‘Tis better to give than to receive. Even though the economy is in a tizzy, Christmas is still an opportunity to teach your children about the magic of being selfless. One Christmas, during a year of general economic difficulty, my parents took us to purchase several shopping carts full of toys. We dressed up like elves and delivered the gifts to random children in a needy neighborhood near my father’s office. I’ll never forget how that made me feel.

For your older kids, The Gift of the Magi is a timeless, touching tale about a couple who discovers the deep meaning of acting selflessly. After reading it, help them take the opportunity to act selflessly this Christmas and find a gift for someone who needs it more than they do. If your family is having a tough season, suggest that they sacrifice one of their own gifts this year for someone in greater need. It’ll build character and create a Christmas memory they’ll never forget.

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Toys coming to life is the premise of many of our favorite books (The Indian in the Cupboard), stories (Pinocchio), and movies (Toy Story). Children and adults alike are obsessed with imagining that there is something more to the wood, plastic, and fabric that makes up our toys than meets the eye. How do toys interact when we’re not around? What do they say? What do they like to do? What does it take for a toy to become real?

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams was perhaps the first well-received book to explore the subject. Written in America in 1922, the book has stood the test of time as a children’s favorite for several generations of make believers. We think your kids will love it. Paired with the activity from last week’s Chapter Book Blast – the TOYS exhibit at the Arizona Museum for Youth – this book will help you and your kids fall in love with some of your old toys all over again.

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Toys. That stuff’s for kids, right? Oh – who are we kidding? Everyone loves toys!!! Even though most of our toys tend to get bigger and more expensive as we grow older, we’ll admit that around here we still have a chest full of toys that are off limits to little hands because we just can’t let go. Children of all ages get emotionally attached to their playthings and they are often the best conversation starters for both young and old.

That’s why we think it’s pretty cool that the Arizona Museum for Youth is currently showcasing an exhibit dedicated to toys. Paintings, sculptures, and other artwork combine with hands-on fun to create an environment in which parents can reminisce and children can explore toys from a new point of view. To get your kids thinking about the magic of toys, encourage them to read on old classic. Whether the toy is made of plastic, wood, paper, or metal, their magic lies in the way they facilitate play and make believe. One of the best books to push your kids’ imagination as they read about toys coming to life – literally – is The Indian in the Cupboard. One of the ten best-selling children’s books of all time, this fantasy-based chapter book has been entertaining kids for nearly 30 years. We think your kids will fall in love with this book as quickly as we did years ago. Just be prepared to find toys in your cupboards for the next few weeks.

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