The Holiday Season is a time for families and friends to come together to celebrate the bond of togetherness, love, happiness and peace on earth. In the United States, in addition to Christmas, the Holiday Season includes the Jewish Holiday of Hanukkah and the African-American Holiday of Kwanzaa as well. The exchange of gifts is associated with Christmas and the other holidays and hence the holiday season becomes a peak period for retail-shopping activity. And so it is not very difficult to fall prey to ‘Christmas Creep’ (a phenomenon in which retailers heavily advertise Christmas-themed merchandise to create an illusion that to feel joyful is to buy) causing undue stress for families.

This holiday season, consider ‘alternate giving’ by making a donation to a charitable organization on someone’s behalf or volunteer your time along with your family to help out for a good cause. This will inspire your children to believe in the true spirit of the holiday season and will inculcate in them the values of caring for others in need and sharing what we have with those less fortunate. There is also a wide range of holiday-inspired children’s media available at SmartFeed to emphasize the importance of empathy, kindness and gratitude. Find below some of the top picks in Holiday Media to share with your children. 

Notable Books 

Just Right for Christmas (Ages 3-7)

The scraps of cloth, leftover from a huge roll of beautiful, bright red fabric purchased by the king to make a grand cloak for the princess, end up being used to make a jacket for the kitchen maid’s mother, a hat for badger’s father, a pair of gloves for Mrs. Squirrel and a scarf for little Billy mouse. A charming tale infused with the spirit of giving to loved ones with kindness and thoughtfulness.

The Little Drummer Boy (Ages 3-7)

Even a simple gift given in earnest can bring great joy to the receiver. This is the underlying message in this meaningful story of a drummer boy who can give only the song he plays on his drum as a gift at the birth of baby Jesus. 

Miracle on 133rd Street (Ages 4+)

What starts off as a Christmas Eve cooking nightmare for a Puerto Rican family in New York ends in a coming together of their diverse neighborhood, with each one of the families pitching in to make it a joyful celebration. A story of kindness, generosity and helping each other out.

Oskar and the Eight Blessings (Ages 4+)

The year is 1938 and Young Oskar arrives all alone in New York City escaping the Nazis, on the seventh night of Hanukkah, to find his aunt Esther. Residents of the city who are complete strangers to Oskar come to his rescue offering him food and courage. A tale of optimism and hope showing that kindness and generosity abound in times of adversity and despair.

Winter Candle (Ages 6+)

A single candle is all that is needed to complete Nana’s thanksgiving meal, one family’s Sabbath, another family’s Saint Lucia celebration and an African American family’s Kwanzaa. As this candle (gift in need) is shared and passed along between these families of diverse backgrounds, it brings them together in friendship and trust, reflecting the real spirit of the holiday season.  

Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story (Ages 7+)

Enunciating the seven principles of Kwanzaa, this story provides the reader with the values of Kwanzaa and how they promote harmonious living and treating one another with respect and kindness.

The Gift of the Magi (Ages 10+)

The heartwarming story of a couple’s selflessness as they sacrifice their treasured possessions to be able to buy a Christmas gift for each other; they ultimately realize that their true love for each other is their most precious gift to be cherished.

Notable Movies 

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Ages 3+)

Charlie Brown is depressed because of all the commercial buzz surrounding Christmas. The Peanuts gang ultimately understand and realize the true meaning of Christmas as Charlie Brown transforms a tiny sapling into a Christmas tree laden with decorations. A timeless, heartwarming classic for all ages.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Ages 6+)

Based on Dr. Seuss’ classic, this is the story of Grinch, who is disgusted with Christmas for all its commercialization and tries to ruin it for the Whos in Whoville by stealing all their presents and decorations. Eventually the Grinch has a change of heart when he along with the Whos realize that Christmas is not just about the gifts thanks to the efforts of six year old Cindy Lou.

It’s a Wonderful Life (Ages 9+)

When guardian angel, Clarence Odbody intervenes to stop the imminent suicide of George Bailey on Christmas Eve and shows George how his selflessness and helping nature has touched the lives of many, George Bailey comes to realize the true meaning and purpose of his life and is all too grateful for it. A heartwarming classic for tweens and teens to understand the true meaning of the holiday season.

Notable Apps

Charles Dickens A CHRISTMAS CAROL (Ages 9+)

This interactive story app of the classic A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens epitomizes the true meaning of Christmas. It tells the tale of the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge from a ruthless, insensitive miser to a generous and kind-hearted individual after he is visited by the three ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

Linsly Donnelly, mom of three, is a start-up veteran. Aside from being co-founder and C.O.O. of Joann.com and C.M.O. of Wine.com, she is now the founder and CEO of SmartFeed, which offers parents better control over what their kids watch, play and share. Connect with SmartFeed on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.