, and reading beloved stories.
Kim John Payne, in his book, "Simplicity Parenting", gives me inspiration as I work to keep our Christmas gift choices simplified;
“The toys that are too detailed or complicated—too “fixed”—can rob a child of an imaginative experience. Dear nighttime toys can never disappear. Even if they are totally hideous, dear nighttime toys are nonnegotiable. The remaining toys have to include a mixture of active toys: building, digging, construction toys; and more receptive toys, such as dolls and stuffed animals, toys that just receive. There can also be creative materials, such as paints, crayons, and some modeling substances, such as beeswax or clay. The toys with staying power are usually—not always, but pretty consistently—figures of some sort, either dolls or knights or stuffed animals; building toys; and scenes or dwellings of some sort, into which the child loves to project his or her figures, and thus themselves.” Kim John Payne
Some of our favorite gift choices for young children;
We also love crafting at Christmas, using our creations as simple, consumable gifts for friends or other loved ones. We have made tiny Altoid tin dolls, dipped and rolled beeswax candles, homemade mixes and cookies, as well as simply potting succulents for a quick hostess gift.
Check out this post for a few easy gifts to make with young children.
My favorite part of Christmas memory making is definitely the reading aloud however. All the books that we have read not only create plenty of time to cuddle on the couch, but they also give us noble ideas. As we read Little House on the Prairie, we feel more thankful for all that we have, while reading Little Women aloud, inspires us to give to others. These stories, whether long or short, warm our hearts and fill us with joy and hope for the future, something that we all need a little more of.
A few favorites;
If You Take A Mouse to the Movies
The Christmas Stories of George MacDonald
Our new Christmas Guide contains four weeks of activities based around beloved Christmas stories and activities.
What are your favorite ways to create Christmas memories? Which books do you read every year?
You might also enjoy:
Handmade Christmas with Children
Christmas Books and Toys for Intentional Families
What letter are you on in The Peaceful Preschool? Share, by tagging #thepeacefulpreschool on Instagram, or in our encouraging private Facebook group, available with your curriculum purchase.
To purchase the Curriculum, Picture Word Cards, or even grab some of our freebies, click here.
For a complete list of picture books used for The Peaceful Preschool, click here.
This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our work through your purchase.