Best Christmas Songs for Kids

The best Christmas songs for kids are those that combine vivid imagery with beautiful lyrics. If you want to keep children engaged, it is a good idea to choose Christmas songs that include corresponding hand gestures or other interactive elements that can make singing more fun for kids of all ages.

"Frosty the Snowman"
Opening Lyrics: "Frosty the Snowman/Was a jolly happy soul/With a corncob pipe and a button nose/And two eyes made out of coal."

One of the best Christmas songs for kids is "Frosty the Snowman," the concept for which has been developed into movies, plays and other media for years. According to PhillyBlurbs.com, "Frosty" was written in 1949 by Jack Nelson and Steve Rollins, and has since become a household story, spawning numerous retellings over the years.

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
Opening Lyrics: "Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer/Had a very shiny nose/And if you ever saw him/You would even say it glows."

A story as well as a song, Rudolph is one of the best Christmas songs for kids because it highlights the plight of the underling. Rudolph is smaller and weaker than the other reindeer, but his one glowing feature is that which saves the day one Christmas Eve.

According to Carols.org.uk, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was written by Robert May for the department store Montgomery Ward. It has since been made into live action and animated films as well as numerous storybooks for kids.

"Jingle Bells"
Opening Lyrics: "Dashing through the snow/In a one-horse open sleigh/O'er the fields we go/Laughing all the way"

Another of the best Christmas songs for kids is not actually a Christmas song, but a tune sung in celebration of winter. "Jingle Bells" was written in the mid-eighteen hundreds and has permeated popular culture to such a degree that it is sometimes sung in church during the Christmas season, and it is frequently the subject of comedic "re-writes" by children and adults alike.

"12 Days of Christmas"
Opening Lyrics: "On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me/A partridge in a pear tree"

There is much controversy surrounding the origins of the song "12 Days of Christmas," according to The Voice, but many Christians contribute the lyrics to a relationship between the singer and God. Regardless, it is a fun Christian song for kids that is easy to remember because of its repetition.

"Up on the Housetop"
Opening Lyrics: "Up on the housetop reindeer pause/Out jumps good old Santa Claus"

This is one of my favorite Christmas songs for kids because it incorporates fun lyrics with onomatopoeia. Most children wonder what it would be like to travel with Santa on Christmas Eve, passing out presents and following reindeer through the night. Many teachers and youth leaders incorporate hand gestures with this Christmas song.

Other great Christmas songs for kids include "Joy to the World," "Here Comes Santa Claus" (sung as a round) and "Winter Wonderland". Older children might like to sing "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" or "Holly Jolly Christmas," and younger kids really seem to enjoy "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth."

Sources:

The Voice

PhillyBlurbs.com, Frosty the Snowman