A Connected Christmas is a homeschool unit study that gathers families to celebrate the season with festive carols, stories, poetry, art, baking, and handcrafts. Read the Christian Nativity story in Scripture, then make connections through hymns, poetry, picture study, living picture books, and hands-on activities in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

I created this unit study for homeschool families because I have always wanted the Christmas season to be beautiful and nostalgic for my children. I want the Christmas holiday to mark their hearts with traditions and give them warm memories of togetherness with family at home. Most of all, I want the Advent season to draw them to their Savior. Out of these desires, A Connected Christmas was born.

In this blog post:

• What is A Connected Christmas?
• Peek inside A Connected Christmas holiday unit study
• Christmas picture books for kids in A Connected Christmas homeschool unit study
• How to prepare for A Connected Christmas
• Frequently asked questions about A Connected Christmas holiday unit study

What is A Connected Christmas?

A Connected Christmas is a holiday unit study that gathers families to celebrate Christmas with festive carols, stories, poetry, art, baking, and handcrafts. Read the Christian Nativity story in Scripture, then make connections through hymns, poetry, picture study, living picture books, and hands-on activities in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Children will create a keepsake Narration Notebook with their own retelling of the birth of Christ.

A Connected Christmas is designed to be used with the whole family at the same time. It includes Bible, memorization, recitation, writing, stories, narration, and a plethora of beauty subjects (hymns, poetry, art, and handcrafts). A Connected Christmas was created for children kindergarten through 5th grade, but can easily be adapted for preschoolers and middle schoolers as well.

Each week, your family will memorize Scripture, worship together with a Christmas carol, enjoy a festive poem, and study a Nativity-themed piece of art. During the 15 lessons in the unit study, your family will read holiday picture books together and enjoy a coordinating handcraft or baking project that reiterates the story’s theme.

The foundation of the lesson time includes reading aloud a passage of Scripture. These passages tell the Biblical Navity story in chronological order over three weeks, with one Scripture reading in each lesson. Children orally narrate the passage and then complete a written narration in their “Christmas Story Narration Notebook.” Then they illustrate the day’s passage, completing a 15-page keepsake by the end of the season.

This guide is designed to be used five days a week for the three weeks leading up to Christmas, but can easily be moved around to fit into a four-day schedule or used as Morning Time plans.

Peek inside A Connected Christmas holiday unit study

Browse inside A Connected Christmas to see what the holiday unit study includes.

Christmas picture books for kids in A Connected Christmas homeschool unit study

Each day of A Connected Christmas offers a picture book selection for kids with a coordinating activity. Download the free Christmas picture book list below.

How to prepare for A Connected Christmas

Learn how to prepare for A Connected Christmas by watching this video below. Preparing for A Connected Christmas includes choosing which activities your family will love the most, how you will incorporate it into your day, gathering books from the library, and purchasing supplies for crafts and baking.

Frequently asked questions about A Connected Christmas holiday unit study

Can little children participate in A Connected Christmas?

A Connected Christmas was originally written for children in kindergarten through 5th grade, but can easily be adapted for younger children. Toddlers and preschool-aged children will enjoy reading Christmas picture books, singing Christmas carols, making crafts, and baking in the kitchen. This is a versatile holiday unit study that can be adapted for any family. You can also help a small child complete their own keepsake Narration Notebook by reading Scripture together, writing out what they say, and letting them color or illustrate each page.

Can children of multiple ages do A Connected Christmas together?

A Connected Christmas was designed for families to do together, even if children are different ages or in different grades. This study brings children together to read the Biblical Nativity story in Scripture, read a selection of living picture books together, enjoy poetry and art study, and do fun activities like crafts and baking. Choose the activities that are well-suited to your children’s ages and interests.

Do I need to own all of the books in order to do A Connected Christmas?

We recommend sourcing the books for this holiday unit study from your local library or a used bookstore like ThriftBooks.com. If you cannot find the books or do not have access to a particular story, we have included a list of YouTube read-aloud links so you can enjoy hearing the story read aloud. We recommend purchasing your favorite stories you think your children will want to reread, or revisit each Christmas season.

How much time does A Connected Christmas take each day?

A Connected Christmas is a holiday unit study that can be adapted to fit any schedule. You could use this study for 15 minutes per day, or do the activities in the study for an hour or more. You can also use the study as a menu, choosing the activities that fit your time constraints, making it as short or as long as you need. The study is designed to fit into your daily rhythm, so it is adaptable to each family’s needs.

Is A Connected Christmas holiday unit study religious or secular?

A Connected Christmas is considered a religious, Christian holiday unit study that is planned around reading the Biblical Nativity story over three weeks. Each daily lesson includes a Scripture reading that retells the story of the birth of Jesus Christ in chronological order over the course of the study.

Do I need to complete all of the activities in A Connected Christmas?

A Connected Christmas is a robust menu of Christmas activities for families and children to do together. You do not need to complete all of the activities every day. We recommend reading the daily Scripture reading and completing a page from the Narration Notebook, then adding any activities that bring your family joy.

Can A Connected Christmas be repeated over multiple years?

A Connected Christmas can be used multiple times as a holiday unit study. You can repeat the study or simply repeat the activities you enjoyed the most as a holiday tradition.

Will you do a holiday unit study in your home this year? Let us know in the comments below.

Lyndsey Mimnagh is a homeschool mom of four, founder of Treehouse Schoolhouse, and lifelong believer in the power of stories, play, and creativity. Lyndsey lives in North Carolina with her husband and children and can usually be found reading aloud, crafting, hiking, or enjoying good espresso. Connect with her on Instagram @treehouse_schoolhouse.