Grades 1-3
Introductory Activity – Stuffed Animal Census
Materials: stuffed animals
Before class, hide stuffed animals throughout your room. Once your kids arrive, tell them to find as many stuffed animals as they can within two minutes. After they find each stuffed animal, they should bring it to you at the front of the room. After two minutes, gather all your kids and dramatically count all the stuffed animals. If they haven’t found them all, send them back to find some more. Afterwards, explain that Mary and Joseph had to travel to Bethlehem because of a census, which is when a government counts the number of people who live in a country.
Live It Out
Game – Animal Noises Review
Materials: no materials needed
Form two teams of kids and line them up in the back of the room. Stand in front of the room and ask review questions from this week’s lesson. Kids who know the answer should walk like an animal of their choosing while also making that animal’s sound. The first child that makes it to you can answer the question. The team with the points at the end of the activity wins! Explain to your kids that because Jesus was placed in a manger there may have been animals there with him.
Craft – Jesus Is Born
Materials: paper plates, blue and light brown construction paper, crayons or colored pencils, glue, scissors
Hand out the supplies to your kids. Instruct them to draw a large oval on the blue construction paper and cut it out. Next, tell them to draw a circle on the light brown construction paper and cut it out. They will then need to draw a baby’s face on the brown construction paper. Next, instruct them to glue the blue oval onto the paper plate and then glue the baby’s face on top of the blue oval. Next, instruct them to draw straw and hay on the paper plate by using brown and yellow crayons. At the top of the plate, tell kids to write 1 JOHN 4:9. At the end of the activity, have everyone say the entire verse of 1 John 4:9 together.
Grades 4-6
Introductory Activity – Christmas Story Reenactment
Materials: no materials needed
Explain to kids they are going to act out the Christmas story. Ask for volunteers to be angels, shepherds, and Jesus’ family. Ensure everyone is involved, if possible. Tell kids as you read Luke 2:8-17, they are to act out what they hear you read. After you finish, feel free to let kids swap roles and act out the story again. Afterwards, have everyone read the Life Point together.
Live It Out
Game – I Love Christmas!
Materials: paper and pencils
Form two teams with your kids. Give each team a piece of paper and a pencil. Instruct them to write down everything they love about celebrating Christmas within three minutes. Next, have each team choose one item from their list to act out for the other team. Afterwards, have each team read off their lists. Write the Life Point on the board and have everyone say it together. Remind your kids that all the things on their lists are fun things about Christmas, but they’re not the main reason that Christmas is celebrated.
Craft – Reason for the Season
Materials: poster board, markers, pens, red paper, green paper, glue, scissors
Write WHY AM I GLAD THAT JESUS WAS BORN? on top of a poster board. Ask for a volunteer to draw a picture of baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the middle of the poster board. While the volunteer is drawing the picture, give the other kids a piece of red or green paper. Instruct them to write down their answer to the question, “Why am I glad that Jesus was born?” on their piece of paper. After they write down their answer, instruct them to cut out their answer. Have each child glue their answers to the poster board, and then give them an opportunity to share with the class what they wrote. Read the Weekly Verse to your class and remind them that God sent Jesus so that we could have eternal life through trusting Jesus. After class, put your poster on the wall so your kids will remember why Christians celebrate Christmas.
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