Teaching the Christmas story for toddlers means hands on activities, toys, and a whole lot of repetition!
This post is all about teaching the true Christmas story for toddlers.
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Christmas Story for Toddlers
1. Find a toy nativity set and reenact the story together
One of my biggest Christmas recommendations for all parents is to start buying Christmas decorations that double as toys. One of the best options for this is a toy nativity that your kids can play with throughout the Christmas season. We have the fisher price nativity set and my kids absolutely love it.
A nativity set is also a super valuable tool to use as you read the nativity story together. Antsy toddlers need a way to use their hands to interact with what they are learning and a toy nativity is the perfect toy to keep them focused.
2. Create a nativity sensory bin
Sensory bins and sensory toys are one of the best ways to help toddlers connect the dots. And it’s actually super simple to create your own nativity sensory bin, especially if you have a toy nativity.
Use just about anything as the base for it, beans, shredded paper, lentils, or even cereal! Add star and angel cookie cutters or anything in those shapes. Throw in a few farm animals that might have been in the stable with them. And throw in a few dolls, nativity figurines, or even make cardboard people! Just make use of what you have already!
3. Use this touchy feely version of the nativity story for littles
Usborne touchy feely books are the only books that can get my youngest to sit still. So, their Nativity Touchy Feely book was a MUST for Christmas! This books is amazing for teaching the Christmas story for toddlers who are still struggling to sit still for story time.
4. Throw a birthday party for Jesus
This is a great way to recenter your entire family on what the holiday is really about. Bake a cake together, write Jesus birthday cards, and even sing Happy Birthday and other Christmas carols like “O Holy Night.”
5. Find an animated movie of the Christmas Story
While I do try to limit screen time to a minimum in our house, I also know that TV can have value too. My kids love national geographic and learn so much through it! In a similar way, TV is also a great way to teach our kids about Bible stories too!
I grew up with Veggie Tales and now love sharing those with my kids as well. You can watch the entire, “The Star of Christmas,” episode for free on YouTube.
6. Find free coloring pages online
There are tons of great free Christmas coloring pages out there, including great nativity ones. You can find multiple different pages of the nativity scene, baby Jesus, the shepherds, etc. HERE.
7. Find an ornament set that tells the Christmas story
Having an ornament set that walks you through the nativity story is a fun way to guide you and your kids through talking about the Christmas story. Plus, these ornaments have a song on each one. So, you can also sing your way through the birth of Jesus too!
8. Do a finger puppet nativity story
![The Nativity Christmas Story | Finger Puppet Set [12-Pack] | for Parents and Teachers to Read to Children | Includes Kids Bible Inspired Booklet Story Guide | Birth of Jesus](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61O3tTcKQAL._SL160_.jpg)
If you have a nativity book that you love, adding finger puppets along with it will help your kids stay more engaged with the story. Even the littlest toddler can’t resist a finger puppet.
9. Act it out together
This one is easier with the more kids you have at home. But, if it’s just you and your toddler, you can use stuffed animals, a baby doll, etc. to help act out the story together. I suggest sitting and reading it together and then breaking it down into scenes together after wards.
10. Sing about it
It’s insane how much our brains can remember when it’s presented in the form of a song! When it comes to kids songs, Slugs and Bugs is one of my absolute favorite groups because they have incredible songs to sing scripture verses but also have some insanely hilarious silly songs.
Their album, “A Slugs and Bugs Christmas,” is no different. It is the perfect mix of silly holiday songs and songs that both teach and remind your kids of the true meaning of Christmas. Plus, you can listen to the whole album for free on YouTube.
11. Write Jesus letters instead of Santa
While I do think letters to Santa can be fun, I think it can also send the wrong message to our kids. I don’t want my kids being good just so they can write a long list of things they want and mail it off to Santa.
The difference with writing letters to Jesus is that your kids will be asking questions about Christmas and thanking Jesus for coming to Earth for them. They might even ask about what animals were there.
12. Grab one of these advent calendars
This Bible story based advent calendar has a small book for each day leading up to Christmas. It starts off by explaining Israel then Bethlehem and then move into talking about each character in the nativity story.
13. Repetition is key
No matter what you are trying to teach your kids, repetition is key. So, on top of all the other fun activities you might do, you may also want to read the nativity story every day together before bed. Kids are always looking for a way to delay bed time so they are usually very willing to listen haha.
This post was all about teaching the true Christmas story to toddlers. These activities will not only help your kids learn the Christmas story but they will also keep kids focused on what Christmas is really about.
– Beautifully Busy Mom
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About the Author
This post was written by Monica, a mom of two and former teacher that loves learning alongside her sweet kiddos.
