AIM: The aim of this lesson is to help children remember that the real reason to celebrate Christmas is Jesus! This Happy Birthday themed lesson will help children remember the birth of Christ in a fun and relevant way.
Intro: Hi everyone, today we are going to have a party! Who here likes to party? [Get feedback] And this isn’t just any party – it’s a birthday party! We’re celebrating the day that Jesus was born! Woo hooo!
SONG IDEAS:
- Celebrate God by Dougy Dug Dug
- Happy Birthday Jesus (for younger children)
SET the Scene:
Read Luke 2:1-20 or watch the Saddleback version of the nativity story here.
Questions:
- Where was Jesus born?
- Who was Jesus’ earthly mother and father?
- Who came to visit Jesus when he was born?
- What did they do after they had celebrated?
GAME IDEAS:
You can either go with the classic birthday party games or with Christmas themed games for this lesson. You choose!
- Pass the Parcel. No birthday party is complete without the classic pass the parcel game. To make it more fun, put challenges in each layer or fun facts about Jesus’ birth.
- Musical Bumps or statues. Encourage children to dance when the music plays and when it stops they must sit down (musical bumps) or stay as still as a statue (musical statues). Children are eliminated if they are last to do this or if they move when they should be still.
- Minute to win it Christmas games.
SPOT the Simple Meaning:
1) WE CELEBRATE THE SAVIOR
Come out with party poppers and party kazoos, a party hat and wearing a Christmas jumper… a Happy Birthday Jesus one would be perfect if you have one.
You might wonder what is so special about celebrating Jesus’ birthday. Surely it’s just like anybody else’s birthday? And why are we celebrating when Jesus died thousands of years ago? Well, firstly, Jesus isn’t dead… he’s alive! the Bible tells us he died and then rose again after 3 days. Why? Because he is God and he wanted a friendship with us! Jesus is the savior of the world – he is the One who came to rescue us from wrongdoing, rescue us from darkness. That’s why we celebrate Jesus! He’s the best person in the entire Universe to celebrate because he came from heaven to earth to let us all know that God loves us… he loves us so much that he sent his only Son to die for us so that we might know God for ourselves.
SEARCH the Scriptures:
Set up lots of different wrapped presents. You can keep with the birthday theme for your wrapping or use Christmas paper, depending on your preference. Inside each gift there you will need to place a scripture (about Jesus or the Christmas story) for the children to find and read. The children must answer a question correctly to open the box and find the scripture. You can give them a candy at the same time (it can also be in the box) as a reminder that God’s word is sweet.
Questions:
- What were Mary and Joseph told when they tried to get into the inn?
- Who told the shepherds about the baby Jesus?
- How did the wise men find the child?
- What did the wise men give Jesus?
SENSE How You Feel:
CRAFT:
- Encourage the children to make a Happy Birthday Jesus party hat, with card and some elastic. Get them to decorate it with pens and pom poms.
- Color the Happy Birthday Jesus paper chains and cut them out and thread them through one another, securing them with tape as you go. Then put them on the Christmas tree or around the room.
- Create the Happy Birthday Jesus cake topper and pop it in a cake for everyone to take one home to use with a cake.
COLOR: the Happy Birthday Jesus printable.
SENSORY PLAY:
- Put different colored rice in a big tub and use party hats for scooping the rice.
- Make a birthday play dough by kneading in sprinkles either into the play dough recipe or by using frosting and powdered sugar until it turns into dough.
SEEK God:
Say: It’s great to be able to celebrate Jesus’ birthday… you know, the most important thing about celebrating someone’s birthday is that it is most special when you actually know that person for yourself… when they are your friend. So, I wonder… do you know Jesus today? Is he your friend? He invited you to join his party and celebrate him. He wants you to know him, because he knows who you are and he loves you.
If you want to say yes to Jesus today and ask him to be your friend, please pray with me now… then make sure you let someone know that you have made that choice today. Let’s pray:
Jesus, I want to celebrate you today, as your friend. I believe that you are the Son of God and that you died and rose again. Please forgive me for the wrong things I have done. I choose to follow you today. Please help me everyday to be more like you. Amen.
Invite the children to collect a Happy Birthday Jesus candle as they leave, so that they can celebrate Jesus’ birthday with a piece of cake.
Click here for the Happy Birthday Jesus Powerpoint image.
