For children under stress after a traumatic event, various forms of therapy can help, including art.

"Anything that's available -- clay, crayons, music -- children can use to express themselves," says Susan Anderson, founder of the ArtReach Foundation. Her nonprofit group was on the ground in Tuzla, Bosnia, following a massacre that killed 71 -- many of them schoolchildren.

"This is a time when we are at a loss for words. Parents should understand and share with their children that sometimes, there is no simply explanation," Lochridge offers.

"In an event of this scope, it's important for parents, police, even the president to convey that this is a terrible but rare event and our institutions are there to keep them safe," says Leavitt.

He suggests creating opportunities that enable youngsters to look "beyond the memorials for the lost children -- which are important -- to more long-term activities that aim for solutions and a secure future."

So what of the magic of Christmas in Newtown? The magic is not lost, says Leavitt. "Part of that magic is exactly what will help these children heal: togetherness, unity and the spirit of goodness in the world."