Ethical Christmas Gifts for Kids | Empower Artisans in Palestine this Holiday

Finding gifts for kids is one of the best parts of the holidays. From the colorful toys to the small books, it’s easy to get lost in how many options are out there. And now more than ever, it’s important to make sure your gifts are ethically-sourced and contributing to positive causes. Here at Handmade Palestine, we practice fair-trade purchasing, meaning every gift you buy from us will directly support the Palestinian artisans that created these special products. We’ve put together the perfect list of gift ideas for kids to help make your holidays special while empowering artisans in Palestine!

Nothing is better than a gift that tells a story. Made by the Ma’an Lil Hayyat initiative in Bethlehem, the felt Christmas nativity scene is a safe and meaningful way to tell traditions in your home. These unique nativities are carefully made with wool sourced from a local shepherdess, and will let the kids on your shopping list visualize the famous nativity story. Your purchase will provide income support for the shepherdess’ family and will help sustain the project at Ma’an Lil Hayyat that creates space for people with disabilities to learn and make these beautiful felt crafts.

When I shop for my nephews, I try to find fun and educational gifts. The Arabic alphabet learning cards are a wonderful way to give them something special while engaging their minds! These cards help little ones learn the Arabic alphabet while creating lovely tatreez designs. Give the gift of learning this year while supporting the artisans at the Palestine Writing Workshop who helped make this product!

You can’t go wrong with gifting these wonderful handmade dolls from Atfaluna Crafts in Gaza. Each doll has a colorfully embroidered dress featuring Palestinian tatreez, a hand-painted face, and a beautifully intricate beaded necklace. Every doll you purchase will help support the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children in Gaza!

The children’s story Arabic Christmas Story: Lulu’s Wish is perfect for the holidays! Written by Maya Abul Hayat, the story follows Lulu on her journey to find her Christmas wish from Santa. The stunning illustrations by Yara Bamieh transform the story into a coloring book, making a picture-perfect gift that supports the creative initiatives and artisans at the Palestine Writing Workshop!

For the bookworm in your life, choose from a selection of colorful, hand-embroidered tatreez bookmarks from Atfaluna Crafts. These come in a range of designs and colors, like multicolored small and large diamonds, rainbow diamonds, and rainbow fish scales! Your gift will help sustain the work at the school for the deaf in Gaza City through income generation for the Atfaluna Society for Deaf Children.  

On your journey to find ethical holiday gifts for kids, Handmade Palestine is a wonderful place to start. The artisans featured on this list create beautiful products that support the lives and heritage of the Palestinian people, and your purchases will help make that mission even more feasible. So, this holiday season, celebrate with ethical gifts that empower Palestinian artisans! Check out our full collection here.