The Giving Manger is worth considering if your family wants a visible Christmas tradition built around kindness and service. The linked set includes the storybook and display pieces. I would choose it for a family ready to participate together, with adults helping children connect the activity to Jesus’ birth.
The buying question is practical: will the display become part of your daily life, and do you want the complete set or only the book? Checking the edition matters here.
This is a research-based review of the WorthyKids set listed under ISBN 9781546034223.
A clear hands-on option for families who want a Christmas tradition focused on giving and serving.
Best for: Families who want an adult-guided kindness activity and a display they can revisit.
Highlights
- The selected set combines the storybook and display pieces
- Acts of service provide a concrete family conversation
- The routine can include children and adults
Watch-outs
- Book-only listings are a different purchase
- The publisher identifies the set as intended for display use
- An adult needs to keep the activity encouraging and meaningful
What comes in the Giving Manger set?
The selected edition includes the picture book, a wooden manger, straw, and a baby Jesus figure. Those contents appear in both the Amazon description and the publisher’s product page.
| Creators | Allison Hottinger and Lisa Kalberer |
|---|---|
| Full title | The Giving Manger: A Christmas Family Tradition |
| Publisher | WorthyKids |
| Selected product | Picture-book and manger set |
| Included pieces | Hardcover book, wooden manger, straw, baby Jesus figure |
| ISBN | 9781546034223 |
That distinction is important because you can also find a book sold separately. Match the set contents and ISBN when ordering. If you already own the display pieces and only need the story, a replacement book may meet your needs; it is a different buying decision from starting the tradition.
How does the Christmas activity work?
Read the picture book together, then place the empty manger somewhere the family will notice. When someone performs an act of kindness or service, add a piece of straw. On Christmas Day, place the baby Jesus figure in the manger.
The simple routine gives children something visible to connect with the idea of serving other people. I would introduce it with examples they can understand, such as helping clear a shared table, including someone in a game, or making a card for a person who would welcome it.
Choose acts that are actually useful to the recipient. A child should not need to spend money, approach strangers, or complete an elaborate project to participate. These are my suggestions for using the tradition, not a required checklist supplied with the set.
How would I keep it from becoming a competition?
Treat the manger as a shared reminder, not a scoreboard. I would avoid assigning each child a quota or counting whose contribution is largest. Adults should join in without asking for applause.
Children also need to hear that kindness does not earn God’s love or purchase a place in the Christmas story. Read a short Gospel passage together and talk about receiving God’s gift before talking about how you might respond to someone else’s needs.
Keep room for unannounced acts of service. If a child wants to help quietly, do not make a public account of it the price of participating. The conversation can be as simple as asking where the family noticed a need today.
What should parents know before buying?
The publisher specifies display use. I would plan a stable display location and follow the instructions supplied with the product. Loose straw and separate pieces deserve thought in a home with very young children or pets.
The usefulness of the set also depends on the family routine. If nobody will be available to read the story or explain the activity, the pieces alone may have limited value. A small, regular conversation is likely to matter more than how quickly the manger fills.
I have not tested the finish, durability, or storage of the physical pieces. Listing images show the advertised design, but they cannot establish how a particular delivered set will hold up over several seasons.
Could you use the book with a display you already own?
The idea invites a conversation about giving even if your family already has a suitable manger display. Before buying another set, decide whether you want the supplied pieces, the storybook, or simply a way to focus an existing tradition.
If you are giving this as a gift, explain the activity to the adults first. A resource that asks for daily participation works best when the parents or carers welcome the idea. My Christian gift guide offers alternatives for a family that would prefer a book to read without an ongoing activity.
My recommendation
I would choose the Giving Manger for a household looking for a practical prompt to serve others together. Start with the story, use the display gently, and keep the attention on people who need love rather than on completing a task.
Its value is the conversation and habit the family builds around it. If you want a resource centered on daily Bible readings, compare it with the options in my Advent devotional guide before deciding.
Sources and review approach
Set contents, the activity sequence, and the display-use statement come from WorthyKids’ publisher page. I also checked the matching Amazon set and the brand’s separate replacement-book listing. The Amazon link above identifies the exact edition researched. Reading plans, discussion prompts, and buying advice here are my own suggestions. I have not handled this edition or completed a reading or activity trial, and this review does not summarize customer reviews.
