Many Christian families are searching for Elf on the Shelf Alternatives. Maybe they want something that points to the true meaning of Christmas. Or maybe their family has opted out of a Santa tradition, so the whole elf thing doesn’t make much sense. My family was there just a few years ago, and I think we stumbled on the BEST alternative…
Why Some Christian Families Steer Clear of Christmas Elves
For many Christian families, the Elf on the Shelf promotes ideas that are contrary to those that we are teaching our children the rest of the year. For example, many children are told that their elves fly to the North Pole each night to report on the children’s behaviors. And these reports determine which list they are placed on- either naughty or nice. Throughout the year, we are trying to help our kids grasp the concepts of repentance, forgiveness, and justification. Scripture tells us that our sins are cast as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). We don’t want our kids fearing that their sins are headed north and recorded on Santa’s list forever.
In addition, many Christian families want to minimize the importance of receiving gifts at Christmas. Rather, they want to focus on the gift of Christ and the light that Jesus’ birth brought into the world. The Elf on a Shelf Model can often point the focus back to good behavior in order to receive more gifts.
In short, while some Christians cans can see the fun for young kids with cute little elves, they aren’t willing to take on a new tradition that isn’t in line with what they want to teach their children.
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Why the Christmas Star is the Best Alternative for Christian Families
If you’ve been searching around, you’ve probably stumbled upon ideas like a kindness elf that assigns good deeds each day during the Christmas season. While it’s a fun idea, if you’re family isn’t introducing Santa, then a little elf doesn’t fit in. Some families use an action figure, a Christmas mouse, a Christmas monkey, or even “North Pole Ninjas”. While those sound interesting, I have to wonder how in the world Christian families relate these symbols to the birth of Christ.
Here’s the truth. I’m a busy mom. I’m not looking for one more task to add to my to-do list UNLESS it serves a purpose. So, I wasn’t quick to jump on board with any of these ideas floating around. And then, I ran across my favorite alternative ever…Meet Twinkles, our Christmas star!
Twinkles guides us through the advent season, just like the star guided the wisemen to baby Jesus over 2,000 years ago!
What Does Twinkles Do?
It’s so much fun when Twinkles arrives on December 1st! He is hidden somewhere in our house every morning for the entire month, just waiting for us to find him. On Day 1, Twinkles arrives with his welcome note, reminding the children of his daily mission, which is to point them towards Christ.
Every day, Twinkles also brings us a Star Report, which is hidden with him. It contains practical information like a countdown until Christmas Day and tells which child is in charge of turning on/off the Christmas lights that day (no more arguing about who gets to do it!) Further, it lists a carol of the day that our family will listen to multiple times, a Bible lesson focus (you can read more about that here), and a prayer focus. We usually bring the Star Report with us to the table for our morning devotion time.
Some days Twinkles brings a sweet treat, like these Xylitol suckers or these healthier candies. The kids can enjoy them while they listen to that day’s Bible lesson.
Sometimes he also brings a craft or a fun activity. One year Twinkles brought us a cake mix to make a birthday cake for Jesus!
For a couple of years Twinkles would bring a few dollars each morning, which we would place in our stockings. On Christmas morning, we dumped out all of the money, counted it, and then flipped through the World Vision catalog. The entire family agreed upon a gift or two to send another family in need. Giving to others before we began opening our own gifts was always a cool experience.
This year, I found these Advent cards. I thought they would be a great way to include my younger children in our morning devotion time, as they can read the short verse of the day.
And another way Twinkles fits into our family traditions…on Christmas morning, he’s always resting on top of our wooden nativity set, similar to how the wise men journey. It’s a fun way to feel a little connection to that part of the Christmas story.
Supplies Needed to Start this New Christmas Tradition
1. You’ll need a cute star! I ordered mine about 13 years ago on Etsy. However, there are many plush doll options on Amazon like this one and this one.
2. You’ll need to make a Welcome Letter and A Star Report. Mine is available in my Printables Store if you want to snag it! I laminate it and write on it with a dry erase marker each day.
3. You may want to grab suckers, candies, or verse cards to put out each morning.
Click here to see the Star Report Bundle
Final Thoughts on the Christmas Star Tradition
I hope you see that the options are endless with your Christmas Star! It is a great alternative to the Elf on the Shelf tradition, and you can customize it to your own creative idea. I just know that your family members are going to enjoy this fun Christmas tradition for years and years to come!
