Noelle: Discussion Guide for Parents

All information below is general suggestions and ideas. 

Always adapt to your family’s situation and beliefs and the needs of individual children. 

**Spoiler Alert**

Discussion Questions

• Christmas often involves a lot of talk about “naughty and nice.” At the beginning of the movie, Santa asked Noelle whether she had been naughty or nice. Why is it valuable to perform personal inventories of how we’re doing? How can we use the sacrament as a time reflect and ask the Lord to help us improve? 
• Santa uses elves to help him make and deliver toys. We all need help sometimes. How has someone helped you? How have you helped someone else? 
• Noelle says the “essence of Christmas” is getting the perfect gift. What do yo think is the “essence of Christmas”?
• Noelle tells Nick, “It’s not about what the kid looks like, its about what’s inside the heart.” The Bible says, “the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature. . . for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Why is important to see what’s inside? 
• Noelle advises Nick to take a break for a weekend. Why is important to take breaks and rest? This is why we have the Sabbath. How can rest and help others do the same? 
• When Cousin Gabe becomes Santa, he decides to withhold presents from children who have made mistakes. Why do others think this is naughty? What would be a better alternative?
• Cousin Gabe wants to update Christmas with the FALALA system to measure niceness and use drones to deliver Christmas presents. When is new technology useful? When is it better to stick to tradition? Why is it important to embrace both the past and the future?
• After Nick says that Noelle should be the new Santa, one of the elder elves asks, “What makes a Santa?” Then he asks Noelle, “What does Christmas mean to you?” How would you answer those questions? What makes a Santa? What does Christmas mean to you?
• Noelle says the Christmas gives us hope and inspires us to be nice. How does Christmas give hope? How does Christmas inspire us to be kind and selfless? 

Scripture Connections

• Sacrament, Repentance. 
• Teamwork, Body of Christ. 
• Sabbath, Rest. 
• Hope. 

Ideas for Further Study

• Noelle meets a Buddhist man who says he doesn’t celebrate Christmas. Learn about some other holidays that are celebrated in winter (examples: Winter Solstice, Hannukah, Kwanzaa). 
• In Phoenix, Nick teaches yoga. Learn more about yoga. Where did it come from? Why do people practice yoga? What are the spiritual and physical benefits? Learn a few yoga poses. Consider attending a yoga class (if you have small children, many cities now offer “Mommy-and-Me” classes at yoga studios or libraries).