FREE INTERACTIVE STORY · AGES 5–7
The Missing Christmas Star: an interactive Christmas story for KS1
On Christmas Eve, the golden star for Holly Hill’s tree is missing. Read along as Nia follows a robin into the snowy woods. Your child makes three choices, and the last one picks one of three endings.
- Reading age 6
- 3 short chapters, 3 choices and 3 endings
- About 7 minutes
- Christmas
Read the story
Chapter 1The tree with no star
It was Christmas Eve in the village of Holly Hill. Snow fell softly on the rooftops. In the square stood a tall tree, twinkling with lights.
“Time for the star!” called Mr Ade from the bakery. Everyone looked in the big box. It was empty! The golden star had gone.
Everyone said the star helped Father Christmas find Holly Hill. Nia had to find it. She looked all around the square.
On the fence sat a little robin. In its beak was a gold ribbon, just like the star’s. The robin looked at Nia. Then it flew off towards the woods.
What happens next is up to your child
What should Nia do?
Questions for grown-ups to ask
Did you spot it?
- EasyWhat was missing from the village tree?Answer: The golden star.
- MediumWhy didn’t Nia walk across the frozen pond?Answer: The sign said the ice was thin, and Nia knew that ice can crack.
- HarderWhy do you think the robin flew to Nia?Answer: It had found the star and the cold fox, and it wanted someone to help.
Talk about it
- Which ending did you choose? Go back and read another one. Which do you like best, and why?
- Nia wants to help the village and the fox. How does each ending try to be kind to both?
- Is there someone you could help to have a happy day this winter?
Words to talk about
- glowed
- Gave out a soft, warm light.
- frozen
- So cold that water has turned into hard ice.
- trotted
- Walked along with quick, short steps.
- curled up
- Lying in a round shape, like a ball.
- square
- An open space in the middle of a village or town, where people meet.
Reading it together
This is a short story for Christmas Eve, a December evening or a snowy afternoon. Each page is only a few short sentences, written for children aged 5 to 7, so many Year 1 and Year 2 readers can read it themselves, with a grown-up close by for words like “understood”.
There are three choices, one at the end of each chapter. Read the options aloud and let your child decide. The first two change what happens on the way; the last one decides the ending, and there are three. Reading all three endings is half the fun, so go back and try again.
The story is about kindness rather than presents, so it works for families who mark Christmas in different ways. Father Christmas is mentioned once, as part of the village’s story, and the magic is kept. It also carries a safety message worth repeating every winter: never walk on a frozen pond, however solid it looks.
In class, put it on the whiteboard and let the class vote at each choice. Afterwards, children can write a fourth ending, or plan their own winter story with our Christmas story starters.
About this story
- Reading age
- 6 (ages 5–7). Written for Litsee’s reading level for age 6, where sentences are mostly 5–9 words long.
- Length
- 3 short chapters, 3 choices and 3 endings. Each way through is 373–396 words.
- Reading time
- About 7 minutes for a 6-year-old reading on their own, at Litsee’s pacing of 60 words a minute for that age. Reading aloud to your child is usually quicker.
- Characters
- Nia, a robin, Mr Ade the baker, a little fox
- Theme
- Christmas