Best Children’s Christmas Stories for Church
With Christmas just around the corner, it’s time to get excited. Celebrating the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is important for everyone, kids and adults alike. This monumental day in history offers a chance for gratitude, reflection, and joy — there’s a reason it’s everyone’s favorite holiday!
We have compiled a list of 12 fun and engaging Christmas stories for kids to teach your children about the birth of Jesus in a way that makes sense to them. Bring the Christmas story for kids to life, whether at home or church with these dynamic read-aloud stories.
1. The Christmas Story
Telling the Christmas Story is a must, as it is the most important story to share during this holiday. Teach your kids about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the Three Wise Men, and Nativity while watching this animated read-aloud story version, which is suitable for kids of all ages.
2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Bring the fun into your storytelling time by reading this family favorite. How the Grinch Stole Christmas may not seem particularly Christian at first glance, but it features many essential themes like the importance of family and taking care of everyone, even the grumpy people. This story might be upsetting to the youngest kids.
3. The Candymaker’s Gift
Written by award-winning author Helen Haidle, this is one of our favorite kids' Christmas books. Beautifully illustrated and written with simplistic and easy-to-digest words, this story talks of a special Christmas treat — one that would tell the story of Jesus.
4. Cricket at the Manger
This Christmas story for children’s church explains the birth of Jesus through a slightly different lens. A grumpy old cricket is struggling to sleep one night due to the racket caused by rejoicing people all around. Once miserable and complaining, he quickly realizes the gravity of the scene he is witness to.
5. The Elves and the Shoemaker
The importance of generosity, kindness, and hard work is highlighted in this, which is one of the Brothers Grimm children’s Christmas storybooks. A failing shoemaker is struggling to make ends meet and experiences a Christmas miracle at the hands of two magic elves.
6. The Tale of Three Trees
Watch this 24-minute-long animated story with your learners in Sunday school to teach them a new perspective on Christmas. Like a short movie, this is one of the best free Christmas stories for kids, highlighting the importance of trusting God’s plan for each of us. One tree wanted to become a treasure box, not a manger, but in the end, he had the greatest honor in the world.
7. Little Drummer Boy
A young boy present in Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’s birth may have been too poor to buy a gift fit for His greatness. But he did have one thing — musical talent. This classic is one of the top favorite children’s Christmas stories, as the kids in your class will relate to the drummer boy, placing themselves in his shoes.
8. The Three Miracles
The Nativity story meets Santa Claus in these cross-over Christmas stories for kids. As an exciting fantasy story, it explains that Santa couldn’t find his way after the birth of Jesus because his guiding light ceased to shine. Just like faith in Jesus is constant, the star returned to the sky once more to light the right path.
9. God Gave Us Christmas
Created to bring children closer to their parents and to God, this heartfelt story asks all the right questions to make little ones feel held. Mama polar bear and cub head off on an expedition to discover the true meaning of Christmas, and on their journey, they realize that God really is all around them.
10. The Crippled Lamb
This Christmas read-aloud for kids takes a fresh look at the Nativity story, this time telling it from the perspective of a lamb who cannot walk. Little ones love heartwarming Christmas stories for kids, and this narrative teaches them how God loves everyone equally, even those who are different. Here is a longer, animated version that your church and kids will enjoy.
11. The Night Before Christmas
Written to help kids calm their excitement before sleeping on Christmas Eve, this story has more Biblical meaning than you might think. Send your imagination back several thousand years, and get your kids to feel the anticipation of the birth of Jesus. Bring your Sunday school lessons to life with a musical take on the classic story, ’Twas the Night Before Christmas.
12. A Christmas Carol
As one of the longer Christmas books for kids, this might be a more appropriate choice for independent reading for middle school and up. A Christmas Carol story for kids story teaches an important message about Christian minimalism, highlighting that living a stingy, selfish lifestyle as Scrooge does at the start will not serve you in the long term.
Conclusion
Keep the true essence of Christmas at the forefront of your kids minds by reading your little ones books with religious significance this Christmastime. It’s easy to get lost in the materialistic nature of the holiday season, but really, giving thanks to Jesus and remembering His story is what it’s all about. Read these Christmas stories for kids in the lead-up to the special day, and get your children excited to celebrate the Lord.