1. Rediscover the Joy of Spending Time Together During the Holidays

Connecting with your children during the holiday break doesn’t require elaborate plans or a huge budget. Often, it’s the simple activities that create lasting memories. During a season that emphasizes warmth and togetherness, your main focus should be on sharing time in a way that helps everyone feel valued and included.

2. Create Family Traditions to Celebrate Christ

Establishing holiday traditions creates a sense of unity and stability. When children can count on certain traditions, they feel more secure and have more opportunities to make cherished memories. Consider adding one or more of these Christ-centered activities to your holiday break:

• Decorate the Christmas Tree Together: Decorating the tree can be an exciting activity for everyone. Let your children add their creative touch. As you hang each ornament, take time to talk about the birth of Jesus and what it means for us today.
• Bake and Decorate Holiday Cookies: Baking together offers hands-on collaboration, creativity, and fun. As you bake, discuss the concept of giving, using Jesus' life as an example of the ultimate gift to humanity.
• Family Christmas Movie Marathon: Gather up everyone’s favorite Christmas movies, make some popcorn, and have a cozy movie marathon night. Include Christian-themed movies that tell the story of Jesus or emphasize values of love, kindness, and compassion.

The important thing is to engage with your kids in a way that helps them feel seen and heard while also celebrating the spirit of the season and the love of Christ. When you develop these rituals together, your children will look forward to these special moments each year.

3. Engage in Christmas Crafting With a Christ-Centered Focus

Creating holiday crafts together is an excellent way to stimulate creativity and bond as a family. Crafts provide a focused environment where you and your children can chat while working on something meaningful that also reflects your faith.

Crafting as a Spiritual Growth Tool

Here are a few Christian-themed Christmas crafts that can help you connect with your kids over the break:

• Handmade Christmas Cards: Sit down together and make holiday cards for extended family or neighbors. Include Bible verses and messages that celebrate the birth of Christ. Encourage each child to add their own personal touch to the cards.
• Homemade Ornaments: Have your children make Christmas tree ornaments featuring symbols of faith, such as crosses, angels, or stars. Homemade ornaments can be cherished for years and even passed down through generations.
• Holiday Wreaths with a Message: Gather supplies like branches, ribbons, and decorations to create a beautiful wreath. Include a message of hope or love inspired by the teachings of Jesus. Hanging their creation on the door gives children a sense of pride and shares a Christian message with neighbors.

Not only do crafts give your children the opportunity to express themselves, but the end result is something that reinforces the values you hold dear as a family.

4. Participate in Family-Friendly Christmas Activities 

Christmas is the perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy all the season has to offer. Try a few of these family activities to create lasting memories:

• Ice Skating: If there is an ice rink nearby, lace up your skates and take the whole family for an outing. While skating, take the opportunity to discuss Jesus' teachings on perseverance and love.
• Go On a Christmas Light Tour: Pack everyone into the car with blankets and hot cocoa to drive around the neighborhood and admire the Christmas lights. As you look at the lights, remind your children that Jesus is the light of the world, and discuss what that means in their lives.
• Build a Gingerbread Nativity Scene: Instead of a traditional gingerbread house, try building a nativity scene. Talk about each character in the story of Jesus’ birth and why they are important.

Family activities create opportunities for closeness, laughter, and the sharing of faith, which help children understand the true meaning of Christmas.

5. Balance Fun and Christian Reflection During Thanksgiving and Christmas

Thanksgiving and Christmas both offer opportunities to teach children about gratitude and sacrifice. In a season often marked by a focus on gifts and material items, it’s crucial to help your children understand the deeper Christian meaning behind the celebrations.

The Importance of Gratitude Through a Christian Lens

Modeling gratitude as a parent can leave a significant impression on your children. During the holiday break, consider including some of these Christ-centered, gratitude-building activities:

• Gratitude Jar: Set up a jar where each family member can write down what they’re grateful for, focusing on blessings that reflect God's love and provision. On Christmas or New Year’s Eve, sit together and read aloud the notes, reflecting on all the positive things that happened throughout the year through God’s grace.
• Volunteer Together: Spend time helping those in need, as Jesus did. This can mean serving food at a local shelter, packing holiday care packages, or donating toys to a charity. Volunteering teaches children empathy, compassion, and the true meaning of Christ-like love.
• Write Thank You Notes: After the excitement of Christmas morning, sit down together and write thank you notes for the gifts you received. This simple practice will help your children appreciate the thoughtfulness of those around them while acknowledging the blessings God has given us.

Fostering a sense of gratitude can turn the holiday break into a transformative time for your children, helping them appreciate both small and large blessings that come from God.

Reflecting on the Meaning of Christmas

Christmas is about more than gifts and decorations—it’s about love, sacrifice, and the birth of Jesus Christ. Spend some time helping your children understand the origins of Christmas and the story of Christ’s birth. You can read the story of Jesus’ birth from the Bible together or talk about how Jesus exemplified love, humility, and generosity.

• Nativity Play: Have your kids put on a simple nativity play using costumes and props made from items at home. Acting out the story of Jesus’ birth can make it come alive for them in a new way and help them understand the true essence of the holiday.
• Advent Calendar with Acts of Kindness: Instead of focusing solely on receiving treats each day, create an advent calendar that includes acts of kindness reflecting the spirit of Jesus' teachings for each day of December. This helps children learn that Christmas is about giving to others in honor of God’s love.
• Family Prayer Time: Set aside time as a family to pray together. Reflect on the blessings you’ve received throughout the year and give thanks for them. Pray for guidance, and encourage children to express their own prayers of gratitude.

Christmas is an ideal time to connect with your faith and help your children see the holiday’s true significance beyond the commercial aspects.

6. Create Space for Conversation and Quality Time

One of the most effective ways to connect with your children is to be fully present. During the holiday break, take the opportunity to disconnect from work, limit screen time, and simply enjoy each other’s company. Here are some simple ways to be more present:

• Family Meals: Make family meals a priority. Cooking and eating together allow everyone to share their thoughts and experiences. Use this time to discuss how God has blessed your family.
• Daily Walks: Take a daily walk as a family, even if it’s just around the block. Walking together without distractions often leads to natural and meaningful conversations and provides a great opportunity to discuss God’s creations.
• Technology-Free Nights: Dedicate at least one night each week during the holiday break to a technology-free evening. Put away all devices and focus on playing board games, telling stories, or engaging in group activities that bring you closer to each other and to God.

The key is to carve out moments where you can focus entirely on your children, free from the pressures and distractions of daily life, just as Christ is fully present for us.

7. Create a Christ-Centered Holiday Break Bucket List 

Creating a family holiday bucket list is an exciting way to get everyone involved in planning your time together. Sit down as a family and let each child suggest activities they want to do during the holiday break. Write down each idea on a piece of paper, fold it up, and put it in a jar.

Here are a few ideas for your bucket list:

• Have a Pajama Day: Stay in your pajamas all day, watch movies, and eat breakfast for dinner. Take time to share a Bible story together and discuss its meaning.
• Go Sledding: If you live in a snowy area, take advantage of the weather and go sledding at a nearby park. Remind each other of the beauty of God’s creation.
• Make Homemade Gifts: Spend time crafting gifts for friends, grandparents, or each other. Include Bible verses with each gift, emphasizing the importance of giving as Christ gave to us.
• Camp in the Living Room: Set up a tent or build a fort in the living room for a family sleepover. Tell Bible stories, make s'mores, and reflect on the teachings of Jesus.

By creating a bucket list, you’ll give everyone something to look forward to and ensure each family member has a voice in how you spend your time together while staying rooted in your faith.

8. Take Time to Rest and Reflect on God's Blessings

While the holidays are an exciting time, they can also be tiring, especially for young children. Make sure to balance out activities with downtime. A well-rested family is more likely to be a happy one, just as God intended!

Encourage quiet activities like reading holiday-themed Christian books together, taking naps, or simply spending an afternoon lounging around without a strict agenda. Balance is key, and slowing down when needed will ensure that everyone feels their best throughout the break.

9. Conclude the Season with Reflection, Faith, and Gratitude

The holiday break offers many opportunities to connect with your children and make lasting memories. Through shared activities, creative crafting, acts of gratitude, and reflective conversations, you can use this special time to strengthen your family bond in a meaningful, Christ-centered manner.

Take time to discuss why we celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas—not just as a time for gifts or elaborate meals, but as a reminder of the importance of gratitude and the sacrifice Christ made for us. Teach your children that while gifts are lovely, the most important gifts are love, kindness, and the time we share with each other in honor of God’s love.

As the holiday break comes to an end, spend a few moments reflecting on everything you did together, what you’re grateful for, and the many blessings you have. This reflection can set a positive tone as your children head into a new year, carrying the lessons of gratitude, love, and faith forward with them.

At Emmanuel Lutheran School, we emphasize these values with our students throughout the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. We teach them to be grateful for God’s love and the incredible gift of Jesus Christ, encouraging them to practice generosity, kindness, and compassion all year round. May your holiday break be filled with laughter, love, and the comfort of Christ’s presence.

Reach out to us for more information about our Christian school in Asheville, NC.