The Greatest Gift (cont.)
Celebrate Jesus
Say: Wow, Bethlehem is really crowded! It looks like there’s not enough room for all of us. When Mary and Joseph finally got there, there was no room for them. So they had to stay in a barn, where they could finally rest.
Lead the kids to a new location that can be the barn. Have kids make barn sounds as they take the pebbles out of their shoes.
Read Luke 2:6-7 and have kids make baby crying noises.
Say: God’s gift had come! Jesus is the best gift ever! Some people had waited a long time for the gift of Jesus, just like you’ve been waiting a long time to see what our present is. Let’s open it now.
Next have kids help you unwrap the gift box with the cake in it. Then distribute Jesus’ birthday cake to everyone. Before eating the cake, say: Christmas is a fun time of year. But the best part is that it’s Jesus’ birthday. Let’s celebrate his birthday and that he is the best gift ever! Have kids sing “Happy Birthday” to Jesus, and then eat the cake.
Ask:
- What makes Jesus a good gift?
Say: God gave Jesus to us as a gift. Jesus is the greatest gift ever! Electronics can break or get old, but Jesus doesn’t. Jesus is greatest gift! Money can get used up, but Jesus is always there. Jesus is greatest best gift! Jesus is the only gift that lasts forever because he gives us eternal life! Thank you, God!
High-Energy Game (10 min)
Best Gift Relay
Supplies
- 12 index cards
- marker
- tape
Easy Prep
- Make 2 sets of index cards. Each set should have one each of the following words: phone, video game, money, toy, book, movie.
- Set the index cards near a wall, along with the tape.
Have a Relay
Have kids form two teams.
Say: We’re going to have a relay. The first person in each line will run down, tape these cards on the wall in order from best gift to worst gift, and then run back. The second person in each line, you’ll run down and rearrange them if you don’t agree with the order. You’ll keep playing until no one in line has any changes to make.
Allow time for play. Because kids won’t likely all agree on the order of best to worst gifts, the game should have no natural end. When you feel like enough time has passed, end the game.
Talk About It
Ask:
- Why was it hard to agree on which gifts were better than others?
- Where would you put Jesus on this list? Why?
(Note: Many kids will automatically say “first” because it seems like the right answer. Challenge them to think about why they would put Jesus there. Don’t force the right answer—listen to kids and spark a discussion about whether or not they think Jesus really is better than the other gifts.)
Say: Other gifts can sometimes seem better than Jesus. We can buy fun things with money or have a lot of fun playing a new video game. But Jesus is the best gift ever because he’s the only gift that lasts forever and that truly fills us with real joy and peace.
Craft (20 min)
God’s Gift Ornaments
Supplies
- thin cardboard (you can use cereal boxes or poster board)
- wrapping paper (solid or with a simple pattern)
- scissors
- “Nativity Silhouette” handout (1 per child) (download here)
- toothpicks
- markers
- tape
- string
Wrap a Gift
Have kids each cut out a square of cardboard, around 4×5 inches. Then have kids wrap their cardboard with wrapping paper. As they wrap, have kids discuss whether they wrap gifts that they give to others.
Then have kids each bend the bottom inch of their cardboard forward to make a shelf. Have kids write “Jesus is the best gift ever!” at the top of their cardboard.
Add a Nativity
Say: God sent Jesus to be the best gift ever. We’ll put Jesus’ nativity scene on our gifts as a reminder of Jesus, the best gift ever.
Have kids cut out the silhouette shapes on the handouts. To secure the shapes to their gift, they’ll poke toothpicks through the shelf, aligned with the two tallest parts of the silhouette. Then they’ll tape the silhouette to the toothpicks and cut off any excess toothpick length.
Make It an Ornament
Have kids each tape a loop of string to the back of their cardboard to make it into an ornament.
Ask:
- What makes something a good gift?
- How well do those things describe Jesus?
Say: Our ornaments remind us that Jesus is the best gift ever! There might be a lot of awesome gifts you want this Christmas, but there’s only one gift that’s the best, and that’s Jesus! Encourage kids to put their ornaments on their family’s Christmas tree and talk to their families about why Jesus is such a great gift.
