Category: Christmas

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☕Dramas in Pajamas🧸 a screen-free, cozy Christmas tradition!

My hubby and I are suckers for snuggles with our kids any day of the year but cuddles by a glowing fire and dazzling Christmas tree is next level.

Pushovers that we are for curling up on the couch as a fuzzy-flannelled mob, we’ve been indulging a bit much this past month in the endless marathon of Christmas movies. As a usually “low-screen” family, the realization that we’d maybe been overdoing it lately hit me a few days ago when our four-year-old asked “what movie are we watching tonight, Mama?” Oh pooh, and not Winnie the . . .

All at once, I knew it was time to rein in the holiday movie marathon, but I hesitated. I didn’t . . . I couldn’t compromise on cuddles!

Perhaps that sounds pathetic, but I’m a parent after all! Our oldest is approaching eight and is already well on his way to becoming a long-limbed, stinky-socked giant. How many more Christmases will he want to snuggle up with his adoring family? I don’t even like to think about it, so I just take more pictures and hug him harder.

And so, I found myself in need of a little brainstorm session. Sure, we have board game nights, but you can’t be super snuggly when you’re rolling dice, setting up hotels or armies, and periodically yelling “hah!” in your loved ones’ faces. There’s read-aloud books, of course, but we already start and end our day with reading.

Then, it came to me!

What did people used to do in the evenings before TV took over the family room? They listened to radio programs! The Shadow Knows, Gunsmoke, George Burns and Gracie Allen, Lone Ranger, Orphan Annie . . . this was “drama” before modern media swooped in and gave it a Mean Girls makeover. Drama was, and is, so much more than the eye rolls, gossip, and temper tantrums attributed to the modern connotation. Audio dramas in particular were a treasured form of entertainment in days gone by . . . television for the imagination!

And just like that, there was our family’s cozy compromise: Dramas in Pajamas!

We already love listening to old storybook records, audiobooks, and Adventures in Odyssey radio dramas when we’re in the car or at lunch hour, so I thought . . . why not enjoy them in the long winter evening hours as well?

Let the cuddles commence!

A week has gone by, and our family is loving our new cozy Christmas tradition! And since it’s the season of giving 😆 we thought we’d share the love and pass on our favorite Christmas dramas we’ve found thus far! We hope you’re inspired to embrace some enchanted “drama” time as a family!

The way we see it, life is short, and parenting even shorter! So, hold your little ones (and big ones!) and soak in those snuggles.

From our family to yours . . .

Have yourself a Cozy Little Christmas!

Why we love ☕Dramas in Pajamas🧸

1.) screen-free indulgence

2.) builds our kids’ attention spans & auditory learning skills

3.) great excuse to snuggle up or do a puzzle by the fire

4.) brain-free and effortless for tired parents (hurray!)

5.) goes great with hot cocoa . . . but what doesn’t?

6.) a charming, nostalgic experience hinting of a simpler time . . . especially when savored by the Christmas tree!

Storybook Records on YouTube (a great place to start with little listeners)

Our Family’s very favorite Adventures in Odyssey Christmas Episodes!

If your family doesn’t already have a subscription to The Odyssey Fan Club, you’re missing out! For $10 a month, you get a truly fantastic children’s magazine (think Highlights only way better) plus unlimited streaming from the Odyssey vault. Our family simply loves this app. Or listen to select Christmas episodes for FREE here. As Christian parents, my hubby and I consider Adventures in Odyssey to be a key contributor to the cultivation of our children’s faith and character! Two thumbs up from us and a big thank you to the talent team at Focus on the Family!

*PLEASE NOTE: Adventures in Odyssey are recommended for ages 8+ (however, we listen to most episodes with our 7 and 4 year old already)

The Biblical Christmas Story

The following series are truly masterpieces! Our seven-year-old was in tears at the beautiful depiction of the nativity.

  • Back to Bethlehem Parts 1, 2, and 3 (suspense, violence, and danger)
  • The Star, parts 1 and 2 (suspense, violence, and danger)

Humorous, Festive Fun!

  • Snow Day
  • The Popsicle Kid
  • Unto Us a Child is Born
  • Ice Fishing
  • Gifts for Madge and Guy (our all-time favorite!)

Heartwarming:

  • A Time for Christmas (touches on blindness, poverty, and orphans)
  • Where’s Your Daddy (deals with a father in jail)
  • Like Father, Like Son (deals with a father in jail)
  • The Day After Christmas (includes gang violence)
  • The Living Nativity
  • A Lamb’s Tale (involves a war hero who gives his life for another soldier)
  • Peace on Earth (involves home invasion and theft)
  • The Visitors (touches on homelessness)

On Hoopla:

  • Frog and Toad All Year (for littles!)
  • The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (simply the best to listen to with the family!)
  • Little House on the Prairie Series (read by Cherry Jones, this collection is oh-so comforting night after night by the fire)

Don’t save the drama just for Mama! Please share with another family! 😀

Thanks for reading, friends! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love, ~OurHolisticHomeschool~