Christmas is a magical time for Christians, and who loves Christmas more than children? From decorating the Christmas Tree to baking delicious treats to giving and receiving gifts, Christmas is a special time for our little ones, and we want their time in church to be full of learning and fun.
Read on to discover nine meaningful Christmas object lessons for children’s church that will help make sharing the story of Jesus’ birth exciting.
- 9 Christmas Object Lessons for Children
- FAQs Section
- Conclusion
9 Christmas Object Lessons for Children
1. Candy Cane Lesson Symbolism and Meaning
- Ephesians 1:7
- Object – Candy Cane
- Lesson – The candy cane is in the shape of a J, which represents Jesus. The colors are red and white, which symbolize purity (white) and the blood of Christ (red). Telling this story to the children and drawing and coloring a candy cane will surely make an amazing object lesson.
Explain to them that we are pure in Christ, our sins are forgiven, and that Jesus died on the cross to make this possible. He shed His blood for us, which makes the candy cane so special.
Lastly, hand out candy canes for them to eat, and they will leave understanding what the candy cane represents at Christmas time.
2. Angel Ornament
Have each child bring in an undecorated angel ornament which they will decorate in class.
- Luke 2:8-14
- Object: Angel Ornament
- Lesson: Discuss how angels played a significant role in the Christmas story, announcing Jesus’ birth to Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. Angels remind us of God’s messengers and His divine plan for us all.
3. Embracing the Spirit of Giving
- John 3:16
- Object – A cross
- Lesson – Teaching children about the spirit of giving is so important, especially today when most of us do not go without. Here is an idea for helping students embrace the spirit of giving by giving a gift to another student.
- Bring enough popsicle sticks to class so that each student has two.
- Have them make a cross with the popsicle sticks and some glue
- Next, have them decorate their cross with whatever supplies are available.
- Have each child wrap their cross.
- Lastly, each child will give their special cross to the child next to them.
Explain to the children how God’s greatest gift to us is Jesus’s death on the cross for our sins. We can also forgive each other because of what Jesus has done for us. Our giving should be in joy, as God’s gift brought great joy to humankind.
4. The Light of Christ
- John 8:12
- Object – Christmas tree and lights
- Lesson – Use Christmas lights to decorate a small Christmas Tree. This lesson teaches that Jesus is the Light of the World, and different colors of light represent various aspects of His life and teachings.
Discuss what specific colors symbolize:
- White – holiness and purity
- Green – life and growth
- Red – Love, passion and sacrifice
- Blue – grace, heaven, and divinity
- Purple – Royalty (Jesus as our king), penitence, and suffering
- Gold – glory, kingship, and eternal life
- Black – mourning (The death of Jesus.)
- Pink – joy and anticipation (The joy of the birth of Christ and anticipating his resurrection.
5. Joy in Jesus
- Luke 2:10-11
- Object – Jingle Bells
- Lesson – When our lives are shaken, we may feel empty, lost, and silent, but if we have Jesus in our hearts, we can ring with joy.
Use jingle bells to teach about finding joy in Jesus, which is different from temporary happiness. Explain how joy, unlike happiness, comes from within and is a constant in the Christian faith. Toward the end of class, sing the Jingle Bells song. Bells represent joy. We ring bells in celebration.
6. The Legend of the Poinsettia, Story of Heart and Giving
- Mark 12:41-44
- Object – The Legend of the Poinsettia – a book about the Mexican legend of the Poinsettia.
- Lesson – Be sure to highlight the importance of the intention and love behind our gift-giving. God wants us to give from our hearts, as the little girl did in the book, even if we don’t have much to give materially.
Here is an object lesson about the poinsettia that you might want to use. It’s about our intention around gift-giving, to show the love of Christ.
7. The Nativity Scene
- Matthew 1:18-25
- Object – A children’s book about the Christmas Story and a small Nativity Scene.
- Lesson – Help the children understand the significance of Jesus being born in a humble stable in Bethlehem as opposed to a palace where most kings were born. Teach them about the humility and love of God through this event.
Starting by reading the Christmas story to the children will help them better understand the Nativity Scene. Then, have the children set up a simple nativity scene with figurines of Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and the animals.
5 Questions to ask the kids to get them thinking about what the Christmas story and nativity scene means to them:
- What is your favorite part of the Christmas story?
- What does the birth of Baby Jesus mean to you?
- Why was Baby Jesus born in a manger?
- What does the star in the Christmas story mean to you?
- Why do you think the angels appeared to the Shepherds first?
9. Creating a Christmas Star
- Matthew 2:1-2
- Object – A Star
- Lesson – discuss the Star of Bethlehem that guided the wise men to Jesus. Discuss how Jesus is the light of the world and how we can follow him. He is always available for us and will help us to shine bright also.
Have the children make their own Christmas stars out of construction paper. Use glue, glitter, stickers, and anything available to make the stars as bright as possible.
9. The Shepherd’s Experience
- Luke 2:8-20
- Object – Shepherd’s Staff
- Lesson—Discuss how Jesus is our shepherd who cares for and guides us, just as the angel guided the shepherds to Jesus. Teach them about the shepherd’s values of humility, trust, and faith, believing, going to see for themselves, and spreading the good news about the birth of our Savior.
Read the Bible verse, and use a shepherd’s staff or a picture of one to talk about the shepherds who were the first to hear about Jesus’ birth. Discuss how Jesus is our shepherd who cares for us and guides us.
FAQs Section
Conclusion
Teaching our children the true meaning of Christmas is the main point of Christmas object lessons. It is easy for us to get distracted with all the fun, parties, food, and gifts during Christmas. Those are all good things, but Christmas object lessons bring our kids back to what is most important about this amazing time of the year.
Use these lessons to inspire faith, understanding, and joy in children during the Christmas season.
More Christmas Fun for Kids:
PRINTABLE CHRISTMAS ACTIVITY SHEETS FOR KIDS
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