Disclosure: My Big Fat Happy Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
During S’s first December, she was too young for an advent calendar but I wanted to start some traditions. I came across an article about a mom who wrapped up Christmas/Winter books and each night the kids get to pick out a book to read before bed. This tradition combines two of our favorite things Christmas and books! I was sold.
We store our Christmas books in with our Christmas decorations, so before Thanksgiving, I will get the tote down and wrap all the books using old wrapping paper (or the stuff that you can get 70% off after Christmas). It does take a while to wrap 24 books and it is not my favorite thing to do, but I put on some Christmas music, drink some eggnog, and try to get into the spirit. I always wrap the Night Before Christmas in a different paper or mark it on the back, so that that book is saved for Christmas Eve.
When December 1st hits, S picks out a book after her bath and unwraps it. Then we sit and read the book usually in her bed snuggled up. I keep the unopened and opened books in a basket next to her bed. Throughout the holiday season, we re-read the books that have already been opened.
Current favorites:
Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner
Little Critter Night Before Christmas by Mercer Mayer
The Polar Express
Merry Christmas Mom and Dad by Mercer Mayer
Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson
Mortimer’s Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson
Just a Snowman by Mercer Mayer
Merry Christmas Little Critter by Mercer Mayer
The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear by Jan Berenstain
The Berenstain Bears Trim a Tree by Jan Berenstain
Arthur’s Christmas by Marc Brown
Frosty the Snowman by Diane Muldrow
Santa’s Favorite Story by Hisako Aoki
Olivia Claus by Kama Einhorn
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Rick Bunsen
The 12 Days of Christmas by Laurel Long
A Very Marley Christmas by John Grogan
The Animals’ Merry Christmas by Richard Scary
Little People Christmastime is Here by Fisher Price
The Poky Little Puppy’s First Christmas by Justine Korman
The Santa Claus Book (vintage find)
The Christmas Blizzard by Helen Ketteman (vintage find)
The Biggest, Most Beautiful Christmas Tree by Amye Rosenberg (From my Childhood)
Pooh: The Sweetest Christmas by Ann Braybrooks (From my Childhood)
Previous favorites from when S was younger:
Duck and Goose It’s Christmas Time by Tad Hills
That’s Not a My Snowman by Fiona Watt
Clifford’s First Christmas by Norman Bridwell
Curious George: Curious About Christmas by H.A. Rey
I really like that this tradition helps curb the desire to open Christmas presents early, that it encourages reading and family time during the busy holiday season.
Tip #1: Books are expensive to purchase if you don’t have 24. A couple options are to check books out of the library or shorten the timeframe of doing the nightly books from 24 nights to 12 nights for example. Many of the Christmas books we use are actually books from my childhood. In addition, most of the books that I have purchased were bought at thrift stores or the day after Christmas at 50% off.
Tip #2: I do update and change out the books periodically as S grows.
Tip #3: If you have more than one child, have them alternate who gets to pick the books which nights.
What is your family’s favorite Christmas book?
They are all great books and I love the idea of wrapping them for S to open each night of December. And that you save The Night Before Christmas for Christmas Eve – priceless!
Thank you Alli! It is so much fun and I love creating the memories with her.
I am loving this idea! I agree with the wrapping but you have to keep up with traditions.
My legs and back were so tired from sitting on the floor and wrapping. Next year I am going to have to wrap them on the table 🙂
I love this idea Paris! I may need to do this for my youngest daughter next year.
She would enjoy it. Plus you get to spend time together 🙂
I can’t think of a favorite book, but we have a few age-appropriate bible lesson for our son. Great list, by the way.
Thank you Joyce!
This is so much better than getting a new piece of chocolate every day! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
http://neatly-packaged.com/
Thanks Nancy! I use to love that chocolate in the morning when I was growing up! 🙂
I love this idea. I had planned on doing this had already bought 3 new book but then I thought I can’t withhold my daughter from reading these books now! ha ha
lol Nicole! Maybe next year 🙂
A great idea and one I will adopt next year. Thank you for sharing this idea. I thought it was so good that I pinned it.
Thank you so much Pascha! You and your family will love this!
Such a cute idea, Paris! We have the “That’s Not My Tiger” book that’s similar to the “That’s Not My Snowman”–maybe I’ll get that for my daughter as a fun, age appropriate book for this Christmas!
Thank you Natalie! We love the “That’s Not My Snowman” book and all of it’s fun textures. S still likes to look through it and “That’s Not My Dinosaur”
I love this idea! I’m sure she will carry on the tradition with her own kids someday. Thanks for linking up at the Home Matters Link Party!
~Bonnie
Thank you Bonnie! I hope she does!
I started this tradition with my kids last year too and they loved it! It’s definitely a chore to wrap all those books but they have so much fun opening one each night. Thanks for linking up with us at Your Turn To Shine 🙂
I agree Amy! My daughter loves to run and pick out a book every night before bed.
Great list! I also love “This it the Stable”. We don’t do a book every day but we do a few new books as part of our advent activities.
Thank you Elizabeth! I’ll have to check out “This is the Stable”
Mine and my families favourite Christmas book seems to be one no one else has ever heard of. It’s called “This is the Star” by Joyce Dunbar, it’s a rhyme that builds up as the pages turn and is just a gorgeous version of the Christmas story with THE most amazing illustrations. I love it and read it with my kids every Christmas eve when they were younger.
My kids also loved the Jolly Postman when they were little but I think that might be very English !
Thank you Julie for the recommendation! I am going to have to look for “This is the Star”.