A star with a Joining Forces logo adorns a military-themed Christmas tree at the Vice President's residence in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 8, 2015. Joining Forces is a national campaign launched by Second Lady Jill Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama to support military troops and veterans. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
A star with a Joining Forces logo adorns a military-themed Christmas tree at the Vice President's residence in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 8, 2015. Joining Forces is a national campaign launched by Second Lady Jill Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama to support military troops and veterans. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
A larger-than-life sized replica of a scholarly Champ, the Second Dog, at the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
A photo of Myiah Smith, a 6th grader at the SEED School in Washington, D.C., decorates an education-themed Christmas tree at the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. The tree is decorated with book ornaments and pictures of other local schoolchildren. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
An education-themed Christmas tree sits in the foyer of the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. The tree is decorated with book ornaments and pictures of local schoolchildren. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
A gingerbread replica of the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Railroad Station in Wilmington, Del., decorates the dining room of the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
The dining room of the Vice President's residence is decorated with white, gold and silver for a "Winter Wonderland" theme on Dec. 8, 2015. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
An education-themed Christmas tree sits in the foyer of the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. The tree is decorated with book ornaments and pictures of local schoolchildren. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
A military-themed Christmas tree is the focus of the sunroom at the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. The tree is adorned with ornaments with the seals of each military branch, and ornaments made by military children. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
The seals of the military branches adorn the sunroom of the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. Also in the room is a military-themed Christmas tree. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
An ornament created by a military child at Kadena Air Force Base, Okinawa, Japan, adorns a military-themed Christmas tree at the Vice President's residence on Dec. 9, 2015. Second Lady Jill Biden visited the children earlier in the year. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
A military spouses ornament adorns a military-themed Christmas tree at the Vice President's residence in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 8, 2015. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
A National Guard ornament adorns a military-themed Christmas tree at the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
Photos and a greeting from military children at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan that Jill Biden visited this summer sits in the Biden residence in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 8, 2015. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
A hand-crafted sea glass ornament made by a military child at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, adorns a Christmas tree at the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. Second Lady Jill Biden visited the children earlier in the year. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
Photos of the Vice President Joe Biden and Second Lady Jill Biden's grandchildren hang over a fireplace at the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. The mantle is decorated with sea glass ornaments hand-crafted by military children at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, where Jill Biden visited earlier this year. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
Names of the Vice President Joe Biden and Second Lady Jill Biden's grandchildren hang over a fireplace at the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
A holiday greeting hangs in the foyer of the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
Holiday decorations are up at the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
Holiday decorations are up at the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
A hand-crafted sea glass ornament made by a military child at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, adorns a Christmas tree at the Vice President's residence on Dec. 8, 2015. Second Lady Jill Biden visited the children earlier in the year. (C.J. Lin/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON — Tis the season to focus on children. At the Vice President's home, at least.
Vice President Joe and Jill Biden's Christmas decorations this year at their Naval Observatory residence highlight kids — from their grandchildren to local students to military children overseas — and their craftiness, and encourage academic pursuits.
Ornaments made of sea glass and seashells collected from Japanese shores and hand-crafted by military children at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa decorated a nautical-themed Christmas tree and a mantel. Others made of popsicle sticks adorned a military-themed tree, which was the focus of the Bidens' sunroom. Jill Biden had visited the children earlier this summer, and photos and a holiday greeting they sent were framed on a tabletop.
Also on the military tree were ornaments with the seals of each military branch and stars with the logo of Joining Forces, the national campaign launched by Jill Biden and first lady Michelle Obama to support servicemembers and veterans.
On an education-themed Christmas tree in the foyer, pictures of grade-school students from local D.C. schools hung next to book ornaments and other decorations inscribed with academic subjects. Sitting next to the tree was a larger-than-life-sized replica of a bespectacled second dog Champ, the Bidens' German shepherd.
Take a look through the gallery for more photos.
More information: Joining Forces
lin.cj@stripes.com Twitter: @cjlinSS
