30 Christian Christmas Ideas for the Family
Are you looking to ways to keep Christ central to your family’s Christmas celebrating this season? Me, too! Today I’m sharing all kinds of Christ-centered Christmas ideas that you can incorporate into your holiday festivities that keep Jesus as the focus and create new family traditions! Grab the free printable Christ-centered Christmas Bucket List printable at the end of the post!
Keeping Jesus at the Top of Our Christmas Lists
I know how easy it is to get swept up into the magic of the holiday season. There’s shopping, parties, gift-giving – all the merry-making festivities.
And I love every single bit of it.
But.
I never want that to be at the expense of forgetting that Christmas is ALL about celebrating the birth of Jesus.
His arrival on earth as a helpless baby, one who would save humanity by laying down His life – it’s the most magnificent gift we could ever receive.
And I would never want that to be overshadowed by all of the blessings He graciously gives us to enjoy.
So let’s talk about some ways you can keep Christ central this Christmas. These are meant to enhance your Christmas season not feel burdensome.
Choose what works best for you and your family, what resonates with y’all the most.
30 Special Christian Christmas Celebration Ideas
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1| Christ-Centered Christmas Crafts
This one should be no surprise! I love creating crafts and decor. Here, you can see 25 specifically Christ-centered Christmas crafts for adults. Lots of gorgeous ideas for DIY decor and even to give as gifts!
Of course, we want the kids to be involve, so this post includes 65 Nativity Crafts for kids, all the way up through adults.
2| Decorate a Tree with Christian Ornaments
I love the idea of having Christ-centered ornaments on a tree.
One year, I had a special tree designated just for the Names of Jesus.
For ornament ideas, this post has 30 Christ-centered DIY Christmas ornaments – again, for kids up through adults.
3| Create Outside Decor that Proclaims Jesus
So that tree I mentioned before? One year, I set it right out on the front porch! I wanted Amazon delivery person, everyone who approached our door that we are all about Jesus here.
There are so many beautiful options – from Christian porch signs to a wooden nativity you can place right on the lawn.
4| The Shepherd on the Search
This is such a meaningful alternative to Elf on the Shelf!
This book along with a plush shepherd follows the interactive journey of a shepherds as he travels to find baby Jesus.
Similar to EOTS, kids move the shepherd figure each day, creating anticipation and excitement leading up to Christmas.
You can also get free printable activities to go along with it! Get the kit here!
5| Advent Calendars
Advent calendars celebrate the 24 -25 days in December leading to Christmas, usually with a Scripture reading that tells part of the Christmas story each day. Some families include a little gift, chocolate, family activity, or act of kindness as well.
But the goal is to follow the Christmas story in the Bible with daily readings leading up to Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
Families choose to just do a ’12 Days of Christmas’ advent, which might include focusing on a different person or event in the Christmas story each day.
Both types – a 24/5 day or a 12-day advent calendar ideas are included here – and ALL Christ-centered and FREE!
If you’d like to create your own physical advent calendar to have some place to store all your ideas and something new to open each day, here are 55 DIY advent calendars!
6| Jesse Tree
A Jesse Tree is like an advent calendar in that it covers the 24-25 days in December with a daily Bible reading.
However, the Jesse Tree starts with the Creation story and traces the Old Testament narrative up to birth of Christ.
Its name comes from Isaiah 11:1, which prophesies a branch, growing from a stump of the house of Jesse, which we know to be Jesus:
A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
Each day, the reading has a symbolic ornament which you can hang on a tree.
It provides excellent context for the Christmas story and is a great option if you’ve done a traditional advent calendar each year and want to change it up.
You can take a look here for 21 different Jesse tree ornament and display ideas – all free! The post also included a few options at the end for purchase, in case you don’t have time to make your own.
Below are ornaments I made painted with watercolors, which comes from a free set you’ll see on the list.
7| Advent Candle Wreaths
An advent candle wreath consists of a weekly reading on each Sunday in December leading up to Christmas.
Every Sunday, the family reads a devotional and lights a candle. On Christmas, the center candle, representing Jesus, is lit.
To see how I created my advent wreath as well as resources for weekly advent readings, take a look here!
8| Advent Bible Studies
Christmas is a great time to focus on the story of Christmas in the Bible and really dig into all the nuances of the story.
If you’re looking for some good, free Christmas-themed Bible studies, here are 21+ different FREE PRINTABLE Bible studies you can download.
Several of these are family-friendly and would be great for a kids Bible study, family worship, or devotional time.
I also love using the apps YouVersion and First5, which also have some great advent Bible studies.
9| Studying the Names of Jesus
Going through the names of Jesus is another great way to study through the Christmas story. You can even do an entire Bible study on the names of Jesus, like this one (it’s free!)!
It’s another great way to keep the focus on Christ this season. You can find kid-friendly Names of Jesus options for this in the advent calendar post as well!
10| Christ-Centered Gift-Giving
A gift that points to Jesus is a very effective way to bring Him into the spotlight, even if the recipient isn’t a believer.
One of my very first projects on this blog that I created was a Nativity Trail Mix. It tells the Christmas story using various ingredients in the trail mix.
This simple gift is an easy way to share Jesus at Christmas time with neighbors, coworkers, teachers, friends – any and everyone!
You can also include these Christ-centered free printable Christmas tags on any gift you give. It just points others to Jesus with every gift shared.
Another fun idea is Scripture-themed wrapping paper. You just wrap gifts in plain kraft paper and write Bible verses about Jesus’ birth on them.
Even the little ones can draw Christ-centered Christmas pictures on them!
11| Caring for the Needy
This is a great way to help kids get the focus off their own Christmas lists’ and on to caring for others.
My family have done several of these projects over the years. Here are some creative ways to do this:
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Give through Compassion International or World Vision by purchasing items like chickens or goats to help villages in poverty.
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Pack a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child.
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Purchase Angel Tree gifts for children with incarcerated parents. You can often find needy families right within your own communities or through your church.
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Consider giving one less gift and using the money to bless a family in need.
- Give new toys to children in need through local drives, charities, or churches.
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Check nursing homes for giving trees with resident gift tags.
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Watch local Facebook pages for community gift-giving opportunities.
12| Acts of Kindness
Acts of Kindness don’t have to cost a lot – but it’s another hands-on way to get kids involved in caring for others.
To make things easy, I created a December Acts of Kindness calendar & activity cards isolated into one easy PDF! 
13| Host a Neighborhood Christmas Drop-In
We did this one year and it really helped us connect with our neighbors that we don’t get to interact with much on a day-to-day basis.
We set up our driveway with a firepit and marshmallows, hot cocoa, and cookies. We made invitations, put them in our neighbors’ mailboxes, and invited them to come by.
We set a 2-hour window so it wasn’t too awkward for anyone, and a drop-in allows people to come and go and stay for as long as it’s comfortable, with no obligation to a long time period.
I also made little gifts to give them (Nativity Trail Mix) to thank them for coming by. (You can also choose one of these 30 easy Neighbor Christmas Gift ideas that all come with printable tags!!)
It’s a very low-risk way to reach out to neighbors, to begin friendships where you can share God’s love with them and get to know them.
14| Create a Christmas Worship Playlist
I LOVE listening to worship Christmas music. My favorite Pandora station for this is Hillsong (Holiday) Radio. It’s the best way to keep your eyes on Jesus as you’re going about your day!
Youtube also has lots of worship Christmas playlists to choose from.
15| Create Your Own Nativity Scene
To help bring the nativity to life, let kids create or help set up a nativity scene. You can use figurines, DIY crafts, or even LEGO to make it memorable.
This post also has printable Nativity options to keep things real simple!
Another fun option would be to have your kids put on a Nativity show – as a play or with puppets!
16| Create a Gratitude Tree
There’s no need to stop the practice of gratitude after Thanksgiving! Christmas is a great time to emphasize how much we’ve been given.
You can have your family write down blessings on paper ornaments and hang them on a small tree to celebrate God’s goodness.
I love this as an addition to a traditional Christmas tree. Or even hang them on the big family tree – your choice!
17| Donate Toys
This one has so many benefits.
Not only is it practical in the way of decluttering before Christmas, but it also teaches kids awareness of the needs of others.
I love the idea of well-loved toys getting a new life with other children (and that’s how I encourage my sons to pass on toys they have moved on from but might be reluctant to give away!).
Of course, these toys should be in excellent used condition – I’m sure that goes without saying.
18| Volunteer Together as a Family
This is another hands-on opportunity for kids to think of others during this time of year.
There are endless options: serve meals at a shelter, visit a nursing home, or help with a local Christmas outreach program.
Your church is probably a great place to start if you need ideas of where to serve locally. Volunteer Match also can point you in the right direction for your area!
19| Christ-Centered Baking
This can be a really fun family activity.
Instead of traditional Christmas baking, you can bake cookies, bread, or treats with a spiritual tie-in (like star-shaped cookies representing the star of Bethlehem).
Or, bake cookies or treats to give away as gifts to neighbors, service workers, and teachers.
20| Watch Christ-Centered Christmas Movies
There are a host of movies that either directly tell the Christmas story or have Christian themes that you can discuss together.
Some good options that focus on the nativity, faith, and the true story of Christmas, all of the kid-friendly:
The Star
The Nativity Story
A Christmas Carol
A Charlie Brown Christmas
It’s a Wonderful Life
The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever
21| Sing & Study Christmas Carols
So many of the Christmas carols that we sing are rich in theology!
As you sing them through the season, take the time to learn the stories behind classic carols as well as dig into the spiritual truths they teach!
You can get some free ideas and resources here. And this one has video versions of the carols to listen to as well!
22| Neighborhood Christmas Carol Candlelight Walk
Here’s a way to build on that Christmas carol theme! On a night in December, go for a walk in your neighborhood with LED candles, singing Christmas carols.
You can even have candy canes with the story of Jesus on hand to give out to anyone you encounter.
No need to go door-to-door (unless you want to), but I promise, it will be magical!
23| Make Christmas Cards for Nursing Home Residents
Kids usually love creating Christmas cards this time of year.
It’s a great opportunity to encourage and bless elderly residents with handmade or handwritten cards reminding them of God’s love and that they aren’t forgotten!
24| Host a “Happy Birthday, Jesus” Party
We’ve done this many times over the years!
Bake a cake, sing, and celebrate Jesus’ birthday with your family or small group—it’s a fun way to remind kids Who Christmas is all about!
This can be something simple or make it a party!
25| A Gift for Jesus
Have you ever thought of how you can GIVE a gift to Jesus this year?
This post provides an excellent way for your family to focus on what you can give to Jesus this year for His birthday!
26 | Star Hunt
For this activity, take a star ornament or cut-out and hide it around the house each night (like the wise men seeking Jesus). Kids love searching for it!
This is a fun way to engage the little ones in the Christmas story!
27 | Nativity Scavenger Hunt
To level up on the idea above, here you can hide pieces of a nativity set around the house.
Then, allow the kids to find them one by one as you (or they) read the Bible verses connected to each. This free printable can make it even more fun!
You can do this as a single activity or as a daily hunt!
28 | Christmas Story Stones
Painting rocks has been a family favorite around here!
For this activity, paint or draw nativity characters on rocks. Then, kids can retell and act out the story in their own words using their rocks.
This Nativity post has a few beautiful ideas for story stones in it!
29| Christmas Eve Blessing Bags
For this activity, you can pack small gift bags with snacks, socks, and notes about Jesus. Then, set a time to deliver them to people in need or leave them in your car to give out.
This is also a great idea for a ‘Christmas party’ activity. I love it as a way that, as you’re celebrating, the focus is on blessing others.
30| The Bethlehem Meal
This is something you can do as a family, a small group, or with friends. Here, host a simple “Bethlehem dinner” — flatbread, cheese, grapes, olives, and lentil stew (foods similar to what Mary, Joseph, and Jesus may have eaten).
It’s a perfect way to use it as a conversation starter about the humble way Christ came into the world.
Get the ‘Christ-Centered Christmas’ Free Printable!
If you’d like to grab this free printable with all of these ideas for a Christ-centered Christmas, just fill out the box below! Perfect to hang on the refrigerator as a holiday reminder!
*** For best results, download on a PC, not a mobile device.
The Heart of Christmas: God’s Love for Us and For Others
Christmas is a great time to help our kids look out and up instead of focusing on themselves. Christmas is about giving – God GAVE His Son to us to show His love. We show our love for Him by giving to other.
I hope you found some ideas you can use to keep the focus on Jesus and use Christmas as an opportunity to show His love to others.
I’d love to hear what you and your family do to keep Jesus at the center of Christmas! Leave a comment below!
And if you found this post helpful, I’d be so grateful if you pinned or shared. Thank you so much!
Merry Christmas!
