Favorite Things Christmas Gift Guide for Christian Families

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I love Christmas gift giving.

It is an incredibly special thing for my family and me. We carefully consider gifts to buy, and then purchase only a small number of modest gifts for one another, this year we’re going for these necklaces, there’s a very special meaning behind coin necklaces. We find this helps our hearts stay grateful and worshipful, and we also get to show love to one another.

Because Christmas gifts are something I put a lot of thought into, I want to share a list of some of my favorite gifts we have given and received in recent years. I hope this list inspires you with ideas… and maybe even frees you up to enjoy the peacefulness of intentional online Christmas shopping on Shoppok in place of the madness and crowds of Black Friday! 🙂

For more on the theory of why we give Christmas gifts the way we do, check out this weeks’ Embracing a Simpler Life podcast episode: Redeeming Christmas Gift Giving.

My husband and I share how our way of celebrating Christmas went from consumeristic and stressful to worshipful and sweet.

–Listen on iTunes here.

–Listen directly in your browser here.

–Or search Embracing a Simpler Life in your podcast app!

For advent

Don’t wait until Christmas for these advent gifts. They are best given at the beginning of December!

Unwrapping the Names of Jesus: An Advent Devotional

My family and I are going through this beautiful devotional this year as we prepare our hearts for Christmas. It is great! Advent has the potential to be a incredibly worshipful time if only we slow ourselves long enough to consider what God has done for us.

Truth in Tinsel

This is a printable ebook with ornament crafts that tell the story of the birth of Jesus. You can fill a small tree with these handmade ornaments and corresponding Christmas devotions. I did this with my children two years ago, and it was SUCH a blessing! They were able to learn and interact with the Christmas story in a tangible way. It meant a lot to my children, and I highly recommend it! It is currently on sale for 20% off!

Note: for an easier alternative, you can also purchase “printable ornaments” to go with the Truth in Tinsel ebook. These require no craft supplies, so that does make it more doable for a busy mom. 🙂 Get the Printable Bundle here.

Photo credit: Mama Hall

Gifts for Little Ones

Elmo’s On the Go Letters

My Emily received this letter activity for her second birthday, and we both love it! She has learned many of her letters, has mastered matching, has honed her puzzle skills, and is so proud that it all comes in a case she can carry with her. This is a great gift for a 2 year old!

A toddler backpack

I’ve learned from my own kids and friends’ kids that 1-3 year olds LOVE backpacks! Plus it is about the cutest thing ever to watch them haul all their treasures around in a character backpack. These end up being functional too, as they can be packed with diapers, changes of clothes, and sippy cups. At this point they’ve replaced my need for a diaper bag altogether!

We’ve enjoyed the Skip Hop Zoo backpacks, and they have held up well.

A piece of luggage

The Christmas when each of my children were under the age of one, my mother-in-law had the thoughtfulness to buy them a cute, individualized piece of luggage. As the kids have grown, they love their luggage and use it often!

This was a brilliant Christmas gift that we have greatly appreciated. 🙂

A Play Doh set

When my first-born was little, I didn’t understand the importance of allowing her to play with Play Doh. I didn’t bother to get any since I assumed she would build her fine motor strength through other types of play.

Well, as it turned out, I was wrong. When it was time for her to begin learning to write, we had a struggle on our hands, mostly because it was hard for her. I have taken a very different approach with my younger two. They play with Play Doh often and they LOVE it.

It keeps them busy, and it seems to have made a huge impact on their ease of learning to write.

A dress up outfit

I have decided that across the board, children love to dress up at the age of three. I nearly always give dress up outfits to 3 year olds for Christmas and birthdays, and it’s always a huge success! This is a great catalyst for wonderful, imaginative role play.

 

Gifts for ages 4-7

Legos

All of my kids enjoy legos, and as they began to age into them a couple of years ago, I made an intentional choice. I decided that instead of accumulating sets of legos, we would buy generic lego pieces and allow them to build creatively. In this way we were able to have far fewer legos in our home, since the possibilities are endless, and my kids are using their imagination.

This has worked out just as well as I’d hoped. They spend hours playing with a small set of lego pieces very often.

Also does come with an instruction book with several different types of things you can build if you want your kiddos to have that practice as well.

Lincoln Logs

My children received a set of Lincoln Logs last Christmas and they have become a favorite toy! They are played with many times a week in our home. I love how simple they are! Lincoln Logs are a wonderful creative outlet as children experiment with historical architecture and play. They are a classic toy for a reason!

American Girl books

These books are probably my daughter’s favorites. As historical fiction, they have educational and historical value. American Girl stories typically come in a series of 6 books, so I recommend buying a boxed set. We always read them sequence and in a row!

(I really enjoyed the Samantha series. That would be a great place to start!)

These books are considered to be 4th grade reading level. However, my 1st grader loves them as a read aloud.

Little House on the Prairie books

Little House on the Prairie books are wonderful because they are true and accurate, they offer a wonderful historical perspective, and the characters are godly people who lean on the Lord. I enjoyed these books greatly as a child, and my kids feel the same. They are also arguably the best children’s literature available. They work for boys or girls.

While they are considered 4th grade reading level, they are appropriate as a read aloud for younger elementary children.

 

Gifts for Spiritual Growth

Christmas is a great time to encourage our children and family members to go deeper in their walk with God. Here are some fun ideas for that…

A kids’ Bible case

Last year for Christmas my parents gave my daughter a pretty Bible case. It has been such a fun way for her to get excited about her Bible and taking it with her to church!

Jesus Storybook Bible

I give this book to everyone who doesn’t already have it. I love the way Sally Lloyd-Jones simplifies stunning truths for children (and adults). My children and I have had this storybook Bible for years and we are still reading it often.

It is for ages 4 and over.

Read Aloud Bible Stories for Kids

These Bibles are a fantastic way to help a younger child (age 3) engage with the Bible. They are very engaging and easy for a young child to understand and engage with. My son received this set last year for Christmas as a 3 year old, and it opened the door to start having spiritual conversations. What a blessing!

She Reads Truth Bible

I am throwing this one in because everyone I know who has it loves it, and I am seriously considering getting it in the future. It would be great for a woman in your life who you want to encourage! Or maybe it is someone into whose hands you want to place scripture for the first time. Just sayin’.

It comes in different color styles, but this one is my favorite.

Gifts for the whole Family

Ticket to Ride

I purchased this game last Christmas for my own family and my nieces and nephews. It has been such a hit for both of our families. My sister in law has dubbed it the best game ever. It is fun for kids and adults (probably ages 7 and up in my experience), and it has educational benefits too!

 

For Grandparents and Parents

Photo Calendars

I love photo gifts for my parents, and even my siblings. The beauty of photo gifts is that they celebrate relationship. Every year, I give my parents and my in-laws a photo calendar. It’s perfect because not only is it covered in beautiful photos of grandkids, but it’s also functional.

I have used a few different online photo shops over the past few years, but my favorite is Mixbook! Their designs are just the best, and for less than $30 I can get a large, 12×12, heavy duty calendar. They are predesigned and just gorgeous. I also order our Christmas cards from Mixbook.

Mixbook is currently running a sale of up to 55% off with code BFACCESS.

On Cyber Monday, the entire site will be 50% off + free shipping, which in my opinion is their best sale of the year. I will have my calendars ready to go by then!

This is a snapshot from last year’s calendar. Make your own here.

Other Photo Gifts

There are lots of other fun photo gifts out there! Maybe even the gift of a whole family photo session with a photographer would be a fun surprise and cherished for years to come.

 

Other ideas

Don’t forget, season passes or event tickets allow families to spend time together, and homemade gifts show love and care!

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