With all of the chaos and noise that surrounds this time of year, here’s a nice relaxed activity for the day:
Read a Christmas Story

Image from Pixabay.com
Reading with children has a whole bunch of benefits, from building relationships, to developing those important reading skills, so take some time this Christmas to settle in with a good book. Here are a few of my suggestions (NOTE – I have included links to amazon.co.uk but I am not saying that you need to buy the books, or if you do, I’m not saying you should necessarily buy from amazon!):
The Jolly Christmas Postman – Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Follow the postman as he delivers Christmas greetings to the characters from many well known fairy-tales! This book has the added appeal of ‘extra pieces’ that your child can pull out of the envelopes and look at/ play with (such as little cards and even a jigsaw puzzle!)
Mog the cat is unsettled by all of the strangeness and hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations! She tries to escape, but ends up in amongst it all again!
This is a book version of the classic film (singing ‘Walking in the Air’ is optional but encouraged!) I love this book because it is all pictures and no words, allowing children at all levels of language and reading development to access and enjoy it. It’s also a lovely story of friendship and magic at Christmas.
The Christmas Eve Tree – Delia Huddy
An ugly little tree arrives in the city, but no-one wants him! That is until a homeless boy asks if he can take the tree with him, and this is the start of a magical Christmas eve for them both. A lovely story from a slightly different angle to some of the other books you might come across.
This book is more suited to younger children. It’s a beautiful flap book where your children can discover a new present on every page!
The Night Before Christmas – Clement C. Moore
No Christmas is complete without this classic poem, and there are lots of beautifully illustrated versions for you to read!
The Nativity Story
If you want to read about the meaning of Christmas, there are so many books with the Nativity story – and these are written in ways that are suited to different age groups -so take a look and pick one that suits you best!
Do you have a favourite Christmas story book? Let me know @EarlyYearsIdeas
Previous Doors:

Image from pixabay.com
Day 8: Home-made Christmas Cards