Preschool: Celebrate Jesus’ Birth: Session 3—Jesus Was Born (December 21)

1s & 2s—Work Puzzles

Bible Story: Jesus Was Born Luke 2:1-20
Life Point: Jesus was born as God planned.
Weekly Verse: Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Matthew 2:1

Materials: wooden puzzles featuring Jesus

• Place the puzzles on a low table or on the floor.
• Talk about the Bible story as children work the puzzles.
• Say the Bible verse. Comment that Jesus was born as God planned.

3s–Pre-K—Make a Bible Verse Banner

Bible Story: Jesus Was Born Luke 2:1-20
Life Point: Jesus was born as God planned.
Weekly Verse: Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Matthew 2:1

Materials: Bible; construction paper, labels printed with the Weekly Verse, simple colored stickers, markers

• Cut the construction paper into 6-by-9-inch pieces. Allow each child to choose a color for his banner.
• Give each child a verse sticker to place on her banner. Encourage her to decorate the banner with stickers and markers.
• Talk about the Bible story as children work. Open the Bible to Matthew 2:1 and say the verse. Remind the children that Jesus was born as God planned.

Kindergarten—Explore Christmas Pictures

Bible Story: Jesus Was Born Luke 2:1-20
Life Point: Jesus was born as God planned.
Weekly Verse: Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Matthew 2:1

Materials: Bible; Teaching Picture 3; several gift bags; pictures or Christmas cards depicting Christmas objects and scenes, such as Christmas tree, candles, manger scene, ornament, stocking, wreath (Avoid pictures or cards with fantasy characters.); felt-tip pen; white paper; crayons or washable markers

• Place the Bible in a gift bag and the teaching picture in another gift bag. Place the pictures in several other gift bags. Arrange the bags on a table or the floor.
• Encourage children to talk about their own Christmas sights— things they see at home or around their neighborhoods. Print their responses on a piece of paper. Review the list and encourage children to draw pictures of what they see at Christmas. They may want to sort their pictures into stacks with the other pictures and cards.
• Guide kindergartners to remove pictures from the gift bags and sort them. They may choose to sort them in different ways; allow the kids to choose the way the pictures should be sorted.
• Help a child open the Bible to Luke 2. Talk about the Bible story and say the Bible verse.
• Show the teaching picture as you talk about Jesus’ birth.