The Birth of Christ Part #1 The Stable (Children’s Church

Lesson)
ministry-to-children.com/birth-of-christ-lesson-one

Felicia Mollohan November 10,

2009

Try this lesson plan with your Sunday School or Children’s Church this Christmas seasons. It
is part 1 of a 3-part series about the Christmas Story. This lesson teaches about the details
of the King of Kings being born in a stable. This children’s church lesson plan was first
written for children age 5 – 11. Be sure to consider your own ministry context and modify it
as needed. Please leave any feedback or suggestions for improvement in the comment box
at the bottom of this page.

Bible Story: The Birth of Christ in the stable, based on Matthew 1:18-24 and Luke 2:1-7.

Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate: An understanding of
what it was like when Jesus was born by answering questions.

Target Age: Kindergarten – 5th

Items Needed:

Bible: Matthew 1:18-24 & Luke 2:1-7. There is a detailed explanation below to help
bring out some of the important parts of the story.
Play dough
“Jesus and Me” paper per child, pencils, whiteboard, whiteboard markers
½ piece of paper per child, markers/crayons

Worship: Use Christmas Songs (extra print out) to lead the children to sing before the Bible
lesson.

Teaching Plan: The Stable

Welcome Activity: Welcome activities are things to have out for the children to do as they
are arriving for class. These activities will get them engaged as soon as they arrive and will
help the transition from their parents.

Have the children make a barn (stable) out of play dough. If they have time, they can make
animals to go in the barn.

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Bible Lesson Introduction: “We will be learning about Jesus and when He was born. We
will learn in the next few weeks that the wisemen and the shepherds came to visit Jesus.
Today we are going to learn a little more about when He was born. But first, we want to talk
about when you were born.”

Give each child a “Jesus and Me” paper and a pencil.

Go over the parts of the “Me” side with the children, writing their answers on the white
board
Have the children fill out the “Me” side only. They will do the “Jesus” side later

Worship: Christmas Songs

Bible Lesson: Use the following notes as a guide, but be sure to tell the Bible story in your
own words. If possible memorize your key points and just teach as you read the relevant
verses directly out of the Bible.

Have the children open their Bibles to Matthew 1:18-24. To help them find it, use the
following questions. Answers are in italics.

Which part of the Bible is Matthew in? New Testament

What book of the New Testament is Matthew? #1

Read Matthew 1:18-24 (NIV) aloud to the children.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married
to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy
Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to
public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Joseph finds out that Mary, the woman he’s engaged to be married to, is pregnant and so he
wants to divorce her. Back then, when you were engaged to someone, you were legally
bound to them, just like today after you get married. He’s a good guy, though, because he
doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it, so he was just going to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is
conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him
the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Joseph finds out that the baby, that Mary is going to have, is from the Holy Spirit and is the
Son of God. The angel told Joseph, in so many words, that he was to raise the Son of God!

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 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will be
with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means,
“God with us.”

This whole thing was in God’s plan. Jesus was fulfilling prophecy before He was even born.

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took
Mary home as his wife.

Joseph listened to the angel and believed what he was told. He decided not to divorce Mary.

Read Luke 2:1-7 (NIV)

In those days, Caesar Augustus made a law. It required that a list be made of everyone in the
whole Roman world. It was the first time a list was made of the people while Quirinius was
governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be listed.

So Joseph went also. He went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea. That is where
Bethlehem, the town of David, was. Joseph went there because he belonged to the family line
of David. He went there with Mary to be listed. Mary was engaged to him. She was expecting
a baby.

The man in charge, Caesar Augustus, wanted to know how many people he was in charge
of. Caesar wanted to know how many people would be paying him taxes. Every man had to
go, with his family, to his hometown to be counted. Joseph’s family was from Bethlehem, so
he traveled with Mary from Nazareth, where they lived, to Bethlehem. Mary was pregnant
when they started the journey. They didn’t have cars or planes. They did have a donkey and
their own two feet to travel.

While Joseph and Mary were there, the time came for the child to be born. She gave birth to
her first baby. It was a boy. She wrapped him in large strips of cloth. Then she placed him in
a manger. There was no room for them in the inn.

They are in a strange place and Mary gives birth to the Son of God. The city is full because of
the census. They have to stay in a stable because there is no other room available. A stable
is like a barn. It’s where animals were kept. He didn’t have a crib. He was layed in a manger.
A manger is like a trough where animals ate out of. The Son of God, the greatest person to
ever come to this earth, was born in the most humble of places.

Discuss Bible Lesson

Talk with the children about the story. Ask them questions like the following:

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 What would it have been like to be Mary?
What would it have been like to be Joseph?
What would it have been like to see an angel?

~ If you have time, reenact the story.

Bible Lesson Activities

Use the following activities to reinforce the learning goals. If time is short, move on to the
evaluation portion of the lesson plan.

Activity: “Jesus and Me” – Jesus’ Birth

Have the children fill out the “Jesus” side of the paper.
Discuss the answers with the children or do it as a class on the white board
Discuss the difference between their birth and Jesus’ birth and how many things have
changed.
If they had a choice, would they want to be born in Jesus’ time or now? Take a vote.

Activity: Bible Verse Memorization

“She gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a
manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2:7 (New International
Reader’s Version)

Have the children do the following hand motions along with repeating the words after you,
to help them learn the Bible Verse:

She gave birth to her firstborn, a son: act like you are rocking a baby
She wrapped him in clothes: wrap a pretend baby in a blanket
And placed him in a manger: pretend to gently lay the baby down
Because there was no room: shake head side to side as though saying, “no”
For them in the inn: make the shape of a house with your arms
Luke 2: hold up 2 fingers
7: hold up 7 fingers

Do this a few times with the children. Make it fun for them to do the motions and say the
words. Involving them in active learning is essential for memorization.

Activity: Bible Verse Drawing

Have the children draw a picture of what the Bible Verse is about. They can share it with
their neighbors or the class.

Evaluation:

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Have the children stand in a line in the middle of the classroom. Ask the following questions,
while having them choose to go to the side of the room that corresponds to the correct
answer (correct answers are bold):

What city was Jesus born in?

Right side of the room – Jerusalem

Left side of the room – Bethlehem

How did Mary and Joseph get to Bethlehem?

Right side of the room – by walking and riding a donkey

Left side of the room – driving a taxi

Who told Joseph that the baby that Mary was going to have was from God?

Right side of the room – an angel

Left side of the room – Joseph’s mother

Who named Jesus?

Right side of the room – the angel

Left side of the room – Mary and Joseph

What did Mary wrap Jesus in after he was born?

Right side of the room – a cute little outfit she bought at JC Penney’s
Left side of the room – swaddling cloths (or big strips of cloth)

What did Jesus sleep in?

Right side of the room – a manger

Left side of the room – a crib

Why were they in a stable?

Right side of the room – they liked to be with animals

Left side of the room – there was no room for them in the inn

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 Me Jesus

City born in…

Place born in…

(type of building)

Dressed in…

Traveled by…

Visited by…

Presents received…
The Birth of Christ #2 – The Shepherds (Children’s Church
Lesson)
ministry-to-children.com/the-birth-of-christ-the-shepherds-lesson

Felicia Mollohan November 16,

2009

Try this lesson plan with your Sunday School or Children’s Church this Christmas seasons. It
is part 2 of a 3-part series about the Christmas Story. This lesson teaches about the details
of the Shepherds visiting the baby Jesus. This children’s church lesson plan was first written
for children age 5 – 11. Be sure to consider your own ministry context and modify it as
needed. Please leave any feedback or suggestions for improvement in the comment box at
the bottom of this page.

Bible Story: The Birth of Christ – The Stable – Luke 2:8-20

Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate an understanding of
the visit of the shepherds by telling a neighbor the story.

Target Age: Kindergarten – 5th

Items Needed:

Bible: Luke 2:8-20. There is a detailed explanation below to help bring out some of the
important parts of the story.
“The Angel’s Announcement to the Shepherds – PDF” Activity Sheet per child, pencils
Whiteboard, whiteboard markers, index cards (or cut paper), markers
½ paper plate per child, construction paper, scissors, glue, markers, stapler, cotton
balls
1 of the following per child: The Candy Cane Poem, a miniature candy cane, a large
candy cane

Worship: Use Christmas Songs (extra print out) to lead the children to sing before the Bible
lesson.

Teaching Plan: The Shepherds Christmas Lesson

Welcome Activity
Welcome activities are things to have out for the children to do as they are arriving for class.
These activities will get them engaged as soon as they arrive and will help the transition
from their parents.

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“The Angel’s Announcement to the Shepherds” Activity Sheet

Worship: Christmas Songs

Bible Lesson Introduction

Ask the children what words they can think off when you say, “Christmas” (try to guide
them to Biblical ideas)
Write those words on the white board
When you have at least 20 different words, write (or have the children write) the
words from the white board onto the index cards
Split the children into 2 groups
Give each group 10 cards
Each group needs to make a story using their words…have them try to make it as
Biblical as possible

Bible Lesson: Use the following notes as a guide, but be sure to tell the Bible story in your
own words. If possible memorize your key points and just teach as you read the relevant
verses directly out of the Bible.

Have the children open their Bibles to Luke 2:8-20. To help them find it, use the following
questions. Answers are in italics.

Which part of the Bible is Luke in? New Testament

What book of the New Testament is Luke? #2

Read Luke 2:8-20 (NIV) aloud to the children.

There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby. It was night, and they were looking after
their sheep. An angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around
them. They were terrified.

It was like any other night for these shepherds. They were minding their own business,
watching their sheep, when all of a sudden an angel appears.
The angel doesn’t just appear. The “glory of the Lord shown around them”. I don’t
know exactly what the “glory of the Lord” looks like, but it has got to be bright.
Of course they were terrified! It was dark (because it was at night) and this happens!

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. It is for all the
people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. Here is
how you will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and
lying in a manger.”

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 Notice the first thing that the angel said to the shepherds. “Do not be afraid.” God
knows that fear would be the first emotion that the shepherds would have felt. He
wanted to make sure that the angels reassured them that this was a good visit.
The lowliest of careers – shepherds – heard the news of Jesus’ birth directly from
angels! God doesn’t care about your earthly position – he cares about your heart!
The angel told them many things in their short speech:

1) The Good News was for ALL PEOPLE

2) He was born in Bethlehem (the town of David)
3) The Savior (the Christ or Messiah) had already been born that night – so the Savior is a
BABY?
4) Here’s proof so that you will be able to tell others (because who’s going to believe a bunch
of lowly shepherds that they saw angels in the sky?)
5) The Savior of the world will be wrapped in strips of cloth and in a manger (an animal’s
feeding trough)

Suddenly a large group of angels from heaven also appeared. They were praising God. They said,

“May glory be given to God in the highest heaven!

And may peace be given to those he is pleased with on earth!”

Not only was there one angel, now there was a large group of angels praising God. That
must have been quite a show!

The angels left and went into heaven. Then the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to
Bethlehem. Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

The angels go back to heaven – which also must have been a sight!
The shepherds leave for Bethlehem to find the baby Messiah

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph and the baby. The baby was lying in the manger.
After the shepherds had seen him, they told everyone. They reported what the angel had said
about this child. All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

The shepherds must have found the right stable, because the Bible says that they found
Mary, Joseph and the baby.
The baby was lying in a manger – just like the angels said. He was probably the only baby
lying in a manger around those parts. Most babies would have been in a crib or bassinette-
type bed.
After they saw the baby, they went and told everyone. These were the first human
evangelists. The first people to tell about Jesus.

But Mary kept all these things like a secret treasure in her heart. She thought about them over
and over.
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Mary is a proud mom! She loves her baby and treasured everything that was happening to
her son – the Son of God.

The shepherds returned. They gave glory and praise to God. Everything they had seen and heard
was just as they had been told.

The shepherds came back, after they told everyone the Good News, so they could worship
Him.

Discuss Bible Lesson

Talk with the children about the story. Ask them questions like the following:

What would it have been like to be Mary?

What would it have been like to be Joseph?
What would it have been like to see an angel?

~ If you have time, reenact the story.

Bible Lesson Activities

Use the following activities to reinforce the learning goals. If time is short, move on to the
evaluation portion of the lesson plan.

Activity: “Cone Angel”

“What was our Bible Story about today? (allow for responses) Yes, our story today was about
the shepherds finding out about the birth of Jesus. Who told the shepherds about Jesus?
(allow for responses) Right, an angel. Wouldn’t it be cool to see an angel? It would be so
exciting and maybe a little bit scary too. At first the shepherds were scared, but then they
were ok.

We are going to make an angel today to help us remember who told the shepherds about
Jesus.”

With a partner, have the children roll their ½ paper plate into a cone and then staple.

With a partner, have the children trace each other’s hands out of the construction paper.

Have the children cut out the hands and glue them onto their cone for the angel’s wings.

Have the children finish their angel:

Cut a face out of construction paper and glue it onto their cone
Glue the yellow yarn as the halo
Stretch the cotton balls and glue them onto the angel

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 Decorate their angel as they would like

Activity: Bible Verse Memorization

“There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby. An angel of the Lord appeared to them.
They were terrified.” Luke 2:8&9 (NIRV)

Have the children do the following hand motions along with repeating the words after you,
to help them learn the Bible Verse:

There were shepherds: act like you are holding up a shepherd’s staff
Living out in the fields nearby: sweep arms in front of you as though you are showing the
ground
An angel of the Lord: hold arms up as in surprise
Appeared to the: close eyes and then open eyes
They were terrified: have a scared look on your face
Luke 2: hold up 2 fingers
8 & 9: hold up 8 fingers and then 9 fingers

Do this a few times with the children. Make it fun for them to do the motions and say the
words. Involving them in active learning is essential for memorization.

Activity: The Legend of the Candy Cane

Hold up the candy cane and show the parts as you talk about them

Give each child a mini candy cane to eat while you are talking about the candy cane.

“We are going to talk about what this candy cane has to do with our Bible Verse. (hold the
candy cane right side up) What does this look like? (allow for responses) If I was a shepherd,
I would need a crook. A crook would help me to guide my sheep where they needed to go.
This looks like a crook. This candy cane also has things about Jesus. If I hold it upside down,
it looks like a “J” which is the first letter of Jesus’ name. The candy cane is white with red
stripes. The white is for how pure we are with Jesus in our life and the red stands for Jesus’
blood that He shed for us on the cross. Also, if you look closely, you will see 3 red stripes on
this candy cane. These stand for the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Wow! This yummy
candy has such a great meaning that we should share with our families. (hold up the poem)
You all will be bringing this home so that we can share the Good News with your family.

Have the children attach a large candy cane to their poem to take home.

Evaluation: Split the children into pairs. Have them tell the Bible story in their own words.

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Look at the Candy Cane   Look at the Candy Cane
What do you see? What do you see?
Stripes that are red Stripes that are red
Like the blood shed for me Like the blood shed for me
White is for my Savior White is for my Savior
Who's sinless and pure! Who's sinless and pure!
"J" is for Jesus My Lord, that's for sure! "J" is for Jesus My Lord, that's for sure!
Turn it around Turn it around
And a staff you will see And a staff you will see
Jesus my shepherd Jesus my shepherd
Was born for Me! Was born for Me!
Look at the Candy Cane Look at the Candy Cane
What do you see? What do you see?
Stripes that are red Stripes that are red
Like the blood shed for me Like the blood shed for me
White is for my Savior White is for my Savior
Who's sinless and pure! Who's sinless and pure!
"J" is for Jesus My Lord, that's for sure! "J" is for Jesus My Lord, that's for sure!
Turn it around Turn it around
And a staff you will see And a staff you will see
Jesus my shepherd Jesus my shepherd
Was born for Me! Was born for Me!
Candy Cane Poem about Jesus
ministry-to-children.com/candy-cane-poem-about-jesus

Felicia Mollohan November 13,

2009

Here is a popular poem about the Christmas candy cane and how it can remind us of the
Gospel. I have seen this used alongside the legend of the candy cane, but I think it’s better
to leave the legend part out. Just use it as an object lesson or children’s sermon for the
children. Say, “Let me teach you a poem about the candy cane that will help us to remember
Jesus this Christmas season.”

We have prepared a handout of this poem that you can download and print. Each page is
divided into four parts and includes the poem alongside a simple graphic of a candy cane.
Click here to download the Candy Cane Poem.

Christmas Candy Cane Poem about Jesus

Look at the Candy Cane
What do you see?
Stripes that are red
Like the blood shed for me
White is for my Savior
Who’s sinless and pure!
“J” is for Jesus My Lord, that’s for sure!
Turn it around
And a staff you will see
Jesus my shepherd
Was born for Me!

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Scripture quotes from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973,
1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
 THE ANGEL'S ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE SHEPHERDS

** Use the code to find out what the Angel said to the Shepherds.

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Christmas Lessons for Children #3 The Wise Men
ministry-to-children.com/the-birth-of-christ-wise-men

Felicia Mollohan November 20,

2009

Use this free lesson in your children’s church to teach children the biblical story of
Christmas. This is the final lesson in a 3 part series about the birth of Christ. It could be
modified to use in Sunday School or any children’s ministry setting. Be sure to modify it to
best fit your ministry situation. Your feedback is welcome in the comment section at the
end of this page.

Bible Story: The Birth of Christ – The Stable – Matthew 2:1-12

Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate an understanding of
the visit of the wise men by acting out the story.

Target Age: Kindergarten – 5th

Items Needed:

Bible: Matthew 2:1-12. There is a detailed explanation below to help bring out some of
the important parts of the story.
1 paper lunch bag per child, decorating supplies – stamps, stickers, markers, etc.
Tissue paper, wrapping supplies
Construction paper, markers

Worship: Use Christmas Songs (extra print out) to lead the children to sing before the Bible
lesson.

Teaching Plan: The Wise Men

Welcome Activity
Welcome activities are things to have out for the children to do as they are arriving for class.
These activities will get them engaged as soon as they arrive and will help the transition
from their parents.

Have stamps, stickers, markers and other decorating supplies available for the children to
decorate a lunch bag for their parents. Make sure that each child puts their name on their
bag. We will use these bags later in the lesson.

Worship
Christmas Songs

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Bible Lesson Introduction
“We are going to do a craft a little early today because it needs to be able to dry. We are
going to make a star today. This has a lot to do with our story today. There is a very special
star that we are going to learn about during the Bible story.”

Give each child 2 craft sticks and demonstrate to them how to glue them to each other
so that it makes one long stick
Have the children glue their yarn “circle” onto the top of their sticks (this will be so that
they can hang it on their tree at home)
Give each child 2 more craft sticks and have them glue them in an “x” onto the
previously glued sticks
Give each child 1 craft stick and have them glue this one across the center of the “x”
Have each child write their name on the back of their star
Let the children use the glitter and glue to decorate their star
Lay off to the side to dry (you will be wrapping them later)

Bible Lesson
Have the children open their Bibles to Matthew 2:1-12. To help them find it, use the
following questions. Answers are in italics.

Which part of the Bible is Matthew in? New Testament

What book of the New Testament is Matthew? #1

Read Matthew 2:1-12 (NIV) aloud to the children.

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 Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea. This happened while Herod was king of Judea.

After Jesus’ birth, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the
child who has been born to be king of the Jews? When we were in the east, we saw his star.
Now we have come to worship him.”

When King Herod heard about it, he was very upset. Everyone in Jerusalem was troubled too.
So Herod called together all the chief priests of the people. He also called the teachers of the
law. He asked them where the Christ was going to be born.

“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied. “This is what the prophet has written. He said,

“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are certainly not the least important among the towns of Judah.
A ruler will come out of you.
He will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ ” —(Micah 5:2)

Then Herod called for the Wise Men secretly. He found out from them exactly when the star
had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem. He said, “Go! Make a careful search for the child.
As soon as you find him, bring me a report. Then I can go and worship him too.”

After the Wise Men had listened to the king, they went on their way. The star they had seen
when they were in the east went ahead of them. It finally stopped over the place where the
child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy.

The Wise Men went to the house. There they saw the child with his mother Mary. They
bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures. They gave him gold,
incense and myrrh.

But God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their country
on a different road.

Discuss Bible Lesson

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea. This happened while Herod was king of Judea.

So Jesus was born in a little town in the region of Judea.

Herod was the ruler of that region. He is not a very nice guy!

After Jesus’ birth, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the child who
has been born to be king of the Jews? When we were in the east, we saw his star. Now we have
come to worship him.”

So these Wise Men, who lived in the east somewhere, saw a star in the sky?
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 What made that star different from all of the others? It doesn’t say in the Bible, but it
must have been a pretty special star in order for them to be able to follow it.

When King Herod heard about it, he was very upset. Everyone in Jerusalem was troubled too. So
Herod called together all the chief priests of the people. He also called the teachers of the law. He
asked them where the Christ was going to be born.

Why would a king, a grown man, be upset by a baby being born? Because, it was the
prophecy that He would be the king of the Jews. The Jews lived in the region of Judea
and Herod was the king. He didn’t anyone coming in and taking over his kingdom.
What Herod didn’t understand was that Jesus’ kingdom is in heaven, not on earth.

“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied. “This is what the prophet has written. He said,

“But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are certainly not the least important among the towns of Judah.
A ruler will come out of you.
He will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ ” —(Micah 5:2)

This was one of many prophecies that Jesus fulfilled in His short life of 33 years.

Then Herod called for the Wise Men secretly. He found out from them exactly when the star had
appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem. He said, “Go! Make a careful search for the child. As soon
as you find him, bring me a report. Then I can go and worship him too.”

Herod doesn’t want to worship Jesus. We find out later that Herod wants to kill Jesus.

After the Wise Men had listened to the king, they went on their way. The star they had seen when
they were in the east went ahead of them. It finally stopped over the place where the child was.
When they saw the star, they were filled with joy.

The star was moving with the Wise Men to show them the way.
It finally stopped over there Jesus was.
They must have thought this was a really funny place for a king to be born – in a stable.
Just imagine if you were one of the Wise Men…they actually got to see Jesus as a baby!

The Wise Men went to the house. There they saw the child with his mother Mary. They bowed
down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures. They gave him gold, incense and
myrrh.

Those are funny gifts to give to a baby!

The gold was because He was a king.
The incense was because
The myrrh was because

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But God warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their country on a
different road.

God made sure that Herod wouldn’t find out exactly where Jesus was born, because
Herod wanted to kill Him.

Bible Lesson Activities

Use the following activities to reinforce the learning goals. If time is short, move on to the
evaluation portion of the lesson plan.

Activity: Wrap Gift for Parents

“The wise men brought Jesus gifts to show that they love Him. You all made a star earlier in
class today. That is going to be a gift from you to your parents.”

Let the children wrap their stars, put them in their decorated bag and attach a card.

Activity: Bible Verse Memorization

“The Wise Men went to the house. They bowed down and worshiped him. They gave him gold,
incense and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11 (New International Reader’s Version)

Have the children do the following hand motions along with repeating the words after you,
to help them learn the Bible Verse:

The Wise Men: point to your forehead

went to the house: make the shape of a house with your hands
They bowed down: bow
And worshipped him: raise your hands in the sky
They gave him: hold out your hands as though you are giving something
Gold: move your fingers around as though something is twinkling
Incense and myrrh: make a sniffing sound
Matthew 2: hold up 2 fingers
11: hold up all 10 fingers and then 1

Do this a few times with the children. Make it fun for them to do the motions and say the
words. Involving them in active learning is essential for memorization.

Activity: My Gift to Jesus

“What did the wisemen bring to Jesus in our Bible Verse today? (allow for responses) The
wisemen brought gifts to Jesus. If you were there at Jesus’ birth, what would you bring him?
(allow the children to talk with their neighbors about their ideas) What were some of your
ideas? (allow for responses—more than likely meaningful or thoughtful gifts) It seems like
you guys really would give Jesus your best. Well, we won’t be able to give Jesus a gift. But, we
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can give our parents a gift. Let’s make cards for our parents. I would like you to write what
you could give to your parents. Now, I’m talking a meaningful gift from your heart. Not
anything that you can buy them, but something that you can give of yourself.”

* Allow them time to make their cards

Evaluation:
Have the children act out the story to show that they understand the wise men’s visit.

Need More Help? Browse all our Christmas Ideas and Christmas Sunday School lessons for
children or find the right Craft Idea for Christmas

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Preschool Christmas Songs
ministry-to-children.com/preschool-christmas-songs

Felicia Mollohan November 9,

2009

Here are several simple songs about Christmas for children. They would be a great addition
to a Christmas Sunday School lesson or in children’s church. Because they are so simple,
they would be great for preschool aged children at church. These songs were collected from
several sources around the Internet. If you have another to share leave it in the comment
section below. Click here to let us know about your favorite Christmas songs for
Preschoolers.

Three Wise Men

(To the tune of Three Blind Mice.)

Three wise men, three wise men

Traveling a far, seeing a star
They found the Savior in Bethlehem
Fell on their knees to worship
Never before had there ever been a Child like Him
Three wise men.

Three wise men, three wise men.

Followed the star, followed it far.
They followed the star to Bethlehem
Bow down and worshiped the newborn king
Gave gold, and myrrh, and frankincense,
To Jesus the king.

Baby Jesus Song

(To the tune of “Are you sleeping Brother John”)

Baby Jesus, baby Jesus, (cup and rock your arms)

please don’t cry, please don’t cry. (rub eyes)
Don’t you know I love you, Don’t you know I love you, (give yourself a hug)
Very much, very much. (arms out wide)

Baby Jesus, baby Jesus, (cup and rock your arms)

born to us, born to us. (arms on chest)
Come let us adore Him, Come let us adore Him. (praying hands)
Joyously, joyously. (Arms up)

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Baby Jesus, Baby Jesus (cup and rock your arms)
Born to us, Born to us (arms on chest)
You came to save us, You came to save us (raise hands to heaven)
Amen, Amen (prayerful hands)

Baby Jesus, Baby Jesus (cup and rock your arms)

We love you, We love you (hug yourself)
We’re going to heaven, going to heaven (point upwards)
Thank you, Thank you (prayerful hands)

Away in a Manger

Away in a manger, no crib for His bed,

The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the poor Baby wakes,

But little Lord Jesus, no crying He makes;
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle till morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay,

Close by me forever, and love me, I pray!
Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care
And take us to heaven, to Live with Thee there.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

Said the night wind to the little lamb, “Do you see what I see?
Way up in the sky, little lamb. Do you see what I see?
A star, a star, dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite, with a tail as big as a kite.”

Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy, “Do you hear what I hear?
Ringing through the sky, shepherd boy. Do you hear what I hear?
A song, a song high above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea, with a voice as big as the sea.

Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king, “Do you know what I know?
In your palace warm, mighty king. Do you know what I know?
A Child, a Child shivers in the cold–
Let us bring him silver and gold, let us bring him silver and gold.”

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Said the king to the people everywhere, “Listen to what I say!
Pray for peace, people, everywhere. Listen to what I say!
The Child, the Child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light. He will bring us goodness and light.
The Child, the Child sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light,

Joy to the World

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! the Savior reigns;

Let men their songs employ;
while fields and floods,
rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessing flow
far as the curse is found,
far as the curse is found,
far as, far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

and makes the nations prove
the glories of His righteousness,
and wonders of His love,
and wonders of His love,
and wonders, wonders of His love.

Christmas Bells
(To the tune of “Jingle Bells”.)

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Christmas bells, Christmas Bells,
Ring them all the day.
God the Father sent His son on that first Christmas Day.
Oh, Christmas bells, Christmas bells,
ring them all the day.
God the Father sent His son on that first Christmas day.

Need More Help? Check out this finger play song about the Wise men or browse more
preschool Sunday School ideas.

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4 Advent Lessons: Teaching through the Nativity
ministry-to-children.com/advent-lessons-nativity

Reader Submitted December 3,

2010

This idea is one to be spread over several

weeks leading up to Christmas. Each part
could be expanded into a full lesson or
simplified to be done each Sunday in addition
to a planned lesson. If you structure your
children’s programming with a main session
followed by age-segmented small groups, then
perhaps this could serve as the main session
activity during the month of December.

Text: A variety of passages all taken from the

accounts of Jesus’ birth in Matthew and Luke This series of four lessons uses each Character
in the nativity to tell about Jesus.
Lesson Objective: The children will learn the
story of Jesus’ birth chronologically through the reading of Scripture.

Target Age: Pre K-5th grade (can be modified for all ages)

Pre K-K may need a separate coloring page for each part of the story.
4 th and 5 th may not want to do the coloring page. Instead they could leave for a longer
break out small group session or create an alternative activity for them

Time Needed: 15-20 minutes for each part. The first and fourth week will be longer than
the second and third.

Materials Needed:

One nativity display with stable, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, an angel, shepherds, and three
wise men
Optional: Use our nativity scene coloring page & crayons.

Lesson 1: Introduction of Mary

Week One (1st Sunday in December)

1. “What is a nativity?” Take input from the children.

2. “A nativity is a display that shows the birth of Jesus. Sometimes it is called a crèche.”

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 3. “Who do you usually see in a nativity scene?” Take input from the children.
4. “We see Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, shepherds, the wise men, angels, and sometimes
some animals, too.”
5. “This month as we are looking ahead to Christmas we will be using a nativity scene to
learn about the story of Jesus’ birth.”
6. Set up the empty stable of your display. “This is a stable. Why would I be putting up a
stable?” Take input from the children.
7. “Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room for him to be born in the inn.
This stable is what we will use in the coming weeks to tell the story of Jesus. Make
sure you bring your bible with you every week, so you can follow along with us as we
read about Jesus’ birth together.”
8. “Today we are going to add our first person to the stable.” Hold up Mary for the
children to see.
9. “Who is this?” Mary. Choose a child to come up and place Mary in the stable.
10. “Open you bibles to Luke 1:26. We are going to read verses 26-38 together.”
11. Read aloud the verses.
12. “What did God ask Mary to do?” Take input from the children.
13. “God chose Mary to carry and give birth to Jesus. He chose Mary to be Jesus’ mother.”
14. “Did Mary gladly agree? Did she have a good attitude?” Yes because she was a girl
who loved God.
15. Pass out coloring pages and crayons. Have the children color just the stable and Mary
for today.
16. When the children finish with their coloring, collect their pages so they can be used
again in the coming weeks.

Lesson 2: Joseph and Jesus

Week Two (2nd Sunday in December)

1. Set up the stable and Mary as you review with the children what they learned from last
week about these two parts of the nativity scene.
2. Hold up Joseph. “Who is this?” Joseph. Choose a child to come up to place Joseph in
the nativity scene beside Mary.
3. “Open your bibles to Matthew 1:19. We are going to read verses 19-24 together.”
4. Read aloud the verses.
5. “What did God ask Joseph to do?” Take Mary as his wife even though she was with
child.
6. “Did Joseph do what God told him to do?” Yes, he took Mary as his wife.
7. Hold up baby Jesus. ‘Who is this?” Jesus! Choose a child to come up and place Jesus
in the nativity scene.
8. “Now let’s read Matthew 1:25 together.” Read aloud chorally with all children reading
out loud with you.
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 9. “Also turn to Luke 2:6-7.” Read aloud these verses to the children.
10. “Who was born in the stable?” Jesus.
11. Pass out the coloring pages and crayons. Have the children color just Joseph and baby
Jesus.
12. When the children finish with their coloring, collect their pages so they can be used
again in the coming weeks.

Lesson 3: Shepherds and Angels

Week Three (3rd Sunday in December)

1. Set up the stable, Mary, Joseph and Jesus as you review with the children what they
learned from the two previous weeks.
2. Hold up the shepherd. “Who is this?” A shepherd. Choose a child to come up to place
the shepherd in the nativity scene.
3. “Why would there be a shepherd in the nativity scene?” Take input from the children.
4. “Let’s see what the bible says in Luke 2:8-16.” Read aloud the passage.
5. “So, why were there shepherds in the nativity scene?” Take input from the children.
6. “The angels had told them about Jesus being born and they wanted to see him with
their own eyes.”
7. “Thinking about the passage we just read, who else do you think belongs in the
nativity scene?” An angel. Choose a child to come up and place the angel in the
nativity scene.
8. “Angels are very important in the story of Jesus’ birth because God used angels to
bring the news that Jesus was coming. Mary was visited by an angel, Joseph was
visited by an angel, the shepherds were visited by an angel, and then a whole host of
angels appeared before the shepherds.”
9. Pass out the coloring pages and crayons. Have the children color the shepherd and
the angel.
10. When the children finish with their coloring, collect their pages so they can be used
again next week.

Lesson 4: The Wise Men and Closing

Week Four (4th Sunday in December)

1. Set up the stable, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the shepherd, and the angel as you review with
the children what they learned from the three previous weeks.
2. “As we finished up our nativity lesson last week you may have thought we were still
missing some important people. Who was missing?” The wise men.

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 3. “With Christmas happening yesterday, we did not finish the nativity scene in time for
Christmas day. But, did you know the wise men were not there the night Jesus was
born? Instead they came a while after when Mary, Joseph and Jesus were no longer in
the stable at the manger.”
4. “We usually include them in the nativity scene because they are an important part of
the story of Jesus’ birth.” Choose three children to come up and place the three wise
men in the nativity scene.
5. “Turn in your bibles to Matthew 2:1-12.” Read aloud this passage.
6. “What led the wise men to Jesus?” A star.
7. “Why was King Herod upset about the wise men coming to see Jesus?” He did not like
the idea of Jesus being the King of the Jews because it meant he (Herod) might no
longer get to be king.
8. “What gifts did the wise men bring to Jesus?” Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh.
9. Pass out the coloring pages and crayons. Have the children color the wise men and
any remaining uncolored parts.
10. Using the finished nativity scene, briefly retell the story of Jesus’ birth.
11. The children can then find a partner and retell the story of Jesus’ birth to each other
using their colored pictures.

Need More Ideas? Browse our free advent coloring pages or explore all our free Christmas
lesson plans.

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