I received a copy of Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas to review. The post, ideas, and content are totally my own, as always!
Every store has had Christmas decorations and gifts front and center for weeks now. So are you in the Christmas spirit yet? With all the commercialism, it can be difficult to teach kids, especially preschoolers, the true meaning of the holiday season. Preschoolers- even the excellent ones- tend to be overly egocentric during Christmas, and I’ve determined to steer my daughter in another direction this year. I’ve devised five ways that I believe I can encourage ‘giving back’ as a family value to my preschooler. Read on for these, as well as a fun movie review and giveaway to enforce these values.
1. Participate in a joint giving collective– Even kids like to feel part of ‘the big picture’. As a church group and family, we participate in a local food drive ministry and Operation Christmas Child shoe box collection. My daughter is old enough now to help me pick out the items to go in the shoe box or the food drive bin. Letting her chose items helps give her a sense of ownership of our family project, and it helps her realize that her world is bigger than her home, family, and preschool.
2. Make handmade gifts for family and friends– Ahh….the value of putting your whole heart into something. Anything that you’ve made with your own hands or bought with your own money typically means more to you than something randomly bought. Kids like to make crafts, and they tend to put their love and imagination into what they do. My daughter gets out flower stencils when making things for her grandma because ‘she likes flowers’. And she sticks alien stickers on things for her cousin because ‘he’s a boy who like aliens’. Kids think things through, and encouraging them to make a card or gift will direct the focus onto the recipient rather than the gift.
3. Let them chose someone who needs ‘extra cheer’– I’m constantly amazed at the people my daughter has on her mind. Most of the time, it’s someone I’m not even thinking about. Last night, she prayed for my husband’s dentist whose wife just had a baby. I’m like, who?? Let the child take ownership of a special person that they have on their heart.
4. Make holiday goodies for someone in need or shut in at home– Start a dialogue with your child about the needs of others by making Christmas treats for those who need them and maybe even visiting someone in the process.
5. Let them participate in the same giving opportunities as you– The best way to lay a groundwork of giving back in a preschooler (or any kid, for that matter) is to be the example. It is difficult to teach a child a value that the parent does not portray. Do you make a blanket or crochet hats for a cause? Let them pick out the colors for your next project. Do you gather stocking supplies for the Salvation Army or pack an Operation Christmas Child shoe box? Let them chose items. Even kids as young as three can appropriately participate in many tasks.
In line with this topic, we recently were able to check out the new Veggie Tales Christmas DVD Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas. Complete with Uncle Si from Duck Dynasty, the heart of this movie stars a little girl who is trying in her own small way to help a needy neighbor. Her desire is an inspiration to those around her, as we found out in the movie. I won’t spoil it for you, but she manages to get the whole Veggie Tales gang on board in a special way!
Here’s a snippet from the Press Release to learn a little more about the movie:
Top-rated reality television star, Si Robertson, is transformed into a loveable and wise okra janitor named Silas. Silas narrates the adventures of the holiday flick, which stars Larry the Cucumber, the vibrant Head Elf of the mall who will stop at nothing to assist a compassionate young girl on her quest to help a neighbor in need for Christmas. Bob the Tomato co-stars as Phillip Fleagle, a harried mall employee who takes some time to realize that there is more to the holiday season than material gifts and light displays.
Visit the VeggieTales.com page to even download coloring pages to accompany the movie!
One of my lucky readers will be the winner of a copy of Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas. Use the below Rafflecopter form to enter to win!
It Happens in a Blink is not responsible for prize fulfillment. Giveaway open to US only.
We love Veggie Tales in our house! There’s a princess one on Netflix that Alea watches frequently, but I can’t for the life of me remember the name! This holiday season I’m really looking forward to teaching Alea all about the spirit of giving. She’ll be picking out a toy for Toys for Tots and her and I are shopping for a single mother + her daughter through a collaboration with Kohls! I can’t wait. She already has such a giving heart, but I can’t wait to reinforce that even more!
We love VeggieTales! And I love your five ideas. LC always makes gifts for the people in our family, and we also do a cookie un-exchange, where we bake TONS of cookies, put them in tins and deliver them all over our community to random people.
A cookie unexchange is a great idea!
I’m hard pressed to pick just one. I think I’d go with Madame Blueberry or Larry Boy.
Thank you for the great ideas ideas of how to teach our little ones the true meaning of Christmas in such creative ways! Our grandson (and we, too!) just love Veggie Tales!
Thank you for stopping by!
Great ideas, Melanie! It sure takes work to keep kids thinking of others and not just themselves during the holidays- it does my boys, at least! But those are most awesome, memorable times too 🙂 We aren’t too familiar with Veggie Tales, but all of those characters look adorable!
This movie has Uncle Si on it 🙂
I love these tips – it is such a good reminder to make sure our kids are learning to give back during the holidays. Thanks for sharing!!
All of the veggie tales movies are really cute. We only have 1 daughter and I will be honest she is spoiled when it comes to Christmas. She only gets presents on her birthday and Christmas for the most part or unless something special is going on so we tend to go a little overboard. That is why we make it an important part of the holiday tradition to give back to others that aren’t as fortunate. We have a box full of toys waiting to be dropped off with toys for tots as soon as they are taking donations. 🙂
That is a great organization to give back to!
My favorite is The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything!
Ohh…that one is good!
i will always love rack shack and benny!
LARRY is by far our favorite!! We would LOVE to win this for the kids! 🙂
It’s a Meaningful Life – we’ve watched it at least 4 times in the past year. 🙂
My guys LOVED Veggie Tales when they were little! GO Larry Boy!
We actually haven’t watched any! I’d love to win so we can check it out!
Those are all great ideas! I love getting my daughter involved in opportunities to give back, especially around the holidays. 🙂
My favorite is the one where they sing, “the bunny, the bunny, oh I love he bunny.”
I love that your daughter thought of your dentist’s wife! That’s very much something my daughter would do. I love your suggestions here, Melanie. It’s so important to model and guide your children into giving, rather than just being the receivers.
Thanks, Tara!
Our favorite Veggie tales movie is Josh and the Big Wall.
Thanks for entering! Good luck!
Wouldn’t this make a fun Christmas Eve entertainment for the littles!
oh i love so many of them! dave and the giant pickle is a good one! thank you for this giveaway! bekki
We love the veggie tales noahs ark one.
I like the Christmas ones
Madame Blueberry is my favorite.
Thanks for entering!
All four of my children grew up with Veggie Tales. We have every single one in VHS. My oldest daughter is now pregnant with her 1st and I will have to upgrade to every Veggie Tale in DVD!
My favorite Veggie Tales movie is THE PIRATES WHO DON’T DO ANYTHING, lol
All of them, My children and I can’t get enough of Veggie Tales 🙂
The one called God loves you so very much!