Christmas is Coming!
Give a small candy cane to your child one night this week. Ask your child how the candy cane reminds them of Jesus and the Christmas story.
Here are some possible responses:
The candy cane looks like a “J” and that’s the first letter of Jesus’ name.
The candy cane is shaped like a shepherd’s crook, and the shepherds were the first ones to hear about Jesus’ birth.
The candy cane is red like Jesus’ blood and white like the clean heart He gives us.
The candy cane tastes sweet, and the Christmas story is the sweetest story ever told!
We celebrate Jesus’ birth at Christmas. Jesus is the Prince of Peace. He is God’s greatest gift to us. We must do our very best to worship, obey, and serve Him!
Our Prince of Peace
Gather your family around the Christmas tree. Turn off the overhead lights but leave the Christmas tree lights on. Sit quietly in the darkness for a couple minutes.
The Bible tells us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Jesus came to earth to bring us peace and salvation. Without Him, we wouldn’t know the way to Heaven, and we wouldn’t have His peace when we feel worried and scared.
By the light of the Christmas tree, read Isaiah 9:6. Jesus is our peace. He takes care of us and tells us to bring our worries to Him.
Sing a Christmas song as you spend time together around your tree.
Adapted from The D6 Family Advent Guide (Randall House Publishing, 2018).
Follow the Star
Items Needed:
Construction paper stars, crown (homemade or from the Dollar Store or Burger King)
Hide the crown while no one is looking. Then lay the stars throughout the house in a path that eventually leads to the hidden crown. Invite the children back in to follow the stars to find the crown. The one who finds the crown is dubbed the “king.” Let that child hide the crown and make a path of stars for the others to follow. You might want to allow each child to have a turn hiding the crown and laying out the stars.
The wise men followed the star to Jesus and worshipped Him. Even though He was still a baby, they realized He was God’s Son and worshipped Him with the gifts they brought.
Ask the following questions:
How did the wise men find Jesus? (They followed the star.)
What gifts did the wise men give Jesus? Read Matthew 2:11 if they need help (Gold, Frankincense, Myrrh).
Why is Jesus called a king? (He is in charge of the world; He is KING above all the other kings on earth.)
Adapted from The D6 Family Advent Guide (Randall House Publishing, 2018).