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Simple Christmas Learning Ideas That Become Traditions

As homeschool parents, we are presented with the opportunity to retreat from the hustle and bustle of the season and instead, immerse our families into the anticipation of and focus on the Savior’s birth.

Christmas traditions don’t have to be elaborate. In fact, over the years one of the most precious Christmas traditions has simply become learning.

Throughout the years we have explored different cultures and holiday customs, enjoyed Christmas unit studies and participated in Advent preparations. Breaking away from our regular curriculum and embracing the joy the Christmas season brings has allowed us to capture traditions within our home.

Put away the “formal” learning this season, and focus on a few simple activities that will build traditions and strengthen your children’s faith and family bonds. The benefits of this will be beyond measure.

Simple Learning Ideas to Build Family Traditions

Here are some ways that we have built a tradition of learning in our home during the holiday season. You can return to each year, no matter old your children are.

December then becomes a time of anticipation and learning!

Christmas Reading

Some of my favorite moments are those spent curled up with hot cocoa and reading beautiful holiday and seasonal books. You can find recommendations of some selections we are reading this year here (video link).

Reading is always an excellent way to learn. It provides opportunities for learning
about other cultures, social and emotional growth, and most importantly - strengthening the bond as a family.

A simple Christmas book basket placed in the living room can provide hours and hours of learning - and when your children are older (even adults!) they will still love it when the Christmas book basket makes an appearance!

Resources for holiday reading:

Simply sitting down and READING is a gift during an otherwise busy time.

Simple Christmas Learning Ideas to Build Traditions

Christmas Crafting

Holiday crafts are endless! Whether you are looking for something simple like a premade painting kit from Hobby Lobby or making salt dough ornaments as keepsakes and family gifts - Pinterest and Google will provide endless ideas!

Admittedly I’m not a “craft mom.” It makes me nervous to have glitter and glue everywhere. But there is something about breaking away from the “normal” during this season that gives me the ability to endure it.

We had fun making ornaments from dehydrated oranges for our Christmas tree last year.

A few SIMPLE ideas for crafting/art this holiday season:

Holiday Themed Unit Studies

Have you have seen all the beautiful Christmas-themed unit studies floating around? Honestly, it can be overwhelming if you do a simple internet search. Here are a few of my favorite Christmas studies:

Simple Learning Ideas to Build Holiday Traditions

Advent and Scripture Readings

One of my favorite yearly traditions is our Advent and scripture reading. This is THE MOST simple and meaningful gift you can give your children.

Every year we read a chapter of Luke each day leading up to Christmas. By
Christmas Eve, we have read about the life and ministry of Jesus. You would think after a couple of years, doing the same thing would become tiring, but there is always a new realization or conversation that comes out of reading through these scriptures.

We typically combine that with a nightly advent reading. Last year we read through the advent story, Jotham’s Journey. This year we will be reading through Tabitha’s Travels.

Simple Ideas for Creating Traditions Through Learning This Christmas

Serving Others During Christmas

This time of year we are given a wonderful opportunity to follow our Savior
as an example for serving others.

He came to serve rather than be served. ~ Matthew 20:28

It can be easy for our children to fall into the trap of “wanting” rather than selflessly giving and serving others. And, in an increasingly materialistic world, we need to equip our children to THINK OF OTHERS FIRST.

  • Bake cookies for first responders

  • Pack Operation Christmas Child boxes

  • Serve the homeless in your area with local relief organizations

  • Choose an angel off the Angel Tree to purchase Christmas for as a family

As homeschool parents, we are presented with the opportunity to retreat from the hustle and bustle of the season and instead, immerse our families in the anticipation of and focus on our Savior’s birth.

Taking time to slow down (a HUGE benefit of homeschooling our children!) allows us to capture the joy this season brings, and what a gift that is for our family.

I am so grateful for this precious opportunity - and THAT is why learning has truly become one of my favorite Christmas traditions.

Do you have a favorite learning activity/tradition in your home?

Share it with me in the comments below!

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Christmas BINGO For Kids

Cultivate the Wonder of Advent in Your Home

This post is from Homegrown Learners’ contributor, Megan.

Megan is a homeschool mom of 6, wife to Jon, former public school teacher, and follower of Christ. Homeschooling and homemaking are areas that the Lord has drawn her to be passionate about and it is her desire to be as intentional as she can in both.

She enjoys cooking, reading, gardening, history, and hiking in the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee. In her spare time, she is also a content creator for her YouTube channels Pennies and Salt , as well as her website, Pennies and Salt.

Simple Learning Ideas To Build Family Traditions

LEGO Building and Organization Tips with Mark & Steven

It was so much fun to chat with Mark & Steven - the winners of LEGO Masters Season Two.

(If you missed that conversation, check it out here.)

As I watched the show, however, I just was blown away by how people could actually build like that with LEGO bricks! This obviously isn’t your run-of-the-mill building experience, buying a set and then putting it together with the directions.

The level of detail, creativity, and planning amazed me, and as readers sent me questions two themes started to emerge:

  • How does a LEGO Master get to where they are today?

  • How do you organize LEGO bricks?

Ask and you shall receive!

What follows is a video from Mark and Steven with simple building tips, and also a peek into how they store and organize their bricks - with one SUPER SIMPLE TOOL that would have changed my life!

I’ll let you watch the video - you’ll want your kids to see this, too - and see if you can tell which tool I’m referring to.

And seriously - Mark and Steven just blow me away with their creativity and knowledge. You will be SO impressed!

I’ve also added some additional links/suggestions so that you can take what Mark and Steven have said and begin to go down your own rabbit hole.

LEGO Building Tips

Tip #1: Studs on all Sides

Use bricks and plates to make sure you have studs on all sides of your creation. THIS is how Mark and Steven came up with so much dimension.

This is a helpful article about reversing the direction of LEGO studs.

And, have you heard of the SNOT concept? This is helpful, too.

Tip #2: Lowell Sphere

I had to look this one up when I got home from Mark and Steven’s studio! You can read all about it here - and then you can see the possibilities that come when you use this sphere in the building of your creations. As Mark points out - this technique defies the logic of LEGO.

You can also get this kit from the Atlanta Brick Company that demonstrates this technique.

Tip #3: Sculpting

As Steven explains, this is based on numbers and patterns - this seems to be something most little LEGO lovers are obsessed with!

I’m blown away watching Steven show the patterns on his creation - imagine the time and thought that went into this!

Search around the internet for examples of LEGO sculpting - you will be lost down a rabbit hole, but it’s very interesting!

Tip #4: Color

Not only primary colors can be used in your LEGO creations. Steven talks about using secondary colors and color blocking.

This article about working with the LEGO color palette is quite helpful. And - super fun - read this quote:

“One of the easiest ways to learn new skills is by watching the masters. As I mentioned at the beginning, LEGO designers Amie and Jamie talked a lot about the use of color in the LEGO Masters TV show.”

And - here is a video all about coloring in LEGO MOCS (Make Your Own Creations).

Side Note:

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Mark and Steven. Not only did we learn a lot, but we also enjoyed getting to know these young men better. They are both truly class acts!

Special thanks to my husband, Hal, for filming and to my son, Grant, for editing our videos. LEGO is a family affair!

LEGO Organization Tips

Sort by color in plastic bins

This never happened in our house - but if I had it to do all over again, I think I might insist on it!

Mark and Steven have nearly 2 million bricks in their studio, so they HAVE to keep them organized!

Create a “Sorting Table”

Again - I wish we would have done this!

By adding sides to the table, none of the bricks go missing on the floor! Also, I would think that having a table at a standing height like this is just so much more comfortable for sorting and building. I remember searching for a LEGO table I could purchase when really we could have taken a plain wooden table and added the sides - just like Mark and Steven have done.

Don’t you also love how this method makes it so easy to find a particular piece - or, as Steven points out - you might even find a BETTER piece than the one you were looking for.

Here’s more of a closeup look at their table:

Use a Dustpan for Easy Cleanup!

Genius. That’s all I have to say.

Additional LEGO Links:


I’d love to know how this video helped/inspired your LEGO lover!

Leave us a comment below - and I’ll be sure to pass them along to Mark and Steven!

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How to Stand on Your LEGO Creation

LEGO Animal Cell