A Connected Christmas was designed with the whole family in mind, with something for every age. In this blog post I am sharing my tips for using A Connected Christmas with children from preschool through middle school.

A Connected Christmas uses festive carols, poetry, picture study, read-alouds, and hands-on activities like baking and crafts to bring families closer to one another and to Jesus. 

In this blog post: 

• What is A Connected Christmas?
• Bible and narration notebook in A Connected Christmas
• Hymns and carols in A Connected Christmas
• Poetry in A Connected Christmas
• Picture study and art in A Connected Christmas
• Read-alouds and picture books in A Connected Christmas
• Christmas activities and crafts in A Connected Christmas
• Intentional holiday studies from Treehouse Schoolhouse

What is A Connected Christmas?

A Connected Christmas is a three-week advent study designed for the whole family. The study celebrates the beauty and delight of the holiday season through the Nativity story, festive carols, stories, poetry, art, baking, and handcrafts. It’s about family, it’s about Him. It’s about connecting hearts to the heart of Christmas – to the truth of Jesus coming to earth to seek and save the lost.

A Connected Christmas, Volume Two continues the same holiday tradition of carols, stories, poetry, art, baking, and handcrafts, designed to bring your family together during this holiday season. Enjoy new stories and heartwarming activities to enjoy this season together.

Bible and narration notebook in A Connected Christmas

The foundation of the study is reading a passage of Scripture to your children. These passages will be studied in chronological order to complete the Biblical Nativity story by the end of the curriculum. Children will orally narrate the passage and complete a written narration in their A Connected Christmas Narration Notebook and illustrate the day’s passage, completing a 15-page keepsake by the end of the season. Here are some tips for multiple levels.

• Preschool to Kindergarten: Read the passage to your child or summarize it for very young learners. As your child orally shares their narration, help them form them into complete sentences and write them down on their page for them. Guide your child in creating illustrations that express the sentences.
• Early Elementary: Read the passage to your child and ask your child to orally narrate what they remember, with a focus on the sequence and accurate details. You may require a certain number of sentences for the child to complete. As they speak, write the sentences on lined paper. Have the child copy the sentences on their notebook page, expecting excellence in handwriting as they copy. Guide your child in creating illustrations that express the sentences.
• Upper Elementary: Read the passage to your child and ask your child to orally narrate what they remember, with a focus on the sequence and accurate details. You may require a certain number of sentences for the child to complete. Ask them to write the sentences on the lines on their notebook page, expecting excellence in spelling, handwriting, and grammar. Another option is to have them write on a separate notebook paper with smaller lines and complete their illustration on a blank sheet of paper.
• Middle School: Read the passage to your child or require them to read it independently. Ask your child to orally narrate, with a focus on the sequence and accurate details. You may require multiple paragraphs and use a separate paper for their written narrations. Expect excellence in spelling, handwriting, and grammar. Encourage them to complete their illustration on a blank sheet of paper.

Hymns and carols in A Connected Christmas

Each week of A Connected Christmas offers a new hymn or carol each week. Each song is directly linked to a Spotify playlist where you can listen, sing, and worship along.

• For younger children: Just introducing them to the song and playing it throughout the day is enough. You could offer them some toy instruments or worship flags to use as they listen.
• For older children: Dive deeper into a hymn study, research the history of the song and the original artist, or learn to play the hymn on an instrument.

Poetry in A Connected Christmas

Each day in the lesson plans you will find a specific way to interact with the weekly poem such as learning any unknown words, copying the poem, studying the poet, reciting the poem, and illustrating the poem.

• For younger children: If you have really young ones who are not writing yet, I recommend skipping the copywork element and possibly selecting one portion of the poem to read each day and memorize, rather than the entire poem if it is a longer one.
• For older children: Dive deep into a poet study using the Internet and books. They could also practice typing or cursive instead of completing the print copywork. You could incorporate grammar lessons using the poetry, such as labeling parts of speech.

Picture study and art in A Connected Christmas

Each week you will study a new piece of classical art. Each day in the lesson grid you will find a specific way to interact with the artwork such as prompting conversation through starter questions, researching the artist, and replicating the artwork.

• For younger children: Young ones will love looking at new artwork each week. I specifically included discussion questions for you to ask that will appeal to younger learners and reinforce early learning concepts such as shapes, colors, and emotions.
• For older children: Dive deep into an artist study using the Internet and books.

Read-alouds and picture books in A Connected Christmas

Each day of A Connected Christmas coordinates with a holiday picture book for children. Read the picture book and enjoy coordinating activities that bring the story to life.

• For younger children: There may be a few titles that are too lengthy for your very young ones. I recommend looking through the books and if you think it will be too long, either summarizing it or finding a book to swap out for that day.
• For older children: If they books are too young for your older children, you could also exchange those books for others or assign them to read the books aloud to the younger children.

Christmas activities and crafts in A Connected Christmas

Each day of A Connected Christmas offers a hands-on way for children to connect with a theme from the read-aloud, including crafts and baking recipes. These are fun and festive recipes and projects that any age can enjoy and will create special, holiday memories for children. Younger learners may need more assistance with some of the projects but they can be enjoyed by all ages.

Intentional holiday studies from Treehouse Schoolhouse

Do you love diving into the meaning of holidays throughout the year with your family? Enjoy intentional holiday studies from Treehouse Schoolhouse to create special moments with your children. 

A Treasured Thanksgiving

A Treasured Thanksgiving is a Charlotte Mason-inspired curriculum designed with your whole family in mind. It’s an invitation to study the historical Thanksgiving story in a hands-on way. Through Scripture, poetry, art studies, picture books, projects, baking, geography, and narration, your family will spend the two weeks before Thanksgiving connecting together and focusing on the meaning of the holiday. Dive deep into themes like the Pilgrim’s voyage to America, the Wampanoag people, the First Encounters, the First Thanksgiving, and the relationship between the Pilgrims and Native Americans in the first year. 

This 2025 revised version has been updated to be more accessible and easier to use for families with children of all ages. It features an updated book list and daily learning summaries, making this curriculum truly open and go.

A Connected Christmas: Around the World

Celebrate Christ’s birth and connect hearts to the truth of Jesus while experiencing how Christmas is celebrated across the globe through A Connected Christmas: Around the World. In this 3-week curriculum, your children will travel the world as you explore the Christmas season in different languages, climates, and cultures. Experience the unique traditions of different countries through festive carols, stories, poetry, fine art, baking, and handcrafts.

A Virtuous Valentine’s

A Virtuous Valentine’s is a Charlotte Mason-inspired curriculum designed with your whole family in mind. It’s an invitation to study the life-changing love of God in a hands-on way. Through Scripture readings, beauty subjects, picture books, hands-on activities, and a look into the history of Valentine’s Day, this study provides an invitation to delve into the profound depth of God’s love and how it shapes our relationships. We’ll explore how God’s love is unconditional, how love is expressed through acts of kindness and encouragement, how compassion and empathy can change hearts and lives, and how true love is demonstrated through selflessness and sacrifice. Your study will conclude by celebrating and creating memories together with a Valentine’s Day Tea Party.

An Expectant Easter

An Expectant Easter is a Bible-based, Charlotte Mason-inspired curriculum designed with your whole family in mind. It’s an invitation to gather your family to center your hearts on what Easter is all about. Through Bible stories, hymns, poetry, art studies, picture books, projects, baking, tea time, and nature studies, your family will spend three weeks connecting together and focusing on the newness of Spring, the sacrifice that Jesus made, and the power of His resurrection. This curriculum is designed for the three weeks leading up to Easter with lessons for Monday through Friday, but you can easily adapt to more or less time.

I hope you found this blog post helpful for using A Connected Christmas in your home this holiday season. Share your tips for using A Connected Christmas in your home in the comments below.