Are you ready to jingle all the way into the holiday season with some fun and meaningful activities? This Christmas, why not add a touch of faith to your festivities with Christ-centered activities that will bring joy to your heart and soul?
Here are 5 Christ-Centered Activities to do with your Toddlers this Christmas
1) "Jesus is Born" Christmas Cards
Materials Needed:
- Baby Jesus coloring sheets (find an image on Google and print it out)
- Markers, Crayons, Pencils, Etc.
Directions:
- Encourage your child to color the coloring sheets of baby Jesus you printed out beforehand
- While coloring, share the story of Luke 2. Explaining the importance of why Jesus came down as a baby, born in a stable, etc.
- After the pictures are colored, write out “Jesus is born!” at the top, and stick them in envelopes to mail out to loved ones as Christmas Cards from your child.
Biblical Significance:
Fulfillment of Prophecy: Isaiah 7:14- The virgin birth, Micah 5:2- messiah born in Bethlehem, etc.
Revelation of God’s salvation: Luke 2: 10-11, Angel proclaims “do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born, He is the messiah.
Incarnation of God: John 1:14, “The Word became Flesh..”
2) Shoe Box Manger
Materials Needed:
- Shoe box or Small box
- Kid safe scissors
- Construction paper (yellow, brown, white)
- Small animal, babydoll, etc.
- White cloth, tea towel, shirt, etc.
Directions:
- Show your child how to cut the construction paper using safety scissors (if this is too advanced, they can rip the paper into little pieces using their hands)
- Fill up a small box with the pieces of paper
- Find a small animal to wrap in the white cloth to have a pretend Baby Jesus to lay down in the manger.
- Explain to your child the biblical significance and compare the manger to where they sleep and note the differences from sleeping in a nice comfy bed and then a stable manger (a manger is a trough or open box used to hold food for farm animals).
Biblical Significance:
Symbol of Humility: Philippians 2:6-8 “Though he was in the form of God... He humbled Himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men…” Being born in such a humble circumstance contrast with worldly expectations of a king, emphasizing that Jesus came to serve rather than to be served.
Fulfillment of Prophecy: Micah 5:2 While Bethlehem was small and insignificant, it became the birthplace of the King, mirroring the mangers humble yet divine significance.
3) Merry Christmas Table Runner
Materials Needed:
- Kraft paper
- Markers, paint, stickers, etc.
Directions:
- Lay the Kraft paper out on your table and encourage your child to decorate it!
- As they are decorating, start drawing symbolic/traditional Christmas symbols like Hearts, Angels, Stars, Christmas Trees, etc.
- Explain the biblical significance of each of these symbols and how they came to represent the Christmas spirit.
Biblical Significance:
Heart: God’s love for his people, that he sent his Son down to earth to die an earthly death for the sins of others.
Angel: God’s messengers and the proclamation of Christ’s birth.
Candles: Jesus is the light of the world, bringing hope and dispelling darkness
Star: The star of Bethlehem, which guided the wise men to Jesus.
Christmas Tree: The evergreen tree represents eternal (everlasting) life through Christ, as it is unchanging and stays vibrant green even during harsh winter times.
4) Follow the Star Game
Materials needed:
- Yellow construction paper
- Scissors
- Tape
- Prize (optional)
Directions:
- Grab your yellow construction paper and cut out 1 BIG star and multiple little stars (or skip this step and simply print out 1 big star and multiple smaller ones
- Use tape to hang up the BIG star in a “secret” place.
- Place the smaller stars around your house in a pathway leading up to the big star.
- Encourage your child to seek out the different stars along the path, until they find the main big star.
- Once they find the big star you can reveal whatever prize you have picked out or tell them the biblical significance of the 3 wise men following the star to Bethlehem.
Bonus: Your “secret” place can be decorated with animals, a baby doll, or other nativity scene items to symbolize Jesus’ birthplace.
Bonus: Play this game when the sun goes down and bring out flashlights to find the stars.
Biblical Significance:
Divine Guidance: The Star of Bethlehem guided 3 wise men (Magi) to the exact location of Jesus. Magi were likely Gentiles, which represents God’s inclusion of non-Jewish nations in God’s salvation plan. The Magi accepted Jesus as king and brought kingly gifts: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.
5) Meaning of Christmas Colors
Materials Needed:
- Markers, Crayons, Colorful pipe cleaners (your choice of colorful play items)
- Paper Plates, Popsicle sticks, paper (your choice of material)
Directions:
- Set up a craft environment that will use the traditional holiday colors, Green, Red, Gold, White, and Blue
- While using those colors, explain the biblical significance of why those colors are important to the meaning of Christmas and who Jesus is.
Biblical Significance:
Red: Represents the blood of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice to humanity’s sin.
Green: Evergreen trees stay green throughout the winter, symbolizing eternal life in Christ
White: Purity, holiness, and the forgiveness of sins through Christ.
Gold: Jesus’ kingship and one of the gifts brought by the wisemen.
Blue: Heaven & Peace
We hope you enjoy your Christmas season with your loved ones and be sure to check out the BabyBrew product page for fun gift ideas!
With Love,
Kelsey Casto
Founder of BabyBrew Activities