My kids must have watched my favorite Christmas animated movies a hundred times when they were young. Our top five were: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town, Frosty the Snowman, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol and Little Drummer Boy. If your familia hasn't watched these classics you have to do so this Holiday! There are also certain books that over the years have become a part of our holiday tradition.
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A few of them are also fantastic movies you can watch as a family. Here are five of my kids' favorites.
Images via Amazon.com
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (for ages 5-9) by Thedor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel. This book (and the movie featuring Jim Carrey) wins our family's all-time favorite. Even adults will enjoy the movie!
Amazon, $9.45
The Night Before Christmas
The Night Before Christmas (for ages 4-8) based on the Clement Clarke Moore Christmas poem. This is an American institution. And it was my gringo who started the tradition of reading this book every Christmas Eve.
Amazon, $5.72
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Nightmare Before Christmas (for ages 6-8) by Tim Burton__.__ My daughter has loved the book with the Halloween-like characters and spooky storyline but she couldn't watch the movie until she turned 9.
Amazon, $11.29
The Polar Express
The Polar Express (for ages 4-8) by Chris Van Allsburg__.__ My kids absolutely loved this book. Although the inspiring story does introduce the possibility that Santa does not exist, it's really more about the magic of Christmas and the power of believing. We also love the movie starring Tom Hanks.
Amazon, $11.01
The Elf on a Shelf
The Elf on a Shelf (for ages 4-8) by Carol Aebersold and her daughter Chanda Bell__.__ This book (and the elf that comes with it) makes a great gift! Through a rhyming story, the author explains how the elves are Santa's spies and they keep a watch over kids to see if they've been naughty or nice and then report back to Santa. I actually found the Spanish version of the book and Elf at Target.
Amazon, $36.95
Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas
Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas (for ages 4-8) by Jane O'Connor. I added this book because my niece Sofia (like so many young girls) is obsessed with the Fancy Nancy series. Nancy is the ultimate girly, witty and over-the-top girl who uses "fancy" words.
Amazon, $13.98
The Night of Las Posadas and The Legend of the Ponsettia
The last two, The Night of Las Posadas and The Legend of the Ponsettia(for ages 5-9) were written by one of my kids' favorite author Tomie DePaola, who is of Irish and Italian heritage. I love both of these stories because of their focus on Mexican characters and traditions.
Amazon, $6.91
