Celebrating Christmas with kids
Free Christmas activities for families to do at home
We all know Christmas is an exciting time of year for kids. Presents, decorations, carols and celebrations – there is so much to enjoy!
But with family get togethers, school holidays and parents busy making preparations, it’s helpful to have some family-friendly Christmas activities on hand to keep the kids busy. You may also be looking for some fun and easy ways to teach the kids in your life about the real meaning of Christmas.
The Salvation Army’s Kidzone team have got you covered! Our weekly kids’ magazine, Kidzone, which is perfect for kids aged 5-12, have pulled together some fun, free Christmas activities on their website. Plus, their special 24-page bumper Christmas issue is packed full of Christmas stories, cooking, comics, craft and competitions with the theme ‘Extra! Extra! Good News!’ — featuring Kidzone characters celebrating Jesus’ birth, the best news of all time.
Contact your local Salvos or visit a Salvos Store to ask about getting a Christmas copy of Kidzone.
You can read the full Christmas message in the Bible, in Matthew chapters 1 and 2, and Luke chapters 1 and 2.
After Jesus was born, there were a group of people called Magi – or ‘Wise Men’. They studied the Word of God, which spoke about a King coming to Earth, and being marked by a special star. When they saw the special star in the sky, they were excited! They followed the star which led them to Jesus.
When they found Jesus, they gave him gifts fit for a king – gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
The actions of the Magi is one reason why we give gifts to each other at Christmas.
You may like to play a game of ‘Pin the Gift on the Wiseman’ as part of sharing this story with the kids in your life.
Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus, God’s son. God, our Creator, loves us and gave Jesus as a gift to the whole world. Because of Jesus, we can have joy, peace and friendship with him.
A young woman called Mary was told by an angel that she would become the mother of Jesus.
When the time came for Mary to give birth to Jesus, she travelled with her husband Joseph to Bethlehem. It was very busy there and there were no guest rooms for them to stay in. They were offered a place to sleep in what was probably a barn or stable for animals. Mary gave birth to Jesus and laid him in a manger (where an animal eats).
Angels then appeared to some shepherds, sharing with them the good news of Jesus’ birth. Jesus is the King of Heaven, and he has come to Earth to be with us and give us peace and joy, they said. (The Christmas carol Hark! The Herald Angels Sing tells us about this event.)
The shepherds went to visit Jesus in his manger. They praised and worshipped him, then told everyone else about it.
Christmas in Australia for kids is typically filled with visits to Santa at the shopping centre, outside carols services on warm evenings and toys on Christmas morning. But Christmas is not all about what we get. Although Christmas is a time to celebrate the gift of Jesus that God gave to us, it’s also a time to share that gift of love and kindness with others.
The Salvos Kidzone have created a Random Acts of Kindness Advent Calendar to help kids think about others throughout the Christmas season. Each day includes ideas such as make a card for a neighbour, choose a toy to donate to Salvos Stores, tell jokes to someone who needs a laugh and make a present for a friend.
Find the reverse advent calendar on the Kidzone website. While there, download the free template to make some gift tags – perfect for all the gifts of kindness that will be shared this Christmas.
Yes! Head to the Kidzone Christmas website and find some free colouring sheets you can download and print, all of which celebrate the birth of Jesus.
While there, check out the Kidzone colouring book, which would make a great Christmas gift for the kids in your life!
We encourage you to contact your local Salvos or visit our list of events to find your nearest carols service, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day church service.