One of my favorite family traditions is reading one Christmas book each night in December leading up to Christmas. I love this tradition because we can share books as a family. The kids love it because they unwrap a gift each day before Christmas. We always enjoy rereading some of our favorite books. I also usually pick up a few books we haven’t read from the library. This gives us a variety of favorite and new books to share.
Here’s how we enjoy Christmas books in our home.
Before December 1:
- Gather 25 children’s Christmas books from a home collection or check them out from the library. We have received several Christmas books as gifts over the years. I store those in a tub in storage during the year. This way, they feel “new” to the kids as they haven’t seen them since last year. Find some great picture book suggestions here.
- Pick up a roll or two of wrapping paper and tape to be sure I have enough on hand. Some years, I have leftover gift wrap to use from last year. I rarely have enough. So, I grab some while I shop Black Friday sales.
- After the kids go to bed one evening, I turn on a holiday movie and wrap each book while I enjoy a movie. I enjoy looking at what books we will read this year. There are a lot of fun memories from the books we’ve shared previous years.
- Put the books in a basket/bin that is easy to access each night in December. We enjoy it near the Christmas tree.
Starting December 1:
- Each night at bedtime, the kids select which book to unwrap, and we read it together as a family.
- After the kids unwrap a book, I will move it to our living room for the rest of the month. We can reread it throughout December.
Starting after December 1:
- Some years, I couldn’t get all 25 Christmas books wrapped and ready before December 1. I would wrap a few books at a time to get started, then wrap more throughout the month, as time permits.
- Or start later in the month. Maybe do 10 or 12 days of books leading up to the holiday rather than 25.
Not enough books?
- I grab a few books from the Pikes Peak Library District every year. I will do this in mid-to-late November. If the library doesn’t have a good selection or the shelves are empty, consider sharing books with a neighbor or another family. Thrift stores can also have some holiday books I pick up throughout the year and store away for December.
Too many books?
- The kids were given several board books as toddlers/preschoolers. They are too short for a full bedtime story, but the kids love to look at them each year. If I have too many books, I wrap a small board book with another book for a few nights. The kids enjoy a favorite (board book), but we still get a lengthier storybook to read together.
Variations on the tradition
Celebrate other holidays:
- We do this for Christmas, but it could be similar for any other holiday.
- The library has terrific resources for most holidays if you want to grab a handful of holiday-themed books to share as a family.
- What about Halloween, Valentine’s Day, or a child’s birth month to make a special memory of other holidays during the year? Find some fun picture book ideas here.
Reading as a family is a fun way to enjoy the holiday together. The kids enjoy unwrapping a gift. It is a way for our family to get the kids reading (and enjoy the pictures, of course) during an otherwise busy time of year.
Do you have a favorite holiday book that your family enjoys each year? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
