It’s that time again! Time to change up our little bookshelfie—packing away the November books and bringing out all of our Christmas favorites. There’s something so cozy about having a shelf full of seasonal stories right at kid-height. It makes it easy to curl up by the tree, grab a book, and turn an ordinary afternoon into a little Christmas moment.
If you haven’t checked out our Christmas Fun Bucket List yet, be sure to take a peek so you can put some fun things on the calendar before the month slips away. It pairs really well with these books and activities.
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Here are some of the Christmas books on our shelf this month, along with a few fun ways to celebrate the season with each one:
Christmas Is Coming: An Advent Book
This is a sweet advent-style book that helps kids count down to Christmas with simple ideas and charming illustrations. It’s full of short prompts and little activities that make each day feel special.
Pick a few activities from this book or use it as a daily guide and do one small thing each day leading up to Christmas.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
A total classic. This rhyming story about the Grinch discovering that Christmas is more than presents and decorations never gets old.
Activity: We love pairing the book with the newer Grinch movie by Illumination—it never fails to make me cry at the end.
Craft Activity: Create a hand-stamped Grinch tree! Paint your child’s hand lime green and stamp it upside down on a sheet of paper so it looks like a tree. Use fingerprints to add ornaments and a star, then write “Merry Grinchmas” underneath.
Little Red Sleigh by Erin Guendelsberger
This is a sweet story about a little sleigh with a big dream—wanting to become Santa’s sleigh one day. It’s a beautiful tale of perseverance, courage, and believing in yourself.
You can pair this one with any sleigh- or snow-themed activity, like going for a winter walk, going sledding, or making snow angels!
The Christmas Wish by Lori Evert
This book feels like stepping into a Nordic winter fairy tale. Anja sets off on a snowy adventure to find Santa, and the photography-style illustrations are stunning.
Family Practice: Take this opportunity to talk about generosity and giving. You can:
- Declutter toys and books and drop them off at a local thrift store.
- Grab a Christmas tree tag from a giving tree and sponsor a child.
- Take your child shopping to choose toys and gifts for a child in need.
It’s such a beautiful way to show kids how to give back during the season.
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
This magical story follows a boy who takes a mysterious train ride to the North Pole and rediscovers the wonder of believing. It’s atmospheric, cozy, and perfect for a winter night.
Activity:
- Pair the book with the movie and make it a whole event—print tickets, make popcorn, and serve hot chocolate. Check your local movie theaters or libraries; they sometimes host special Polar Express showings.
- You may even be able to find an actual Polar Express train ride experience near you, which would be unforgettable for kids.
I Spy Christmas
This one is a fun, interactive seek-and-find book full of Christmas-themed pictures and hidden objects. It’s great for a wide range of ages and perfect for quiet time or car rides.
You can turn it into a game by timing how fast kids can find certain objects or by letting them take turns “calling out” what everyone has to find next.
Craft Activity: If your kids are younger, you could set up Christmas sensory bin —think cotton balls as “snow,” plus jingle bells, mini ornaments, bottlebrush trees, and little figurines to hide and “spy.” Kids can dig, scoop, and search for items you call out, just like the pages of the book.
Dasher by Matt Tavares
Dasher tells the origin story of one of Santa’s reindeer and how she ends up flying through the night sky with Santa’s sleigh. The illustrations are beautiful, and the story has such a cozy, magical feel.
This is a good one to read before doing any reindeer crafts, making “reindeer food,” or going out to look at Christmas lights.
Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett
A playful twist on the classic gingerbread man story, with Jan Brett’s signature detailed illustrations that kids love to pore over.
Cooking Activity: Make a gingerbread house together! You can go all out from scratch or grab a prebuilt kit with all the toppings included. Or bake your own gingerbread cookies and decorate them with yummy buttercream frosting and sprinkles.
Pick a Pine Tree by Patricia Toht
This book follows the tradition of choosing, bringing home, and decorating a Christmas tree. The rhyming text and illustrations make it feel like you’re right there in the tree lot.
Activity: If you love going out to cut down a real tree, this is the perfect book to read before (or after) that adventure. Even if you use an artificial tree, you can read it before a special decorating night with cocoa and Christmas music.
The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore
The classic poem about Santa’s visit on Christmas Eve. It’s traditional, cozy, and a perfect way to end the night on December 24th.
Family Tradition: In our home, we always read this one on Christmas Eve. Our Christmas Eve tradition includes a special Christmas dinner (I absolutely do not cook on Christmas Day), opening one present—always new Christmas jammies and sometimes cozy socks—throwing out special “reindeer food” (oats and glitter) on the lawn, and setting out cookies and milk for Santa.
Other Christmas Activities to Pair with These Books
Here are a few more simple activities that work well with just about any Christmas book on your shelf:
- Write a letter to Santa.
- Bake sugar cookies from scratch and decorate them together. (I’ll be posting my favorite sugar cookie recipe soon!)
- Take a drive to look at Christmas lights. Our city has a big drive-through light display, but there are also so many neighborhoods full of beautiful decorations. Put on jammies, bring hot cocoa in travel mugs, and blast some Christmas music while you drive around and enjoy the lights.
Bringing out a stack of Christmas books and pairing them with simple activities has become one of my favorite parts of this season. It doesn’t have to be complicated—just a story, a little time together, and maybe a small activity or treat. This can make December feel really special for kids (and for us).
💬 Do you have a favorite Christmas book you read every single year? And are there any special traditions or activities your family always pairs with a particular story?
